Iowa's Earliest Measurable Snowfall: Iowa Time Machine September 16, 1881

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 16, 1881, Iowa recorded its earliest measurable snowfall. In west-central Iowa, the storm left an estimated 4 to 6 inches between Stuart and Avoca, a reminder that the boundary between summer and winter on the prairie has never been as secure as the calendar suggests.

The event developed from a low-pressure system that moved from the Gulf Coast northward and then followed an unusual path through the Upper Midwest. A cold front reached Iowa on September 14, when Des Moines had recorded a high temperature of 80 degrees.

By September 16, colder air had pushed far south across the central United States, producing frost as far away as Arkansas and Texas. In Iowa, rain changed to snow across eastern Nebraska, southern Minnesota, and roughly the northwestern two-thirds of the state. Des Moines recorded only a few flakes and a high temperature of 46 degrees, while Algona received an estimated 4 inches, enough to break tree branches before melting away by noon.

The only other September occasion with fairly widespread measurable snow occurred on September 25, 1942, when much of the state received snow, and several communities reported amounts up to 4 inches. The 1881 storm remains the strongest benchmark for Iowans who imagine September as reliably free from winter weather. #Iowa #OTD #History #Snow #Winter