Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2025
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 31, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 30, 2025, 12:30 AM CDT for 4 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 45 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
- Mar 30, 2025, 12:30 AM CDT (05:30 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 30, 2025, 1:15 AM CDT
- In force
- 45 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 1.0 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
Counties Jasper County, IA, Marshall County, IA, Poweshiek County, IA, Tama County, IA
The radar
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 80 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:29 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 nearest sounding before it
Davenport, (KDVN), launched 00:00Z, 5.5 hours before the alert went out and 191 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 13 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -27 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1016 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 33 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 49 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 105 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
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 Mar 30, 12:16 AM CDT, 14 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- -Showers and storms becoming more widespread this evening. A few strong to severe storms possible this evening. -Cooler and breezy Sunday, with lingering morning rain south and east while northern Iowa receives light rain/snow into the afternoon. -Additional precipitation chances Tuesday into Wednesday with chances of a few severe storms Tuesday night into Wednesday morning with main threat from large hail.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 30, 12:16 AM CDT, 14 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 1216 AM CDT Sun Mar 30 2025 ...Updated for the 06z Aviation Discussion... .KEY MESSAGES... -Showers and storms becoming more widespread this evening. A few strong to severe storms possible this evening. -Cooler and breezy Sunday, with lingering morning rain south and east while northern Iowa receives light rain/snow into the afternoon. -Additional precipitation chances Tuesday into Wednesday with chances of a few severe storms Tuesday night into Wednesday morning with main threat from large hail. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 250 PM CDT Sat Mar 29 2025 Surface front extends from southwest Iowa to near the Des Moines metro up to near Dubuque this afternoon. A few showers have remained north of the front with a few lightning strikes but nothing too significant. Meanwhile, capping continue to inhibit convection along and south of the front this afternoon. A surface low in north central Kansas will traverse the boundary this afternoon and into tonight passing across central Iowa. Kinematic forcing increases greatly into the evening with the approach of the shortwave and precipitation is expected to expand north of the front across west central into northwest Iowa by late afternoon into the evening. Given the decent mid level lapse rates, some thunder is expected with this activity and the stronger cells may produce some small hail. Meanwhile, as the surface low approaches along with some mid level cooling should be sufficient for some convection near the triple point as it moves northeast across central Iowa. MUCAPES will be near 1000 J/KG in vicinity of the low and with modest mid lapse rates, some hail may occur with these storms or a strong wind gust. There is also a narrow slice of 0-3km CAPE near the triple point along with decent SRH which may lend to some minor tornado potential, however the low level lapse rates are likely to limit this threat. This convection is likely to race northeast and out of the area shortly after midnight. Otherwise, as the surface low departs, cold advection increases overnight with strengthening northwest winds. A second deepening shortwave passes just southeast of Iowa on Sunday. This reinvigorates precipitation in an expanding deformation zone across northern Iowa during the day. With cooler surface air arriving and synoptic forcing cooling the sounding, some snow is likely to mix with the rain during the day although any accumulations would be light and limited to grassy areas across the north. Otherwise, temperatures are forecast to be substantially cooler as the brisk northwest wind persist through the day. Cold advection persist into Monday with quiet but cool weather. Warm advection increases into Tuesday with strong theta-e advection along with robust isentropic lift. Precipitation, which may initially be snow in far northern Iowa is expected to develop as moisture transport strengthens into the state. The bulk of precipitation remains across the far north during the day with any snow changing to rain as temperatures rise with the strong warm advection. Strong low level flow from the south persists into Tuesday night ahead of an approaching upper low. Both GFS and Euro develop convection just southwest of Iowa and spread it rapidly northeast across the state on Tuesday night on the nose of a 50kt+ low level jet. Convective development is likely to be robust given the very strong theta-e advection combined with strong kinematics. Some severe storms, with main risk from hail or possible into the overnight and Wednesday morning as the convection races to the northeast in the strong southwest mean flow. However, once the convection passes, strong subsidence and drying develops across much of the state outside of the far north which may see some light precipitation into the afternoon and evening hours. Quiet conditions return once again on Thursday with another system passing into the Plains on Friday into Saturday. Differences in deterministic guidance develop at this point with a wetter Euro solution vs a somewhat drier GFS outcome later Friday into Saturday with plenty of time to adjust as needed. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY/... Issued at 1216 AM CDT Sun Mar 30 2025 Areas of showers and thunderstorms remain near KDSM and KMCW early this morning, and are expected to move northeast across the area through the morning hours, which may impact KALO and KOTM through at least sunrise. Otherwise across the north, rain showers may see a mix of snow at times through at least the afternoon as colder air moves into the area, which may allow for periods of lower visibilities. Low ceilings are expected to remain with resultant MVFR/IFR conditions throughout much of the TAF period, before lifting around 03-06z into Monday. Winds will shift more north/northwesterly with the departing system, bringing gusty winds around 20-25+ knots. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && DISCUSSION...Cogil AVIATION...Bury
Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 29, 3:39 PM CDT, 8 hours 51 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Des Moines IA 339 PM CDT Sat Mar 29 2025 IAZ004>007-015-016-023-024-033-034-044-302045- Emmet-Kossuth-Winnebago-Worth-Palo Alto-Hancock-Pocahontas- Humboldt-Sac-Calhoun-Crawford- 339 PM CDT Sat Mar 29 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight Thunderstorm chances are forecast this evening. A few strong storms are possible, with hail being the main concern. However, gusty winds and a brief tornado can't be ruled out. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Non-severe thunderstorms are possible Sunday morning. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed. IAZ017-025>028-035>039-045>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-092>097- 302045- Cerro Gordo-Wright-Franklin-Butler-Bremer-Webster-Hamilton-Hardin- Grundy-Black Hawk-Carroll-Greene-Boone-Story-Marshall-Tama- Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas-Polk-Jasper-Poweshiek-Cass-Adair-Madison- Warren-Marion-Mahaska-Adams-Union-Clarke-Lucas-Monroe-Wapello- Taylor-Ringgold-Decatur-Wayne-Appanoose-Davis- 339 PM CDT Sat Mar 29 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight Thunderstorm chances are forecast this evening. The severe weather potential remains low and is focused over central and southern Iowa. If a severe storm did develop, hail would be the main threat. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Non-severe thunderstorms are possible Sunday morning. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is unlikely.
In the hours before
Local storm report, Mar 30, 12:29 AM CDT, 1 minute before
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</html>The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 29, 11:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Jasper, Polk, Warren | 40 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 2025Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2025
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.