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; 15 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, 7:52 AM CST, 2 hours 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
752 AM CST WED FEB 25 2015
.SYNOPSIS...
ISSUED AT 330 AM CST WED FEB 25 2015
AT 330 AM...MID LEVEL CLOUDS WERE STREAMING INTO THE AREA AHEAD OF
A ROBUST CLIPPER SYSTEM. SNOW WAS CONTINUING TO DEVELOP ACROSS
PARTS OF SOUTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA. EARLY MORNING
TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE TEENS TO LOWER 20S AT MOST LOCATIONS.
&&
.SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT)
ISSUED AT 330 AM CST WED FEB 25 2015
THE MAIN FORECAST ISSUE IS THE IMPENDING POTENT CLIPPER SYSTEM AND
ASSOCIATED SNOWFALL AMOUNTS AND COVERAGE.
LOOKING AT THE VARIOUS SYNOPTIC AND HIGH RES MODELS...LATEST
TRENDS HAVE BEEN TOWARD HIGHER SNOWFALL AMOUNTS AND A SLIGHTLY
FARTHER NORTH AXIS OF THE HEAVIEST SNOW. THE INITIAL ISSUE IS
TIMING OF THE ONSET OF SNOW...DEPENDENT ON HOW THE DEFORMATION
ZONE/DRY SLOT SET UP. THE WRF IS A BIT FASTER IN BRINGING SNOW
INTO THE WEST THIS MORNING...WHILE THE RAP HAS A MORE PRONOUNCED
DRY SLOT EARLY IN THE EVENT. FOR PURPOSES OF THE FORECAST GRIDS
AND HEADLINES...HAVE GONE WITH THE EARLIER TIMING...WHICH CAN BE
ADJUSTED THROUGH THE DAY.
GIVEN THE STRENGTH AND DEPTH OF THE FORCING THROUGH THE DENDRITIC
LAYER...THE HIGHER SNOWFALL AMOUNTS LOOK REASONABLE BASED ON
AVERAGE SNOW RATIOS THROUGH THE BULK OF THE EVENT IN THE 14-19:1
RANGE. ALSO FAVORED CONSENSUS QPF...WHICH IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER TO
THE NORTH THAN WPC VALUES. THE END RESULT IS ROUGHLY 6-9 INCHES
FROM INDEPENDENCE...TO WAPELLO...FORT MADISON AND POINTS EAST.
HAVE UPGRADED THESE AREAS TO A WINTER STORM WARNING. FROM
DUBUQUE...THROUGH THE QUAD CITIES...WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...AND
FAR NORTHEAST MISSOURI...EXPECTING GENERAL 3-6 INCH AMOUNTS WITH A
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT. LOCALLY ENHANCED HIGHER SNOWFALL
AMOUNTS ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION IN THE ADVISORY AREA.
ADJUSTMENTS TO SNOWFALL AMOUNTS/HEADLINES ARE INEVITABLE AS WE
HEAD THROUGH THE DAY AND INTO THIS EVENING.
PEAK SNOWFALL INTENSITY EXPECTED IN THE AFTERNOON/EVENING...WHICH
WILL MAKE FOR A HAZARDOUS COMMUTE WITH SNOW COVERED ROADS AND
REDUCED VISIBILITY. A NORTHWEST WIND AROUND 15 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE SOME SHALLOW DRIFTING SNOW AT TIMES. THE
SNOW WILL TAPER OFF FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST LATE TONIGHT INTO
THURSDAY MORNING.
.LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)
ISSUED AT 330 AM CST WED FEB 25 2015
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...VERY COLD PERIOD AS ARCTIC ~1042 MB HIGH
BUILDS INTO THE MIDWEST. FRESH POWDERY SNOW ON THE GROUND/LIGHT
WINDS (POSSIBLY DECOUPLED AT TIMES)/AND MAINLY CLEAR SKIES WILL SET
THE STAGE FOR VERY COLD OVERNIGHT LOWS. CURRENT FORECAST FAVORS THE
RAW GFS/ECMWF AS SUPERBLEND/NAM SEEM TO BE TOO WARM.
EXPECT WIDESPREAD LOWS BETWEEN -10 TO -15 F WHICH WOULD BE NEAR
RECORD TERRITORY FOR LATE FEBRUARY...SINGLE DIGIT SUB-ZERO LOWS ARE
MORE LIKELY SOUTH OF BURLINGTON. WINDS WILL REMAIN ON THE LIGHT SIDE
BUT EVEN AT 5-7 KTS THEY WILL BE ENOUGH TO CREATE DANGEROUS WIND
CHILLS BETWEEN -20 TO -30 F AT TIMES. VALUES NEAR -30 F SHOULD BE
RELATIVELY ISOLATED AND SHORT-LIVED. HIGHS ARE FORECAST TO BE IN THE
UPPER SINGLE DIGITS TO MID TEENS.
