Iowa, 2013

Winter Weather in Iowa, March 24, 2013

March 24, 2013 · NWS DVN · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A strong late season storm system tracked from Missouri into Illinois on March 24, 2013 drawing unseasonably cold air southward. Snow began falling late in the evening on the 23rd with moderate to heavy snow developing in the early morning hours and continuing into the day on the 24th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 DVN wrote it up.

A strong late season storm system tracked from Missouri into Illinois on March 24, 2013 drawing unseasonably cold air southward. Snow began falling late in the evening on the 23rd with moderate to heavy snow developing in the early morning hours and continuing into the day on the 24th. Most of the snow accumulated prior to sunrise as the intense March sun caused some melting of snow during the daylight hours. Light snow continued into the early morning hours of the 25th with little additional snowfall. Snowfall amounts ranged from 5.0 inches near Cantril to 6.8 inches near Burlington with 1 to 2 inches of snow farther to the north.

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 Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 23, 11:31 PM CST, 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 23, 11:31 PM CST, 29 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Lee

When
March 24, 12:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Lee forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
40.642, -91.479 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall reports ranged from 5.3 inches near Fort Madison to 6 inches near Keokuk.

Winter Weather, Van Buren

When
March 24, 12:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Van Buren forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
40.753, -91.950 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall reports ranged from 4 inches near Charlie Heath Conservation Area to 5 inches east of Cantril.

Winter Weather, Des Moines

When
March 24, 12:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Des Moines forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
40.923, -91.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall report of 6.8 inches was received from southwest of Burlington.

Winter Weather, Washington

When
March 24, 12:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
41.336, -91.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The COOP observer in brighton measured 5.7 inches of snow.

Winter Weather, Muscatine

When
March 24, 12:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Muscatine forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.484, -91.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A trained spotter reported 5.4 inches of snow north of Muscatine.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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, March 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 476640, 476641, 476642, 476643, 476644.