Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 253, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 2, 2026, 4:54 PM CDT for 4 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 25 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 2, 2026, 4:54 PM CDT (21:54 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 2, 2026, 5:19 PM CDT
- In force
- 25 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, Polk County, IA, Story County, IA
The radar
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 40 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:58 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2, 12:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 8 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 333 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
- 152 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -173 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1469 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 30 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -28 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 38 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- -1.0
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 Jul 2, 4:08 PM CDT, 46 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 2, 4:08 PM CDT, 46 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 2, 3:12 PM CDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Des Moines IA 312 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2026 IAZ044>050-057-058-070-071-081-032015- Crawford-Carroll-Greene-Boone-Story-Marshall-Tama-Audubon-Guthrie- Cass-Adair-Adams- 312 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight Warm and humid conditions continue this afternoon. There is a Slight (Level 2 of 5) Risk for severe storms from this afternoon into evening, and again overnight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday There is an Enhanced (Level 3 of 5) to Slight (Level 2 of 5) Risk for Severe Storms on Friday with multiple rounds of storms possible from the morning through the evening. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters may be needed at times tonight into Friday. IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-032015- Emmet-Kossuth-Winnebago-Worth-Palo Alto-Hancock-Cerro Gordo- Pocahontas-Humboldt-Wright-Franklin-Butler-Bremer-Sac-Calhoun- Webster-Hamilton-Hardin-Grundy-Black Hawk- 312 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight A Flood Watch is in effect for the area. Please refer to the National Weather Service website at weather.gov/desmoines for further details. There is a Slight (Level 2 of 5) Risk for severe storms from this afternoon into evening, and again overnight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday There is an Enhanced (Level 3 of 5) to Slight (Level 2 of 5) Risk for Severe Storms on Friday with multiple rounds of storms possible from the morning through the evening. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters may be needed at times tonight into Friday. IAZ084>086-092>097-032015- Lucas-Monroe-Wapello-Taylor-Ringgold-Decatur-Wayne-Appanoose- Davis- 312 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight An Extreme Heat Warning is in effect for the area. Please refer to the National Weather Service website at weather.gov/desmoines for further details. There is a Marginal (Level 1 of 5) Risk for severe storms from this afternoon into evening, and again overnight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday An Extreme Heat Warning is in effect for the area through Friday night. Please refer to the National Weather Service website at weather.gov/desmoines for further details. There is a Slight (Level 2 of 5) Risk for Severe Storms on Friday with multiple rounds of storms possible from the morning through the evening. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters may be needed at times tonight into Friday. IAZ059>062-072>075-082-083-032015- Dallas-Polk-Jasper-Poweshiek-Madison-Warren-Marion-Mahaska-Union- Clarke- 312 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight An Extreme Heat Warning is in effect for the area into tonight. Please refer to the National Weather Service website at weather.gov/desmoines for further details. There is a Slight (Level 2 of 5) to Marginal (Level 1 of 5) Risk for Severe Storms this afternoon into evening, and again overnight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday There is a Slight (Level 2 of 5) Risk for Severe Storms on Friday with multiple rounds of storms possible from the morning through the evening. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters may be needed at times tonight into Friday.
In the hours before
Local storm report, Jul 2, 4:06 PM CDT, 48 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, Jul 2, 4:09 PM CDT, 45 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, Jul 2, 4:30 PM CDT, 24 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, Jul 2, 4:41 PM CDT, 13 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
441 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0438 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 2 SE Windsor Heights 41.59N 93.69W
07/02/2026 Polk IA Trained Spotter
Downed tree branches and 1 inch hail.
&&
MDLocal storm report, Jul 2, 4:42 PM CDT, 12 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
442 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0437 PM Hail 2 E Urbandale 41.64N 93.70W
07/02/2026 E1.00 Inch Polk IA Public
Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).
&&Local storm report, Jul 2, 4:44 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
444 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0435 PM Hail 2 NNE Windsor Heights 41.63N 93.70W
07/02/2026 M1.00 Inch Polk IA Trained Spotter
Report of 1 inch hail and 2.5 inch branches
down.
&&
AJJThe office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2, 7:47 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | DMX | Winnebago | 28 min |
| Jul 2, 8:15 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | DMX | Worth | 30 min |
| Jul 2, 11:23 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | DMX | Cerro Gordo, Hancock | 52 min |
| Jul 2, 11:44 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Cerro Gordo, Hancock, Worth | 61 min |
| Jul 2, 1:05 PM CDT | Flood Watch | DMX | Adair, Adams, Audubon, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer and 39 more | 42 hr |
| Jul 2, 1:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Black Hawk, Bremer | 46 min |
| Jul 2, 1:57 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Bremer | 18 min |
| Jul 2, 2:19 PM CDT | River Flood Watch | DMX | Black Hawk, Bremer, Butler | 59 hr |
| Jul 2, 2:19 PM CDT | River Flood Watch | DMX | Black Hawk | 5 days |
| Jul 2, 2:19 PM CDT | River Flood Watch | DMX | Black Hawk | 4 days |
| Jul 2, 2:21 PM CDT | River Flood Watch | DMX | Black Hawk, Bremer | 21 days |
| Jul 2, 2:21 PM CDT | River Flood Watch | DMX | Franklin, Wright | 21 days |
| Jul 2, 2:21 PM CDT | River Flood Watch | DMX | Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Worth | 21 days |
| Jul 2, 4:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Webster | 45 min |
| Jul 2, 4:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Calhoun, Pocahontas, Webster | 43 min |
| Jul 2, 4:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Hardin, Marshall, Story | 47 min |
| Jul 2, 4:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Jasper, Polk | 58 min |
| Jul 2, 4:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Hamilton, Webster, Wright | 58 min |
| Jul 2, 4:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Hamilton, Webster, Wright | 45 min |
| Jul 2, 4:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Franklin, Grundy, Hardin, Marshall | 29 min |
| Jul 2, 5:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Calhoun, Webster | 50 min |
| Jul 2, 5:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Franklin, Hamilton, Hardin | 45 min |
| Jul 2, 5:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Boone, Dallas, Polk, Story | 44 min |
| Jul 2, 5:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Boone, Polk, Story | 32 min |
| Jul 2, 6:58 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Black Hawk, Grundy, Marshall, Tama | 6 hr |
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.