Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2024

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 237, NWS Des Moines, IA

July 15, 2024Black Hawk County, Tama County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 15, 2024, 4:16 PM CDT for Black Hawk County, Tama County, Iowa. It was in force for 29 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 15, 2024, 4:16 PM CDT (21:16 UTC)
Expired
Jul 15, 2024, 4:45 PM CDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Black Hawk County, IA, Tama County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 123 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:16 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 15, 3:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 12:00Z, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 175 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2024-07-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1844 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2024-07-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 80 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1844 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-134 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
967 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
80 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
178 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Des Moines, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 15, 2:21 PM CDT, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Enhanced Severe Storm Risk Through Evening with Risk of Higher End Damaging Winds, Some Hail and Possible Tornado
  • Heat Advisory in place to this evening South
  • Cooler and Mainly Dry Tuesday through Sunday
Area forecast discussion, Jul 15, 2:21 PM CDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
221 PM CDT Mon Jul 15 2024

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Enhanced Severe Storm Risk Through Evening with Risk of Higher
  End Damaging Winds, Some Hail and Possible Tornado
- Heat Advisory in place to this evening South
- Cooler and Mainly Dry Tuesday through Sunday

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 221 PM CDT Mon Jul 15 2024

Confidence Short Term: Medium

Warm layer aloft still holding down convection at 1815z with cu
field showing up along one of the many weak boundaries over the
region. The overall synoptic set up is the same with a trough of low
pressure from northern Wisconsin back to western MN, then south to
western Iowa. Weak lows are present in western MN and near Omaha.
VISSAT shows the area of cu and also the same location of the
highest SBCAPE of 6000 to 7000 J/kg and surface moisture
convergence. Currently there remains some weak MLCIN over
western Iowa where some convection is trying to fire. However,
just to the east of where some storms are beginning, the area is
totally uncapped with 4000 to 4500 J/kg MLCAPE. The more
widespread initiation is still expected between 21 to 22z.
Though the earlier HRRR runs today have been backing off on our
area to some degree, the latest 17z HRRR is now initiating
convection around 20 to 21z and quickly filling in an area of
discrete storms around US20 US30 corridor. This then grows
upscale into northern and west central Illinois. Trailing severe
convection begins to fill in between US20 and I80 between 22z
and 01z. So, holding on to similar thinking with the potential
still there. While the potential for widespread high end wind
event may be reduced slightly in this scenario, we should still
see some pockets of significant damaging winds within the
clusters of storms. The good news is that most of the storms
should exit the region around 02 to 03z and the remainder of the
night relatively quiet. Tomorrow was originally expected to be
dry, but there is another weak wave over Montana tracking
southeast. This may bring a few showers/isolated storms to the
region by Tuesday afternoon. The main theme for tomorrow and
moving forward is cooler temperatures. Highs tomorrow will range
from the upper 70s north to the lower to mid 80s south.
Tomorrow night as high pressure settles into the region, any
lingering showers should come to an end with cooler overnight
mins in the upper 50s to mid 60s.

.Long Term /Wednesday through Monday/...

Confidence: Medium

Most of the week will remain dry with cooler temperatures in the 70s
to lower 80s. Toward the weekend, we return to southerly flow with
chances once again for some convection by late Friday night west.
This trend will extend into the weekend, but with lower confidence
on coverage and timing. Temperatures should remain pleasant and in
the 70s to lower 80s.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY/...
Issued at 1230 PM CDT Mon Jul 15 2024

Highly uncertain forecast regarding convection to 00z.
Approaching H500 wave expected to break strong H700 cap between
20 and 22z. Weak wind shift continues from NW Iowa to about the
Quad Cities now, but should lift slightly north by 00z. CAMS
suggest the higher storm chance area between US20 and I80,
focusing mainly on FOD/ALO/DSM and perhaps later OTM. For now
have not hit conditions too hard, but will update for lower
cigs/vsbys and stronger convective wind gusts once storms form.
/rev

&&

.DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT this evening for IAZ057>062-
070>075-081>086-092>097.

