A strong upper level low pressure system moved out of California and then to southwest Missouri and into northern Indiana December 21-22, 2013. This path of the low produced heavy snowfall across much of eastern Iowa where 5 to 8 inches was common.
Every event with a place to put it; 21 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 upper level low pressure system moved out of California and then to southwest Missouri and into northern Indiana December 21-22, 2013. This path of the low produced heavy snowfall across much of eastern Iowa where 5 to 8 inches was common. The highest accumulation of 8 inches was reported by a cooperative observer at Williamsburg in Iowa county. The snow in portions of eastern Iowa was preceded by 1 to 2 tenths of an inch of ice accumulation.
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 Dec 21, 11:33 AM CST, 3 hours 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1133 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013
.SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT)
ISSUED AT 405 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013
ASSESSING THE 00Z RUN SOLUTIONS IN HANDLING PHASING ISSUES AND
NORTHEASTWARD PROPAGATION PATH OF STORM CURRENTLY ACRS NORTH
CENTRAL MEX INTO FAR WEST TX...HAVE THROWN OUT THE 00Z NAM WHICH
TOOK A FURTHER WEST JOG WITH FORCING AND HEAVY SNOW BAND. HAVE
SIDED WITH A BLEND OF THE 00Z GFS AND ECMWF WHICH IS NOT ALL THAT
FAR OFF OF PREVIOUS FCST PACKAGE THINKING. THIS ACCEPTED BLEND
TAKES THE SFC LOW UP TOWARD THE MO BOOT-HEEL BY AROUND 00Z
SUN...AND THEN ACCELERATE TOWARD NORTH CENTRAL INTO NORTHEASTERN
INDIANA BY 12Z SUNDAY MORNING. OVERRUNNING PRECIP FIELDS DEVELOPED
BY STRONG WARM MOIST CONVEYOR ALREADY STREAMING ACRS MUCH OF MO AND
GROWING CLOSER TO THE SOUTHERN CWA. SHORT RANGE HIRES
MODELING...EXTRAPOLATING THE CURRENT MOVEMENT OF PRECIP IN EASTERN
KS/NW MO...AND WITH SFC TEMPS BELOW FREEZING AND BUILDING WARM
WEDGE ALOFT THIS MORNING...IT APPEARS SOME FREEZING RAIN WILL
IMPACT THE SOUTHERN CWA AND POSSIBLY THE I-80 CORRIDOR EAST OF THE
QUAD CITIES BY MID MORNING. STRENGTHENING LLVL NORTHWEST TO NORTH
FLOW INTO THIS ADVANCING PRECIP FIELD WILL MAKE FOR A SHARP
NORTHERN CUT-OFF...BUT STILL FEEL THESE AREAS TO GET AT LEAST SOME
LIGHT ICING THIS MORNING AND WILL BUMP UP THE START TIME OF THE
SOUTHEASTERN SECTION OF THE WSW TO 15Z/9AM CST THIS MORNING. SFC
TEMPS TO BE FLIRTING WITH FREEZING BY THIS AFTERNOON...BUT
EARLIER START TO THE PRECIP MAY ALLOW FOR MORE ICE ACCUMULATION
POSSIBLY PUSHING A QUARTER OF AN INCH IN PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL
IL BY EARLY EVENING. LIKE PREVIOUS SHIFT MENTIONED AND FCST
SOUNDINGS SUPPORT...THIS SYSTEM ALSO TO BE AN EFFECTIVE SLEET
MAKER IN THESE EARLIER START AREAS WITH SLEET ACCUMS OF A HALF UP
TO 1 INCH POSSIBLE. WILL BANK ON A SHARP CUT-OFF OF NORTHERN EDGE
OF PRECIP BY THE NORTH LLVL FLOW TO KEEP THE NEED OF AREAS FROM
FAIRFIELD IA...TO THE QUAD CITIES FROM FROM HAVING TO BE BUMPED UP
BEFORE THE 6 PM WARNING START TIME...BUT IT IS POSSIBLE.
