Iowa snow totals
New snow in 85 Iowa towns of 5,000+ people, from the NOAA analysis of Tuesday, November 3, 2026 at 7 PM ET.
0.0 inNo measurable new snow in Iowa towns in the last 24 hours. The season has no measurable snow yet.
Des Moines averages about 37 inches of snow a year, close to Cedar Rapids at about 34. Northern Iowa gets a bit more, with Mason City averaging about 44 inches and Spencer about 43.
Most snow in the last 24 hours
- No measurable snow in this window.
Snow totals in the largest Iowa towns
| Town | 24 h | 48 h | 72 h | Season | Normal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 36.5 |
| Cedar Rapids | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 34.3 |
| Davenport | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 36.1 |
| Sioux City | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 36 |
| Ankeny | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 24.7 |
| Iowa City | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 27.5 |
| West Des Moines | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 36.5 |
| Ames | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 27.3 |
| Waterloo | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 39.1 |
| Council Bluffs | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 27.1 |
| Dubuque | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 42.5 |
| Urbandale | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 36.5 |
| Marion | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 34.3 |
| Cedar Falls | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 39.1 |
| Bettendorf | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 36.1 |
| Waukee | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 36.5 |
| Marshalltown | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 25.3 |
| Mason City | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 44.4 |
| Ottumwa | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 23.6 |
| Johnston | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 38 |
| Fort Dodge | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 39 |
| Clinton | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 31.9 |
| Coralville | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 27.5 |
| Burlington | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 21.8 |
| Muscatine | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 23.5 |
Inches of new snow. "Season" counts from September 30. "Normal year" is the 1991-2020 average yearly snowfall at the nearest NOAA station with snow records, up to 30 km away.
Most snow so far this season
- No measurable snow in this window.
Where it snows most in Iowa
Iowa has no mountains or big lakes, so its snow comes from storm systems crossing the plains. Northern counties are colder and get the most, and strong winds across open farmland often drift snow along roads.
| Town | Inches a year | Days with 1 in+ | NOAA station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mason City | 44.4 | 13.4 | MASON CITY MUNI AP (10 km) |
| Clear Lake | 44.4 | 13.4 | MASON CITY MUNI AP (4 km) |
| Spencer | 43.3 | 13.8 | SPENCER 1 N (2 km) |
| Dubuque | 42.5 | 13.3 | DUBUQUE RGNL AP (11 km) |
| Asbury | 42.5 | 13.3 | DUBUQUE RGNL AP (14 km) |
| Estherville | 41.5 | 13.9 | SPIRIT LAKE (25 km) |
| Spirit Lake | 41.5 | 13.9 | SPIRIT LAKE (2 km) |
| Sheldon | 40.8 | 13.7 | SHELDON (1 km) |
| Oelwein | 39.3 | 13.1 | OELWEIN 1E (3 km) |
| Waterloo | 39.1 | 12.1 | WATERLOO MUNI AP (8 km) |
Questions people ask
How much snow did Iowa get in the last 24 hours?
In the analysis for Tuesday, November 3, 2026 at 7 PM ET, no Iowa town of 5,000+ people had measurable new snow in the last 24 hours.
How much snow does Des Moines get in a normal year?
About 36.5 inches a year, the 1991-2020 normal at the DES MOINES INTL AP station (NOAA NCEI).
Are these official snow totals?
No. They come from NOAA's national snowfall analysis, an estimate on a grid. Official storm reports come from your local National Weather Service office.
Other states
Sources: NOAA NOHRSC National Snowfall Analysis v2 (season from September 30, 2026 to November 3, 2026); NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer and population estimates. Unofficial estimates, not for safety decisions.