&&

DISCUSSION...REV
AVIATION...REV
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 15, 1:48 PM CDT, 2 hours 28 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
148 PM CDT Mon Jul 15 2024

IAZ057>062-070>075-081>086-092>097-161900-
Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas-Polk-Jasper-Poweshiek-Cass-Adair-Madison-
Warren-Marion-Mahaska-Adams-Union-Clarke-Lucas-Monroe-Wapello-
Taylor-Ringgold-Decatur-Wayne-Appanoose-Davis-
148 PM CDT Mon Jul 15 2024

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight

A Heat Advisory is in effect for the area. Please refer to the
National Weather Service website at weather.gov/desmoines for
further details.

Strong to severe storms are expected this afternoon to evening
with the primary hazard being damaging wind gusts with a few
intense gusts over 75 mph possible, especially east of I-35 and
south of Highway 20. Hail and a few tornadoes are also possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters may be needed today.

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-161900-
Emmet-Kossuth-Winnebago-Worth-Palo Alto-Hancock-Cerro Gordo-
Pocahontas-Humboldt-Wright-Franklin-Butler-Bremer-Sac-Calhoun-
Webster-Hamilton-Hardin-Grundy-Black Hawk-Crawford-Carroll-Greene-
Boone-Story-Marshall-Tama-
148 PM CDT Mon Jul 15 2024

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight

The heat wave will continue for the rest of the afternoon to
evening, with maximum heat index values up to 100 degrees over
northern Iowa.

Strong to severe storms are expected this afternoon to evening
with the primary hazard being damaging wind gusts with a few
intense gusts over 75 mph possible, especially east of I-35 and
south of Highway 20. Hail and a few tornadoes are also possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters may be needed today.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 15, 3:50 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 15, 3:59 PM CDT, 17 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 15, 4:06 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 15, 4:09 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 15, 4:15 PM CDT, 1 minute before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
415 PM CDT Mon Jul 15 2024

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0410 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     Odebolt                 42.31N 95.25W
07/15/2024                   Sac                IA   Fire Dept/Rescue

            Multiple trees down. Lost power. Dime-sized
            hail. Wind gust estimated 85 mph.

&&

MP
Local storm report, Jul 15, 4:16 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
416 PM CDT Mon Jul 15 2024

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0410 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     Odebolt                 42.31N 95.25W
07/15/2024                   Sac                IA   Fire Dept/Rescue

            Corrects previous tstm wnd dmg report from
            Odebolt. Multiple trees down. Lost power.
            Dime-sized hail.

&&

MP

The office that day

Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 14, 7:17 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementDMXPoweshiek43 min
Jul 14, 8:44 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementDMXBlack Hawk31 min
Jul 14, 9:01 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementDMXWapello29 min
Jul 15, 3:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCarroll, Crawford, Sac52 min
Jul 15, 3:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXFranklin, Hamilton, Hardin, Wright47 min
Jul 15, 3:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBlack Hawk, Grundy, Tama40 min
Jul 15, 3:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatDMXAudubon, Carroll, Crawford, Greene48 min
Jul 15, 4:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatDMXGrundy, Hardin47 min
Jul 15, 4:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatDMXCalhoun, Carroll, Crawford, Sac46 min
Jul 15, 4:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatDMXAudubon, Carroll, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie52 min
Jul 15, 4:26 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXFranklin, Hamilton, Hardin, Wright4 hr
Jul 15, 4:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCarroll, Greene29 min
Jul 15, 4:50 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXBlack Hawk, Grundy, Tama3 hr
Jul 15, 5:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBoone, Jasper, Marshall, Polk, Story29 min
Jul 15, 5:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdair, Dallas, Guthrie, Madison, Polk25 min
Jul 15, 5:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDallas, Jasper, Marion, Marshall, Polk, Story and 1 more31 min
Jul 15, 5:42 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXPolk10 min
Jul 15, 5:47 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatDMXPolk, Warren28 min
Jul 15, 6:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatDMXJasper, Mahaska, Marion, Marshall, Polk, Poweshiek and 2 more60 min
Jul 15, 6:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatDMXJasper, Mahaska, Marion, Monroe, Poweshiek, Wapello66 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 2024Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2024

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.