A few rivers went into flood across portions of central and southern Iowa as the snow melted across the area. Some of the flooding on the lower portion of the Des Moines River south of Saylorville occurred due to output from local reservoirs such as Saylorville Lake and Lake Red Rock.
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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.
A few rivers went into flood across portions of central and southern Iowa as the snow melted across the area. Some of the flooding on the lower portion of the Des Moines River south of Saylorville occurred due to output from local reservoirs such as Saylorville Lake and Lake Red Rock. Flash flooding occurred on the upper Des Moines near Fort Dodge due to an ice jam and flooding from an ice jam also occurred near Hudson on Black Hawk Creek and near Fraser on the Des Moines River.
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 Feb 20, 5:45 PM CST, 3 hours 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 545 PM CST SAT FEB 20 2016 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT/... ISSUED AT 315 PM CST SAT FEB 20 2016 LOW CLOUDS HAVE BEEN GENERATED OVER THE SNOW FIELD ACROSS NORTHERN IA AND MN TODAY AND HAVE BEEN CREEPING SOUTHWARD...HOWEVER THESE MAY DISSIPATE TO SOME EXTENT WITH SUNSET AS THEIR SATELLITE PRESENTATION INDICATES LARGELY DIURNAL FORCING. MEANWHILE...A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE HAS BEEN SLOWLY BUILDING DOWN THE HIGH PLAINS TOWARD NORTHWEST IOWA TODAY AND WILL BRING LIGHT WINDS OVERNIGHT. CONCURRENTLY...AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE APPROACHING IOWA FROM THE NORTHWEST WILL BRING INCREASING SATURATION TO THE ATMOSPHERIC COLUMN TONIGHT ALONG WITH MODEST FORCING THAT WILL LIKELY GENERATE LIGHT PRECIPITATION TOWARD SUNDAY MORNING. THE COLUMN WILL SATURATE FROM THE TOP DOWN SO ICE INTRODUCTION WILL NOT BE AN ISSUE FOR P-TYPE. HOWEVER...FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE AN INVERSION WITH A MAX TEMP AROUND 3-4C BETWEEN 09Z-12Z WHICH AT FIRST BLUSH WOULD FAVOR RAIN/FREEZING RAIN UNTIL THE PRECIPITATION COOLS THE COLUMN BELOW FREEZING. COMPLICATING THIS FORECAST...THE WET BULB TEMPERATURE IN THE INVERSION LAYER IS ONLY EXPECTED TO BE SLIGHTLY ABOVE 0C SO THERE IS SOME QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THE FREEZING RAIN/SLEET WILL REALLY MATERIALIZE OR WHETHER ANY PRECIPITATION WILL JUST FALL AS SNOW. IN ANY EVENT...QPF IS VERY LIGHT SO ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE VIRTUALLY NIL AND NO IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED UNLESS A LIGHT GLAZE MANAGES TO ICE OVER SOME ROADS. .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... ISSUED AT 315 PM CST SAT FEB 20 2016 EXPECT PRECIP TO BE ONGOING AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD AS WAVE PUSHES EAST ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA. FORECAST CONCERN WILL BE WITH PLACEMENT OF PRECIPITATION AND PRECIPITATION TYPE. MODELS HAVE PULLED SYSTEM FURTHER SOUTH INTO CENTRAL IOWA...AND HAVE TRENDED POPS THIS WAY...WITH PRECIPITATION CHANCES FURTHER SOUTH. HIGH RES MODELS ARE ALSO FURTHER SOUTH...AND THEREFORE MAY NOT BE FAR SOUTH ENOUGH. IN ADDITION...A BIT MORE MOISTURE WITH THIS SYSTEM...THOUGH OVERALL EXPECT PRECIPITATION TO REMAIN LIGHT SO HAVE INCREASED QPF AND SNOWFALL TOTALS...BUT STILL HAVE THE HIGHEST TOTALS BELOW AN INCH. EXPECT PRECIPITATION TYPE AT ONSET OF PERIOD TO BE PRIMARILY SNOW. HOWEVER...COULD SEE LIGHT FREEZING RAIN WITH WARM TEMPERATURES ALOFT...THOUGH AGREE WITH FORECAST REASONING IN SHORT TERM DISCUSSION AND HAVE KEPT PRECIPITATION TYPE PRIMARILY SNOW. BEHIND WAVE COOLER TEMPS WILL PUSH IN AND EXPECT CLOUDS TO LINGER THROUGH THE DAY TUESDAY AND HAVE KEPT TEMPERATURES A BIT COOLER THAN GOING SUNDAY AND MONDAY. LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL PUSH ACROSS NORTHERN PLAINS FOR EARLY IN THE WEEK BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. MODELS ARE NOT IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH TIMING OR STRENGTH OF SYSTEM...WITH GFS MOST AGGRESSIVE. IN GENERAL...MODELS ARE A BIT STRONGER AND HAVE INCREASED POPS MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY AS WEAK BOUNDARY PUSHES SOUTH. AGAIN...PRECIPITATION TYPE WILL BE PROBLEMATIC WITH WARMER TEMPERATURES...ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH WILL SEE RAIN TRANSITION TO SNOW OVERNIGHT...WITH TEMPERATURES WARMING AGAIN DURING THE DAY TUESDAY WITH A TRANSITION BACK TO RAIN. HOWEVER...LOW CONFIDENCE IN PRECIPITATION CHANCES WITH THIS SYSTEM GIVEN RELATIVE LACK OF MOISTURE...AND HAVE KEPT PRECIPITATION TOTALS LOW. LATE IN WEEK LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL LIFT FROM THE SOUTH INTO NORTHEASTERN US...LEADING TO UPPER LEVEL NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ACROSS CENTRAL PLAINS. THIS WILL KEEP CONDITIONS GENERALLY DRY ACROSS THE AREA...THOUGH COULD SEE WAVES PUSHING SOUTH BRINGING PRECIPITATION LATE IN PERIOD. ATTM...DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO INCLUDE MENTION ATTM. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN NEAR NORMAL THROUGH END OF PERIOD...THOUGH MAY BE TOO WARM GIVEN STRENGTH OF NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT. && .AVIATION...21/00Z ISSUED AT 545 PM CST SAT FEB 20 2016 CLOUDS TO INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT AND LOWER TO MVFR CIGS. SOME POTENTIAL FOR FOG ESPECIALLY UP NORTH. OTHERWISE LIGHT PRECIP TO MOVE THROUGH THE STATE TOWARD SUNRISE...WITH A WINTRY MIX POSSIBLE. TEMPERATURES TO HOVER AROUND FREEZING. NORTHWEST TO NORTHERLY WINDS EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 400 AM CST SAT FEB 20 2016 SIGNIFICANT SNOW MELT OCCURRED ON FRIDAY WITH GOOD RISES ONGOING ALONG MANY OF THE MAIN STEM STREAMS ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN IOWA. THE RESPONSE IS MUCH SLOWER OVER NORTHERN IOWA WHERE THE DEEPER SNOW PACK EXISTS. WILL STILL NEED TO MONITOR THE POTENTIAL FOR ICE JAMS ACROSS THE NORTH WHILE MANY STREAMS OVER THE SOUTH ARE NO FREE FLOWING. FORT DODGE IN PARTICULAR WITH SOME ICE ACTION OCCURRING ON LIZARD CREEK WHICH CAN BE INDICATIVE ON ICE ACTION ON THE DES MOINES RIVER IN THE AREA. ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS WILL KEEP THE MELTING AND RUNOFF GOING. THE HIGHEST FLOWING STREAMS ARE ALONG THE RACCOON RIVER SYSTEM WITH A FEW OF THE SITES INCLUDING FLEUR DR HAVING THE POTENTIAL TO REACH FLOOD STAGE OVER THE NEXT 24-36 HOURS. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...LEE LONG TERM...AWB AVIATION...BEERENDS HYDROLOGY...DONAVON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 456 AM CST SAT FEB 20 2016 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075- 081>086-092>097-211100- 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-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-JASPER- POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-ADAMS-UNION- CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE- APPANOOSE-DAVIS- 456 AM CST SAT FEB 20 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT MINOR RIVER FLOODING IS POSSIBLE ALONG MAIN STEM STREAMS INCLUDING THE RACCOON RIVER TODAY AND TONIGHT. IN ADDITION...ICE JAMS MAY OCCUR ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTHERN IOWA WHERE RIVER ICE REMAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE POTENTIAL FOR MINOR RIVER FLOODING EXISTS THIS SUNDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK DUE TO SNOW MELT RUNOFF. ICE JAMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE OVER THE NORTHERN THIRD OF CENTRAL IOWA WHERE MORE RIVER ICE IS IN PLACE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 145 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:32 UTC.
7 flood, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Black Hawk Creek at Hudson crested at 14.12 feet on 21 February 2016 at 0815 UTC.
An Emergency Manager reported flooding due to an ice jam near Fraser and in areas south of Highway 30 near the 270th Street/E57 bridge.
The Des Moines River at Ottumwa crested at 11.81 feet on 22 February 2016 at 2129 UTC.
Law Enforcement reported flooding in the Riverdale Drive area and near the Scenic Drive and Breen Road areas as well.
The North Raccoon River at Perry crested at 16.01 feet on 23 February 2016 at 0845 UTC.
Law Enforcement reported flooding in the Riverdale Drive area and near the Scenic Drive and Breen Road areas as well.
The Des Moines River at Eddyville crested at 61.01 feet on 22 February 2016 at 1830 UTC.
The Des Moines River at Des Moines SE 6th crested at 24.29 feet on 21 February 2016 at 2100 UTC.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, February 2016
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: 619989, 620798, 619990, 620777, 619991, 620796, 619988, 619987.