A strong storm system moved from the Southern Plains into northern Ohio from Thursday February 23rd into Friday February 24th. Precipitation started falling as rain during the late morning hours on the 23rd across Eastern Iowa and began to change over to snow from west to east in the early to mid afternoon in Buchanan, Benton, and Iowa Counties.
Every event with a place to put it; 15 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 DVN wrote it up.
A strong storm system moved from the Southern Plains into northern Ohio from Thursday February 23rd into Friday February 24th. Precipitation started falling as rain during the late morning hours on the 23rd across Eastern Iowa and began to change over to snow from west to east in the early to mid afternoon in Buchanan, Benton, and Iowa Counties. Snow continued, heavy at times overnight Thursday into Friday morning before exiting into Western Illinois. Snowfall totals ranged from 1 to 2 inches south of Interstate 80 to 6 or more inches north of Highway 30.
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 Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 23, 6:06 AM CST, 2 hours 54 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 606 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012 .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS TO DETERIORATE TO IFR CONDITIONS ALL TERMINALS BETWEEN 12-16Z. PERIODS OF LIGHT RAIN TO OVERSPREAD ALL TERMINALS BY 17Z WITH MOSTLY IFR CONDITIONS AND LOW MVFR POSSIBLE. AFTER 20Z...RAIN TO MIX WITH AND CHANGE TO SNOW BETWEEN 20-23Z AT CID/DBQ AND 00-03Z AT MLI/BRL. IFR SOME LIFR CONDITIONS WITH LIGHT SNOW TO PERSIST UNTIL 09Z WITH SNOW ENDING CIRCA 09-12Z WITH MOSTLY MVFR CONDITIONS. ..NICHOLS.. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 330 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012/ SYNOPSIS... ANALYSIS AT 2 AM SHOWS A DIGGING UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WITH LIMITED MOISTURE AOB ALL SOLUTIONS. INITIALIZATION INDICATES HI-RES ECMWF CLOSEST...SUPPORTING TRIPLE POINT PASSING WELL TO THE SOUTHEAST AND THIS WILL LIMIT FORCING. SINCE LOW PW/S AND LESSER FORCING THIS WILL LIMIT RAIN/SNOW AMOUNTS. RADAR TRENDS SUGGEST AREAS OF RAIN TO MOVE INTO THE SW 1/3 OF THE AREA FROM BETWEEN 13-17Z. ALL TOOLS SUGGEST EVENT SNOW AMOUNTS TO BE 1-3 INCHES ALONG AND ESPECIALLY NORTH OF HIGHWAY 34 MOSTLY THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AND SOME WET SNOW FAR NW SECTIONS AFTER 2 PM. THIS DOES NOT SUPPORT ANY KIND OF A HEADLINE ATTM WITH TEMPERATURES WELL ABOVE FREEZING UNTIL AT LEAST 7 PM. SHORT TERM...TODAY AND TONIGHT... TODAY...NUMEROUS VERIFICATION AND INITIALIZATION TOOLS SHOWS HI-RES ECMWF CLOSEST. MARGINAL THERMAL FIELDS TO LIMIT SNOW AMOUNTS TODAY UNTIL WELL INTO PM HOURS IN FAR NW SECTIONS WITH AROUND 1 INCH IN GRASSY AND ON EXPOSED SURFACES WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S. WBZ AOA 2K AGL FOR RAIN ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 30 TODAY. PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS OF .1 TO LOCALLY AROUND .25 INCHES PER LOCAL FORCING TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES. TONIGHT...PRECIPITATION TO CHANGE TO ALL SNOW FROM NW TO SE BETWEEN 00-06Z WITH MOST LOCATIONS ROADWAYS BECOMING MARGINALLY SNOW COVERED AROUND MIDNIGHT INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE SNOW WILL BE LIGHT AND WITH ONLY 1 TO LOCALLY AROUND 3 INCHES FALLING DOES NOT SUPPORT AN ADVISORY ATTM. MOST FAVORED AREAS FOR 2-3 INCH AMOUNTS FOR THE EVENT OF SNOW MOSTLY BETWEEN HIGHWAYS 20 AND 30. HENCE...WE WILL BE CANCELLING THE WINTER STORM WATCH. ANY CHANGE ON SNOW AMOUNTS BASED ON TOOLS COULD VERY WELL BE A BIT LOWER DUE TO EVEN LESSER FORCING... EVAPORATIVE COOLING AND ALSO LESS MOISTURE TO WORK WITH. TEMPERATURES TO FALL WELL BELOW FREEZING ONLY TOWARD MIDNIGHT IF NOT LATER. .NICHOLS.. LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH NEXT WEDNESDAY... FRIDAY...AFTER BULK OR