DYNAMICAL COOLING FOR SWITCH OVER TO ALL SNOW TONIGHT FROM NW-TO-
SOUTHEAST AS THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT PROGRESSES. H5 MB LOW
SHIFTS RIGHT ACRS THE CWA FROM SOUTHWEST- TO- NORTHEAST LATE
TONIGHT TRYING TO CLOSE- OFF BUT MODELS SUGGEST IT STAYS OPEN. BUT
FEATURE STILL STRONG ENOUGH ALONG WITH UPPER JET DYNAMICS AND
UNSEASONABLE MOISTURE FEED/TROWAL SIGNATURE TO FUEL A HEAVY DEF
ZONE SNOW BAND WITH SIGNS OF MAIN ACCUM AXIS SIMILAR TO WHAT THE
PREVIOUS PACKAGE ADVERTISED...5-8 INCHES BY 12Z SUNDAY 20-30 MILES
EITHER SIDE OF AN AXIS FROM SIGOURNEY IA...IOWA CITY...TO WEST OF
CLINTON IA AND SOUTHEAST OF DBQ. SHARP DROP OFF IN SNOW AMOUNTS
EAST OF THE MS RVR AND SOUTH OF STERLING IL.
.LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH NEXT FRIDAY)
ISSUED AT 405 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013
SUNDAY MORNING THE SURFACE LOW SHOULD BE OVER NORTHERN INDIANA OR
SOUTHERN MICHIGAN WITH A TROF EXTENDING WEST INTO EASTERN IOWA.
MODELS ARE SHOWING ANOTHER H5 S/W APPROACHING FROM THE WEST WHICH
SHOULD KEEP LIGHT SNOW LINGERING OVER THE AREA MOST OF THE DAY.
KEPT LIKELY TO CATEGORICAL POPS GOING FOR SUNDAY MORNING OVER MUCH
OF THE AREA AND CHANCE POPS FOR THE AFTERNOON. ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL
AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE NORTHERN TWO
THIRDS OF THE FORECAST AREA SUNDAY. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL
CREATE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW OVER MUCH OF THE
AREA. MODELS ARE SUGGESTING THAT THE LIGHT SNOW WILL LINGER INTO
SUNDAY EVENING OVER THE NORTH WITH MINOR ACCUMULATIONS. SCATTERED
FLURRIES ARE EXPECTED OVER THE REST OF THE AREA. TEMPERATURES WILL
BE PLUMMETING IN THE WAKE OF THE WINTER STORM WITH LOWS MONDAY
MORNING RANGING FROM AROUND -5 NORTHWEST TO 5 ABOVE SOUTHEAST.
WINDS SUNDAY NIGHT/MONDAY MORNING WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH DROP WIND
CHILLS TO -15 TO -20 WEST OF THE RIVER.
COLD TEMPERATURES WILL DOMINATE THE UPCOMING WEEK WITH FRESH DEEP
SNOW COVER AND ARCTIC AIR IN PLACE. MONDAY WILL BE ESPECIALLY COLD
WITH CONTINUING COLD AIR ADVECTION. HIGHS ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE
SINGLE DIGITS ABOVE ZERO OVER MUCH OF THE AREA. HIGH PRESSURE IS
PROGGED TO BE OVER OR JUST WEST OF THE FORECAST AREA BY TUESDAY
MORNING WHICH WILL AID IN DROPPING TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW ZERO. AT
THIS TIME IT APPEARS MIN TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE FROM AROUND -10
NORTHWEST TO -5 SOUTHEAST. IF EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER TUESDAY
MORNING WITH CLEAR SKIES AND THE SURFACE RIDGE OVER THE AREA WE
COULD SEE LOWS SEVERAL DEGREES COLDER.
