Iowa weather: The history of snow and girls state basketball

How often does it actually snow during the state tournament?

How often does it actually snow during the state tournament?

OF THE WEEK. ZANE. AND WE KNOW THERE’S AT LEAST A COUPLE OF DAYS THAT WE ARE GOING TO SEE THAT. YEAH, YEAH, ESPECIALLY WEDNESDAY MORNING WILL PROBABLY BE THE MOST TRICKY. AND FOR THE LONG TIME IOWANS THAT WON’T SURPRISE YOU AT ALL BECAUSE THE GIRLS STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT HAS A REPUTATION FOR WINTER WEATHER. WHY? BECAUSE THE DATA DOESN’T ACTUALLY SUPPORT THAT. BUT WE’LL TALK ABOUT THAT. IF YOU ACTUALLY CRUNCH THE NUMBERS. YOU GO BACK ABOUT NINE DECADES, WHICH IS THE TOTAL LENGTH OF TIME THAT THE TOURNAMENT’S BEEN HELD CONSISTENTLY IN DES MOINES. AND AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME OF YEAR, IN EARLY MARCH, THERE’S ACTUALLY ONLY BEEN A SIX INCH SNOWFALL. THREE TIMES IN THAT OLD SPAN OF TIME. IN FACT, OVER HALF OF THE STATE TOURNAMENTS HAVEN’T HAD ANY SNOW AT ALL, INCLUDING LAST YEAR. WE’RE ACTUALLY ON OVER A DECADE LONG STRETCH WHERE THERE HASN’T BEEN ANY SNOW. I THINK MY GUESS IS THAT THIS DATES BACK TO A KIND OF A ROUGH STRETCH. SO SEVERAL DECADES AGO. SO YOU OLD TIMERS REMEMBER MAYBE THE 1959 STATE TITLE GAME WAS AND VETS AUDITORIUM AND THERE’S SO MUCH SNOW. PEOPLE GOT STUCK AND THERE WAS THAT DANCE PARTY, EVERYTHING ELSE. AND THEN THERE WAS ACTUALLY QUITE A BIT OF SNOW FOR SEVERAL YEARS IN A ROW. THAT CAUSED PROBLEMS FOR THE GIRLS STATE TOURNAMENT. I THINK THAT KIND OF GOT PEOPLE’S MINDS AND THAT KIND OF GOT THE REPUTATION. THE LEGEND GOING. NOW, AS WE HEAD THROUGH THIS STATE TOURNAMENT, YES, THERE IS A CHANCE OF SNO

Iowa weather: The history of snow and girls state basketball

How often does it actually snow during the state tournament?

Many Iowans know that the girls high school state basketball tournament has a reputation for bad weather – winter storms specifically.Is that reputation deserved? To answer that question, we dug through nearly 90 years of tournament weather history.Girls state basketball goes back over 100 years, but early tournaments were held in different towns around Iowa and sometimes much later in spring than the present day.Because of that, we limited our analysis to tournaments held after 1936.Snowstorms aren't that frequentSince then, only three girls state tournaments have coincided with “winter storm” level snowfall in Des Moines – meaning at least 6 inches from one system. Only one out of five tournaments experienced snowfall of at least 1 inch.More than half of the tournaments (50 total) have been completely snow-free.Why does the girls tournament get a bad rap, then?Several bad years in a rowIt seems possible that many Iowans began associating the state tournament with snow during the 1960s.Following the 1959 championship game between Gladbrook and West Central (Maynard), snow famously forced thousands of people to spend the night in Veterans Memorial Auditorium.The next year, more than 7 inches of snow fell in Des Moines over four days of basketball action.Measurable snow would end up affecting five consecutive tournaments between 1959 and 1963.Top 10 Snowiest Girls State Tournaments1999 – 12.3 inches1948 – 10.0 inches2013 – 9.4 inches1960 – 7.6 inches1959 – 4.3 inches2008 – 4.2 inches1963 – 4.0 inches1961 – 3.8 inches1940 – 3.7 inches1962 – 2.7 inches (held in Waterloo)Ironically, there’s been no state tournament snow in Des Moines since that 2013 storm.The last 12 years have been the longest snow-free stretch since the tournament moved to late February and early March.Notable caveatsIt’s worth noting that all these statistics apply only to snow, only to Des Moines, and only during the tournament itself.The 1998 tournament followed an 11-inch snowstorm the weekend before. Other years brought heavy snow to Iowa but spared the Des Moines area. In 1990, it wasn't snow but a historic ice storm that crippled much of the state during tournament action.This year's outlookSnow is finally back for 2025 state basketball. Rain on Tuesday will transition to snow late Tuesday night, accompanied by wind gusts above 50 mph at times. The falling snow will end Wednesday morning, but blowing snow could last through the day. Travel in central and western Iowa is looking treacherous from late Tuesday night through most of Wednesday.Another chance of snow and rain comes Friday.» Subscribe to ��vlog's YouTube page» Download the free ��vlog app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play

DES MOINES, Iowa —

Many Iowans know that the girls high school state basketball tournament has a reputation for bad weather – winter storms specifically.

Is that reputation deserved?

To answer that question, we dug through nearly 90 years of tournament weather history.

Girls state basketball goes back over 100 years, but early tournaments were held in different towns around Iowa and sometimes much later in spring than the present day.

Because of that, we limited our analysis to tournaments held after 1936.

Snowstorms aren't that frequent

Since then, only three girls state tournaments have coincided with “winter storm” level snowfall in Des Moines – meaning at least 6 inches from one system.

Only one out of five tournaments experienced snowfall of at least 1 inch.

More than half of the tournaments (50 total) have been completely snow-free.

Hearst Owned

Why does the girls tournament get a bad rap, then?

Several bad years in a row

It seems possible that many Iowans began associating the state tournament with snow during the 1960s.

Following the 1959 championship game between Gladbrook and West Central (Maynard), snow famously forced thousands of people to spend the night in Veterans Memorial Auditorium.

The next year, more than 7 inches of snow fell in Des Moines over four days of basketball action.

Measurable snow would end up affecting five consecutive tournaments between 1959 and 1963.

Top 10 Snowiest Girls State Tournaments

1999 – 12.3 inches
1948 – 10.0 inches
2013 – 9.4 inches
1960 – 7.6 inches
1959 – 4.3 inches
2008 – 4.2 inches
1963 – 4.0 inches
1961 – 3.8 inches
1940 – 3.7 inches
1962 – 2.7 inches (held in Waterloo)

Ironically, there’s been no state tournament snow in Des Moines since that 2013 storm.

The last 12 years have been the longest snow-free stretch since the tournament moved to late February and early March.

Notable caveats

It’s worth noting that all these statistics apply only to snow, only to Des Moines, and only during the tournament itself.

The 1998 tournament followed an 11-inch snowstorm the weekend before. Other years brought heavy snow to Iowa but spared the Des Moines area. In 1990, it wasn't snow but a historic ice storm that crippled much of the state during tournament action.

This year's outlook

Snow is finally back for 2025 state basketball.

Rain on Tuesday will transition to snow late Tuesday night, accompanied by wind gusts above 50 mph at times.

The falling snow will end Wednesday morning, but blowing snow could last through the day.

Travel in central and western Iowa is looking treacherous from late Tuesday night through most of Wednesday.

Another chance of snow and rain comes Friday.

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