Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Watches in 2026
Tornado Watch 122
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at Apr 15, 2026, 3:40 PM CDT for 43 counties in Iowa; 4 counties in Kansas; 37 counties in Missouri. It was in force for 6 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- Apr 15, 2026, 3:40 PM CDT (20:40 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 15, 2026, 10:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 6 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
- Largest hail expected
- 2.5 in
- Strongest gust expected
- 60 kt
All 84 counties
Adair County, IA, Adams County, IA, Appanoose County, IA, Benton County, IA, Buchanan County, IA, Cedar County, IA, Clarke County, IA, Clinton County, IA, Davis County, IA, Decatur County, IA, Delaware County, IA, Des Moines County, IA, Dubuque County, IA, Henry County, IA, Iowa County, IA, Jackson County, IA, Jasper County, IA, Jefferson County, IA, Johnson County, IA, Jones County, IA, Keokuk County, IA, Lee County, IA, Linn County, IA, Louisa County, IA, Lucas County, IA, Madison County, IA, Mahaska County, IA, Marion County, IA, Marshall County, IA, Monroe County, IA, Muscatine County, IA, Polk County, IA, Poweshiek County, IA, Ringgold County, IA, Scott County, IA, Tama County, IA, Taylor County, IA, Union County, IA, Van Buren County, IA, Wapello County, IA, Warren County, IA, Washington County, IA, Wayne County, IA, Johnson County, KS, Linn County, KS, Miami County, KS, Wyandotte County, KS, Adair County, MO, Andrew County, MO, Bates County, MO, Buchanan County, MO, Caldwell County, MO, Carroll County, MO, Cass County, MO, Chariton County, MO, Clark County, MO, Clay County, MO, Clinton County, MO, Cooper County, MO, Daviess County, MO, DeKalb County, MO, Gentry County, MO, Grundy County, MO, Harrison County, MO, Henry County, MO, Howard County, MO, Jackson County, MO, Johnson County, MO, Lafayette County, MO, Linn County, MO, Livingston County, MO, Macon County, MO, Mercer County, MO, Nodaway County, MO, Pettis County, MO, Platte County, MO, Putnam County, MO, Randolph County, MO, Ray County, MO, Saline County, MO, Schuyler County, MO, Scotland County, MO, Sullivan County, MO, Worth County, MO
The radar
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 157 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:39 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 SPC expected
The probabilities SPC published with the watch, for the watch area over its life.
- Two or more tornadoes
- 40%
- One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes
- 20%
- Ten or more severe wind reports
- 50%
- One or more gusts of 65 knots or more
- 20%
- Ten or more severe hail reports
- 50%
- One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more
- 40%
- Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports
- 80%
Warnings issued inside it
59 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 3:41 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Jasper, Marshall, Story | 49 min |
| Apr 15, 3:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Johnson, Wyandotte | 38 min |
| Apr 15, 3:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Linn | 24 min |
| Apr 15, 3:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Adair, Clarke, Madison, Union | 26 min |
| Apr 15, 4:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Caldwell, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb | 40 min |
| Apr 15, 4:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Marshall, Tama | 49 min |
| Apr 15, 4:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Linn, Miami | 47 min |
| Apr 15, 4:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Linn, Miami | 44 min |
| Apr 15, 4:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Madison, Warren | 37 min |
| Apr 15, 4:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DVN | Buchanan | 50 min |
| Apr 15, 4:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Clarke, Decatur, Ringgold, Union | 44 min |
| Apr 15, 4:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Daviess, Grundy, Harrison, Mercer | 40 min |
| Apr 15, 4:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Jasper, Polk | 13 min |
| Apr 15, 4:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Caldwell, Carroll, Daviess, Livingston, Ray | 50 min |
| Apr 15, 4:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Johnson, Miami | 43 min |
| Apr 15, 4:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Tama | 25 min |
| Apr 15, 4:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Cass, Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette | 38 min |
| Apr 15, 4:58 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Clarke, Decatur, Lucas, Wayne | 34 min |
| Apr 15, 5:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DVN | Buchanan, Delaware | 34 min |
| Apr 15, 5:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Clay, Jackson | 43 min |
| Apr 15, 5:04 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Grundy, Harrison, Mercer | 41 min |
| Apr 15, 5:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DVN | Benton | 54 min |
| Apr 15, 5:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Jackson, Lafayette, Ray | 46 min |
| Apr 15, 5:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Daviess, Grundy, Livingston, Mercer, Putnam, Sullivan | 34 min |
| Apr 15, 5:18 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DVN | Buchanan, Delaware | 4 hr |
| Apr 15, 5:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Decatur, Wayne | 17 min |
| Apr 15, 5:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Johnson | 33 min |
| Apr 15, 5:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Caldwell, Clay, Clinton, Jackson, Ray | 48 min |
| Apr 15, 5:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Lucas, Marion, Monroe | 47 min |
| Apr 15, 5:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Carroll, Chariton, Linn, Livingston | 46 min |
| Apr 15, 5:34 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Caldwell, Clinton, Daviess, Ray | 41 min |
