Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Emmet
- When
- February 12, 7:00 PM CST to February 13, 1:00 PM CST
- Where
- Emmet forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 43.378, -94.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold in Iowa, February 12 to 13, 2020
A strong arctic front out of the northern plains pushed south across the midwest resulting in rapidly dropping temperatures. In some cases, sites saw temperature drops of 15 to 20 degrees over the course of an hour or so and very strong northwesterly winds ushered in arctic air.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 34 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 34
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.
What happened
The episode as NWS DMX wrote it up.
A strong arctic front out of the northern plains pushed south across the midwest resulting in rapidly dropping temperatures. In some cases, sites saw temperature drops of 15 to 20 degrees over the course of an hour or so and very strong northwesterly winds ushered in arctic air. The rapid drop in temperatures also induced a flash freeze scenario for much of the state where liquid on area roadways from light rain and melting earlier in the day quickly froze and the front swept through.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
34 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Palo Alto
- When
- February 12, 9:00 PM CST to February 13, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Palo Alto forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 43.082, -94.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Kossuth
- When
- February 12, 10:00 PM CST to February 13, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Kossuth forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 43.204, -94.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Winnebago
- When
- February 12, 11:00 PM CST to February 13, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Winnebago forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 43.378, -93.734 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Worth
- When
- February 12, 11:00 PM CST to February 13, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Worth forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 43.377, -93.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Hancock
- When
- February 12, 11:00 PM CST to February 13, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hancock forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 43.082, -93.734 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Cerro Gordo
- When
- February 12, 11:00 PM CST to February 13, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cerro Gordo forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 43.082, -93.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Pocahontas
- When
- February 12, 11:00 PM CST to February 13, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Pocahontas forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 42.734, -94.679 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Sac
- When
- February 12, 11:00 PM CST to February 13, 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Sac forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 42.386, -95.105 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Hamilton
- When
- February 12, 11:00 PM CST to February 13, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hamilton forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 42.384, -93.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Humboldt
- When
- February 13, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Humboldt forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 42.777, -94.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Wright
- When
- February 13, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Wright forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 42.733, -93.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Franklin
- When
- February 13, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Franklin forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 42.733, -93.262 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Calhoun
- When
- February 13, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Calhoun forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 42.385, -94.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Webster
- When
- February 13, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Webster forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 42.428, -94.182 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Hardin
- When
- February 13, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hardin forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 42.384, -93.240 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Carroll
- When
- February 13, 1:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Carroll forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 42.036, -94.861 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Greene
- When
- February 13, 2:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Greene forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 42.036, -94.397 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Boone
- When
- February 13, 2:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
- Where
- Boone forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 42.037, -93.932 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Story
- When
- February 13, 2:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
- Where
- Story forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 42.036, -93.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Dallas
- When
- February 13, 2:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Dallas forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 41.685, -94.040 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Polk
- When
- February 13, 2:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Polk forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 41.686, -93.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Jasper
- When
- February 13, 3:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Jasper forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 41.686, -93.054 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Marshall
- When
- February 13, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
- Where
- Marshall forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 42.036, -92.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Poweshiek
- When
- February 13, 4:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Poweshiek forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 41.686, -92.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Madison
- When
- February 13, 4:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Madison forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 41.331, -94.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Lucas
- When
- February 13, 4:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Lucas forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 41.029, -93.328 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Crawford
- When
- February 13, 5:00 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
- Where
- Crawford forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 42.037, -95.382 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Warren
- When
- February 13, 5:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Warren forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 41.334, -93.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Marion
- When
- February 13, 5:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Marion forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 41.334, -93.099 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Mahaska
- When
- February 13, 5:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Mahaska forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 41.335, -92.641 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Union
- When
- February 13, 5:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Union forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 41.028, -94.242 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Monroe
- When
- February 13, 5:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Monroe forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 41.030, -92.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Wapello
- When
- February 13, 5:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Wapello forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 41.031, -92.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
- Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Winter Weather in Minnesota, February 12 to 13, 2020
- Blizzard in South Dakota, February 12, 2020
- Flood in Kentucky, February 12 to 26, 2020
- Tornado and Flood in Tennessee, February 12, 2020
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Alabama, February 12, 2020
- Blizzard and Extreme Cold in Minnesota, February 12 to 13, 2020
- Damaging Winds and Strong Wind in Mississippi, February 12, 2020
- Winter Weather in Indiana, February 12, 2020
- Tornado and Damaging Wind in Alabama, February 12 to 13, 2020
- Flash Flooding in Texas, February 12, 2020
- Extreme Cold in Minnesota, February 12 to 13, 2020
- Blizzard and Winter Weather in South Dakota, February 12, 2020
More
Every storm in Iowa in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, February 2020
Sources
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 876119, 876133, 876123, 876126, 876128, 876135, 876138, 876139, 876147, 876156, 876141, 876142, 876143, 876149, 876154, 876159, 876167, 876168, 876171, 876172, 876179, 876180, 876182, 876173, 876184, 876188, 876196, 876165, 876190, 876191, 876193, 876194, 876197, 876199.