Snowfall amounts of 6 to 7 inches were reported from the extreme southern portions of Clayton County. 8 inches in Edgewood.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS ARX wrote it up.
Snowfall amounts of 6 to 7 inches were reported from the extreme southern portions of Clayton County. Observers measured 7.4 inches in Strawberry Point and 6.8 inches in Edgewood. A tight gradient in snowfall occurred, with the remainder of Clayton County receiving 1 to 2 inches. This snow fell from the afternoon of the 23rd into the early morning of the 24th.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 23, 11:25 AM CST, 3 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 1125 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY 349 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012 MAIN CONCERN WILL BE STORM SYSTEM PASSING TO OUR SOUTH TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT AND ACCUMULATING SNOW ACROSS NORTHEAST IA/FAR SOUTHWEST WI. SECONDARY CONCERN WILL BE SNOW SHOWERS FRIDAY/FRIDAY NIGHT AND POTENTIAL FOR SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS. AT 3 AM SKIES WERE MOSTLY CLEAR ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL INTO SOUTHWEST WI UNDER A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE. IR SHOWED A STRATUS FIELD DRIFTING ACROSS EASTERN MN INTO NORTHERN WI. TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE TEENS WHERE IT WAS CLEAR...TO THE UPPER 20S ACROSS NORTHEAST IA WHERE MID/HIGH CLOUDS WERE INCREASING. MEANWHILE...WATER VAPOR IMAGERY/RUC ANALYSIS SHOWING A VIGOROUS MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH ROTATING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE DAKOTAS. AT THE SURFACE...LOW PRESSURE WAS CENTERED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL SD WITH A WARM FRONT EXTENDING THROUGH EASTERN NEB/SOUTHERN IA. RADAR MOSAIC WAS SHOWING A BAND OF -SN BREAKING OUT ACROSS EASTERN SD...AND SOME LIGHT RAIN ACROSS WESTERN IA. THIS SYSTEM WILL BE OUR WEATHER-MAKER TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT WITH SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. CONSENSUS OF THE NCEP/EUROPEAN MODELS TAKE THE LOW FROM THE DAKOTAS SOUTHEAST INTO NORTHERN MO THIS MORNING...THEN EAST INTO SOUTHERN INDIANA BY THIS EVENING. THIS TAKES THE ASSOCIATED DEFORMATION BAND SNOW FARTHER SOUTH AND IS EXPECTED NOW TO AFFECT MAINLY FAR SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA...MAINLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM THE MN/IA BORDER TO RICHLAND CENTER WI. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR 1 TO 3 INCHES ACROSS THIS AREA WITH PERHAPS A COUPLE 3-4 INCH AMOUNTS SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CHARLES CITY IA TO PLATTEVILLE WI. DUE TO FARTHER SHIFT OF LOW AND HEAVIEST SNOW POTENTIAL...WILL DROP HEADLINES. NEXT ON THE DOCKET WILL BE SNOW SHOWER POTENTIAL FOR FRIDAY/FRIDAY NIGHT AS ANOTHER TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE ROTATES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA. NAM SHOWING DECENT 700-300MB PVA ALONG WITH STEEP 0-1KM LAPSE RATES AROUND 10C/KM. SO...THE POTENTIAL IS THERE FOR SOME FAIRLY VIGOROUS SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY WITH PERHAPS SOME ISOLATED QUICK QUARTER TO HALF INCH SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE AREA LATER FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY FOR A QUIET/COOL PERIOD. AFTER LOWS IN THE TEENS FRIDAY NIGHT...LOOK FOR HIGHS ON SATURDAY IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S. .LONG TERM...SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY 349 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012 23.00Z GFS/ECMWF CONTINUE GOOD AGREEMENT IN HANDLING OF THE STORM SYSTEM AFFECTING THE AREA SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. MODELS SHOW STRONG LOW PRESSURE MOVING OUT OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES SATURDAY NIGHT INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS...AND ACROSS CENTRAL/NORTHERN MN DURING THE DAY SUNDAY. APPEARS THERE WILL BE A GOOD FETCH OF WARM AIR ADVECTION LIFT/MOISTURE TRANSPORT AHEAD OF THE LOW FOR SOME LIGHT SNOW IN THE MORNING MAINLY NORTH OF I-90...TRANSITIONING TO RAIN/SNOW MIX OR ALL RAIN BY AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE...IT LOOKS BREEZY AND MILD WITH HIGHS ON SUNDAY EXPECTED TO TOP OFF IN THE MID 30S NORTH OF I-94...TO THE LOWER 40S SOUTH OF I-90. AS THE LOW CONTINUES TO SWING NORTHEAST INTO UPPER MICHIGAN SUNDAY NIGHT/MONDAY...THERE IS THE CHANCE THERE MAY BE SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATION MAINLY NORTH OF I-94 AS THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE