Blizzard in Floyd, Iowa

The combination of falling snow and strong winds allowed for visibilities to drop to a quarter mile or less resulting in blizzard conditions on March 19th in Floyd County. At the AWOS in Charles City, a 48 mph peak wind gust was measured during this period with visibilities falling near or below a quarter mile for 3 hours during the afternoon. Snowfall totals across the county ranged from 3 to 6 inches with a highest reported total of 6 inches in Marble Rock.

A compact but strong winter system moved through portions of the Upper Midwest on March 19th bringing heavy snow, strong wind gusts, and even thundersnow. While snow mixed in with sleet and rain at times, eventually some colder air aloft moved into the region and switched precipitation to all snow with some locally heavy rates. Additionally, the combination of strong winds and snow led to blizzard conditions in portions of northeast Iowa where wind gusts over 50 mph occurred in some locations.