The Des Moines south of Lake Red Rock went into flood across portions of southern Iowa near Eddyville and Ottumwa. Rainfall amounts of around half an inch to nearly 2 inches fell across much of central Iowa during the first 10 ten days of the month.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
The Des Moines south of Lake Red Rock went into flood across portions of southern Iowa near Eddyville and Ottumwa. Rainfall amounts of around half an inch to nearly 2 inches fell across much of central Iowa during the first 10 ten days of the month. This additional precipitation combined with already high streamflows from heavy rain in December 2015, led to flooding 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 Jan 6, 11:36 PM CST, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1136 PM CST WED JAN 6 2016 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT/... ISSUED AT 343 PM CST WED JAN 6 2016 TRICKY FORECAST TODAY/THIS EVENING...PRIMARILY BATTLING P- TYPES...FOG...AND POPS AS WEAK FORCING CONTINUES TO OOZE ACROSS THE CWA AND STATE. LEADING UP TO THE PRECIP TODAY MODEL SOUNDINGS WERE BOTH TOO QUICK TO SATURATE AND A COUPLE DEGREES COOLER THAN REALITY. AS A RESULT...NEARLY ALL LOCATIONS SAW PRECIPITATION IN THE FORM OF A LIGHT RAIN/SNOW/SLEET MIX. LOOKING FORWARD INTO THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT...WITH LOW LEVEL WARM AIR ADVECTION ONGOING THROUGH THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT...SURFACE TEMPS WILL REMAIN FAIRLY STEADY...AND MAY EVEN RISE A DEGREE OR SO...KEEPING THE WINTRY MIX IN PLAY VERSUS SWITCHING OVER COMPLETELY TO SNOW IN ALL BUT NORTHERN IOWA LIKELY. HAVE ALSO BUMPED UP THE MIN TEMP GRIDS BY A DEGREE OR SO VERSUS PREVIOUS GIVEN WARMER TEMPS SEEN TODAY. BY AROUND 00Z DRY AIR WILL BEGIN TO TAKE OVER IN THE UPPER LEVELS AND ALREADY WEAK FORCING WILL BEGIN TO WANE EVEN MORE AS THE INITIAL WAVE/SLUG OF THETA-E ADVECTION AND ISENTROPIC LIFT CONTINUES TO MOVE ENE OUT OF THE CWA. AS A RESULT...ICE INTRODUCTION WILL BE LOST AND PRIMARILY -DZ AND EVEN SOME POSSIBLE -FZDZ IN THE NORTH WILL RESULT. POSSIBLY THE LARGER CONCERN IN THE OVERNIGHT FOR SOME WILL BE THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOG AND SOME FZFG AS AREAS CONTINUE TO SATURATE AT THE SURFACE. AREAS IN EASTERN NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA HAVE ALREADY SATURATED AT THE SURFACE AND HAVE VISIBILITIES REDUCED TO AROUND 1 TO 2 MILES. THOSE AREAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO SLOWLY MARCH EASTWARD THROUGH THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT...THOUGH THE LIMITING FACTOR WILL BE HOW MUCH OF THE NEAR SURFACE COLUMN WILL BE ABLE TO SATURATE AS ONLY -DZ FALLS AND WILL IT OVERCOME 5 TO 8 DEGREE F DEW POINT DEPRESSIONS THAT EXIST OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE CWA AND UPSTREAM CURRENTLY. FOR NOW ONLY HAVE FOG ACROSS THE WESTERN THIRD OR SO OF THE CWA THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT...THOUGH THAT MAY NEED TO BE REVISITED AS IT SHOWS ITS HAND THIS EVENING AND AS SUGGESTED BY A COUPLE OF THE HI-RES MODELS. .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... ISSUED AT 343 PM CST WED JAN 6 2016 PRECIPITATION CHANCES ON TAP THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. PRECIPITATION TYPE REMAINS PROBLEMATIC WITH BOUTS OF MID LEVEL DRY AIR ENTRAINMENT AND WARM AIR INTRUSION. SFC TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR TO ABOVE FREEZING FOR A LARGE PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA FOR THE NEXT 48 HOURS. DUE TO THIS...THE PRECIPITATION WILL FEATURE TRANSITION PERIODS FROM POSSIBLE DRIZZLE TO FREEZING DRIZZLE OVER FAR NORTHERN IOWA THURSDAY MORNING TO RAIN AND LIGHT SNOW. GENERALLY LIGHT PRECIPITATION THURSDAY MORNING FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER SURGE OF DEEPER MOISTURE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER SURGE BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE OVERNIGHT BEFORE ENDING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 