DEFORMATION BAND SNOW BRUSHES THAT AREA. OTHERWISE...COOLER AIR WILL FILTER INTO THE AREA ON MONDAY ON BRISK WEST/NORTHWEST WINDS WITH HIGHS EXPECTED TO TOP OFF IN THE MID 20S TO LOWER 30S. ANOTHER CHANCE OF SNOW WILL RETURN TO THE AREA TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH THE MODELS SHOWING ANOTHER VIGOROUS STORM SYSTEM TAKING AIM ON THE AREA. && .AVIATION...THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY 1125 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012 AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WAS OVER SOUTHERN MISSOURI THIS MORNING WITH A BAND OF PRECIPITATION NORTH OF THE LOW ACROSS SOUTHERN IOWA INTO ILLINOIS. A SECOND AREA OF PRECIPITATION WAS OCCURRING OVER NORTHWEST IOWA INTO SOUTH DAKOTA IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND EMBEDDED SHORT WAVE TROUGH. THE 23.12Z NAM AND RUC HAVE CONTINUED THE RECENT MODEL TRENDS OF KEEPING ALL THE PRECIPITATION SOUTH OF THE AREA TODAY. AS THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM COMES ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT IT NOW APPEARS THAT THE BAND OF PRECIPITATION ACROSS NORTHWEST IOWA AND SOUTH DAKOTA WILL SLIDE EAST ACROSS IOWA INTO ILLINOIS AND FAR SOUTHERN WISCONSIN. THIS WOULD KEEP ALL THE PRECIPITATION SOUTH OF BOTH TAF SITES AND HAVE REMOVED ANY MENTION OF SNOW AT EITHER SITE. AS THE BAND OF PRECIPITATION MOVES EAST...EXPECTING A DECK OF MVFR CEILINGS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF IT AND THESE SHOULD MOVE INTO BOTH TAF SITES LATE THIS EVENING. ONCE THESE CLOUDS MOVE IN THEY SHOULD REMAIN INTO FRIDAY AFTERNOON. GOOD LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES WILL DEVELOP EARLY FRIDAY MORNING TO ALLOW A FAIRLY DEEP MIXED LAYER TO FORM. THIS WILL PUSH THE SUSTAINED WINDS INTO THE 10 TO 15 KNOT RANGE WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 20 KNOTS AT KRST. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... 349 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012 WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && SHORT TERM...DAS LONG TERM....DAS AVIATION...04
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 408 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-WIZ054-061-241200- ALLAMAKEE-CHICKASAW-CLAYTON-CRAWFORD-FAYETTE-FLOYD-GRANT-HOWARD- MITCHELL-WINNESHIEK- 408 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WILL MOVE ACROSS IOWA AND ILLINOIS TODAY AND TONIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BE SOUTH OF THE AREA... ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE LIKELY FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. THE HIGHEST TOTALS WILL GENERALLY BE SOUTH OF A CHARLES CITY IOWA...TO PLATTEVILLE WISCONSIN LINE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ANOTHER STORM IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE AREA SUNDAY AND MONDAY...BUT THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BE NORTH OF THE AREA. ANOTHER STRONG STORM LOOKS TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION IN THE TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY TIME FRAME. THIS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BRING ACCUMULATING SNOW TO THE AREA. HOWEVER...ITS TOO EARLY TO DISCERN AMOUNTS OR PRECIPITATION TYPE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TODAY AND TONIGHT WILL BE APPRECIATED. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034-041>044-053-055-241200- ADAMS-BUFFALO-CLARK-DODGE-FILLMORE-HOUSTON-JACKSON-JUNEAU-LA CROSSE- MONROE-MOWER-OLMSTED-RICHLAND-TAYLOR-TREMPEALEAU-VERNON-WABASHA- WINONA- 408 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ANOTHER STORM IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE AREA SUNDAY AND MONDAY...BUT THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BE NORTH OF THE AREA. ANOTHER STRONG STORM LOOKS TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION IN THE TUESDAY WEDNESDAY TIME FRAME. THIS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BRING ACCUMULATING SNOW TO THE AREA. HOWEVER...ITS TOO EARLY TO DISCERN AMOUNTS OR PRECIPITATION TYPE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NO ACTION IS NEEDED. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. RABERDING
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Observers across the extreme southern portions of Clayton County measured 7.4 inches of snow in Strawberry Point and 6.8 inches in Edgewood. The remainder of Clayton County received much less snow as a tight gradient existed with amounts quickly diminishing to 1 to 2 inches.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, February 2012
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 360519.