Iowa, 2013

Drought in Iowa, February 1 to 28, 2013

February 1 to 28, 2013 · NWS FSD · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

Drought conditions continued over all of northwest Iowa in February, despite precipitation which was a little above normal. The excess of a few tenths of an inch in the driest month of the year did little to relieve the long term dry soil conditions.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS FSD wrote it up.

Drought conditions continued over all of northwest Iowa in February, despite precipitation which was a little above normal. The excess of a few tenths of an inch in the driest month of the year did little to relieve the long term dry soil conditions. There was little noted in the way of new effects of the drought, with the dry conditions giving a poor outlook for the Spring and Summer, including the poor germination of the winter wheat crop during the dry fall. Water restrictions continued to be few during the winter because of the low water usage, but the area was deemed vulnerable to even marginally dry weather if it developed in the spring and summer. Drought was generally listed as continued extreme to exceptional for the area.

What forecasters said that day

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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 31, 10:27 PM CST, 1 hour 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 31, 10:27 PM CST, 1 hour 33 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1027 PM CST THU JAN 31 2013

.DISCUSSION.../ISSUED AT 1025 PM CST/
CURRENTLY CLEAR AND COLD OVER MUCH OF THE CWA. HOWEVER A MID LEVEL
CLOUD DECK IS APPROACHING QUICKER THAN EXPECTED FROM THE
WEST...FOCUSED AROUND 700 MB. RAP SEEMS TO HAVE A DECENT HANDLE ON
THIS...AND EXPECT THESE CLOUDS TO CONTINUE TO PROGRESS TO THE EAST.
THEY MAY TEND TO SLOW DOWN AS THEY ENCROACH ON THE ARCTIC AIRMASS
OVERHEAD...BUT THINKING SKIES BECOME OVERCAST AT MITCHELL BY 9Z AND
SIOUX FALLS AND SIOUX CITY BY 12Z. LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT ARE
TRICKY. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO DROP OFF AS HIGH PRESSURE PUSHES
THROUGH. HOWEVER THE LACK OF SNOW COVER OVER THE HEART OF THE CWA
SHOULD LIMIT RADIATIONAL COOLING. THUS DECIDED TO BUMP LOWS UP A
BIT ACROSS THE REGION. ALSO BUMPED THEM SOME ACROSS OUR NORTH WHERE
MODELS HAVE HAD A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT COLD BIAS DURING COLD
OUTBREAKS. SNOW COVER UP THERE IS OLDER AND NOT IDEAL FOR
COOLING...AND PLACES LIKE MARSHALL MAY NEVER SEE THEIR WINDS GO
QUITE LIGHT ENOUGH TO ALLOW FOR GREAT RADIATIONAL COOLING. IT WILL
BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS...BUT TEND TO THINK THE HEDGE UP
IN LOWS IS PROBABLY THE WAY TO GO. STILL LOOKS LIKE A LIGHT SNOW
POTENTIAL TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND EVENING. BEST LARGE SCALE FORCING
STAYS TO OUR SOUTH...WITH THE BEST MID LEVEL FRONTAL SIGNATURE TO
OUR NORTH. TEND TO THINK SOMETHING CLOSE TO THE 0Z NAM
VERIFIES...WITH THE BEST BAND OF FLUFFY SNOW AND ACCUMULATIONS OF AN
INCH OR TWO FOLLOWING THE MID LEVEL FRONT...ACROSS THE NORTHEAST
PART OF OUR CWA OR EVEN SLIGHTLY FURTHER NORTHEAST IN SOUTHWEST
MINNESOTA. STILL SHOULD SEE FLURRIES ACROSS THE REST OF THE CWA.
WILL NOT ADJUST POPS AT THIS TIME...BUT INSTEAD ALLOW MIDNIGHT SHIFT
TO REASSESS AND MAKE ANY NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS. /CHENARD

&&

.AVIATION.../FOR THE 06Z TAF ISSUANCE/
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH MID-DAY FRIDAY AND WINDS WILL
DECREASE OVERNIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES ACROSS THE REGION. A
FAST MOVING SHORT WAVE WILL BRING A FEW HOUR PERIOD OF LIGHT SNOW
WITH MVFR CIGS FRIDAY...MAINLY MID AFTERNOON FOR THE HON/FSD/SUX TAF
SITES. A PERIOD OF IFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITH THE HEAVIEST
PORTION OF THE SNOW BAND HOWEVER...WHICH IS EXPECTED TO SET UP
NORTHEAST OF A LINE APPROXIMATELY FROM KBKX TO KSPW. SOUTHERLY WINDS
FRIDAY WILL SHIFT NORTHWEST BEHIND THIS SHORT WAVE FRIDAY EVENING.
/AEB