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...SIGNIFICANT PATTERN CHANGE WILL OCCUR DURING
THIS TIME AS UPPER JET DIGS OUT A LARGE TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN U.S.
WHICH WILL CAUSE A BIG SHIFT IN THE ORIENTATION OF THE 850 MB
BAROCLINIC ZONE TO A SW-NE DIRECTION.
THERE HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT SIGNAL OF SIGNIFICANT LOW/MID LEVEL
MOISTURE ADVECTION FROM THE SW U.S. AND FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO FOR
SAT NIGHT INTO SUN. THEREFORE...A PERIOD OF SNOW IS LIKELY WITH
AMOUNTS UNCERTAIN THIS FAR OUT. WITH THE LACK OF A STRONG SHORTWAVE
TROUGH/VORTICITY MAX...MODELS DEVELOP LINEAR-LOOKING FRONTAL PRECIP
AND DO NOT DEVELOP A COHERENT SFC LOW WHICH WOULD PUT SOMEWHAT OF A
LIMIT ON THIS SYSTEM. DAYTIME TEMPS WILL BE IN THE 20S ON SAT AND
THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S ON SUN.
MONDAY AND TUESDAY...CHANCE OF PRECIP MORE LIKELY LATER IN THE DAY
AND INTO TUE. MODELS STILL STRUGGLING WITH WHEN TO EJECT ORGANIZED
500 MB VORTICITY MAX OUT OF THE FOUR CORNERS AREA. THE GFS HAS A
WELL ORGANIZED SFC LOW TRACKING FROM OKLAHOMA TO NORTHERN INDIANA
WHICH IS FAVORABLE FOR WIDESPREAD PRECIP IN THE DVN CWA. WARMER AIR
ALOFT MAY MAKE IT FAR ENOUGH NORTH TO BRING VARYING PRECIP TYPES TO
PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. STAY TUNED. EARLY LOOK AT FORECAST
HIGHS ARE IN THE UPPER 20S TO MIDDLE 30S ON TUE.
&&
.AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY MORNING)
ISSUED AT 703 AM CST WED FEB 25 2015
12Z TAFS UPDATED FOR MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO TIMING ON SNOW
ONSET...BETWEEN 15 AND 17Z THIS MORNING. EXPECTING LIFR CEILINGS
AND/OR VISIBILITIES WITH PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW. SNOW
WILL TAPER OFF FROM NW TO SE OVERNIGHT BUT IFR CEILINGS WILL
PERSIST THROUGH 12Z.
&&
.DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 AM CST THURSDAY FOR
CLINTON-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-JACKSON-JONES-SCOTT.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 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 FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 AM CST THURSDAY FOR
HENRY IL-MERCER-ROCK ISLAND.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 AM CST
THURSDAY FOR HANCOCK-HENDERSON-MCDONOUGH-WARREN.
MO...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 AM CST
THURSDAY FOR CLARK-SCOTLAND.
&&
SYNOPSIS...RP KINNEY
SHORT TERM...RP KINNEY
LONG TERM...UTTECH
AVIATION...RP KINNEYHAZARDOUS 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
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 winter storm, 7 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Storm spotter reported 6.7 snow in Independence. Other reports within the county were between 4 to 6 inches of snow.
Storm spotter reported 6.0 snow in Vinton. Other reports within the county were between 3 to 6 inches of snow.
Storm spotter reported 6.0 snow just north of Cedar Rapids. Other reports within the county were between 3 to 5 inches of snow.
Observer reported 4.5 of snow in Parnell. Other reports within the county were between 3 and 4 inches of snow.
Observer reported 4.8 of snow in Iowa City. Other reports within the county were between 3 and 4 inches of snow.
Observer reported 3.0 of snow in Sigourney.
Storm spotter reported 6.0 snow in Muscatine. Other reports within the county were between 3 to 6 inches of snow.
Observer reported 4.2 of snow in Lowden. Other reports within the county were between 3 and 4 inches of snow.
Observer reported 6.3 snow in New London. Other reports within the county were between 4 to 6 inches of snow.
Observer reported 6.5 snow in Keosauqua. Other reports within the county were between 4 to 6 inches of snow.
Observer reported 5.1 of snow in 7 miles north of Ainsworth. Other reports within the county were between 3 and 4 inches of snow.
Reports from surrounding counties and map analysis suggests the county received 3 to 5 inches of snow.
Observer reported 5.3 of snow in Fairfield. Other reports were between 3 and 5 inches of snow.
Storm observer reported 6.0 snow in Burlington. Other reports within the county were between 3 to 6 inches of snow.
Observer reported 7.0 snow 1 mile north of Keokuk. Other reports within the county were between 3 to 6 inches of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, 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: 558004, 558005, 558006, 558019, 558020, 558022, 558007, 558021, 558008, 558016, 558023, 558025, 558026, 558015, 558017.