MORE ORGANIZED PRECIP FROM THU NIGHT EXITS OFF TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE DVN CWA...ADDITIONAL VORT SPOKES EMBEDDED IN DEEPENING CYCLONIC FLOW-TROF AXIS ACRS THE WESTERN GRT LKS TO COMBINE WITH DESTABILIZING LOW TO MID LEVELS TO PRODUCE SCTRD SHOWERS ON FRI. LATEST TRENDS SUGGEST A BETTER CHANCE FOR THIS ACTIVITY IN THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE LOCAL FCST AREA...AND THERMAL PROFILES EVEN IN A ROBUST MIXING ENVIRONMENT SUPPORT MAINLY SNOW. WILL CUTBACK ON HIGH TEMPS SOME WITH MOST OF THE ARE STAYING IN THE MID 30S IN CAA DESPITE THE DEEP MIXING. WHATEVER SNOW COVER THERE MAY BE WILL ALSO HAMPER WARM UP ESPECIALLY ACRS THE NORTH HALF. THE DEEP MIXING...PRESSURE GRADIENT CONTRAST BETWEEN EXITING CYCLONIC FLOW AND RIDGING DUMPING DOWN THE PLAINS...TO MAKE FOR BLUSTERY CONDITIONS AS WELL FRI WITH GUSTS OVER 30 MPH. CLEAR OUT AND CHILL DOWN FRI NIGHT WITH LOWS WELL DOWN IN THE 20S EVEN IF MIXING WINDS OF 8-14 KTS MAINTAIN OVERNIGHT. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...LATEST SIGNS...SIDING WITH THE MORE CONSISTENT EUROPEAN MODELS SUGGEST THAT MUCH OF THE WEEKEND MAY BE CHARACTERIZED BY FAIR WX AS OMEGA TYPE UPPER RIDGE PATTERN BUILDS ACRS THE MID AND UPPER MS RVR VALLEYS BETWEEN THE ONGOING STORM PUSHING UP THE NORTHEAST COAST...AND A LARGE SLUG OF GULF OF AK WAVE ENERGY DIGGING SOUTHEASTWARD ACRS THE INTER-MOUNTAIN WEST. THE ECMWF INDICATED H85 COLD AIRMASS OF -10 TO -14C ACRS THE REGION WOULD SUPPORT HIGHS ONLY IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S SAT. BUT BANKING ON A FULL DAY OF INSOLATION WILL ADVERTISE TEMPS MORE IN THE WAY OF LOW TO MID 30S. AREAS WITH LITTLE OR NO SNOW COVER SOUTH OF I80 MAY WARM INTO THE UPPER 30S. ON SUNDAY...MEDIUM RANGE SOLUTIONS START TO DEVELOP SIGNIFICANT LLVL CYCLONE SOMEWHERE TO THE LEE OF THE ROCKIES/WEST CENTRAL PLAINS AS STRONGLY DIFFLUENT SOUTHWESTERLIES START TO SPRAWL OUT ACRS THE MID AND UPPER MS RVR VALLEY. IF A TIGHT ENOUGH PRESSURE GRADIENT CAN EDGE THIS FAR EASTWARD OFF THIS LLVL PROCESS TO THE SOUTHWEST...ROBUST SOUTHEAST BOUNDARY LAYER FLOW WILL WARM THINGS INTO THE 40S IF NOT A 50 DEGREE READING SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE NEW EURO HAS MID TO UPPER 50S IN THE SOUTHERN CWA BY LATE AFTERNOON. THE 00Z GFS HAS TRENDED TO THE AGAIN CONSISTENT ECMWF IN SUGGESTING TIGHT DEEP CYCLONE TO ROLL OUT ACRS THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND UPPER MS RVR VALLEY SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MISSING THE CWA ALMOST ENTIRELY. WILL STILL KEEP LOW POPS IN THE NORTH LATE SUNDAY FOR WARM AIR ADVECTION LIGHT RAIN BREAKING OUT AND THEN LIFTING NORTHWARD. POPS AGAIN LATER SUNDAY NIGHT AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM/S ASSOCIATED STRONG INCOMING FROPA BUT THIS FEATURE WILL BE MOISTURE STARVED AND HARD PRESSED TO SCOOP UP SOME SHOWERS ALONG THE COLD FRONT INTO EARLY MONDAY MORNING. WARM SECTOR WINDS MAY GUST UP TO 40 MPH ON SUNDAY. MONDAY THROUGH NEXT WEDNESDAY...CURRENTLY ACCEPTED SOLUTIONS IN THE MEDIUM RANGE STILL SUGGEST MONDAY WILL BE JUST A COOL BLUSTERY DRY SLOT-SECTOR DAY WITH WINDS NOT ALL THAT FAR OFF ADVISORY CRITERIA. WILL STILL HAVE TO WATCH OUT FOR WRAP-AROUND SNOW SHOWERS MAKING THEIR WAY INTO THE NORTHERN CWA BUT EVEN THE GFS HAS SHIFTED SO FAR NORTH THAT EVEN THAT APPEARS TO BE A SLIM CHANCE AT THIS POINT. EVEN LONGER RANGE SIGNALS SUGGEST A POTENTIALLY ACTIVE REST OF THE WEEK WITH ADDITIONAL LARGE CYCLONES ROLLING OUT OF THE GRT BSN AND ACRS PORTIONS OF THE MIDWEST. OF COURSE HOW FAR NORTH OR SOUTH THESE SYSTEMS PROPAGATE AND THERMAL PROFILES FOR PRECIP TYPE/AMOUNTS STILL VERY MUCH UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME. ONE LOOKS TO OCCUR IN OR NEAR THE LOCAL AREA TUE NIGHT INTO WED...AND THE OTHER AT THE END OF THE WEEK ON FRI MARCH 2ND...IN LIKE A LION. ..12.. && .DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IA...NONE. IL...NONE. MO...NONE. && NICHOLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 