&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION.../ISSUED AT 328 PM CST/
THIN LAYER OF ICE CRYSTALS AROUND 2000 FT AGL SHOULD DISSIPATE
FAIRLY QUICKLY THIS EVENING GIVING WAY TO CLEAR SKIES.  NORTHWEST
WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DECREASE AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO
THE REGION.  WINDS SHOULD GRADUALLY DECREASE AND BACK THROUGHOUT THE
NIGHT TAKING ON MORE OF A WEST TO SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION FRIDAY
MORNING. WINDS SHOULD REMAIN FAIRLY WEAK...ESPECIALLY ACROSS
SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA INTO NORTHWEST IOWA LEADING TO GREAT RADIATIVE
CONDITIONS.  LACK OF SNOW COVER LIMITING POTENTIAL FOR RECORD LOWS
ACROSS THE AREA....BUT HAVE SIDED WITH COOLEST LOWS IN THE NORTH AND
EAST WHERE LINGERING SNOW COVER AND LACK OF WINDS WILL LEAD TO IDEAL
RADIATIVE CONDITIONS.

WARM AIR ADVECTION INCREASES ACROSS CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA AFTER 06Z
AND SPREADS EAST THROUGH THE DAY ON FRIDAY.  WILL LIKELY SEE CLOUDS
INCREASE IN THE WARM AIR ADVECTION...CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR
LIGHT SNOW AS THE TEMPERATURE PROFILE DRIFTS THROUGH THE DENDRITIC
LAYER.  AREA IS LEFT IN THE RIGHT REAR OF EXITING JET
STREAK...POTENTIALLY GETTING SOME ADDITIONAL HELP IN GENERATING
PRECIPITATION.  SNOWFALL AMOUNTS SHOULD BE LIGHT...TOTALING A HALF
AN INCH OR LESS IN MOST LOCATIONS.  KEPT TEMPERATURES CLOSER TO
GUIDANCE THAN PREVIOUS FORECAST ESPECIALLY IN THE EAST WHERE HIGHS
WILL LIKELY BE LATE IN THE DAY.

FRIDAY NIGHT TO THURSDAY...QUIET WEATHER EXPECTED THROUGH MOST OF
THE EXTENDED FORECAST.

KEPT LINGERING SNOW IN THE EASTERN HALF OF THE CWA INTO FRIDAY NIGHT
AS SREF/NAM AND TO A LESSER EXTENT THE GFS DROP A SHWV ACROSS THE
AREA WITH SOME LOW QPF ASSOCIATED. AS THIS FEATURE MOVES EAST
DECREASED POPS AND WX INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. TEMPS ON FRIDAY
NIGHT WONT BE NEARLY AS COLD AS THIS PAST WED/THURS WITH LOWS
RANGING FROM THE SINGLE DIGITS NORTHEAST TO AROUND 20 DEGREES
SOUTHWEST.

ON SATURDAY H5 RIDGING MOVES ACROSS THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST AND
WILL HELP KICK OFF A WARMING TREND OVER THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT
WEEK. NORTHWEST FLOW WILL BE THE DOMINANT FEATURE THROUGH THE
EXTENDED. HIGH TEMPS WILL RANGE FROM THE UPPER 20S NORTHEAST TO
LOW 40S SOUTHWEST WITH THE ENTIRE CWA WARMING TO ABOVE FREEZING
FOR HIGHS BY WEDNESDAY. SEVERAL SHWVS EMBEDDED IN THE NW FLOW MOVE
THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS THRU THE PD BUT WITH LIMITED MOISTURE
AND TIMING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GFS AND ECMWF DID NOT MENTION
POPS AFTER FRIDAY NIGHT. /SALLY

&&

.FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IA...WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR IAZ001-012-
     020-021-031-032.

     WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM CST FRIDAY FOR
IAZ002-003-013-014-     022.

MN...WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM CST FRIDAY FOR
MNZ071-072-080-081-     089-090-097-098.

NE...WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR NEZ013-014.

SD...WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR SDZ057-058-
     063>071.

     WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM CST FRIDAY FOR
SDZ038>040-052>056-     059>062.

&&
Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 31, 12:49 PM CST, 11 hours 11 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1249 PM CST THU JAN 31 2013

IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097-
098-NEZ013-014-SDZ038>040-050-052>071-011900-
LYON-OSCEOLA-DICKINSON-SIOUX-OBRIEN-CLAY-PLYMOUTH-CHEROKEE-
BUENA VISTA-WOODBURY-IDA-LINCOLN-MURRAY-COTTONWOOD-NOBLES-JACKSON-
PIPESTONE-ROCK-DIXON-DAKOTA-BEADLE-KINGSBURY-BROOKINGS-GREGORY-
JERAULD-SANBORN-MINER-LAKE-MOODY-BRULE-AURORA-DAVISON-HANSON-
MCCOOK-MINNEHAHA-CHARLES MIX-DOUGLAS-HUTCHINSON-TURNER-BON HOMME-
YANKTON-UNION-
1249 PM CST THU JAN 31 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST
IOWA...SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...NORTHEAST NEBRASKA...EAST CENTRAL
SOUTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH
DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

