The severe drought that developed across northeast Iowa in the summer of 2012 finally ended during the first part of April. Rainfall amounts around 5 inches fell over the first half of the month with most of this being absorbed by the soil.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
The severe drought that developed across northeast Iowa in the summer of 2012 finally ended during the first part of April. Rainfall amounts around 5 inches fell over the first half of the month with most of this being absorbed by the soil. This was enough moisture for the severe drought across portions of Floyd, Howard and Mitchell counties to be downgraded to abnormally dry. Farmers across the country were expected to receive about $16 billion in crop insurance payouts because of the drought that ruined crops in 2012.
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 Mar 31, 10:48 PM CST, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 1148 PM CDT SUN MAR 31 2013 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY 321 PM CDT SUN MAR 31 2013 AT 3 PM...A CANADIAN COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM TRAVERSE CITY MICHIGAN TO COLUMBIA MISSOURI. ANOTHER MUCH STRONGER CANADIAN COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM IRONWOOD MICHIGAN TO MANKATO MINNESOTA. SCATTERED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WERE DEVELOPING AHEAD OF THIS SECOND FRONT ACROSS WESTERN WISCONSIN. WITH 925-800 MB LAPSE RATES RUNNING AROUND 8C/KM... THE STRONGER WINDS FROM ALOFT ARE MIXING DOWN TO THE SURFACE. JUST IN THE PAST HOUR...THE WINDS HAVE BEEN GUSTING INTO THE 30 TO 35 MPH RANGE ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA AND SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA. THE STRONGEST WIND GUST /36 MPH/ WAS A MAYO HELIPAD IN ROCHESTER MINNESOTA. THESE WIND GUST WILL QUICKLY WANE EARLY THIS EVENING WITH THE LOSS OF DIURNAL HEATING. FOR LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY...THE 31.12Z NAM/WRF SHOWS THAT SOME OF THE CLOUDS ACROSS NORTHERN MINNESOTA...WESTERN ONTARIO...AND EASTERN MANITOBA WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST TOWARD THE FORECAST AREA. IN ADDITION WITH CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURE IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S...THIS WOULD ALSO FAVOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SCATTERED TO BROKEN DECK OF CUMULUS CLOUDS. IN ADDITION...THE 31.12Z NMM WOULD SUGGEST THE POSSIBILITY OF A FEW SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS TAYLOR COUNTY AND THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF CLARK COUNTY IN CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN. SINCE THIS IS THE ONLY MODEL SHOWING THIS...KEPT THE FORECAST DRY FOR NOW. ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON...THE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW THAT ANOTHER SHORT WAVE TROUGH MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF WISCONSIN. THE SOUNDINGS SHOW A SLIGHT SATURATION OCCURRING BETWEEN 850 AND 700 MB. WITH THE 270-280K ISENTROPIC CONDENSATION PRESSURE DEFICITS GREATER THAN 100 MB NOT EXPECTING VERY MANY CLOUDS OR PRECIPITATION FROM THIS SYSTEM. ON WEDNESDAY...THE MODELS CONTINUE TO SLOW THE EASTWARD PROGRESSION OF A FRONT MOVING TOWARD THE AREA FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS. DUE TO THIS...THE PRESSURE GRADIENT IS NOT AS TIGHT AND THE AREA DOES NOT MIX AS DEEP. AS RESULT...COOLED THE HIGH TEMPERATURES A FEW DEGREES. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY 321 PM CDT SUN MAR 31 2013 ON THURSDAY...A FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA. IT CONTINUES TO LOOK LIKE THE BEST SYNOPTIC AND ISENTROPIC LIFT AND THE BEST 925 TO 850 MB MOISTURE TRANSPORT WILL BE MAINLY TO OUR NORTHWEST. THE GFS CONTINUES TO SHOW THAT THIS FRONT WILL PRODUCE A BAND OF PRECIPITATION AS IT PROGRESSES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA. MEANWHILE THE GEM AND ECMWF SHOW THAT THIS PRECIPITATION WILL DEVELOP NORTH OF INTERSTATE 94 DURING THE MORNING AND THEN MOVES THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA DRY DURING THE AFTERNOON. OVERALL PREFER THE ECMWF AND GEM SOLUTIONS DUE TO THE LACK OF MOISTURE TRANSPORT DURING THE AFTERNOON...AND THAT THE GFS HAS BEEN HAVING A LOT OF ISSUES WITH ITS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE DURING THE PAST MONTH. FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND...THE MODELS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH THEIR TIMING AND LOCATION OF A SERIES OF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS MOVING THROUGH THE REGION. MUCH OF THIS IS HOW THEY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DEVELOP A TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN UNITED STATES AND A RIDGE OVER THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES. OVER THE PAST DAY...THE MODELS HAVE BEEN SLOWING THIS DEVELOPMENT