A fierce winter storm swept through Iowa over the weekend, transforming the post-Thanksgiving landscape into a winter wonderland and creating treacherous travel conditions across much of the Midwest. The system brought significant snowfall to large portions of the state throughout Saturday, Nov. 29, with some areas receiving more than a foot of accumulation.
Record-breaking accumulation across northern Iowa
The northern and central regions of Iowa bore the brunt of the storm’s fury, with multiple communities reporting double-digit snowfall totals by Sunday morning. Weather observers documented impressive accumulation rates as the system stalled over the state, dropping heavy, wet snow for hours on end.
Fort Dodge emerged as the clear winner in the snowfall sweepstakes, receiving 15 inches of snow through 7 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 30. The city’s residents woke up to significantly altered landscapes, with snow drifts and accumulation making travel nearly impossible in many areas.
Not far behind, Callender reported 14.3 inches of snow, while Cedar Falls measured exactly 14 inches. The consistent heavy snowfall across these northern communities demonstrated the storm’s concentrated impact on the region.
Nine communities buried under a foot of snow
The winter storm proved particularly punishing for several Iowa cities that all reported 12 inches or more of accumulation. Here are the nine areas that saw the highest totals:
- Fort Dodge recorded 15 inches, leading the entire state in snowfall accumulation from the system.
- Callender measured 14.3 inches, making it one of the hardest-hit communities.
- Cedar Falls received exactly 14 inches, creating significant challenges for the college town.
- Ackley saw 13.5 inches pile up, disrupting normal weekend activities.
- Jesup reported 13.3 inches, blanketing the small town in heavy snow.
- Clarion measured 12.5 inches, requiring extensive snow removal efforts.
- Dike received an even 12 inches of fresh powder.
- Eldora also reported 12 inches, matching several other communities.
- Ellsworth rounded out the list with 12 inches of accumulation.
Central Iowa faces significant snow accumulation
While Des Moines and surrounding communities didn’t see the extreme totals reported in northern Iowa, the metro area still experienced substantial snowfall that disrupted travel and daily activities. Central Iowa generally accumulated between 3.8 and 8.8 inches through 5 p.m. Saturday, according to Weather.gov…