Iowa, 2024

Winter Storm in Iowa, January 8 to 9, 2024

January 8 to 9, 2024 · NWS OAX · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A longwave trough over the western CONUS moved out into the central Plains on 1/8. At the surface, a deep low-pressure system developed in the Texas panhandle the morning of the eighth and tracked east-northeast into the mid-Mississippi river valley by the morning of the ninth.

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

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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 OAX wrote it up.

A longwave trough over the western CONUS moved out into the central Plains on 1/8. At the surface, a deep low-pressure system developed in the Texas panhandle the morning of the eighth and tracked east-northeast into the mid-Mississippi river valley by the morning of the ninth. |Beginning three in the morning on the eighth, a mesoscale band of snow set up extending from Jefferson County into Thurston County. This band persisted for four to five hours before the main round of snow moved into Eastern Nebraska and western Iowa from the south. While heavy snow fell across most of eastern Nebraska for the duration of the event, dry air across portions of east-central Nebraska and southwest Iowa in combination with warm ground temperatures significantly delayed the onset of accumulating snow in and around the Omaha metro. Moderate to heavy snow bands traversed eastern Nebraska and western Iowa after midnight on the ninth and lasted through the morning hours. Strong wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour on the back side of the storm system led to patchy blowing and drifting snow across the entire county warning area.

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 Omaha, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 7, 11:01 PM CST, 1 hour 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 7, 11:01 PM CST, 1 hour 59 minutes before
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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 storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Monona

When
January 8, 1:00 AM CST to January 9, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Monona forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
42.052, -95.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An estimated 5 to 10 inches of snow fell across the county for this winter storm. The highest snowfall totals were in the western part of the county near the Missouri River. This includes a public report of 6 inches of snow in Little Sioux, and another public report of 10 inches of snow in Rosalie. In nearby Sioux City, over 11 inches of snowfall was observed. Patchy blowing and drifting snow persisted across the county into the early afternoon on the 9th.

Winter Storm, Harrison

When
January 8, 7:00 AM CST to January 9, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Harrison forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.683, -95.817 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An estimated 4 to 8 inches of snow fell across the county for this winter storm. The highest snowfall totals were in the western part of the county along Interstate 29. This includes a public snowfall total report of 8 inches from Persia. Patchy blowing and drifting snow was noted throughout the county on the morning of the 9th.

Winter Storm, Shelby

When
January 8, 7:00 AM CST to January 9, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Shelby forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.685, -95.310 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

While snow first struggled to accumulate across the county due to above freezing road temperatures, slick spots began to be reported as early as 7 am on the morning of the 8th. Over the course of the event, an estimated 5 to 8 inches of snow fell across the county. This includes a public report of 7 inches in Elk Horn. Patchy blowing and drifting snow was also noted across the county on the morning of the 9th.

Winter Storm, Montgomery

When
January 8, 7:00 AM CST to January 9, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.030, -95.156 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow that fell during the day on the 8th largely struggled to accumulate on the ground and roadways. However, once temperatures dropped at night, driving conditions across the county rapidly deteriorated. An estimated 5 to 7 inches of snow fell across the county for this winter storm. This includes a public report of 6 inches of snow in Red Oak. Patchy blowing and drifting snow was reported across the county through the morning of the 9th.

Winter Storm, Fremont

When
January 8, 7:00 AM CST to January 9, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Fremont forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
40.746, -95.605 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow throughout the day on the 8th struggled to stick on sidewalks and roadways as ground temperatures hovered just above freezing. Snow rapidly accumulated once temperatures were able to drop at night. An estimated 6 to 8 inches of snow fell across the county for this winter storm. This includes several public reports of 6 to 8 inches of snow from Shenandoah. Patchy blowing and drifting snow was noted across the county on the morning of the 9th.

Winter Storm, Page

When
January 8, 7:00 AM CST to January 9, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Page forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
40.739, -95.150 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

During the day on the 8th, snow moved into the county from the south. However, due to above-freezing ground and road temperatures, snow largely struggled to accumulate until later that night. By the end of the storm, an estimated 6 to 9 inches of snow fell across the county. This includes a public report of 7.5 inches from Clarinda. Patchy blowing and drifting snow was also noted across the area on the morning of the 9th.

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Iowa in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, January 2024

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: 1158332, 1158333, 1158334, 1158335, 1158336, 1158338.