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Storm Events Database
Event Details
| Event | Heavy Snow |
| State | IOWA |
| County/Area | Palo Alto |
| WFO | DMX |
| Begin Date | 01/20/2012 03:00:00 CST-6 |
| End Date | 01/20/2012 14:30:00 CST-6 |
| Deaths Direct/Indirect | 0/0 (fatality details below, when available...) |
| Injuries Direct/Indirect | 0/0 |
| Property Damage | 0.00K |
| Crop Damage | 0.00K |
| Episode Narrative | A weak inverted trough passed over the state during the day on the 20th. Though the system was weak at the surface, the dynamics aloft were significant. A strong upper level system moved across the Rockies into the central U.S. during the day. Ahead of this feature, strong isentropic lift was in place. In spite of the cold air at the surface, there was significant lift and moisture available in the 850 mb to 700 mb layer to produce precipitation. Snow developed quite rapidly during the predawn hours of the 20th over western Iowa. The snow spread east very quickly and in many cases became heavy within a few hours of inception. Visibility was reduced to 1/4 to 1/2 mile during the heaviest snow with snowfall rates reaching 1 to 2 inches per hour in places. Fortunately, there was little wind with this event. Outside of drifting in open area, the snow caused relatively little trouble in spite of the band of 6 to 8 inch snowfall that occurred. The snow band was 75 to 100 miles wide with the heaviest snow falling from near Estherville in the northwest, east-southeast to the Waterloo area. Higher snowfall totals include 8 inches in Emmet County at Ringsted, and 7 inches in the Waterloo and Cedar Falls areas of Black Hawk County. In Worth County, 7 inches was also measured in Manly. |
| Event Narrative |
All events for this episode:
| Location | County/Zone | St. | Date | Time | T.Z. | Type | Mag | Dth | Inj | PrD | CrD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totals: | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |||||||
| PALO ALTO (ZONE) | PALO ALTO (ZONE) | IA | 01/20/2012 | 03:00 | CST-6 | Heavy Snow | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |
| WINNEBAGO (ZONE) | WINNEBAGO (ZONE) | IA | 01/20/2012 | 03:00 | CST-6 | Heavy Snow | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |
| KOSSUTH (ZONE) | KOSSUTH (ZONE) | IA | 01/20/2012 | 03:00 | CST-6 | Heavy Snow | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |
| WRIGHT (ZONE) | WRIGHT (ZONE) | IA | 01/20/2012 | 03:00 | CST-6 | Heavy Snow | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |
| POCAHONTAS (ZONE) | POCAHONTAS (ZONE) | IA | 01/20/2012 | 03:00 | CST-6 | Heavy Snow | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |
| HANCOCK (ZONE) | HANCOCK (ZONE) | IA | 01/20/2012 | 03:00 | CST-6 | Heavy Snow | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |
| HUMBOLDT (ZONE) | HUMBOLDT (ZONE) | IA | 01/20/2012 | 03:00 | CST-6 | Heavy Snow | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |
| EMMET (ZONE) | EMMET (ZONE) | IA | 01/20/2012 | 03:00 | CST-6 | Heavy Snow | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |
| CERRO GORDO (ZONE) | CERRO GORDO (ZONE) | IA | 01/20/2012 | 06:00 | CST-6 | Heavy Snow | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |
| HARDIN (ZONE) | HARDIN (ZONE) | IA | 01/20/2012 | 06:00 | CST-6 | Heavy Snow | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |
| BUTLER (ZONE) | BUTLER (ZONE) | IA | 01/20/2012 | 06:00 | CST-6 | Heavy Snow | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |
| BLACK HAWK (ZONE) | BLACK HAWK (ZONE) | IA | 01/20/2012 | 06:00 | CST-6 | Heavy Snow | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |
| WORTH (ZONE) | WORTH (ZONE) | IA | 01/20/2012 | 06:00 | CST-6 | Heavy Snow | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |
| GRUNDY (ZONE) | GRUNDY (ZONE) | IA | 01/20/2012 | 06:00 | CST-6 | Heavy Snow | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |
| BREMER (ZONE) | BREMER (ZONE) | IA | 01/20/2012 | 06:00 | CST-6 | Heavy Snow | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |
| TAMA (ZONE) | TAMA (ZONE) | IA | 01/20/2012 | 06:00 | CST-6 | Heavy Snow | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |
| FRANKLIN (ZONE) | FRANKLIN (ZONE) | IA | 01/20/2012 | 06:00 | CST-6 | Heavy Snow | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K | |
| Totals: | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K |
