This Day in Weather History October 16
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
1950: A line of thunderstorms produced an interesting temperature effect across portions of central and southern Iowa. As the storms approached Des Moines shortly before noon the temperature shot up 14 degrees in just 5 minutes, reaching 87 F and setting a daily high temperature record. As the storms passed the temperature then receded back into the lower 70s for the remainder of the day.
1937: An early season snow storm affected most of Iowa on October 15-16. In southern and eastern Iowa only a trace was recorded but measurable totals were received in northern and northwestern portions of the state. The highest reported snowfall totals were an amazing 10.8 inches at Belmond and 10.0 inches at Cherokee. With surface temperatures near or above freezing for most of the event much of the snow melted as it fell and the precipitation changed to rain in some areas on the 16th, otherwise even higher snowfall amounts would have been recorded. Remarkably this exceptionally early snow storm came on the exact dates and affected many of the same areas as the early season blizzard of 1880.
