Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 13, NWS La Crosse, WI

April 17, 20264 counties in Iowa

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this tornado warning at Apr 17, 2026, 2:15 PM CDT for 4 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 45 min. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Apr 17, 2026, 2:15 PM CDT (19:15 UTC)
Expired: Apr 17, 2026, 3:00 PM CDT
In force: 45 min
Issued by: NWS La Crosse, WI
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 1.0 in

Counties Chickasaw County, IA, Floyd County, IA, Howard County, IA, Mitchell County, IA

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 127 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:16 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Apr 17, 2:47 PM CDT	TORNADO	1 Nnw Saratoga, IA	* 1 INJ * Tornado confirmed via photos from Riceville firefighter. One house reported damaged. A box truck was also directly hit by the tornado and forced into a ditch. The driver appeared to have minor injuries.
Apr 17, 2:47 PM CDT	TORNADO	1 Nnw Saratoga, IA	* 1 INJ * Tornado confirmed via photos from Riceville firefighter. One house reported damaged. A box truck was also directly hit by the tornado and forced into a ditch. The driver appeared to have minor injuries.
Apr 17, 2:47 PM CDT	TORNADO	1 Wnw Saratoga, IA	* 1 INJ * This tornado developed northwest of Saratoga and tracked northeast, damaging one outbuilding during its existence, supporting an EF0 rating with maximum estimated winds of 85 mph. The tornado was witnessed and photographed by multiple individuals

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Apr 17, 12:40 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 7.3 hours before the alert went out and 195 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 2301 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 188 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 229 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

175 
WFUS53 KARX 171915
TORARX
IAC037-067-089-131-172000-
/O.NEW.KARX.TO.W.0013.260417T1915Z-260417T2000Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
215 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026

The National Weather Service in La Crosse has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southeastern Mitchell County in north central Iowa...
  Central Howard County in northeastern Iowa...
  Northeastern Floyd County in north central Iowa...
  Northwestern Chickasaw County in northeastern Iowa...

* Until 300 PM CDT.

* At 215 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Osage, moving northeast at 45 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and quarter size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Riceville around 230 PM CDT.
  Lime Springs around 250 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Lylahs
Marsh County Park, Saratoga, County B 17 And Bell Avenue, Maple Leaf,
Idlewilde State Park, Bonair, and Howardville.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 4314 9282 4331 9279 4350 9220 4324 9219
TIME...MOT...LOC 1915Z 244DEG 38KT 4324 9274 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN

$$

Ferguson

The office that day

Everything else NWS La Crosse, WI issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 17, 2:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ARX	Mitchell	40 min
Apr 17, 2:44 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ARX	Howard	31 min
Apr 17, 2:49 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ARX	Chickasaw, Howard	41 min
Apr 17, 3:46 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ARX	Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Winneshiek	44 min
Apr 17, 3:48 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ARX	Allamakee	42 min
Apr 17, 4:24 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ARX	Allamakee, Clayton	19 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 2026 Every tornado warning in 2026 Tornadoes in 2026

Sources

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