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Severe Weather in the Plains; Heavy Rainfall in the Northern Plains, Tennessee Valley and Southeast

Numerous severe thunderstorms with a potential for 60-80 mph winds, along with tornadoes (some strong), and large to very large hail are expected across the northern and central Plains through tonight. Heavy to excessive rainfall may bring a flooding threat to parts of North Dakota and Minnesota, and from the Ohio Valley to the Southeast through tonight. Read More >

Overview

An early season winter storm lead to widespread snowfall throughout the area, with totals around 4-6 inches northwest of a line from Iowa City to Freeport, IL. Closer to Dubuque, totals reached upwards to 8 inches.

 

The snow started out as rain, as there was a strong pull of warm and moist air into the area. This rain lasted until around 6:00pm on 12/11, when it started transitioning to snow in our northern part of the CWA. By 6:00am on 12/12, the snow made its way to the Quad Cities area and quickly spread into northwestern IL. The snow was heavy at times, especially right around the area where the rain was transitioning to snow. Visibilities in the heaviest bands were around a 1/2 mile or less.

 

Official National Weather Service Observations

Moline: 3.2"

Davenport: 1.5"

Dubuque: 9.4"

***Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Burlington do not measure snow as part of their climate records. Please see the Snowfall Amounts and Storm Reports sections for reported snow amounts in these locations.***

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