4 INCHES STILL POSSIBLE WITH THE GREATEST AMOUNTS OVER NORTHERN IOWA. SOME MINOR ICING POSSIBLE WITH THE DRIZZLE THURSDAY MORNING NORTH. MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES ARRIVE SATURDAY WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES AT THE START OF THE MORNING THEN FALLING THROUGH THE DAY. STILL SOME BLOWING SNOW CONCERNS SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT WHERE THE SNOW DOES FALL WITH NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING TO NEAR 35 MPH. THIS WILL CREATE BITTERLY COLD WIND CHILLS BY SUNDAY AND MONDAY MORNINGS IN THE 10 BELOW TO 30 BELOW RANGE AND LIKELY WILL NEED WIND CHILL HEADLINES. HIGHS SUNDAY OF ZERO TO 10 ABOVE WILL BE COMMON. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN COLD THROUGH MID NEXT WEEK. POTENTIAL FOR A REINFORCING PUSH OF ARCTIC AIR BY WEDNESDAY. && .AVIATION...07/06Z ISSUED AT 1133 PM CST WED JAN 6 2016 -DZ AND -FZDZ WILL REMAIN AT SITES THROUGH 12Z...WITH LOW MVFR AND IFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES AT SITES. CEILINGS WILL CONTINUE TO FALL...WITH SITES FALLING TO IFR NEAR OR SHORTLY AFTER 12Z...AND ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN DOWN THROUGH END OF PERIOD. MAY SEE CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES DROP TO LIFR AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY NEAR 12Z. MAY LIFT AT TIMES IN THE AFTERNOON BEFORE DROPPING AGAIN NEAR 00Z AS RA PUSHES NORTH ACROSS SITES. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...CURTIS LONG TERM...DONAVON AVIATION...AWB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 855 PM CST WED JAN 6 2016 IAZ044>050-057>062-070>074-081>085-092>096-080300- CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE- DALLAS-POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-MARION- ADAMS-UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE- APPANOOSE- 855 PM CST WED JAN 6 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A LIGHT WINTRY MIX IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE MAY CAUSE MINOR ICING ON ROADWAYS AND WALKWAYS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY LIGHT SNOW IS AGAIN EXPECTED FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY WITH ANY ACCUMULATIONS REMAINING AROUND AN INCH OR LESS. A COLD FRONT WILL BRING STRONG WINDS BY SATURDAY...RESULTING IN SOME BLOWING SNOW. TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO FALL SHARPLY FROM SATURDAY INTO NEXT WEEK...CAUSING FREEZING ON ROADS AND BRINGING BITTER COLD WIND CHILLS DOWN TO NEAR 30 BELOW SUNDAY AND MONDAY MORNINGS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-080300- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-SAC-CALHOUN- WEBSTER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK- 855 PM CST WED JAN 6 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A LIGHT WINTRY MIX IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE...IN ADDITION...FREEZING DRIZZLE MAY CAUSE MINOR ICING ON ROADWAYS AND WALKWAYS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY LIGHT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE FRIDAY INTO EARLY SATURDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL BRING STRONG WINDS BY SATURDAY...RESULTING IN SOME BLOWING SNOW. TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO FALL SHARPLY FROM SATURDAY INTO NEXT WEEK...CAUSING FREEZING ON ROADS AND BRINGING BITTER COLD WIND CHILLS OF 10 BELOW TO 25 BELOW ZERO. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. IAZ075-086-097-080300- MAHASKA-WAPELLO-DAVIS- 855 PM CST WED JAN 6 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A LIGHT WINTRY MIX IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE MAY CAUSE MINOR ICING ON ROADWAYS AND WALKWAYS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A RIVER FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE DES MOINES RIVER BEGINNING THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER DETAILS. LIGHT SNOW IS AGAIN EXPECTED FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY WITH ANY ACCUMULATIONS REMAINING AROUND AN INCH OR LESS. A COLD FRONT WILL BRING STRONG WINDS BY SATURDAY...RESULTING IN SOME BLOWING SNOW. TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO FALL SHARPLY FROM SATURDAY INTO NEXT WEEK...CAUSING FREEZING ON ROADS AND BRINGING BITTER COLD WIND CHILLS DOWN TO NEAR 30 BELOW SUNDAY AND MONDAY MORNINGS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. AWB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 956 PM CST WED JAN 6 2016 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-073>075- 084>086-070615- 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-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ESTHERVILLE...ALGONA...FOREST CITY... LAKE MILLS...NORTHWOOD...MANLY...EMMETSBURG...GARNER...BRITT... KANAWHA...MASON CITY...CLEAR LAKE...POCAHONTAS...LAURENS... ROLFE...FONDA...GILMORE CITY...HUMBOLDT...EAGLE GROVE...CLARION... BELMOND...HAMPTON...PARKERSBURG...CLARKSVILLE...SHELL ROCK... GREENE...APLINGTON...ALLISON...DUMONT...WAVERLY...SAC CITY... LAKE VIEW...ODEBOLT...WALL LAKE...SCHALLER...EARLY... ROCKWELL CITY...MANSON...LAKE CITY...POMEROY...FORT DODGE... WEBSTER CITY...IOWA FALLS...ELDORA...ACKLEY...GRUNDY CENTER... REINBECK...CONRAD...DIKE...WELLSBURG...WATERLOO...CEDAR FALLS... DENISON...CARROLL...JEFFERSON...BOONE...AMES...MARSHALLTOWN... TAMA...TOLEDO...TRAER...DYSART...GLADBROOK...AUDUBON...EXIRA... GUTHRIE CENTER...PANORA...BAYARD...CASEY...PERRY...WAUKEE... ADEL...DES MOINES...NEWTON...GRINNELL...INDIANOLA...NORWALK... CARLISLE...PELLA...KNOXVILLE...OSKALOOSA...CHARITON...ALBIA... OTTUMWA 956 PM CST WED JAN 6 2016 ...ICY CONDITIONS POSSIBLE... RAIN AND A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION...COMBINED WITH TEMPERATURES NEAR FREEZING WILL RESULT IN ICY CONDITIONS AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY ON ELEVATED AND UNTREATED SURFACES. USE CAUTION IF TRAVELING OR WALKING...SLOW DOWN AND ALLOW EXTRA TIME. AWB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1200 AM CST THU JAN 7 2016 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-073>075- 084>086-070930- 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-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ESTHERVILLE...ALGONA...FOREST CITY... LAKE MILLS...NORTHWOOD...MANLY...EMMETSBURG...GARNER...BRITT... KANAWHA...MASON CITY...CLEAR LAKE...POCAHONTAS...LAURENS... ROLFE...FONDA...GILMORE CITY...HUMBOLDT...EAGLE GROVE...CLARION... BELMOND...HAMPTON...PARKERSBURG...CLARKSVILLE...SHELL ROCK... GREENE...APLINGTON...ALLISON...DUMONT...WAVERLY...SAC CITY... LAKE VIEW...ODEBOLT...WALL LAKE...SCHALLER...EARLY... ROCKWELL CITY...MANSON...LAKE CITY...POMEROY...FORT DODGE... WEBSTER CITY...IOWA FALLS...ELDORA...ACKLEY...GRUNDY CENTER... REINBECK...CONRAD...DIKE...WELLSBURG...WATERLOO...CEDAR FALLS... DENISON...CARROLL...JEFFERSON...BOONE...AMES...MARSHALLTOWN... TAMA...TOLEDO...TRAER...DYSART...GLADBROOK...AUDUBON...EXIRA... GUTHRIE CENTER...PANORA...BAYARD...CASEY...PERRY...WAUKEE... ADEL...DES MOINES...NEWTON...GRINNELL...INDIANOLA...NORWALK... CARLISLE...PELLA...KNOXVILLE...OSKALOOSA...CHARITON...ALBIA... OTTUMWA 1200 AM CST THU JAN 7 2016 ...ICY CONDITIONS POSSIBLE... RAIN AND A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION...COMBINED WITH TEMPERATURES NEAR FREEZING WILL RESULT IN ICY CONDITIONS AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY ON ELEVATED AND UNTREATED SURFACES. USE CAUTION IF TRAVELING OR WALKING...SLOW DOWN AND ALLOW EXTRA TIME. AWB
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Des Moines River at Eddyville crested at 61.78 feet on 9 January 2016 at 10:45 UTC.
The Des Moines River at Ottumwa crested at 12.06 feet on 9 January 2016 at 7:00 UTC.
The Des Moines River at Ottumwa crested at 11.49 feet on 12 January 2016 at 5:30 UTC.
The Des Moines River at Eddyville crested at 61.47 feet on 12 January 2016 at 1:00 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, January 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: 614718, 614720, 614721, 614719.