Drought conditions remained early in the month but persistent precipitation and some thaw allowed improvement during much of February. Conditions improved with severe drought ending in these areas by February 21st.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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.
Drought conditions remained early in the month but persistent precipitation and some thaw allowed improvement during much of February. Conditions improved with severe drought ending in these areas by February 21st.
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 31, 11:34 PM CST, 26 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 1134 PM CST Tue Jan 31 2023 ...Updated for the 06z Aviation Discussion... .DISCUSSION.../Tonight through Tuesday/ Issued at 248 PM CST Tue Jan 31 2023 Key Messages: -Warmer into Wednesday with quiet weather. -Another push of polar air Thursday with bitter cold wind chills once again by Thursday night. -Warmer into the weekend with little threat of precipitation. Warm advection has been ongoing since early this morning after one of the colder nights of the winter season. Despite the persistent southwest flow, temperatures are struggling to reach 10 in the north and to the lower 20s in the south. Extensive snow cover across the state is limiting the overall impact of the warming this afternoon. The warm advection persists into tonight and Wednesday as weak thermal ridging builds into the Plains. However, with limited moisture and forcing, relatively benign conditions are expected overnight into Wednesday with gradually warming temperatures. The upper pattern remains broadly west northwest across the central and eastern CONUS for much of the remainder of the work week before flattening into the weekend. Most guidance indicates one more shortwave dropping southeast into the upper Midwest/Great Lakes area into Thursday.An associated cold front and surge of polar air once again pushes into the Midwest and Iowa behind the front on Thursday. Little precipitation is anticipated with this system as the bulk of forcing and moisture remains north and east of the state. However, with temperatures plunging below zero on Thursday night and modest winds, wind chills are likely to reach advisory criteria late Thursday night across the northern third to half of the forecast area. The thermal trof passes quickly by Friday morning with strong warm advection underway on Friday evening as the upper flow flattens. Lows are likely to be reached early Friday evening and then steady or rise overnight with increasing south winds. Temperatures on Saturday should respond nicely, especially in the south where snow cover is minimal. The deeper snowpack in northern Iowa should limit overall highs with readings not likely pushing much above the mid 30s and most of the energy goes into melting snow. Surface flow on Sunday becomes more westerly behind a trof axis, however the airmass is not considerably cooler with similar highs to Saturday expected. An upper trof will race east from the Rockies and into the Plains early next week with a surface boundary approaching the state late in the day. Moisture races northward in the strong south flow ahead of the front and may become sufficient enough in time for the threat of some showers in the eastern forecast area later in the day. The deterministic GFS and overseas model both indicate some weak instability is possible in the far southeast, so a rumble of thunder or two cannot be discounted at this point. Cooler air then arrives Monday night into Tuesday on the backside of the system. && .AVIATION.../For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Wednesday night/ Issued at 1133 PM CST Tue Jan 31 2023 Little change to the forecast with VFR conditions remaining through the period. Light south to southwest wind overnight that will become breezy at times Wednesday afternoon before dropping off again in the evening. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && DISCUSSION...Cogil AVIATION...Donavon
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Des Moines IA 229 PM CST Tue Jan 31 2023 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075- 081>086-092>097-012030- 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- 229 PM CST Tue Jan 31 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Another period of bitter cold wind chills of teens to 20s below zero return Thursday night into Friday morning. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed. Hagenhoff
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Emmet County started in severe drought to begin February but wet conditions persisted through the middle of the month along with some thaw. This allowed infiltration of water into the ground and improved drought conditions by the 21st.
Hancock County started in severe drought to begin February but wet conditions persisted through the middle of the month along with some thaw. This allowed infiltration of water into the ground and improved drought conditions by the 21st.
Wright County started in severe drought to begin February but wet conditions persisted through the middle of the month along with some thaw. This allowed infiltration of water into the ground and improved drought conditions by the 21st.
Hamilton County started in severe drought to begin February but wet conditions persisted through the middle of the month along with some thaw. This allowed infiltration of water into the ground and improved drought conditions by the 21st.
Greene County started in severe drought to begin February but wet conditions persisted through the middle of the month along with some thaw. This allowed infiltration of water into the ground and improved drought conditions by the 21st.
Carroll County started in severe drought to begin February but wet conditions persisted through the middle of the month along with some thaw. This allowed infiltration of water into the ground and improved drought conditions by the 21st.
Davis County started in severe drought to begin February but wet conditions persisted through the middle of the month along with some thaw. This allowed infiltration of water into the ground and improved drought conditions by the 21st.
Wapello County started in severe drought to begin February but wet conditions persisted through the middle of the month along with some thaw. This allowed infiltration of water into the ground and improved drought conditions by the 21st.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, February 2023
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: 1075175, 1075176, 1075177, 1075178, 1075179, 1075180, 1075181, 1075182.