WARM AIR ADVECTION AHEAD OF A S/W MOVING OUT OF WESTERN CANADA WILL
BRING A BRIEF MODERATION IN TEMPERATURES BY WEDNESDAY WITH HIGHS
CHRISTMAS DAY EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 20S. MODELS ARE ALSO SUGGESTING
SOME LIGHT SNOW AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM TUESDAY NIGHT WITH FLURRIES ON
WEDNESDAY. ANOTHER SURGE OF ARCTIC AIR WILL MOVE SOUTH BEHIND THIS
WAVE BRINGING ANOTHER MORE SUBZERO TEMPERATURES TO THE REGION BY
FRIDAY. DLF
&&
.AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY AFTERNOON)
ISSUED AT 1126 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013
COMPLEX WINTER STORM WITH A FULL RANGE OF PRECIPITATION TYPES WILL
AFFECT AREA TAF SITES OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THROUGH 00Z A MIX OF
FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WILL AFFECT KBRL AND POSSIBLY BRIEFLY
KMLI. BY 00Z A MIX OF SLEET AND SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD KCID AND
KMLI...EXPANDING NORTHEASTWARD TO KDBQ BY 02Z. THIS MIX IS
EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO ALL SNOW AT ALL AREA TAF SITES BY 06Z.IFR
CIGS AND OCCASIONALLY IFR VSBYS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT WITH THE
SNOW. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH AFTER 12Z SUNDAY AS THE SYSTEM
LIFTS OUT TO THE NORTHEAST. BLOWING SNOW WILL REMAIN AN ISSUE
THROUGH AT LEAST MIDDAY SUNDAY IN RURAL AND OPEN AREAS.
&&
.DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IA...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM CST SUNDAY
FOR BENTON-BUCHANAN-CEDAR-CLINTON-DELAWARE-DES MOINES-
DUBUQUE-HENRY IA-IOWA-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-JONES-
KEOKUK-LINN-LOUISA-MUSCATINE-SCOTT-VAN BUREN-WASHINGTON.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST SUNDAY FOR LEE.
IL...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM CST SUNDAY
FOR CARROLL-JO DAVIESS-MERCER-ROCK ISLAND-STEPHENSON-
WHITESIDE.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST SUNDAY FOR BUREAU-HANCOCK-
HENDERSON-HENRY IL-MCDONOUGH-PUTNAM-WARREN.
MO...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST SUNDAY FOR CLARK-SCOTLAND.
&&
SHORT TERM...12
LONG TERM...DLF
AVIATION...DMDHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 500 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-221100- 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- 500 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY...REST OF THE AREA THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY... 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 A STRONG WINTER STORM SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE AREA WITH FREEZING RAIN...SLEET...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS OF FREEZING RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW ARE EXPECTED AND TRAVEL WILL BE IMPACTED. FREEZING RAIN WILL SPREAD UP ACROSS AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM MEMPHIS MISSOURI...TO MONMOUTH ILLINOIS...AND TO PRINCETON IL BY MID MORNING AND CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE FREEZING RAIN WILL MIX WITH SLEET AT TIMES. ICE ACCUMULATIONS UP TO TWO TENTHS OF AN INCH...AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS OF A HALF INCH UP TO AN INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS BY EVENING. AREAS FURTHER TO THE NORTH WILL HAVE SLEET AND SNOW SPREADING ACROSS THIS EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT WITH THE SNOW BECOMING HEAVY AT TIMES AFTER MIDNIGHT IN PORTIONS OF EASTERN IOWA INTO FAR NORTHWEST ILLINOIS. 5 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL OCCUR BY 6 AM CST SUNDAY MORNING ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM FAIRFIELD IOWA...TO DAVENPORT IOWA...AND TO STERLING IN NORTHWEST ILLINOIS. LESSER AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 5 INCHES WILL GENERALLY FALL EAST OF THIS LINE BY SUNDAY MORNING. NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BECOME GUSTY AFTER 3 AM TONIGHT WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND WILL CAUSE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY...REST OF THE AREA THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FOR MORE COMPLETE AND UPDATED INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW IS EXPECTED OVER THE AREA SUNDAY. ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80 WITH LESS THAN AN INCH SOUTH OF THE INTERSTATE. 20 TO 30 MPH NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CAUSE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW THROUGH THE DAY. SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...AN ARCTIC AIRMASS MOVING INTO THE REGION WILL BRING BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES AND DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS AS LOW AS 20 BELOW TO 25 BELOW ZERO. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. HOWEVER... REPORTS OF SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE...SLEET AND SNOW WOULD BE APPRECIATED TODAY AND SUNDAY. 12/DLF
