A fast moving storm system occurred from the mid-morning on Feb 25th to the early morning on Feb 26th. An area of low pressure moved across the Plains and into Missouri spreading widespread snow across the region.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 fast moving storm system occurred from the mid-morning on Feb 25th to the early morning on Feb 26th. An area of low pressure moved across the Plains and into Missouri spreading widespread snow across the region. Widespread snowfall totals between 3 and 6 inches were common. The heaviest snowfall of 6 to 7.5 inches generally fell along and southwest of a line from Cedar Rapids, to Muscatine, to Macomb, IL. Northerly winds of 10 to 20 mph resulted in some snow drifts of 1 to 2 feet in parts of southeast Iowa.
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 25, 3:34 PM CST, 26 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
334 PM CST WED FEB 25 2015
.NEAR TERM...(THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT)
ISSUED AT 331 PM CST WED FEB 25 2015
WATCHING UPSTREAM TRENDS...CONCEPTUAL FORCING....SEVERAL HIRES
SOLUTION ELEVATED WARM AIR CONVERGENT WINDS PIVOTING AROUND THE
CLIPPER AND ISENTROPIC LIFT/SATURATION PROGS USING 290-295K
LAYER... SEEMS EARLIER THOUGHTS OF STRONGER BANDED FORCING
DROPPING ALONG AND WEST OF THE DVN CWA THROUGH LATE EVENING. BUT
EASTERN THRONG OF THIS LIFT SPOKE/NOW EXTENDING FROM DBQ WESTWARD
ALONG HWY 20 THEN DIPPING TOWARD DSM/ STILL TO IMPACT THE WESTERN
2/3S OF THE CWA THROUGH TONIGHT. STILL EXPECT SOME 1 INCH/HR RATES
UNDER THIS BAND AS IT PIVOTS SOUTH-SOUTHEASTWARD THRU THESE AREAS
LATE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING. BUT SEVERAL PROGS WEAKEN IT
AS IT SEEPS SOUTHWARD ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF I80 FROM 6 PM
THROUGH 10-11 PM. THIS MAY MAKE THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE
WARNING AREA MARGINAL AN MORE IN THE WAY OF 5-6 INCHES BY THE TIME
IT TAPERS TO FLURRIES OR LIGHT SNOW LATE TONIGHT. THE LATEST HRRR
SAYS DOWN TO FLURRIES OR LIGHT SNOW WITH LITTLE ADDITIONAL ACCUMS
BY 11 PM SOUTH OF I80. THIS MAY BE A LITTLE PROGRESSIVE TAKING
INTO ACCOUNT THE CLIPPER/S SLOWING INTERACTION WITH THE STRONG
LOWER MS RVR VALLEY WAVE...BUT WILL ONLY ADVERTISE HALF INCH TO
NEAR AN INCH SOUTH OF I80 AFTER 11 PM. BULK OF SNOW ACCUMS TO
OCCUR FROM 1 TO 2 HRS AGO...THROUGH 10 PM THIS EVENING FROM NORTH-
TO-SOUTH.
LATEST THINKING/SNOW AMOUNTS THAT WILL BE ADVERTISED TAKES INTO
ACCOUNT QUITE A DELAY FOR LLVL SATURATION TO OCCUR AND SNOW TO REACH
THE SFC TODAY...AND MUCH OF THE INITIAL LIFT SURGE GOING INTO THIS
SATURATION PROCESS/OVERCOMING DRY LLVL NORTHEASTERLY FLOW WHICH IS
STRONGER THAN WHAT THE EARLIER MODELS PREDICTED. WILL ACTUALLY BE
ABLE TO KEEP ONGOING WARNING AND ADVISORY HEADLINES FOR THE COUNTIES
WHICH THEY COVER NOW...BUT TRIM BACK THE SNOW TOTALS. EASTERN HALF
OF THE ADVISORY AREAS MAY BE MORE IN THE WAY OF 2-4 INCHES AND
WESTERN PORTIONS MORE IN THE WAY OF 3-5 INCHES. WARNING AREAS MORE
WIDESPREAD 4-7 INCHES WITH AN ISOLATED 8 INCH AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. STILL
SOME CONCERN WITH THE WAVE ACRS THE LOWER MS RVR VALLEY A BIT FURTHER
SOUTH THAN WHAT THE MODELS INDICATED YESTERDAY...IT WILL HAVE A LESS
OF A BLOCKING/STALLING EFFECT ON OUR PASSING CLIPPER ALLOWING IT TO
BE MORE PROGRESSIVE AND THUS SHORTER SNOWFALL DURATION. THIS MAY BE
WHAT THE LATEST HIRES AND 18Z RUN SOLUTIONS PICKING UP ON WITH AN
EARLIER EXIT. THUS ADVERTISED SNOWFALL AMOUNTS MAY BE STILL A BIT
TOO HIGH IN SOME AREAS IF THIS PROCESS VERIFIES. LOWS TONIGHT
DIPPING INTO THE LOW SINGLE DIGITS IN THE NORTH...TO THE LOWER TEENS
IN THE FAR SOUTHEAST. AGAIN...AND EARLIER SYSTEM EXIT AND SOME
CLEARING IN THE NORTH TOWARD SUNRISE...TEMPS MAY GET COLDER IN THE
NORTH THAN ADVERTISED. ..12..
.LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH NEXT WEDNESDAY)
ISSUED AT 327 PM CST WED FEB 25 2015
FORECAST FOCUS ON AN ACTIVE WINTRY PATTERN ALONG WITH BRUTALLY COLD
TEMPERATURES FOR LATE FEBRUARY. MARCH TO ARRIVE LIKE A LION BUT WITH
TEMPERATURES NOT AS COLD.
THURSDAY...WILL WALK OUT THIS EVENT IN OUR SOUTHEAST COUNTIES IN THE
MORNING. ANY ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LESS THAN 1/2 INCH.
MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS NW TO THE TEENS SE.
THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...RECORD BREAKING COLD EXPECTED DUE TO THE
FRESH SNOW PACK AND ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE SETTLING OVER THE REGION.
TIME HEIGHT SECTIONS INDICATE DECENT SUBSIDENCE WHICH WILL PROVIDE
CLEAR SKIES AND RATHER LIGHT WINDS. 850 MB TEMPERATURES DROP TO
ABOUT -20 TO -22C OVER THE CWA. WITH A FRESH SNOW COVER THIS WILL
ALLOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURES TO PLUMMET TO 9 TO 16 BELOW ZERO. RECORD
LOWS FOR FEBRUARY 27 ARE IN JEOPARDY AT ALL CLIMATE SITES...SOME
DATING BACK TO 1879! IN ADDITION...UNLESS WINDS GO TOTALLY CALM FOR
THURSDAY NIGHT THEN WE WILL BE DEALING WITH POTENTIAL FOR WIND CHILL
WARNING CRITERIA...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80.
OTHERWISE THIS CERTAINLY LOOKS TO BE AT LEAST A SOLID ADVISORY OF 20
TO 30 BELOW ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA. VERY COLD BUT SUNNY ON FRIDAY
WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES ONLY IN THE 8 TO 12 ABOVE RANGE.
FRIDAY NIGHT...ANOTHER VERY COLD NIGHT WITH MINIMUM TEMPERATURES
DROPPING TO 5 TO 13 BELOW ZERO. WIND CHILLS SHOULD DROP TO 20 TO 30
BELOW ZERO ONCE AGAIN AS THE SURFACE HIGH SHIFTS EAST AND WINDS PICK
UP SOME. ANOTHER WIND CHILL HEADLINE WOULD BE NEEDED. THERE IS ALSO
THE POTENTIAL FOR RECORD LOWS FOR FEBRUARY 28.
THIS WEEKEND...NEXT IN THE HIT PARADE IS ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT WINTER
STORM ARRIVING OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST TROUGH. THIS WILL BEGIN TO PULL
MOISTURE FROM THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO SO THERE IS THE POTENTIAL
FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...BUT TOO EARLY FOR DETAILS. AT
THIS POINT THE MORE WIDESPREAD/HEAVIER SNOW SHOULD OCCUR SATURDAY
NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. ECMWF/GFS EERILY SIMILAR IN REGARDS TO
THIS SYSTEM. HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO PUSH INTO THE TEENS
TO LOWER 20S SATURDAY AND THEN MID 20S TO LOWER 30S ON SUNDAY.
MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...OPERATIONAL MODELS ALSO SIMILAR IN
DEPICTING YET ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM AROUND THE MONDAY
NIGHT AND TUESDAY TIME FRAME. EVEN A DEEPER SOUTHWEST FLOW SHOULD
ALLOW DEEPER GULF MOISTURE TO BE TRANSPORTED NORTHWARD. HOWEVER...
QUITE A DIFFERENCE IN THERMAL PROFILES WITH THE ECMWF SUGGESTING ALL
SNOW WHILE THE GFS INTRODUCES THE THREAT OF MIXED PRECIPITATION.
WITH AN EVEN DEEPER SNOW PACK I WOULD THINK THE MORE SOUTHERN ROUTE
WOULD APPLY THUS FAVORING THE COLDER ECMWF. WITH THE PASSAGE OF THAT
SYSTEM THE NORTHWEST FLOW/ARCTIC AIR IS POISED TO RETURN BY MID/LATE
NEXT WEEK.
