Storm Events Database

Event Details:

Event Blizzard
State IOWA
County/Area SCOTT
WFO DVN
Report Source CoCoRaHS
NCEI Data Source CSV
Begin Date 2011-02-01 08:00 CST-6
End Date 2011-02-02 09:00 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 tremendous blizzard, one of the worst in memory, impacted much of the region on February 1-2, 2011, as deep low pressure tracked from Texas to southern Indiana. Snowfall totals ranged from 10 to 20 inches with drifts as high as 7 feet. Blizzard conditions were widespread with visibilities near zero in heavy snow and winds gusting to over 50 to 60 mph. Temperatures were in the teens which added to the misery and the fluffy snow was easily blown around. Actual snow accumulations were difficult to measure due to the very high winds. Most roads, including interstates, were closed with numerous vehicles stuck in drifts or sliding into ditches, but no major accidents were reported. Many people became stranded but were eventually rescued. Many schools and events were cancelled or closed for a couple of days, as it took crews a while to open up rural roads and even side streets. Even the University of Iowa at Iowa City was closed for a day. Much of eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois received 10 to 15 inches of snow, with western Illinois and extreme northeast Missouri reporting 15 to 20 inches. The highest total was a whopping 20 inches at Monmouth, Illinois in Warren county. At the height of the blizzard during the late afternoon and evening hours on February 1, snowfall rates were as high as 1 to 3 inches per hour. These rates were enhanced by thunder-snows that developed in the evening across eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois. The strongest winds also occurred during the evening with gusts of 66 mph reported at Clinton, Iowa; 56 mph at Mount Pleasant and Davenport, Iowa; and 52 mph at Lowden, Iowa. A 24-hour record snowfall of 16.7 inches was set at Moline, Illinois which broke the old record of 16.4 inches set on January 3, 1971. A record storm total snowfall of 18.4 inches was tied at Moline, which was first set on January 11-13, 1979. A 58 year old male died of hypothermia during the blizzard on a rural road near Mount Pleasant, Iowa in Henry county. During the late evening on Tuesday February 1 the victim left his residence in his SUV to go 4-wheeling but became stuck in the ditch in snow and mud. While trying to dig out the vehicle by hand he collapsed next to the vehicle and fell into the ditch, and died of hypothermia. His body was found about 200 yards from his residence by a road grader operator plowing snow on the morning of February 2.
Event Narrative CoCoRaHS observers measured 19.7 inches of snow near Davenport, with 15.4 inches at Park View.


    



All events for this episode:

Location County/Zone St. Date Time T.Z. Type Mag Dth Inj PrD CrD
Totals: 1 0 0.00K 0.00K
LEE (ZONE) LEE (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 07:50 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
DES MOINES (ZONE) DES MOINES (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 07:55 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
SCOTT (ZONE) SCOTT (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 08:00 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
VAN BUREN (ZONE) VAN BUREN (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 08:00 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
LOUISA (ZONE) LOUISA (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 10:30 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
HENRY (ZONE) HENRY (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 10:45 CST-6 Blizzard 1 0 0.00K 0.00K
JEFFERSON (ZONE) JEFFERSON (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 10:50 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
WASHINGTON (ZONE) WASHINGTON (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 11:00 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
MUSCATINE (ZONE) MUSCATINE (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 11:00 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
KEOKUK (ZONE) KEOKUK (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 11:00 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
IOWA (ZONE) IOWA (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 11:00 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
CEDAR (ZONE) CEDAR (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 11:30 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
JOHNSON (ZONE) JOHNSON (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 11:40 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
CLINTON (ZONE) CLINTON (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 11:50 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
JACKSON (ZONE) JACKSON (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 12:00 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
LINN (ZONE) LINN (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 12:00 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
JONES (ZONE) JONES (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 12:30 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
BENTON (ZONE) BENTON (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 12:30 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
BUCHANAN (ZONE) BUCHANAN (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 12:30 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
DELAWARE (ZONE) DELAWARE (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 12:45 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
DUBUQUE (ZONE) DUBUQUE (ZONE) IA 02/01/2011 13:00 CST-6 Blizzard 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
Totals: 1 0 0.00K 0.00K