Southerly flow ahead of a surface cold front boosted surface dewpoints into the upper 40s and low 50s. As the cold front progressed southeast across the state during the day, bouts of moderate to heavy rainfall occurred through central and southern Iowa while western and northern Iowa dealt with bouts of freezing rain.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 DMX wrote it up.
Southerly flow ahead of a surface cold front boosted surface dewpoints into the upper 40s and low 50s. As the cold front progressed southeast across the state during the day, bouts of moderate to heavy rainfall occurred through central and southern Iowa while western and northern Iowa dealt with bouts of freezing rain. In the end, a few locations in western and northwest portions of the state commonly reported between 0.10 and 0.25 of ice accumulation, and Rockwell City reported the greatest ice amount of 0.38. In central and southern Iowa, rain prevailed throughout and resulted in fairly impressive late fall rainfall totals of 1.5 to 2.5+.
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 Des Moines, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 26, 5:35 AM CST, 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 535 AM CST THU NOV 26 2015 .SHORT TERM /TODAY/... ISSUED AT 335 AM CST THU NOV 26 2015 CHALLENGING FORECAST FOR TODAY WITH A WINTRY MIX OF SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN IN STORE FOR MUCH OF THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN CWA DURING THE PERIOD. SURFACE COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY CURRENTLY ALONG A LINE FROM CRESTON TO WATERLOO WILL ONLY GRADUALLY SINK SOUTHEASTWARD TODAY AND EXIT THE SOUTHEAST CWA BY AROUND 21Z...THOUGH THE 850 MB BOUNDARY WILL STILL BE OFFSET BY OVER 100 MILES TO THE NORTHWEST. CAA AHEAD OF A BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM IS ALREADY TAKING PLACE ACROSS NORTHERN/NW IOWA WITH TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING FROM ESTHERVILLE ON WEST AND NORTH. TEMPS IN THE WARM LAYER ALOFT INITIALLY WILL BE IN THE +4 TO +5 C RANGE...COOLING OFF AS THE CAA DEEPENS. BETWEEN A SYNOPTIC BLOCKING PATTERN TAKING SHAPE ACROSS THE CONUS...THE NAM BUFR PROFILES CLOSEST TO RAOB SOUNDINGS IN THE COLD AIR...AND SOME HINTS THAT MODELS IN GENERAL ARE SLIGHTLY UNDERESTIMATING TEMPS IN THE WARM LAYER ALOFT...LEANED TOWARDS A BLEND OF THE SLOWER/WARMER NAM/RAP FOR DETERMINING P-TYPE LOCATIONS AND TIMING. THE THREAT FOR THE HIGHEST FREEZING RAIN AMOUNTS OF OVER TWO TENTHS OF AN INCH WILL BE ACROSS THE WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST CWA THIS AFTERNOON. AS HAS BEEN ALLUDED TO IN PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS...THERE REMAINS SOME UNCERTAINTY ABOUT HOW QUICKLY ICE WILL ACCUMULATE ON THE GROUND AND ROADS. LOOKING UPSTREAM...PAVEMENT TEMPS HAVE ALREADY COOLED BELOW FREEZING...YET OUTPUT FROM THE METRO ROAD MODEL SHOWS THAT THE WARMER GROUND TEMPS FURTHER SOUTH MAY LIMIT ICE ACCRUAL. HOWEVER...TREES AND POWER LINES SHOULD BEGIN ACCUMULATING ICE FAIRLY QUICKLY AFTER ONSET AND THE THREAT OF DOWNED BRANCHES AND POWER LINES REMAINS WITH THE WINDS INCREASING FROM THE NORTH DURING THE DAY. AS THE PROFILES COOL THROUGHOUT THE DAY...PRECIP WILL TRANSITION TO SNOW FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST...WITH THE TRANSITION LINE EXTENDING FROM AUDUBON TO HAMPTON AT THE END OF THE PERIOD. MODEST LIFT IN THE DGZ SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO KICK OUT A QUICK ONE TO TWO INCHES OF SNOW ACROSS THE NORTHWEST. THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE CWA WILL SEE WIDESPREAD RAIN THROUGHOUT THE DAY WITH AMOUNTS OF OVER AN INCH POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS AS NORTHWARD MOISTURE TRANSPORT INCREASES AND FG FORCING INTENSIFIES. WHILE THE GROUND IS NOT FROZEN...THE LACK OF VEGETATION MEANS THAT LOCALIZED FLOODING MAY BE A CONCERN IN SOME LOCATIONS. .LONG TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... ISSUED AT 335 AM CST THU NOV 26 2015 MAIN CONCERNS ARE TIMING FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE STORM TONIGHT AND THEN THE SYSTEMS ON THE WEEKEND/NEXT WEEK. ZONE OF FREEZING RAIN WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST INTO THE EVENING HOURS. CHANGEOVER WILL MAKE IT TO A SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST LINE BETWEEN 00 AND 03Z JUST NORTHWEST OF POLK COUNTY. COMPLICATED MIX OF PRECIPITATION INTO TONIGHT WITH