Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 150, NWS Quad Cities, IA

May 18, 2026Clinton County, Scott County, Iowa; Rock Island County, Whiteside County, Illinois

NWS Quad Cities, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 18, 2026, 3:47 AM CDT for Clinton County, Scott County, Iowa; Rock Island County, Whiteside County, Illinois. It was in force for 32 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: May 18, 2026, 3:47 AM CDT (08:47 UTC)
Expired: May 18, 2026, 4:19 AM CDT
In force: 32 min
Issued by: NWS Quad Cities, IA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.0 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

Counties Clinton County, IA, Scott County, IA, Rock Island County, IL, Whiteside County, IL

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 17 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:48 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, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 11 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: 1423 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -135 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1409 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 72 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 207 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 2.4

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 Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 18, 3:27 AM CDT, 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 18, 3:27 AM CDT, 20 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, May 17, 2:55 PM CDT, 12 hours 52 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Quad Cities IA IL
255 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026

IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007-
009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-182000-
Buchanan-Delaware-Dubuque-Benton-Linn-Jones-Jackson-Iowa-Johnson-
Cedar-Clinton-Muscatine-Scott-Keokuk-Washington-Louisa-Jefferson-
Henry IA-Des Moines-Van Buren-Lee-Jo Daviess-Stephenson-Carroll-
Whiteside-Rock Island-Henry IL-Bureau-Putnam-Mercer-Henderson-
Warren-Hancock-McDonough-Scotland-Clark-
255 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central
Illinois...northwest Illinois...west central Illinois...east
central Iowa...northeast Iowa...southeast Iowa and northeast
Missouri.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

Thunderstorms will be possible after midnight tonight into Monday
morning. Damaging winds and heavy rain will be the primary
threats. Most of the Outlook Area is in a Level 1 out of 5 Risk
for severe storms tonight.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

There will be another threat for strong to severe storms across
the Outlook Area Monday night. All types of severe weather will
be possible during this period, with damaging winds again the
primary concern. There is a Level 3 out of 5 Risk for severe
storms generally west of a line from Cedar Rapids to Mount
Pleasant, Iowa. The rest of the area is in a Level 2 or Slight
Risk for severe weather Monday night.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will be needed tonight. Spotter activation may
also be needed Monday night.

GROSS

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 17, 11:53 PM CDT, 3 hours 54 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Quad Cities IA/IL
1153 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026

IAZ040-051-052-180530-
Linn IA-Buchanan IA-Benton IA-
1153 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026

...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of western Linn,
Buchanan and Benton Counties through 1230 AM CDT...

At 1152 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Maynard to 9 miles northeast of Toledo.
Movement was east at 45 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Strong winds could break small tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...
Cedar Rapids, Independence, Vinton, Marion, Hiawatha, Robins, Belle
Plaine, Jesup, Center Point, Fairfax, Atkins, Walford, Urbana,
Dysart, Fairbank, Palo, Shellsburg, Newhall, Winthrop, and Hazleton.

This includes Interstate 380 between mile markers 12 and 55.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

These storms may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 400 AM CDT for
northeastern and east central Iowa.

&&

LAT...LON 4264 9161 4230 9160 4186 9161 4186 9230
      4230 9230 4230 9206 4264 9208
TIME...MOT...LOC 0452Z 268DEG 39KT 4283 9195 4204 9242

MAX HAIL SIZE...<0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

Gunkel

Special weather statement, May 18, 2:26 AM CDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 18, 2:54 AM CDT, 53 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 18, 3:15 AM CDT, 32 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 18, 3:25 AM CDT, 22 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 18, 3:46 AM CDT, 1 minute before

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The office that day

Everything else NWS Quad Cities, IA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 17, 11:53 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DVN	Benton, Buchanan	37 min
May 18, 2:26 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DVN	Henry, Jefferson, Van Buren	34 min
May 18, 2:54 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DVN	Scott	36 min
May 18, 3:15 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DVN	Lee	45 min
May 18, 3:46 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DVN	Scott	44 min
May 18, 3:25 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DVN	Whiteside	35 min
May 18, 4:29 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DVN	Carroll, Whiteside	46 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 2026 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Illinois, 2026 Every 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.