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 936 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013 IAZ066>068-078-087>089-098-099-ILZ002-007-009-015>018-024>026-034- 035-MOZ009-010-211800- CLINTON-MUSCATINE-SCOTT-LOUISA-JEFFERSON-HENRY IA-DES MOINES- VAN BUREN-LEE-STEPHENSON-CARROLL-WHITESIDE-ROCK ISLAND-HENRY IL- BUREAU-PUTNAM-MERCER-HENDERSON-WARREN-HANCOCK-MCDONOUGH-SCOTLAND- CLARK- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CLINTON...MUSCATINE...BETTENDORF... DAVENPORT...WAPELLO...FAIRFIELD...MOUNT PLEASANT...BURLINGTON... KEOSAUQUA....FORT MADISON...FREEPORT...MOUNT CARROLL...STERLING... ROCK FALLS...MOLINE...ROCK ISLAND...KEWANEE...PRINCETON... HENNEPIN...ALEDO...OQUAWKA...MONMOUTH...CARTHAGE...MACOMB... MEMPHIS...KAHOKA 936 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013 ...AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE AND RAIN CONTINEUE THIS MORNING... AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE OCCURRING OVER PORTIONS OF THE AREA WILL PRODUCE A LIGHT COATING OF ICE ON UNTREATED AND ELEVATED SURFACES THROUGH MID DAY. UNTREATED ROADS AND SIDEWALKS WILL BE EXTREMELY SLIPPERY THIS MORNING AND TRAVELERS WILL NEED TO ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH DESTINATIONS. ROADS...BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES MAY BE SLICK AND HAZARDOUS WITH THE ICE ACCUMULATIONS.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1200 PM CST SAT DEC 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1158 AM FREEZING RAIN MACOMB 40.47N 90.68W
12/21/2013 U0.00 INCH MCDONOUGH IL TRAINED SPOTTER
INTERMITTENT EARLIER BUT STEADY FREEZING RAIN NOW.
&&
TEOSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 1223 PM CST SAT DEC 21 2013 IAZ088-089-098-099-ILZ016>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-212030- HENRY IA-DES MOINES-VAN BUREN-LEE-HENRY IL-BUREAU-PUTNAM-MERCER- HENDERSON-WARREN-HANCOCK-MCDONOUGH-SCOTLAND-CLARK- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOUNT PLEASANT...BURLINGTON... KEOSAUQUA....FORT MADISON...KEWANEE...PRINCETON...HENNEPIN... ALEDO...OQUAWKA...MONMOUTH...CARTHAGE...MACOMB...MEMPHIS...KAHOKA 1223 PM CST SAT DEC 21 2013 ...PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON... AREAS OF FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON... CREATING A COATING OF ICE ON UNTREATED AND ELEVATED SURFACES. UNTREATED ROADS AND SIDEWALKS WILL BE EXTREMELY SLIPPERY TODAY. ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
19 winter storm, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
A COOP observer measured 3.6 inches of snow at Donnellson.
A trained spotter reported 3.4 inches of snow in Burlington.
A trained spotter measured 6.0 inches of snow in What Cheer.
A trained spotter measured 5.7 inches of snow in Muscatine.
A trained spotter measured 6.0 inches of snow in Washington. Another observer reported 6.0 inches of snow in Ainsworth.
A spotter reported 2 tenths of an inch of ice accumulation at Mount Pleasant along with 4.5 inches of snow.
The National Weather Service at the Davenport Airport measured 6.2 inches of snow.
A trained spotter reported 5.8 inches of snow near Stanwood.
A trained spotter estimated 6.5 inches of snow near Dewitt.
A trained spotter measured 6.7 inches of snow near Iowa City.
A COOP observer reported 8.0 inches of snow at Williamsburg.
A trained spotter reported a tenth of an inch of ice accumulation at Cantril and 5.4 inches of snow at Keosauqua.
A trained spotter reported 5.0 inches of snow at Fairfield.
A trained spotter measured 5.5 inches of snow at Vinton.
A trained spotter measured 6.0 inches of snow near Bertram.
A trained spotter in Dubuque measured 6.0 inches of snow.
A CoCoRaHS observer measured 6.5 inches of snow at Quasqueton.
A trained spotter near Edgewood reported 6.0 inches of snow.
A trained spotter measured 6.1 inches of snow at Olin.
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, December 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: 488613, 488604, 488615, 488612, 488616, 488619, 488606, 488617, 488601, 488602, 488610, 488607, 488618, 488608, 488609, 488599, 488614, 488605, 488600, 488603, 488611.