Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 18, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 2, 2026, 2:55 PM CDT for 4 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 50 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
- Apr 2, 2026, 2:55 PM CDT (19:55 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 2, 2026, 3:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 50 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Tornado
- Possible
- Hail
- 1.0 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
Counties Davis County, IA, Mahaska County, IA, Monroe County, IA, Wapello County, IA
The radar
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 123 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:54 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 1:43 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 8 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 7.9 hours before the alert went out and 345 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
- 116 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -14 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 482 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 33 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 139 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 182 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 Apr 2, 2:49 PM CDT, 6 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 2, 2:49 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 2, 4:47 AM CDT, 10 hours 8 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Des Moines IA 447 AM CDT Thu Apr 2 2026 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075- 081>086-092>097-031000- 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-Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas-Polk-Jasper- Poweshiek-Cass-Adair-Madison-Warren-Marion-Mahaska-Adams-Union- Clarke-Lucas-Monroe-Wapello-Taylor-Ringgold-Decatur-Wayne- Appanoose-Davis- 447 AM CDT Thu Apr 2 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight There is a Slight (level 2 of 5) Risk of severe storms in central Iowa this afternoon. Large hail, damaging wind gusts, and tornadoes are all possible, especially towards eastern Iowa. Pockets of heavy rain could also lead to ponding and flooding. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday There is an Enhanced (level 3 of 5) Risk of severe storms in central and southern Iowa on Friday. Large hail, damaging wind gusts, and tornadoes are all possible. Pockets of heavy rain could also lead to ponding and flooding. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed today and Friday. Hagenhoff
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 1:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Decatur, Wayne | 53 min |
| Apr 2, 2:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Appanoose, Lucas, Monroe, Wayne | 39 min |
| Apr 2, 2:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Appanoose, Davis, Monroe | 47 min |
| Apr 2, 2:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Jasper, Marion, Polk, Warren | 41 min |
| Apr 2, 2:29 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Wayne | 23 min |
| Apr 2, 2:41 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Appanoose, Wayne | 49 min |
| Apr 2, 2:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Mahaska, Marion, Monroe, Wapello | 45 min |
| Apr 2, 3:03 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Wapello | 32 min |
| Apr 2, 3:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Appanoose, Davis, Monroe, Wapello, Wayne | 46 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 2026Every severe thunderstorm warning 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.