440 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-241000- BENTON IA-BUCHANAN IA-BUREAU IL-CARROLL IL-CEDAR IA-CLARK MO-CLINTON IA-DELAWARE IA-DES MOINES IA-DUBUQUE IA-HANCOCK IL-HENDERSON IL-HENRY IA-HENRY IL-IOWA IA-JACKSON IA-JEFFERSON IA-JO DAVIESS IL-JOHNSON IA- JONES IA-KEOKUK IA-LEE IA-LINN IA-LOUISA IA-MCDONOUGH IL-MERCER IL- MUSCATINE IA-PUTNAM IL-ROCK ISLAND IL-SCOTLAND MO-SCOTT IA- STEPHENSON IL-VAN BUREN IA-WARREN IL-WASHINGTON IA-WHITESIDE IL- 440 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS...NORTHWEST ILLINOIS...WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL IOWA...NORTHEAST IOWA...SOUTHEAST IOWA AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...A COLD RAIN WILL GRADUALLY MIX WITH AND CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW BY MID EVENING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. THE SNOW WILL END TOWARD DAYBREAK FRIDAY WITH MOSTLY 1 TO 3 INCH TOTALS... MAINLY FOR LOCATIONS ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 34. SOME AREA ROADWAYS MAY BECOME SNOW COVERED LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS THE MERCURY FALLS BELOW FREEZING. SNOW WILL ACCUMULATE INITIALLY ON GRASSY AND EXPOSED LOCATIONS DUE TO OUR RELATIVELY WARM GROUND. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST LATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. THERE MAY BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF RAIN OR SNOW IN PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA SUNDAY NIGHT BUT THE BULK OF THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD REMAIN OVER MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN. THE MAIN IMPACT FROM THIS SYSTEM WILL BE STRONG GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH SUNDAY AND AGAIN ON MONDAY. FURTHER OUT...THERE ARE SIGNS THAT ANOTHER POTENTIALLY STRONG STORM SYSTEM MAY BRING RAIN OR SNOW TO THE AREA FROM TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. HOWEVER... SNOWFALL REPORTS OF 1 INCH OR MORE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. NICHOLS/12
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 522 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012 IAZ042-054-066-068-ILZ001-002-007-009-015>018-231400- DUBUQUE-JACKSON-CLINTON-SCOTT-JO DAVIESS-STEPHENSON-CARROLL- WHITESIDE-ROCK ISLAND-HENRY IL-BUREAU-PUTNAM- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DUBUQUE...MAQUOKETA...CLINTON... BETTENDORF...DAVENPORT...GALENA...FREEPORT...MOUNT CARROLL... STERLING...ROCK FALLS...MOLINE...ROCK ISLAND...KEWANEE... PRINCETON...HENNEPIN 522 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012 ...AREAS OF DENSE FOG EARLY THIS MORNING ACROSS PORTIONS OF FAR EASTERN IOWA AND NORTHWEST ILLINOIS... AREAS OF DENSE FOG REDUCING VISIBILITIES DOWN TO A QUARTER MILE OR LESS...WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 8 AM CST THIS MORNING ACROSS PORTIONS OF FAR EASTERN IOWA AND NORTHWESTERN ILLINOIS. THESE LOCALIZED AREAS OF DENSE FOG WILL CONTINUE UNTIL NORTHEAST WINDS INCREASE ENOUGH TO HELP IMPROVE VISIBILITIES. IN ADDITION...MANY LOCATIONS REMAIN BELOW FREEZING...SO ANY FOG MAY RESULT IN A GLAZE FORMING ON SOME ROADS...ESPECIALLY ELEVATED SURFACES. ANYONE TRAVELING EARLY THIS MORNING SHOULD BE AWARE OF POSSIBLE SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY ON ELEVATED SURFACES SUCH AS BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. ALSO BE AWARE OF SHARPLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES OCCURRING IN A SHORT DISTANCE. 12