HAASE
&&
.AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY AFTERNOON)
ISSUED AT 1147 AM CST WED FEB 25 2015
SNOW COMING IN AND SATURATING FOR LOW MVFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS AT
DBQ AND CID ALREADY...MLI BY 1-2 PM AND BRL MAINLY 2-3 PM. EAST
WINDS TO BACK TO THE NORTH TO NORTHEAST THIS EVENING INTO THU
MORNING. 10-20 KT WINDS COMBINING WITH FALLING SNOW COMPOUNDING
VSBYS THIS AFTERNOON THOUGH THE EVENING. CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE FROM
NORTH TO SOUTH AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH MID THU MORNING...
FIRST AT DBQ/CID WHICH MAY BE MVFR BY SUNRISE. ..12..
&&
.CLIMATE...
RECORD LOWS FOR FEBRUARY 27...
MOLINE.........-12 IN 1934
CEDAR RAPIDS...-10 IN 1897
DUBUQUE........-12 IN 1879
BURLINGTON.....-7 IN 1934
&&
.DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST THURSDAY FOR CLINTON-
DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-JACKSON-JONES-SCOTT.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 AM CST THURSDAY FOR CEDAR-DES
MOINES-HENRY IA-JEFFERSON-LEE-LOUISA-MUSCATINE-VAN BUREN.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 3 AM CST THURSDAY FOR BENTON-BUCHANAN-
IOWA-JOHNSON-KEOKUK-LINN-WASHINGTON.
IL...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST THURSDAY FOR HENRY IL-
MERCER-ROCK ISLAND.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM CST THURSDAY FOR HANCOCK-
HENDERSON-MCDONOUGH-WARREN.
MO...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM CST THURSDAY FOR CLARK-
SCOTLAND.
&&
SHORT TERM...12
LONG TERM...HAASE
AVIATION...12
CLIMATE...HAASEHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 841 AM CST WED FEB 25 2015 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-261445- BUCHANAN-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-BENTON-LINN-JONES-JACKSON-IOWA-JOHNSON- CEDAR-CLINTON-MUSCATINE-SCOTT-KEOKUK-WASHINGTON-LOUISA-JEFFERSON- HENRY IA-DES MOINES-VAN BUREN-LEE-JO DAVIESS-STEPHENSON-CARROLL- WHITESIDE-ROCK ISLAND-HENRY IL-BUREAU-PUTNAM-MERCER-HENDERSON- WARREN-HANCOCK-MCDONOUGH-SCOTLAND-CLARK- 841 AM CST WED FEB 25 2015 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 WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR MOST OF THE OUTLOOK AREA. SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV/DVN FOR MORE DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY WIND CHILL VALUES OF 20 TO 30 BELOW ZERO ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT AND AGAIN FRIDAY NIGHT. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE AREA SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. WHILE A PERIOD OF SNOW LOOKS LIKELY...AMOUNTS ARE UNCERTAIN THIS FAR OUT. STAY INFORMED THIS WEEK WITH THE LATEST FORECAST UPDATES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TODAY AND TONIGHT. RP KINNEY/UTTECH
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
319 PM CST WED FEB 25 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0300 PM SNOW 2 NNW NORTH LIBERTY 41.76N 91.62W
02/25/2015 M1.7 INCH JOHNSON IA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
MCCLUREPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
328 PM CST WED FEB 25 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0327 PM SNOW 1 WNW INDEPENDENCE 42.47N 91.91W
02/25/2015 M4.0 INCH BUCHANAN IA TRAINED SPOTTER
STILL SNOWING MODERATE TO HEAVILY.
&&
MCCLUREPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
331 PM CST WED FEB 25 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0320 PM SNOW NNW SPRINGVILLE 42.06N 91.45W
02/25/2015 M2.3 INCH LINN IA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
MCCLUREPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
335 PM CST WED FEB 25 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0332 PM SNOW GALENA 42.42N 90.43W
02/25/2015 M2.5 INCH JO DAVIESS IL PUBLIC
RELAYED BY KCRG TV.
&&
MCCLUREPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
337 PM CST WED FEB 25 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0330 PM SNOW 5 NW CEDAR RAPIDS 42.02N 91.74W
02/25/2015 M4.0 INCH LINN IA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
MCCLUREPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
340 PM CST WED FEB 25 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0300 PM SNOW 3 NNE CEDAR RAPIDS 42.00N 91.64W
02/25/2015 M3.0 INCH LINN IA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
MCCLUREThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Observer reported 7.3 snow in Colusa. Other reports within the county were between 4 and 6.5 inches of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, February 2015
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: 558018.