AND THIS HAS KEPT OUR AREA MORE IN ZONAL FLOW ALOFT. AS A RESULT...THE TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN COOLING OVER THE PAST 4 MODEL RUNS. AS A RESULT...HAD TO INTRODUCE MORE SNOW INTO THE FORECAST FOR THIS TIME PERIOD. WITH THE FIRST SYSTEM /FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY/...THE GFS IS PRODUCING A 6 TO 12 INCH BAND OF SNOW ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 94. MEANWHILE THE ECMWF HAS A 3 TO 6 INCH BAND OF SNOW ACROSS FAR NORTHERN WISCONSIN AND UPPER MICHIGAN. THE GFS THEN MOVES YET ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM INTO SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTHEAST IOWA...AND SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN ON SATURDAY. THE ECMWF ALSO SHOWS ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...BUT IT DOES NOT AFFECT THE AREA UNTIL MONDAY. THE TEMPERATURES ALOFT LOOK A BIT WARMER...SO THE PRECIPITATION WITH THIS SYSTEM LOOKS TO BE IN THE FORM OF RAIN. && .AVIATION...THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY 1148 PM CDT SUN MAR 31 2013 SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD SOUTHEAST FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS INTO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE 10 TO 15 KNOT RANGE THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY...THEN DIMINISH AS THE SURFACE HIGH SPREADS EASTWARD INTO THE AREA. SOME PATCHES OF MVFR CLOUDS SEEN ON SATELLITE ACROSS NORTHERN MINNESOTA. MODELS...ESPECIALLY THE NAM AND RAP ARE BOTH OVERDOING THE CURRENT MOISTURE FIELD. DID MENTION SCATTERED CLOUDS WITH BASES BETWEEN 020-030K FEET AFTER 11Z AT KRST AND 15Z AT KLSE. THIS WILL THEN DISSIPATE AFTER 00Z TUESDAY. && .HYDROLOGY...TODAY AND TONIGHT 1235 PM CDT SUN MAR 31 2013 MANY RIVERS HAVE CLIMBED OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS DUE TO RECENT SNOW MELT AND THE RAIN THAT FELL ON SATURDAY WHICH GENERALLY TOTALED UP TO BETWEEN A QUARTER AND THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH. THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF SOME ROADS BEING CLOSED DUE TO HIGH WATER... PARTICULARLY IN PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA WHERE THERE HAD BEEN QUITE A BIT OF SNOW STILL ON THE GROUND LEADING UP TO THIS WEEKEND. APPEARS THAT HIGH WATER LEVELS ARE PAST THEIR PEAKS OVER NORTHEAST IA AND SOUTHWEST WI...AND ARE RIGHT AROUND THEIR PEAK NOW FOR SOUTHEAST MN. WITH THE COOLER WEATHER MOVING IN... ANTICIPATE THAT THE RUNOFF WILL SLOW AND CEASE...ALLOWING THIS WATER TO MOVE OFF DOWNSTREAM. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE RIVERS CLOSELY. REFER TO THE LATEST STATEMENTS FOR UP-TO-DATE INFO. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... 321 PM CDT SUN MAR 31 2013 WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && SHORT TERM...BOYNE LONG TERM...BOYNE AVIATION...RABERDING HYDROLOGY....MW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 930 AM CDT SUN MAR 31 2013 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034- 041>044-053>055-061-011100- ADAMS-ALLAMAKEE-BUFFALO-CHICKASAW-CLARK-CLAYTON-CRAWFORD-DODGE- FAYETTE-FILLMORE-FLOYD-GRANT-HOUSTON-HOWARD-JACKSON-JUNEAU-LA CROSSE- MITCHELL-MONROE-MOWER-OLMSTED-RICHLAND-TAYLOR-TREMPEALEAU-VERNON- WABASHA-WINNESHIEK-WINONA- 930 AM CDT SUN MAR 31 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST IOWA... SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT HIGH WATER LEVELS WILL CONTINUE ON SOME AREA RIVERS AND CREEKS AS RUNOFF CONTINUES FROM SNOWMELT AND RECENT RAINFALL. ALSO...RIVERS THAT STILL CONTAIN ICE WILL BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ICE JAMS WHICH COULD CAUSE FLOODING. IF YOU LIVE NEAR A RIVER OR STREAM BE ALERT TO RISING WATER AND POTENTIAL FLOODING. ALSO...LOW SPOTS ALONG SECONDARY ROADS COULD EXPERIENCE HIGH WATER LEVELS AND POSSIBLE FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ANY REPORTS OF CLOSED ROADS DUE TO FLOODING IS APPRECIATED. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. MW/WETENKAMP
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Around 5 inches of precipitation fell across Floyd County during the first half of the month. With most of this moisture being absorbed by the soil, the severe drought that formed in the summer of 2012 was downgraded to abnormally dry.
Around 5 inches of precipitation fell across Howard County during the first half of the month. With most of this moisture being absorbed by the soil, the severe drought that formed in the summer of 2012 was downgraded to abnormally dry.
Around 5 inches of precipitation fell across Mitchell County during the first half of the month. With most of this moisture being absorbed by the soil, the severe drought that formed in the summer of 2012 was downgraded to abnormally dry.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, April 2013
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: 439218, 439219, 439220.