WINTER WEATHER...
DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS OF 20 TO 30 BELOW ZERO CAN BE
EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS OF 20 TO 30 BELOW ZERO MAY LINGER
INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING IN THE AREA NORTH OF INTERSTATE 90 DOWN
TO SPENCER AND STORM LAKE IOWA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON OR TONIGHT.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Buena Vista

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Buena Vista forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
42.736, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Long term dry soil conditions continued, despite above normal precipitation, due to the excess being only a few tenths of an inch during the normally driest month. Few new effects were noted, with the seasonally low water usage. The main problem, aside from winter livestock feed, was the poor outlook for the spring and summer, which were expected to be extremely sensitive to dry weather.

Drought, Cherokee

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Cherokee forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
42.736, -95.624 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Long term dry soil conditions continued, despite above normal precipitation, due to the excess being only a few tenths of an inch during the normally driest month. Few new effects were noted, with the seasonally low water usage. The main problem, aside from winter livestock feed, was the poor outlook for the spring and summer, which were expected to be extremely sensitive to dry weather.

Drought, Clay

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Clay forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
43.083, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Long term dry soil conditions continued, despite above normal precipitation, due to the excess being only a few tenths of an inch during the normally driest month. Few new effects were noted, with the seasonally low water usage. The main problem, aside from winter livestock feed, was the poor outlook for the spring and summer, which were expected to be extremely sensitive to dry weather.

Drought, Dickinson

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Dickinson forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
43.378, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Long term dry soil conditions continued, despite above normal precipitation, due to the excess being only a few tenths of an inch during the normally driest month. Few new effects were noted, with the seasonally low water usage. The main problem, aside from winter livestock feed, was the poor outlook for the spring and summer, which were expected to be extremely sensitive to dry weather.

Drought, Ida

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Ida forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
42.387, -95.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Long term dry soil conditions continued, despite above normal precipitation, due to the excess being only a few tenths of an inch during the normally driest month. Few new effects were noted, with the seasonally low water usage. The main problem, aside from winter livestock feed, was the poor outlook for the spring and summer, which were expected to be extremely sensitive to dry weather.

Drought, Lyon

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Lyon forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
43.381, -96.210 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Long term dry soil conditions continued, despite above normal precipitation, due to the excess being only a few tenths of an inch during the normally driest month. Few new effects were noted, with the seasonally low water usage. The main problem, aside from winter livestock feed, was the poor outlook for the spring and summer, which were expected to be extremely sensitive to dry weather.

Drought, O'Brien

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
Where
O'Brien forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
43.084, -95.625 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Long term dry soil conditions continued, despite above normal precipitation, due to the excess being only a few tenths of an inch during the normally driest month. Few new effects were noted, with the seasonally low water usage. The main problem, aside from winter livestock feed, was the poor outlook for the spring and summer, which were expected to be extremely sensitive to dry weather.

Drought, Osceola

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Osceola forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
43.379, -95.624 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Long term dry soil conditions continued, despite above normal precipitation, due to the excess being only a few tenths of an inch during the normally driest month. Few new effects were noted, with the seasonally low water usage. The main problem, aside from winter livestock feed, was the poor outlook for the spring and summer, which were expected to be extremely sensitive to dry weather.

Drought, Plymouth

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Plymouth forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
42.738, -96.214 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Long term dry soil conditions continued, despite above normal precipitation, due to the excess being only a few tenths of an inch during the normally driest month. Few new effects were noted, with the seasonally low water usage. The main problem, aside from winter livestock feed, was the poor outlook for the spring and summer, which were expected to be extremely sensitive to dry weather.

Drought, Sioux

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Sioux forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
43.083, -96.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Long term dry soil conditions continued, despite above normal precipitation, due to the excess being only a few tenths of an inch during the normally driest month. Few new effects were noted, with the seasonally low water usage. The main problem, aside from winter livestock feed, was the poor outlook for the spring and summer, which were expected to be extremely sensitive to dry weather.

Drought, Woodbury

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Woodbury forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
42.390, -96.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Long term dry soil conditions continued, despite above normal precipitation, due to the excess being only a few tenths of an inch during the normally driest month. Few new effects were noted, with the seasonally low water usage. The main problem, aside from winter livestock feed, was the poor outlook for the spring and summer, which were expected to be extremely sensitive to dry weather.

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Iowa in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, February 2013

Sources

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: 435460, 435461, 435462, 435463, 435464, 435465, 435466, 435467, 435468, 435469, 435470.