Severe drought conditions persisted in portions of northwest Iowa during March. Precipitation during the month was generally at or below normal.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
Severe drought conditions persisted in portions of northwest Iowa during March. Precipitation during the month was generally at or below normal. The ground did thaw by middle of the month but with little recharging rainfall during that time.
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 28, 11:28 PM CST, 32 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 1128 PM CST Sun Feb 28 2021 ...Aviation Update... .DISCUSSION.../Tonight through Sunday/ Issued at 208 PM CST Sun Feb 28 2021 Surface low pressure continued to track northeast across and out of the area today with the low reaching the Great Lakes region by early afternoon. Snow and light freezing drizzle fell in the deformation zone of the low, including a narrow band of heavier snow associated with strongest frontogenesis. The vast majority of precipitation remained west and north of the area with only a few reports of light freezing drizzle or snow, with no accumulation reported. On the other hand, gusty northwest winds continue across the area as strong subsidence and cold air advection surge behind the front. Most sites across the area have gusted to 30+ mph with a few sites briefly touching 40 mph. A secondary shortwave will make it's way across the north tonight and winds will ease this evening as subsidence diminishes between the waves. The second shortwave will remain dry but serve to reinforce the cool air across the area into Monday. Ridging builds across the area into Tuesday with return southerly flow into the area. Increased temperatures across south/central Iowa using bias-corrected guidance which appears to have a handle on things now after recalibrating with last week's initial warm up regime. The warm air Tuesday will also come at the cost of breezy southerly winds thanks to a tightening pressure gradient with a shortwave passing well to the north. Temperatures in the upper 40s to low 50s will oscillate through the week as a number of shortwaves move through the mean flow, but with little in the way of forcing or moisture the forecast remains dry. Troughing remains in place across the eastern CONUS all week which will keep northeast portions of the area a few degrees cooler than the rest. By the end of the week the longwave trough will retrograde slightly which could take another couple degrees off of highs, especially east. Either way, with temperatures well into the 40s and 50s this week will remain above seasonal norms. With warmer temperatures throughout the week remaining snow pack will melt quickly. Rivers were fairly low going into the winter season and the warm-up has been gradual with no heavy rain on frozen ground, so most issues should be mitigated. Regardless, rivers will need to be monitored for potential ice jam issues, especially in areas typically susceptible to ice jam problems as we continue to see ice break up this week. && .AVIATION.../For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Monday night/ Issued at 1126 PM CST Sun Feb 28 2021 VFR conditions are expected to prevail through the TAF period as winds continue to ease and subsequently shift southwesterly before returning northerly. KMCW has an opportunity to see brief MVFR in mid morning, but currently anticipate ceilings to be lifting and clearing at that point, so have left prevailing VFR. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && DISCUSSION...Hagenhoff AVIATION...Curtis
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Des Moines IA 905 AM CST Sun Feb 28 2021 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075- 081>086-092>097-011515- 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- 905 AM CST Sun Feb 28 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed. KP
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe drought persisted across portions of Emmet County during March. Precipitation was near normal but not enough to put a substantial dent in the ongoing drought.
Severe drought persisted across portions of Kossuth County during March. Precipitation was near normal but not enough to put a substantial dent in the ongoing drought.
Severe drought persisted across portions of Pocahontas County during March. Precipitation was near normal but not enough to put a substantial dent in the ongoing drought.
Severe to extreme drought persisted across portions of Pocahontas County during March. Precipitation was near normal but not enough to put a substantial dent in the ongoing drought.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, March 2021
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: 949181, 949182, 949183, 949184.