Runoff from rain and melting snow across the Upper Midwest produced high flows along the Mississippi River in late March. Flooding occurred from McGregor (Clayton County) downstream to Guttenberg (Clayton County) and continued into April.
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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 ARX wrote it up.
Runoff from rain and melting snow across the Upper Midwest produced high flows along the Mississippi River in late March. Flooding occurred from McGregor (Clayton County) downstream to Guttenberg (Clayton County) and continued into April.
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 La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 18, 5:21 AM CST, 3 hours 54 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service La Crosse WI 621 AM CDT Mon Mar 18 2019 .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 339 AM CDT Mon Mar 18 2019 At 3 AM, a shortwave trough was producing partly to mostly cloudy skies across the Upper Mississippi River Valley. There were even a few flurries earlier in the night. The combination of clouds and a 5 to 10 mph wind has held temperatures up across much of the area. The temperatures were around 20 north of Interstate 94 and ranged from the lower 20s to lower 30s elsewhere. With northwest flow aloft, skies will range from partly sunny to mostly cloudy today. High temperatures will range from the mid 20s to mid 30s. For tonight, a short wave trough will be moving south across the Dakotas and the Great Lakes. This will result in mostly cloudy skies and low temperatures mainly in the 20s. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday through Sunday) Issued at 339 AM CDT Mon Mar 18 2019 For Tuesday and Tuesday night, we will be skirted by 2 shortwave troughs. One will move to our west and south and another one will move southeast across the Great Lakes. Other than clouds no sensible weather is expected from either of these systems. Highs will range the lower 40s to lower 50s. An upper level ridge will build across the area on Wednesday and remain over the region through at least the first half of upcoming weekend. Temperatures will slowly warm. From Friday through Sunday, high temperatures will be mainly in the 50s. There maybe even some lower 60s. La Crosse has not had a temperature in the 60s or higher since October 22 (66F). This typically occurs around March 23. Last year it did not occur until April 21. Overall, it looks dry through at least Saturday and then there are differences in the models of when rain will move into the area. The GFS breaks down this ridge the earliest and it has rain as early as Saturday night. The GEM has the area dry until Sunday night. The ECMWF is between these 2 models. For now, just went with blend of these models. Regardless the rain looks light. && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Monday night) Issued at 621 AM CDT Mon Mar 18 2019 After some MVFR vsbys in shallow BR to about 1330z, VFR conditions expected to be the rule this taf period as some drier air moves in on the W-NW lower level flow. Models still progging some increase of moisture across the area for the afternoon hours. This moisture looking to be more in the 3K-4K ft range, for a period of bkn mainly VFR strato-cu clouds this afternoon. This moisture exits around 00z, with mainly sct-bkn 10-12K clouds for tonight. With light winds again later tonight, will have to watch for potential of some MVFR BR after 08z. With the sct-bkn mid clouds expected tonight, left any mention of BR late in the taf out for now. Winds to be NW to W 5- 10kts today, decreasing and becoming SW early this evening, then S to SE for the late evening/overnight hours. && .HYDROLOGY... Issued at 339 AM CDT Mon Mar 18 2019 Minor to moderate flooding persists from snowmelt runoff on area Mississippi tributaries with the Trempealeau River at Dodge remaining in major flood. Most rivers have crested and they are on there way down. Elevated river levels are expected on the mainstem Mississippi this week with minor flooding expected along a few portions of the river. Ice jams will remain a concern over the next few days as well. A Flood Watch remains in effect for an ice jam located on the Middle Fork of the Zumbro River near Berne, MN. Flooding is possible along the river if the jam dislodges. It looks like it will be an ideal snow melt through Thursday and then it will accelerate as we remain above freezing from Friday through the weekend. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...None. MN...Flood Watch through Tuesday evening for MNZ086. IA...None. && SHORT TERM...Boyne LONG TERM...Boyne AVIATION...Rieck HYDROLOGY...Boyne
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service La Crosse WI 344 AM CDT Mon Mar 18 2019 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029- 032>034-041>044-053>055-061-191100- Mitchell-Howard-Winneshiek-Allamakee-Floyd-Chickasaw-Fayette- Clayton-Wabasha-Dodge-Olmsted-Winona-Mower-Fillmore-Houston- Taylor-Clark-Buffalo-Trempealeau-Jackson-La Crosse-Monroe-Juneau- Adams-Vernon-Crawford-Richland-Grant- 344 AM CDT Mon Mar 18 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast Minnesota, northeast Iowa, and southwest into central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Flooding will continue along Mississippi tributaries as runoff continues from rain and snow melt from Tuesday night through Thursday. Ice jams are also possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday River flooding will gradually end by mid week and then there will be another round of river flooding by the weekend. For more detail on river flooding, including river levels and forecasts, please visit weather.gov/lacrosse. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Reports of flooding would be appreciated. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... No webinar is scheduled. Boyne
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service La Crosse WI 737 AM CDT Mon Mar 18 2019 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029- 032>034-041>044-053>055-061-181430- Mitchell-Howard-Winneshiek-Allamakee-Floyd-Chickasaw-Fayette- Clayton-Wabasha-Dodge-Olmsted-Winona-Mower-Fillmore-Houston- Taylor-Clark-Buffalo-Trempealeau-Jackson-La Crosse-Monroe-Juneau- Adams-Vernon-Crawford-Richland-Grant- Including the cities of Osage, Cresco, Decorah, Waukon, Charles City, New Hampton, Oelwein, Elkader, Wabasha, Dodge Center, Rochester, Winona, Austin, Preston, Caledonia, Medford, Neillsville, Alma, Arcadia, Whitehall, Black River Falls, La Crosse, Sparta, Tomah, Mauston, Friendship, Viroqua, Prairie Du Chien, Richland Center, and Platteville 737 AM CDT Mon Mar 18 2019 ...Patchy Fog Could Deposit Frost and Produce Some Slippery Spots Roads Early This Morning... Patchy fog has develop across the area, some of it locally dense with visibilities of 1/2 mile or less. This fog could deposit some frost on roads and create slippery spots early this morning, especially on bridges and overpasses. If traveling early this morning, be alert for the fog and reduced visibilities, as well as frost and slippery spots on the roads. Allow some extra time to reach your destination. RRS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Runoff from rain and melting snow across the Upper Midwest produced high flows along the Mississippi River. Flooding began in McGregor on March 18th and continued into April.
Runoff from rain and melting snow across the Upper Midwest produced high flows along the Mississippi River. Flooding began in Guttenberg on March 20th and continued into April.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, March 2019
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: 814565, 814566.