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 747 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012 IAZ042-054-066-068-ILZ001-002-007-009-015>018-231500- DUBUQUE-JACKSON-CLINTON-SCOTT-JO DAVIESS-STEPHENSON-CARROLL- WHITESIDE-ROCK ISLAND-HENRY IL-BUREAU-PUTNAM- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DUBUQUE...MAQUOKETA...CLINTON... BETTENDORF...DAVENPORT...GALENA...FREEPORT...MOUNT CARROLL... STERLING...ROCK FALLS...MOLINE...ROCK ISLAND...KEWANEE... PRINCETON...HENNEPIN 747 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012 ...AREAS OF DENSE FOG EARLY THIS MORNING ACROSS PORTIONS OF FAR EASTERN IOWA AND NORTHWEST ILLINOIS... AREAS OF DENSE FOG REDUCING VISIBILITIES DOWN TO A QUARTER MILE OR LESS...WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 9 AM CST THIS MORNING ACROSS PORTIONS OF FAR EASTERN IOWA AND NORTHWESTERN ILLINOIS. THESE LOCALIZED AREAS OF DENSE FOG WILL CONTINUE UNTIL NORTHEAST WINDS INCREASE ENOUGH TO HELP IMPROVE VISIBILITIES. IN ADDITION...MANY LOCATIONS REMAIN BELOW FREEZING...SO ANY FOG MAY RESULT IN A GLAZE FORMING ON SOME ROADS...ESPECIALLY ELEVATED SURFACES. ANYONE TRAVELING EARLY THIS MORNING SHOULD BE AWARE OF POSSIBLE SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY ON ELEVATED SURFACES SUCH AS BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. ALSO BE AWARE OF SHARPLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES OCCURRING IN A SHORT DISTANCE. NICHOLS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
15 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
The highest snowfall total reported by a trained spotter was 2.0 inches in New London.
Trained spotter snowfall reports ranged from 2.0 inches in North English to 2.8 inches in Williamsburg.
Precipitation began as rain by 11 AM CST and transitioned over to all snow by 145 PM CST. Snowfall totals ranged from 3.7 inches 1 mile northeast of Marion to 4.3 inches 5 miles northwestt of Cedar rapids.
Precipitation began as a rain snow mix early in late morning of February 23, 2012 and transitioned over to snow by 1 PM CST. Trained spotters reported snowfall totals ranging from 5.5 inches 4 miles southeast of Oelwein to 6.2 inches 1 mile south of Aurora.
Precipitation began as a rain and snow mix by late morning and began to transition to snow by mid afternoon. Moderate to heavy snow was reported across the county. A trained spotter 1 mile east southeast of Edgewood reported a storm total of 6.8 inches of snow.
Precipitation began falling as a rain and snow mix by 1 PM CST and transitioned over to snow by 3 PM CST. Trained spotters reported a snowfall totals ranging from 4.5 inches in Olin to 5.9 inches 3 miles south southwest of Center Junction.
Precipitation began as a rain and snow mix in the early afternoon hours and transitioned over to all snow by 215 pm CST. Snow was moderate to heavy at times. Trained spotters reported storm totals of 4.0 inches 4 miles northwest of Dubuque to 7.5 inches at the Dubuque Regional Airport.
A trained spotter reported a storm total of 2.8 inches 4 miles west of Maquoketa.
Precipitation began as rain in the early afternoon and began to transition to snow by 230 CST that afternoon. The snow fell heavy at times during the afternoon and evening hours. The highest totals in the county were reported by trained spotters and were 4 inches at both 1 mile south of Belle Plaine and 1 mile southeast of Vinton.
The highest snowfall totals reported by trained spotters ranged from 4.2 inches 1 mile south southeast of Dewitt to 5.0 inches 2 miles northwest of Delmar and Charlotte.
The highest amounts reported by trained spotters ranged from 3.9 inches 1 mile southeast of Stanwood to 4.6 miles west southwest of Lowden.
The highest snowfall totals reported by spotters ranged from 3.0 inches one mile west of Elmira to 4.0 inches 1 mile east of Solon.
The highest snowfall totals reported by trained spotters ranged from 5.0 inches in Eldridge to 6.2 inches in Park View.
The highest snowfall totals reported by trained spotters ranged from 2.0 inches in Wellman to 2.5 inches 1 mile west of Washington.
A public report of 2.3 inches of snow was reported in Muscatine.
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: 368210, 368075, 368074, 368069, 368070, 368076, 368071, 368072, 368067, 368202, 368206, 368205, 368209, 368211, 368213.