A low pressure system trekked along the Nebraska-Kansas border eastward along the Iowa-Missouri border. Initially, thunderstorms fired ahead of the dry line/cold front in the warm sector and made their way into portions of southwest Iowa.
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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 low pressure system trekked along the Nebraska-Kansas border eastward along the Iowa-Missouri border. Initially, thunderstorms fired ahead of the dry line/cold front in the warm sector and made their way into portions of southwest Iowa. Before convection dissipated one inch hail was reported in the Bedford, IA area. Further north in the cold sector, much of Iowa saw periods of heavy snowfall, especially across portions of northwest and north central Iowa. Heavy snowfall kicked off around 7:30 pm across Emmet, Palo Alto, and Pocahontas counties and continued northeast through the evening. Heavy snowfall primarily ended around or just after midnight with the primary snowfall band, followed by lighter snowfall as the deformation zone came through in the early morning hours. Greatest snowfall amounts were generally in the 8 to 12 inch range, with Emmet and Palo Alto counties on the upper range.
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 Mar 23, 5:42 PM CST, 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 642 PM CDT WED MAR 23 2016 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT/... ISSUED AT 355 PM CDT WED MAR 23 2016 STRONG STORM SYSTEM TO BRING A VARIETY OF WEATHER TO CENTRAL IOWA TONIGHT. ACROSS THE SOUTH...A WARM FRONT IS EXPECTED TO LIFT INTO THE SOUTHERN QUARTER OR SO OF THE STATE. THERE IS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF FORCING AND SHEAR ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY SO WHILE IT HAS TAKEN A BIT LONGER FOR STORMS TO DEVELOP...LARGELY DUE TO CLOUD COVER AND LACK OF INSTABILITY AND DEEPER MOISTURE...STORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA...MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 30. THERE WILL BE A BRIEF WINDOW THROUGH 02Z OR SO WHERE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY34...EXHIBITING ALL MODES OF SEVERE WEATHER. FURTHER NORTH TO THE HIGHWAY 30 CORRIDOR STRONGER STORMS LOOKING LESS LIKELY BUT I CANNOT RULE OUT A FEW STORMS WITH A LARGE HAIL POTENTIAL. ACROSS THE NORTH...A NICE BAND OF PRECIP IS SETTING UP AND PRECIP IN THIS BAND ACROSS NORTHERN IOWA SHOULD CHANGE OVER TO SNOW IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. THERE IS SOME PRETTY DECENT INSTABILITY IN THE BAND WHERE EARLIER THUNDERSTORMS WITH SNOW PRODUCED A QUICK COUPLE OF INCHES. I DID INCLUDE THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSNOW THIS EVENING IN THE WARNING AREA. MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW ALONG WITH INCREASING WIND WILL MAKE FOR HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FROM LATE EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. NO CHANGES PLANNED TO THE WARNING/ADVISORY AT THIS TIME. .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... ISSUED AT 355 PM CDT WED MAR 23 2016 PRIMARY CONCERN WILL BE LARGE SPRING STORM AT ONSET. EXTREME FORCING WILL STILL BE IN PROGRESS SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE WITH DEEP QG FORCING AND LIFT...WHICH WILL STILL BE PHASED WITH NOTED BUT HIGH BASED FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING. MORE INTENSE SNOW BANDS MAY STILL BE IN PROGRESS WITH SIMILARLY HIGH BASED NEGATIVE EPV CONTINUING TO ENHANCED PRECIP RATES. THIS WILL BE VERY SHORT LIVED HOWEVER WITH STRONG RISE/FALL QG COUPLET MOVING WEST TO EAST OUT OF THE FORECAST AREA. THUS EXPECTED ONLY ANOTHER INCH OR LESS OF SNOW DURING THE MORNING. HOWEVER THE WINDS WILL REMAIN QUITE STRONG...PUSHING ADVISORY CRITERIA IN SPOTS...SO BLOWING SNOW MAY LINGER FOR A FEW HOURS IN THE MORNING NORTH AFTER THE SNOW DECREASES. THE STRONG SUBSIDENCE WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING WITH SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE REACHING CENTRAL IA TOWARD 06Z. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR A PERIOD OF FAVORABLE RADIATIONAL COOLING OVER THE SNOWPACK...LIKELY DROPPING LOWS BELOW EVEN THE LOWEST MOS TO 15F OR LESS NORTH. LOOKING TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK...A NRN STREAM WAVE WILL DIP INTO THE MEAN TROUGH REINTRODUCING ANOTHER PRECIP WINDOW LATE FRI INTO FRI NIGHT. FORCING IS WEAK TO MODERATE AND MOISTURE STRUGGLES TO REALLY SATURATE HOWEVER SO POPS REMAIN IN THE LOW CHANCE CATEGORY FOR THIS PERIOD. LATER IN THE WEEKEND SHORT WAVES WITH A BIT FARTHER SOUTH TRAJECTORY THROUGH THE ROCKIES RATHER THAN NRN PLAINS WILL DROP INTO THE BASE OF THE TROUGH. THIS WILL PRODUCE MORE FAVORABLE FORCING AND SATURATION OVER THE WEEKEND...ESPECIALLY SAT. A SECOND WAVE WILL PASS THROUGH THE TROUGH WITH A SIMILAR TRACK AND FORCING...BUT IT MAY MOVE JUST FARTHER SOUTH AND EAST KEEPING THE BETTER POPS INTO MO AND IL. THE FORECAST LOOKS DRY FOR THE START OF THE NEXT WORK WEEK WITH LOWER AMPLITUDE FLOW AND MS VALLEY SHORT WAVE RIDGING. THE AMPLITUDE WILL INCREASE LATE IN THE PERIOD HOWEVER WITH A LARGE WRN CONUS CLOSED LOW. THE GFS IS FASTER WITH ITS PROGRESSION INTO THE MO VALLEY...AND IS LIKELY TOO FAST AS IS OFTEN THE CASE...BUT EVEN THE SLOWER ECMWF SUGGESTS WEAK FORCING AND PRECIP POTENTIAL INTO IA BY WED. && .AVIATION...24/00Z ISSUED AT 642 PM CDT WED MAR 23 2016 CONDITIONS TO DETERIORATE THROUGH 06Z. MAJOR CONCERNS REMAIN FOR STRONG WINDS...IFR VISBY IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...AND THUNDER ACROSS THE SOUTH. MAIN THRUST OF SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE REGION BETWEEN 03-09Z THEN GRADUALLY LIFT EAST OF THE AREA AFT 12Z. STRONG WINDS REMAIN BEHIND SYSTEM THROUGH 00Z EAST OF I35. /REV && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM CDT THURSDAY FOR BUTLER-CARROLL-CRAWFORD-GREENE-HAMILTON-HARDIN. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM CDT THURSDAY FOR CALHOUN-FRANKLIN-HUMBOLDT-POCAHONTAS-SAC-WEBSTER- WRIGHT. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 9 AM CDT THURSDAY FOR CERRO GORDO- EMMET-HANCOCK-KOSSUTH-PALO ALTO-WINNEBAGO-WORTH. && SHORT TERM...FAB LONG TERM...SMALL AVIATION...REV
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1201 PM CDT WED MAR 23 2016 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>026-033>035-241715- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-SAC-CALHOUN-WEBSTER- 1201 PM CDT WED MAR 23 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA FROM LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. PLEASE VISIT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA THURSDAY MORNING. PLEASE VISIT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED...BUT ANY SNOWFALL REPORTS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED. IAZ027-036-037-044>046-241715- BUTLER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE- 1201 PM CDT WED MAR 23 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA TONIGHT. PLEASE VISIT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA THURSDAY MORNING. PLEASE VISIT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED BUT SNOWFALL REPORTS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. IAZ028-038-039-047>050-057>062-070>075-241715- BREMER-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-AUDUBON- GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN- MARION-MAHASKA- 1201 PM CDT WED MAR 23 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING MAINLY SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 30. A FEW STORMS MAY BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL THE MAIN THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. IAZ081>086-092>097-241715- ADAMS-UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR- WAYNE-APPANOOSE-DAVIS- 1201 PM CDT WED MAR 23 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. A FEW SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS BUT A COUPLE STORMS MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MID EVENING. FAB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 622 PM CDT WED MAR 23 2016 IAZ081-082-092-093-240100- ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CORNING...CRESTON...BEDFORD...LENOX... NEW MARKET...MOUNT AYR 622 PM CDT WED MAR 23 2016 ...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL MOVING INTO THE AREA... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD INTO THE AREA OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL PRODUCE DIME TO NICKEL SIZED HAIL...WITH SEVERE WEATHER ALSO POSSIBLE. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT. LEE
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 145 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:54 UTC.
9 winter storm, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Coop observer in Bedford reported quarter sized hail followed by pea sized hail. Delayed report, time radar estimated. Observer reported the hail with their morning observation the next day.
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, March 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: 621040, 620726, 620727, 620729, 620734, 620735, 620737, 624834, 620728, 620731.