The April 1973 Blizzard Ended Up Being One of Iowa’s Worst Storms
It's been an unseasonably warm yet delightful start to fall, with temps still lingering in the 70s and even 80s. However, we know this won't last. The weather is likely to change on a dime, and before we know it, we'll be seeing more of the snow that becomes the bane of our existence when traveling or simply trying to go about our daily duties.
Every Midwesterner can tell you about the worst snowstorm they ever experienced. With that in mind, I did some research regarding the worst snowstorms ever to impact Iowa. It was during my research I discovered the blizzard of April 1973, a catastrophic, very-late-in-the-season storm that rocked much of the state and delivered record-setting snowfall for many cities.
As much as we like to think it isn't, April is a common month to see a dusting of snow or maybe an inch or two. What happened in 1973, however, was borderline unprecedented. The conditions were right for a strong storm system to manifest and bring severe winds and excess snowfall to much of the state. It occurred on April 9th, 1973.
Per KMTV-3, the month was already an active one for weather. Much of the Midwest had dealt with significant flooding from heavy rain and snow melting. Creeks and rivers across Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri were flooding, and the Mississippi River was already way above its normal levels.
Elements including cold air, moisture-laden air, and high winds all converged to deliver a brutal April blizzard that began on April 8th and lasted into April 10th. Per KMTV-3, initial forecasts only called for a few inches, prompting some schools and businesses to close. But as the intensity worsened on April 9th, major issues began occurring that prevented almost anyone from conducting business as usual.
In Iowa, snow fell at a rate of approximately two inches an hour. Winds from the north occasionally reached above 65mph:
In southwest Iowa, emergency crews were overwhelmed by the number of accidents on rural roads. As one car accident was cleaned up, 3 others would occur. Estimates place the number of single-car or multiple-car accidents to be around 100 in Pottawattamie, Mills, Fremont, Page, Montgomery, Cass, Shelby, Audubon, and Carroll Counties. Snowfall ranged from just 3" in Clarinda to over 11" in Atlantic. Near Harlan, a patrol officer was helping one accident when his vehicle was struck by another car, no one was injured. - per KMTV-3
In our neck of the woods, eastern Iowa, some spots received as much as 20 inches of snow! In Dubuque specifically, up to 19 inches of snow fell throughout the city, resulting in snow drifts that were up to 16 feet tall!
Sadly, 14 Iowans died in the blizzard, mostly from heart attacks and traffic accidents. Agriculture losses were estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars. Missouri even saw some tornadoes. Near Kirksville, an F-4 tornado broke out and killed one person, adding to the extremely calamitous weather day for the Midwest.
Ask anyone of a certain age and they're liable to share some of their own memories from the April 1973 blizzard. Read more about the catastrophic storm on KMTV-3's website. See photos on The Des Moines Register's website.