Blizzard in Chickasaw, Iowa

The combination of snow and strong winds allowed for visibilities to drop to a quarter mile or less resulting in blizzard conditions during the morning hours on March 5th in portions of Chickasaw County. At the Iowa Department of Transportation observation station near New Hampton, a peak wind gust of 47 mph was recorded during this period. Snowfall amounts across the county ranged from 1 to 2 inches with the highest observed total being 1.7 inches near New Hampton.

During the first week of March, a powerful mid-latitude cyclone progressed through the Upper Midwest overnight on the 4th and into the morning and afternoon on the 5th. As this occurred, rain changed over to snow with increasing winds during the early morning hours on March 5th. Widespread wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph with falling snow led to visibilities falling to a quarter mile or less, resulting in blizzard conditions across portions of northeast Iowa.