Iowa, 2023

Winter Weather in Iowa, March 16 to 17, 2023

March 16 to 17, 2023 · NWS FSD · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A rapidly strengthening storm developed across the Northern Plains and into the western Great Lakes on March 16-17. An initial band of precipitation developed during the early morning hours of March 16 across northwest Iowa in the form of light rain or light freezing rain.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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 FSD wrote it up.

A rapidly strengthening storm developed across the Northern Plains and into the western Great Lakes on March 16-17. An initial band of precipitation developed during the early morning hours of March 16 across northwest Iowa in the form of light rain or light freezing rain. However, a sharp fall in temperatures by midday and early afternoon forced a change to a few hours of snowfall accompanied by increasing northerly wind. Snow cover prior to the event was limited to areas north of Highway 18, where impacts from snow and blowing snow with winds of 45 to 55 mph were greatest during the afternoon of March 16, and again briefly on Friday, March 17 when reinvigorated winds brought very brief visibility of a quarter mile or less.

What forecasters said that day

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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 16, 5:40 AM CST, 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 16, 5:40 AM CST, 20 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 16, 3:21 AM CST, 2 hours 39 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
421 AM CDT Thu Mar 16 2023

IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097-
098-NEZ013-014-SDZ038>040-050-052>071-170930-
Lyon-Osceola-Dickinson-Sioux-O'Brien-Clay-Plymouth-Cherokee-
Buena Vista-Woodbury-Ida-Lincoln-Murray-Cottonwood-Nobles-Jackson-
Pipestone-Rock-Dixon-Dakota-Beadle-Kingsbury-Brookings-Gregory-
Jerauld-Sanborn-Miner-Lake-Moody-Brule-Aurora-Davison-Hanson-
McCook-Minnehaha-Charles Mix-Douglas-Hutchinson-Turner-Bon Homme-
Yankton-Union-
421 AM CDT Thu Mar 16 2023

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northwest Iowa,
west central Iowa, southwest Minnesota, northeast Nebraska,
central South Dakota, east central South Dakota, south central
South Dakota, and southeast South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

Mixed precipitation will change to snow as colder air pushes into
the area today. Snowfall amounts generally between 2-4 inches is
expected, though brief heavier snowfall rates could produce locally
higher amounts.

Strong winds will not only accompany the falling snow but will
continue after snow stops falling. Gusts up to 50 mph is expected
which will result in visibility reductions, especially while the
snow is falling, and more likely in rural or unprotected open
areas.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday

Strong winds and well below average temperatures will settle in for
the end of the week. Lingering blowing and drifting snow will be
possible, and sub-zero wind chills are likely.

Please continue to monitor the latest forecast for the most up to
date information.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Lyon

When
March 16, 6:00 AM CST to March 17, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Lyon forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.381, -96.210 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A brief period of light freezing rain resulted in a glaze of icing, prior to a period of snowfall that accumulated to 0.9 inches at the COOP site at Rock Rapids. Northerly wind increased by the afternoon of March 16 with gusts as high as 42 mph at Iowa State Mesonet site DONI4 near Doon, resulting in brief visibility reduction to around one-half to one mile. After winds decreased overnight and early morning of March 17 with minimal impacts, winds increased again during the later morning and afternoon with frequent convective snow showers that briefly reduced visibility at times to one mile or less.

Winter Weather, Osceola

When
March 16, 6:00 AM CST to March 17, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Osceola forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.379, -95.624 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A brief period of light freezing rain resulted in a glaze of icing, prior to a period of snowfall that accumulated to 0.7 inches at the COOP site at Sibley. Northerly wind increased by the afternoon of March 16 with gusts as high as 47 mph at Iowa State Mesonet site RSYI4 near Sibley, resulting in brief visibility reduction to around one-half to one mile. After winds decreased overnight and early morning of March 17 with minimal impacts, winds increased again during the later morning and afternoon with frequent convective snow showers that briefly reduced visibility at times to one mile or less.

Winter Weather, Dickinson

When
March 16, 7:00 AM CST to March 17, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Dickinson forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
43.378, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A brief period of light freezing rain resulted in a glaze of icing, prior to a period of snowfall that accumulated to 0.5 inches at a CoCoRaHS site near Spirit Lake. Northerly wind increased by the afternoon of March 16 with gusts as high as 46 mph at personal weather stations EW9051 near Spirit Lake and FW7399 at Terril, resulting in brief visibility reduction to around one-half to one mile. After winds decreased overnight and early morning of March 17 with minimal impacts, winds increased again during the later morning and afternoon with frequent convective snow showers that briefly reduced visibility at times to one mile or less.

Winter Weather, Sioux

When
March 16, 7:30 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where
Sioux forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.083, -96.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A brief period of light freezing rain resulted in a glaze of icing, prior to a period of snowfall that accumulated to 2.0 inches at the COOP site at Rock Valley and 1.0 inch at Sioux Center. Northerly wind increased by the afternoon with gusts as high as 52 mph at Automated Weather Observing System site KSXK near Maurice and 49 mph at Iowa Road Weather Information System site RTNI4 near Alton, resulting in brief visibility reduction to around one mile.

Winter Weather, O'Brien

When
March 16, 8:30 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
O'Brien forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.084, -95.625 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A brief period of light freezing rain resulted in a glaze of icing, prior to a period of snowfall that accumulated to 0.5 inch at the COOP site at Sanborn. Northerly wind increased by the afternoon with gusts as high as 51 mph at Automated Weather Observing System site KSHL at Sheldon, resulting in very brief visibility reduction to around one mile.

Winter Weather, Clay

When
March 16, 12:00 PM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Clay forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.083, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A brief period of light freezing rain resulted in a glaze of icing at the COOP site at Spencer. Northerly wind increased by the afternoon with gusts as high as 60 mph at Automated Surface Observing System site KSPW near Spencer.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Iowa in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, March 2023

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: 1091115, 1091117, 1091119, 1091122, 1091126, 1091128.