| Apr 15, 5:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Henry | 39 min |
| Apr 15, 5:51 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EAX | Henry | 24 min |
| Apr 15, 5:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Bates, Cass, Henry, Johnson | 22 min |
| Apr 15, 6:00 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DVN | Benton | 3 hr |
| Apr 15, 6:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Caldwell, Carroll, Daviess, Linn, Livingston, Ray | 43 min |
| Apr 15, 6:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Mahaska, Marion, Monroe, Wapello | 36 min |
| Apr 15, 6:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DVN | Delaware, Jones, Linn | 20 min |
| Apr 15, 6:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Carroll, Chariton, Linn, Livingston | 50 min |
| Apr 15, 6:10 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EAX | Henry, Pettis | 12 min |
| Apr 15, 6:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Harrison, Mercer, Putnam | 22 min |
| Apr 15, 6:16 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EAX | Henry, Pettis | 6 min |
| Apr 15, 6:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Lucas, Monroe, Wayne | 25 min |
| Apr 15, 6:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Grundy, Mercer, Putnam, Sullivan | 44 min |
| Apr 15, 7:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Appanoose, Wayne | 30 min |
| Apr 15, 7:00 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DVN | Buchanan, Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson, Jones, Linn | 4 hr |
| Apr 15, 7:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DVN | Iowa, Johnson, Keokuk, Louisa, Washington | 66 min |
| Apr 15, 7:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Macon | 22 min |
| Apr 15, 7:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Macon | 7 min |
| Apr 15, 7:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DVN | Cedar, Louisa, Muscatine, Scott | 54 min |
| Apr 15, 7:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Adair, Madison | 52 min |
| Apr 15, 8:02 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Louisa, Muscatine | 28 min |
| Apr 15, 8:13 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Lee | 47 min |
| Apr 15, 8:14 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DVN | Jackson, Jones | 3 hr |
| Apr 15, 8:22 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Boone, Hardin, Marshall, Story | 38 min |
| Apr 15, 8:30 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Muscatine, Scott | 17 min |
| Apr 15, 8:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Boone, Dallas, Marshall, Polk, Story | 59 min |
| Apr 15, 8:34 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Dallas, Madison | 21 min |
| Apr 15, 9:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Grundy, Hardin, Marshall, Story, Tama | 33 min |
Discussions around it
SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.
The nearest sounding before it
Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 323 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
- 534 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -62 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 925 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 43 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -28 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 81 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- -0.1
- Supercell composite
- -0.4
SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14, 7:28 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adams, Appanoose, Clarke, Davis, Decatur, Fremont and 12 more | 2 hr |
| Apr 14, 9:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Adams, Appanoose, Clarke, Davis, Decatur and 16 more | 4 hr |
| Apr 14, 11:36 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adams, Cedar, Clarke, Clinton, Fremont, Iowa and 14 more | 84 min |
| Apr 14, 11:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Benton, Cedar, Clinton, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson and 8 more | 4 hr |
| Apr 15, 1:47 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Appanoose, Davis, Des Moines, Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk and 11 more | 88 min |
| Apr 15, 10:22 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adair, Adams, Audubon, Benton, Black Hawk, Boone and 53 more | 2 hr |
| Apr 15, 12:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Audubon, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Butler, Calhoun and 24 more | 7 hr |
| Apr 15, 1:50 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Boone, Dallas, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardin, Jasper and 4 more | 85 min |
| Apr 15, 2:14 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Appanoose, Clarke, Davis, Decatur, Lucas, Monroe and 4 more | 2 hr |
| Apr 15, 4:49 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Dubuque | 86 min |
| Apr 15, 6:15 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Appanoose, Benton, Cedar, Clinton, Davis, Delaware and 24 more | 2 hr |
| Apr 14, 7:53 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Harper, Kingman, Sedgwick, Sumner | 97 min |
| Apr 15, 2:31 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Allen, Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Montgomery and 2 more | 8 hr |
| Apr 15, 3:55 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho | 65 min |
| Apr 15, 5:56 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Cherokee, Crawford, Labette | 94 min |
| Apr 14, 10:35 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Barry, Christian, Dade, Greene, Lawrence, McDonald and 2 more | 85 min |
| Apr 14, 11:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Barry, McDonald, Newton, Stone | 3 hr |
| Apr 15, 6:50 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cole, Crawford and 30 more | 4 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Iowa, 2026Tornado Watches in Missouri, 2026Tornado Watches in Kansas, 2026Every tornado watch 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.