Winter Weather — Winneshiek, Iowa

2025-03-19 · Winneshiek, Iowa

Event narrative

This winter system brought near-blizzard conditions and snow to Winneshiek County on March 19th. Snowfall totals between 1 to 3 inches across the county with the highest reported total being 2.5 inches 7 miles east-northeast of Decorah. Additionally, a peak wind gust of 59 mph was observed at the AWOS in Decorah.

Wider weather episode

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.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1247547. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.