Encyclopedia Dubuque
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
SNOWFALL: Difference between revisions
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On April l0, 1973, Dubuque began digging from beneath a record single snowfall of 19.8 inches that began on April 8th. (2) This broke the previous record set twice, March 26-28, 1931, and March 46, 1959, of 17.6 inches. Absentee levels at the [[JOHN DEERE DUBUQUE WORKS]] and the [[DUBUQUE PACKING COMPANY]] exceeded 50 percent as drifts reached heights of fifteen feet. An estimated twenty-five snowmobilers assisted city police in transporting stranded people to safety. Computations by the city engineer showed that this snowfall equaled 232 million pounds of snow or a load that would have required for removal 4,300 trains each seventy-five cars long. | On April l0, 1973, Dubuque began digging from beneath a record single snowfall of 19.8 inches that began on April 8th. (2) This broke the previous record set twice, March 26-28, 1931, and March 46, 1959, of 17.6 inches. Absentee levels at the [[JOHN DEERE DUBUQUE WORKS]] and the [[DUBUQUE PACKING COMPANY]] exceeded 50 percent as drifts reached heights of fifteen feet. An estimated twenty-five snowmobilers assisted city police in transporting stranded people to safety. Computations by the city engineer showed that this snowfall equaled 232 million pounds of snow or a load that would have required for removal 4,300 trains each seventy-five cars long. | ||
Dubuque's legendary winter | One of Dubuque's legendary winter storms occurred in December 1870. During an unusually warm spell with temperatures hovering near 70 degrees, three hundred businessmen wearing straw hats marched down Main Street on the morning of New Year's Eve to board a steamer for a trip downriver to a planned picnic by [[CATFISH CREEK]]. The event was a public relations idea to advertise Dubuque as a fine place to spend the winter. | ||
The men had hardly disembarked when they were struck by sudden stiff northern winds that dropped the temperature to the low 20s in minutes. The chilled businessmen hurried into harbor in time to beat a blizzard. This episode became known as the "Straw Hat Incident." | The men had hardly disembarked when they were struck by sudden stiff northern winds that dropped the temperature to the low 20s in minutes. The chilled businessmen hurried into harbor in time to beat a blizzard. This episode became known as the "Straw Hat Incident." | ||
The usual date for Dubuque's first meaningful snowfall (defined as .1 inch or more) is November 16. In 1922 the weather service reported .2 inches fell on August 1st. The weather that day also saw a drop of 21 degrees in the temperature in ten minutes and crop damaging hail. The latest recorable snowfall occurred on May 11, 1966 when the city received 3.1 inches. Between March 27-28, 1931 the city received 176.6 inches of snow. This established Dubuque as the city receiving the greatest amount of snow for that period of any city in the nation. (3) | |||
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2. Ibid. | 2. Ibid. | ||
3. Hogstrom, Erik, "Snow & Ice Stories," ''Telegraph Herald'', December 14, 2025, p. 1 | |||
Latest revision as of 02:43, 23 December 2025
SNOWFALL (Record). Dubuque's record annual snowfall was set in 2007-2008 when the city received 78.7 inches. (1) The second heaviest snowfall came in 1961-1962 with 75.7 inches.
On April l0, 1973, Dubuque began digging from beneath a record single snowfall of 19.8 inches that began on April 8th. (2) This broke the previous record set twice, March 26-28, 1931, and March 46, 1959, of 17.6 inches. Absentee levels at the JOHN DEERE DUBUQUE WORKS and the DUBUQUE PACKING COMPANY exceeded 50 percent as drifts reached heights of fifteen feet. An estimated twenty-five snowmobilers assisted city police in transporting stranded people to safety. Computations by the city engineer showed that this snowfall equaled 232 million pounds of snow or a load that would have required for removal 4,300 trains each seventy-five cars long.
One of Dubuque's legendary winter storms occurred in December 1870. During an unusually warm spell with temperatures hovering near 70 degrees, three hundred businessmen wearing straw hats marched down Main Street on the morning of New Year's Eve to board a steamer for a trip downriver to a planned picnic by CATFISH CREEK. The event was a public relations idea to advertise Dubuque as a fine place to spend the winter.
The men had hardly disembarked when they were struck by sudden stiff northern winds that dropped the temperature to the low 20s in minutes. The chilled businessmen hurried into harbor in time to beat a blizzard. This episode became known as the "Straw Hat Incident."
The usual date for Dubuque's first meaningful snowfall (defined as .1 inch or more) is November 16. In 1922 the weather service reported .2 inches fell on August 1st. The weather that day also saw a drop of 21 degrees in the temperature in ten minutes and crop damaging hail. The latest recorable snowfall occurred on May 11, 1966 when the city received 3.1 inches. Between March 27-28, 1931 the city received 176.6 inches of snow. This established Dubuque as the city receiving the greatest amount of snow for that period of any city in the nation. (3)
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Source:
1. Hogstrom, Erik, "You Can't Fool With Mother Nature," Telegraph Herald Commemorative Edition: Memorable Moments, March 26, 2012, p. 20c
2. Ibid.
3. Hogstrom, Erik, "Snow & Ice Stories," Telegraph Herald, December 14, 2025, p. 1