LIGHT SNOW OVER THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST FOLLOWING THE ENDING OF THE FREEZING RAIN BUT LITTLE IN THE SOUTHWEST. THUS...MOST OF THE AREA WILL END UP WITH WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES WHILE THE WATCH AREA... EXTENDING SOUTH TOWARD THE INTERSTATE A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY. MODELS DIFFER SLIGHTLY ON THE ADVANCE OF THE COLD AIR...BUT OVERALL GOOD CONSISTENCY WITH SURROUNDING OFFICES ON ON MIX OF PTYPES. FOR NOW HAVE LEFT THE FAR SOUTHEAST OUT OF ANY HEADLINES...DUE TO THE LIGHTER AMOUNTS OF FREEZING PRECIPITATION EXPECTED THERE WITH LITTLE OR NO SNOW FOLLOWING. ONE CHALLENGE THAT IS STILL PROBLEMATIC WILL BE THE GROUND TEMPERATURES/ROAD TEMPS AND SATURATED SOILS FROM ALL THE RAIN TODAY. THIS WILL AGAIN TEND TO LOWER THE ICE ACCUM AMOUNTS AT THE SFC THOUGH ANY ELEVATED OR EXPOSED SURFACES WILL LIKELY SEE ON AVERAGE A BIT MORE. THIS YIELDS A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY WITH REGARD TO AN ABSOLUTE ICE ACCUMULATION FORECAST FOR THIS EVENT. OVER THE SOUTHWEST...WE MAY END UP NEAR WARNING CRITERIA IN A FEW SPOTS IF THE COLD AIR SETTLES INTO THE AREA A BIT FASTER TODAY. WILL HAVE TO EVALUATE LATER TODAY...BUT CERTAINLY IN SOME REGARD A HIGHER END ADVISORY EVENT OVER THE WEST/SOUTHWEST THAN MOST ADVISORIES. TEMPS TONIGHT WILL FALL TO THE TEENS NORTHWEST AND INTO THE 30S IN THE SOUTHEAST. FRIDAY WILL SEE SOME RECOVERY...BUT NOT MUCH AS CLOUDS LINGER THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. BY LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY ANOTHER PIECE OF ENERGY ARRIVES FROM THE WEST BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE OF MEASURABLE SNOW/FROZEN MIX INTO THE NIGHT HOURS. THOUGH UNCERTAINTIES ARE STILL ONGOING INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...WE HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE AT RAIN/SNOW INTO MONDAY/TUESDAY. WILL NEED TO EVALUATE THAT IN COMING DAYS...TODAYS FOCUS HAS BEEN COORDINATION OF THE CURRENT EVENT. TEMPS REMAIN SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL FOR MOST OF THE UPCOMING WEEK. && .AVIATION...26/12Z ISSUED AT 535 AM CST THU NOV 26 2015 IFR TO LIFR CIGS ARE EXPECTED TODAY ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA IN CONJUNCTION WITH WIDESPREAD RA/FZRA/SN. MVFR CIGS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST ATTM WILL LOWER THIS MORNING AS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY PUSHES ACROSS THE AREA. WINDS WILL INCREASE OUT OF THE NORTH AT 10 TO 15 KTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS THROUGHOUT THE DAY BEHIND THE FRONT. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 335 AM CST THU NOV 25 2015 STILL SOME POTENTIAL FOR MINOR RIVER FLOODING SOUTHEAST OVER THE WEEKEND...FOLLOWING THE RAINFALL TODAY. GIVEN THE PREVIOUS SNOW MELT NORTH AND THE COMBINATION OF ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TODAY AND TONIGHT. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST FRIDAY FOR BLACK HAWK-DALLAS-GRUNDY-MARSHALL-POLK-STORY-TAMA. FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR ADAIR-AUDUBON-CASS-GUTHRIE. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR CALHOUN- CARROLL-CRAWFORD-EMMET-HANCOCK-HUMBOLDT-KOSSUTH-PALO ALTO- POCAHONTAS-SAC-WINNEBAGO-WORTH. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 AM CST FRIDAY FOR BOONE-BREMER-BUTLER-CERRO GORDO-FRANKLIN-GREENE-HAMILTON-HARDIN- WEBSTER-WRIGHT. FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST FRIDAY FOR ADAMS-CLARKE-DECATUR-MADISON-RINGGOLD-TAYLOR-UNION. && SHORT TERM...SKOW LONG TERM...REV AVIATION...SKOW HYDROLOGY...REV
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 455 AM CST THU NOV 26 2015 IAZ057-058-070>072-081>083-092>094-271100- AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-CLARKE-TAYLOR- RINGGOLD-DECATUR- 455 AM CST THU NOV 26 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ADDITIONAL LIGHT RAIN OR LIGHT SNOW...OR A LIGHT FROZEN MIX WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE SATURDAY NIGHT. ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL BRING CHANCES FOR A RAIN AND SNOW MIX ALONG WITH LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS MONDAY AND TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED BUT REPORTS OF ANY SNOW OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS IS APPRECIATED. IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-059-060-271100- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-SAC-CALHOUN- WEBSTER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE- BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-DALLAS-POLK- 455 AM CST THU NOV 26 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A PERIOD OF MODERATE RAIN OVER THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF IOWA TODAY MAY PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT WITHIN BANK RISES ON AREA STREAMS AND RIVERS...AND POSSIBLY LOCALIZED MINOR FLOODING. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ADDITIONAL LIGHT RAIN OR LIGHT SNOW...OR A LIGHT FROZEN MIX WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL BRING CHANCES FOR A RAIN AND SNOW MIX ALONG WITH LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS MONDAY AND TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED BUT REPORTS OF ANY SNOW OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS IS APPRECIATED. IAZ061-062-073>075-084>086-095>097-271100- JASPER-POWESHIEK-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-WAYNE- APPANOOSE-DAVIS- 455 AM CST THU NOV 26 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A PERIOD OF MODERATE RAIN OVER THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF IOWA THURSDAY MAY PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT WITHIN BANK RISES ON AREA STREAMS AND RIVERS...AND POSSIBLY LOCALIZED MINOR FLOODING. A BRIEF PERIOD OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND LIGHT SNOW IS THEN EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS APPEAR VERY LIGHT AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ADDITIONAL LIGHT RAIN OR LIGHT SNOW...OR A LIGHT FROZEN MIX WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL BRING CHANCES FOR A RAIN AND SNOW MIX ALONG WITH LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS MONDAY AND TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED BUT REPORTS OF ANY HEAVY RAINFALL AND MINOR FLOODING OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS IS APPRECIATED. REV
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
20 heavy rain, 2 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
AWOS station in Oskaloosa reported heavy rainfall of 1.53 inches over the last 24 hours.
Coop observer reported heavy rainfall of 1.74 inches over the last 24 hours.
Coop observer reported heavy rainfall of 1.90 inches over the last 24 hours.
CoCoRaHS observer reported heavy rainfall of 2.53 inches over the last 24 hours.
Coop observer reported heavy rainfall of 2.47 inches over the last 24 hours.
Coop observer reported heavy rainfall of 2.01 inches over the last 24 hours.
Coop observer reported heavy rainfall of 2.61 inches over the last 24 hours.
Coop observer reported heavy rainfall of 1.63 inches over the last 24 hours.
Coop observer reported heavy rainfall of 1.68 inches over the last 24 hours.
Coop observer reported heavy rainfall of 1.70 inches over the last 24 hours.
Coop observer reported heavy rainfall of 1.60 inches over the last 24 hours.
CoCoRaHS observer reported heavy rainfall of 2.35 inches over the last 24 hours.
CoCoRaHS observer reported heavy rainfall of 2.40 inches over the last 24 hours.
Mesonet station reported heavy rainfall of 1.51 inches over the last 24 hours.
Mesonet station reported heavy rainfall of 1.79 inches over the last 24 hours.
Mesonet station reported heavy rainfall of 1.89 inches over the last 24 hours.
Mesonet station reported heavy rainfall of 2.08 inches over the last 24 hours.
Mesonet station reported heavy rainfall of 1.55 inches over the last 24 hours.
Mesonet station reported heavy rainfall of 1.51 inches over the last 24 hours.
Mesonet station reported heavy rainfall of 1.50 inches over the last 24 hours.
Sheriff's office reported icing of about 1/4 inch on the thin side and 1/2 inch on the thick side of power lines. Some power issues reported, especially in the southwest portions of the county.
Public also submitted a photo via social media to the KCCI ulocal page, and ice thickness was estimated at 0.25 inches.
Public reported tree branches cracking and power surges. Report came in via social media with thickness estimated at 0.25 inches.
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, November 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: 604996, 604998, 604999, 605000, 605001, 605002, 605003, 605004, 605005, 605006, 605007, 605008, 605009, 605010, 605011, 605012, 605014, 605015, 605016, 605017, 605053, 605055.