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Winter in Polk County, Iowa
87 winter storms and snow events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Winter Storm, Winter Weather, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Ice Storm, Lake-Effect Snow, Sleet.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
NCEI records 87 winter events in Polk County, Iowa, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 29 years.
January is the busiest month, with 29 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 56 events against 31 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.8% of the 10,746 winter events recorded in Iowa; its 15.2 per 100 square miles compares with 19.2 statewide.
NCEI attributes 1 death in the county to winter storms and snow.
Some winter weather and high wind events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county; zone-recorded events whose zone is named for the county are included and marked "Forecast zone" in the table.
Compared with Iowa
| Measure | Polk County | Iowa | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter events since 1950 | 87 | 10,746 | 287,339 |
| Per 100 square miles | 15.2 | 19.2 | 8.1 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 1.8 | 33.7 | 8.7 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 47 | 2,509 |
| Busiest month | January | January | January |
By year
Seasonality
29Feb
25Mar
10Apr
1May
1Jun
0Jul
0Aug
0Sep
0Oct
2Nov
2Dec
17
Recorded events
All 87 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Feb 2026 | Heavy Snow | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 5 Mar 2025 | Blizzard | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 11 Feb 2025 | Winter Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 2 Jan 2025 | Winter Weather | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 12 Jan 2024 | Winter Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 12 Jan 2024 | Blizzard | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 10 Jan 2024 | Winter Weather | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 8 Jan 2024 | Winter Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 15 Feb 2023 | Winter Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 14 Jan 2022 | Winter Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Jan 2022 | Winter Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 4 Feb 2021 | Blizzard | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 25 Jan 2021 | Heavy Snow | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 29 Dec 2020 | Heavy Snow | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 19 Oct 2020 | Heavy Snow | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 17 Jan 2020 | Winter Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 16 Feb 2019 | Winter Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 11 Feb 2019 | Winter Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 22 Jan 2019 | Winter Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 17 Mar 2018 | Winter Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 5 Feb 2018 | Winter Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 15 Jan 2017 | Ice Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 28 Dec 2015 | Winter Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 20 Nov 2015 | Winter Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Feb 2015 | Winter Storm | — | $50K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 5 Jan 2015 | Heavy Snow | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 4 Feb 2014 | Winter Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 16 Jan 2014 | Blizzard | — | $10K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 22 Dec 2013 | Heavy Snow | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 2 May 2013 | Heavy Snow | — | $100K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 26 Feb 2013 | Heavy Snow | — | $5K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 21 Feb 2013 | Heavy Snow | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 29 Jan 2013 | Winter Storm | — | $25K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 20 Dec 2012 | Blizzard | — | $2.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 19 Dec 2012 | Winter Storm | — | $25K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 4 Feb 2012 | Heavy Snow | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Feb 2011 | Blizzard | — | $25K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 11 Dec 2010 | Blizzard | — | $150K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 19 Mar 2010 | Heavy Snow | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 25 Jan 2010 | Blizzard | — | $75K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 20 Jan 2010 | Ice Storm | — | $300K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 6 Jan 2010 | Winter Storm | — | $25K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 24 Dec 2009 | Winter Storm | — | $50K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 9 Dec 2009 | Blizzard | — | $50K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 7 Dec 2009 | Heavy Snow | — | $10K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 5 Apr 2009 | Winter Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 13 Feb 2009 | Heavy Snow | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 9 Jan 2009 | Heavy Snow | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 27 Dec 2008 | Ice Storm | — | $50K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 18 Dec 2008 | Winter Storm | — | $20K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 5 Feb 2008 | Winter Storm | — | $10K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 11 Dec 2007 | Ice Storm | — | $150K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Dec 2007 | Ice Storm | — | $50K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Mar 2007 | Blizzard | — | $100K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 24 Feb 2007 | Winter Storm | — | $500K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 12 Feb 2007 | Winter Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 4 Jan 2005 | Heavy Snow | — | $10K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 15 Mar 2004 | Heavy Snow | — | $10K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 5 Feb 2004 | Heavy Snow | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 4 Jan 2004 | Heavy Snow | — | $5K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 14 Feb 2003 | Winter Storm | — | $5K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 28 Jan 2003 | Winter Weather | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 31 Jan 2002 | Heavy Snow | — | $20K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 15 Mar 2001 | Heavy Snow | — | $50K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 8 Feb 2001 | Winter Storm | — | $50K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 8 Feb 2001 | Ice Storm | — | $75K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 18 Dec 2000 | Blizzard | — | $25K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 10 Dec 2000 | Winter Storm | — | $25K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 17 Feb 2000 | Winter Storm | — | $10K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 8 Mar 1999 | Winter Storm | — | $25K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 11 Feb 1999 | Ice Storm | — | $5K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Jan 1999 | Winter Storm | — | $10K | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 30 Dec 1998 | Heavy Snow | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 17 Mar 1998 | Ice Storm | — | $6K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 7 Mar 1998 | Heavy Snow | — | $50K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 20 Jan 1998 | Heavy Snow | — | $10K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 4 Jan 1998 | Ice Storm | — | $20K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 21 Dec 1997 | Ice Storm | — | $2K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 26 Oct 1997 | Heavy Snow | — | $3.6M | $2.6M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 3 Feb 1997 | Heavy Snow | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 14 Nov 1996 | Ice Storm | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 24 Mar 1996 | Blizzard | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 15 Feb 1996 | Heavy Snow | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 28 Jan 1996 | Blizzard | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 26 Jan 1996 | Blizzard | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 26 Jan 1996 | Heavy Snow | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 18 Jan 1996 | Blizzard | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
Questions and answers
How many winter events has Polk County had?
87 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of winter storms and snow became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded winter event in Polk County?
19 Feb 2026 (Heavy Snow). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging winter event recorded in Polk County?
The heavy snow of 26 Oct 1997, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $3.6M and crop damage at $2.6M.
How does Polk County compare with Iowa for winter?
15.2 events per 100 square miles against 19.2 statewide; the county holds 87 of the state's 10,746 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Winter hub and the county page.