Major snowstorms in Iowa’s history

     If you think last week was bad with three rounds of snow and blizzard-like conditions in one week, let’s reminiscence about Iowa blizzards of days gone by…

March 1923

   There was nothing in the Monticello Express archives pertaining to this snowstorm, but apparently some cities in central Iowa were hit with 30 inches of snow. Many farmers lost livestock due to the weather. Iowans had to ration food supplies because they couldn’t get to town for days.

November 1940

   The snowstorm that year hit on Armistice Day (Veterans Day). It would go down in history as one of the biggest snowstorms in the Midwest. It brought about 2 feet of snow in some areas, with temperatures dropping throughout the day (Nov. 11).

   A Nov. 14, 1940 Express article noted that the weather started out as rain, which “turned into a real old-fashioned blizzard.”

January 1942

   This snowstorm hit on New Year’s Day. Des Moines saw the highest snowfall at 19.8 inches. Ames received 24 inches of snow in 24 hours.

   In Jones County that year, the Jan. 8, 1942 Express article reported that it took nine snowplows and 30 men to clear the roads. (And these weren’t the plows we see today.)

   In Onslow, Dave Henderson broke his leg at the Larkey farm where he worked. It took plows three hours to get to the farm before Henderson could be taken to the hospital.

March 1951

   This blizzard was remembered due to how long it lasted, between 90 and 100 hours. Iowa City saw 27.2 inches of snow.

   The March 145, 1951, Express headline read: “20-inch snow, drifting isolates many farm homes near here.”

   State plows were pulled off the roads at one point.

   “Mail service into and out of Monticello was held up for a time, but local mail carriers covered most of their routes each day of the storm in spite of the weather. Rural carriers covered what roads were passable.”

   The Express reported on this long-lasting storm two weeks in a row.

January 1971

   This is reported to be the storm that brought about the second-highest snowfall in Iowa. This storm was nicknamed the “Great Lakes Blizzard.” Snow drifts were as high as 12 feet in some areas. Iowa and Nebraska took the brunt of the storm.

   Thirteen deaths in Iowa were reported, associated with the storm.

   The Jan. 7, 1971, Express described the storm as “the most blizzard in nearly 30 years.” Monticello saw 12 inches of snow, high winds, and drifting. (Sound familiar?) Winds were as high as 50 mph.

   With the storm hitting on a Sunday, rural residents were still snowed in by Tuesday. Christmas break was extended by two days for school kids.

   “Cold weather with sub-zero temperatures continued through Wednesday.” (Again, sound familiar?)

April 1973

   You can’t get through the ‘70s without another major snowstorm.

   This spring snowstorm, though, caught some by surprise.

   Dubuque reported 20 inches of snow just from this storm alone. Winds were clocked as high as 65 mph. Snow drifts were as high as 16 feet.

   “Mother Nature hit below the belt when she dumped an early spring blizzard of winter-like weather proportions on the Express area Monday,” noted the April 12, 1973, Express.

   Monticello saw 15 inches of snow and 50 mph winds.

   By Friday of that week, though, temperatures were in the 70s.

   A snowmobile was used to take a Monticello man to the hospital and to rescue a semi driver stuck on Highway 151.

   Schools were closed for three days. This caused three days to be taken off Easter break that spring for the school kids and staff.

   A rural Bernard couple, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Knapp, were forced to have their baby boy at home because their roads were blocked, keeping them from getting to John McDonald Hospital in Monticello.

   A lot of the normal correspondence news was left out of the Express that week due to lack of rural mail carriers because of the storm. (This was before the days of email.)

   “The Express, like all weekly newspapers, depends on the mail for receipt of much of its news items. With no mail coming into Monticello until late Tuesday, other items were also received too late to make this week’s issue.

   “A smaller-than-usual (Express) staff worked to bring you the newspaper on schedule.”

December 2009

   (I remember this storm!)

   This storm was close to beating records set in 1951.

   Iowa saw between 8 and 17 inches of snow. Windchills were reported as low as 30 degrees below zero.

   The day after the storm, travel was still not advised. Schools were closed for two days. Even the popular sledding spot in Monticello, Carpenter hill, was vacant on Wednesday, the follow day, due to frigid temperatures.