Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Watches
Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Iowa, 2026
59 severe thunderstorm watches in 2026. An alert counts here when it covered any part of the state, so the counties below add up to more than the state. The archive of severe thunderstorm watches reaches back to 1997.
Severe Thunderstorm Watches by county
Each county as a circle sized by its count in 2026. Tap one for its archive.
- Severe Thunderstorm Watches
- 59
- Busiest month
- June16 severe thunderstorm watches
- Busiest day
- April 15, 20263 severe thunderstorm watches
Over time
By month
The alerts
Every alert, in the order issued. Times are local, Central Time. Each opens its own page with the text, the map, the radar and the sounding.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 10, 5:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Cedar, Clinton, Dubuque, Jackson, Johnson, Jones and 3 more | 7 hr |
| Mar 26, 4:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Des Moines, Henry, Lee | 8 hr |
| Mar 30, 9:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Audubon, Benton, Boone, Buchanan, Cass and 27 more | 6 hr |
| Apr 13, 4:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Clay, Dickinson, Lyon, O'Brien, Osceola, Plymouth and 1 more | 5 hr |
| Apr 13, 9:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Floyd, Howard and 2 more | 5 hr |
| Apr 14, 9:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Adams, Appanoose, Clarke, Davis, Decatur and 16 more | 4 hr |
| Apr 14, 11:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Benton, Cedar, Clinton, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson and 8 more | 4 hr |
| Apr 15, 12:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Audubon, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Butler, Calhoun and 24 more | 7 hr |
| Apr 23, 5:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Adams, Appanoose, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer and 30 more | 6 hr |
| Apr 23, 8:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Benton, Buchanan, Cedar, Delaware, Des Moines, Dubuque and 12 more | 3 hr |
| May 15, 5:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Adams, Allamakee, Audubon, Black Hawk, Boone and 67 more | 8 hr |
| May 15, 10:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Benton, Buchanan, Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque and 5 more | 4 hr |
| May 16, 5:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Pottawattamie | 9 hr |
| May 17, 11:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Allamakee, Appanoose, Benton, Buchanan, Cedar, Clayton and 13 more | 5 hr |
| May 18, 9:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Benton, Buchanan, Delaware, Henry, Iowa, Jefferson and 6 more | 4 hr |
| May 24, 4:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Lyon, O'Brien, Osceola, Plymouth, Sioux | 6 hr |
| May 31, 9:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adams, Audubon, Carroll, Cass, Crawford, Fremont and 9 more | 7 hr |
| May 31, 9:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Ida, Lyon and 5 more | 4 hr |
| Jun 5, 5:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Fremont, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie | 8 hr |
| Jun 5, 9:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Adams, Appanoose, Cass, Clarke, Davis and 21 more | 5 hr |
| Jun 10, 12:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Allamakee, Buchanan, Cedar, Clayton, Clinton, Delaware and 8 more | 9 hr |
| Jun 11, 2:13 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Adams, Appanoose, Audubon, Black Hawk, Boone and 40 more | 8 hr |
| Jun 13, 4:42 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page and 2 more | 6 hr |
| Jun 13, 9:07 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Adams, Appanoose, Cass, Clarke, Davis and 12 more | 5 hr |
| Jun 13, 3:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Fremont, Mills, Montgomery, Page | 5 hr |
| Jun 17, 3:55 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Appanoose, Audubon, Benton, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer and 74 more | 7 hr |
| Jun 17, 1:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Allamakee, Chickasaw, Floyd, Howard, Mitchell, Winneshiek | 4 hr |
| Jun 24, 1:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Allamakee, Cedar, Clayton, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque and 4 more | 8 hr |
| Jun 28, 4:51 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Buena Vista, Calhoun, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson and 18 more | 4 hr |
| Jun 29, 6:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Cherokee, Dickinson, Lyon, O'Brien, Osceola, Plymouth and 2 more | 5 hr |
| Jun 29, 11:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Ida, Lyon and 5 more | 4 hr |
| Jun 30, 2:59 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Emmet, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Winnebago, Worth | 6 hr |
| Jul 1, 6:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Allamakee, Calhoun, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Crawford, Emmet and 14 more | 6 hr |
| Jul 1, 7:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Ida, Lyon and 6 more | 6 hr |
| Jul 2, 12:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Allamakee, Audubon, Benton, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer and 33 more | 8 hr |
| Jul 2, 6:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Lyon, O'Brien and 3 more | 8 hr |
| Jul 2, 11:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Audubon, Buena Vista, Calhoun, Carroll, Cherokee, Clay and 13 more | 6 hr |
| Jul 3, 3:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie and 1 more | 7 hr |
| Jul 3, 6:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Cedar, Clinton, Jackson, Johnson, Louisa, Muscatine and 2 more | 6 hr |
| Jul 8, 1:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Floyd, Howard and 2 more | 8 hr |
| Jul 8, 5:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Audubon, Boone, Bremer, Buena Vista, Butler, Calhoun and 30 more | 8 hr |
| Jul 20, 5:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Clinton, Scott | 5 hr |
| Jul 25, 7:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Buena Vista, Calhoun, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson and 19 more | 4 hr |
| Jul 30, 6:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Harrison, Monona, Pottawattamie, Shelby | 6 hr |
| Aug 7, 1:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Benton, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler and 46 more | 8 hr |
| Aug 9, 8:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Clinton, Jackson, Scott | 7 hr |
| Aug 11, 7:22 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Allamakee, Cedar, Clayton, Clinton, Delaware, Des Moines and 8 more | 6 hr |
| Aug 12, 2:24 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Adams, Audubon, Boone, Buena Vista, Calhoun and 33 more | 8 hr |
| Aug 12, 6:41 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Cedar, Clinton, Des Moines, Johnson, Louisa, Muscatine and 2 more | 6 hr |
| Aug 13, 1:31 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Adams, Audubon, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass and 13 more | 6 hr |
| Aug 13, 5:47 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Benton, Boone, Cedar, Clarke, Dallas, Des Moines and 29 more | 6 hr |
| Aug 18, 2:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Allamakee, Buchanan, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque and 5 more | 6 hr |
| Aug 18, 6:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Black Hawk, Bremer, Buena Vista, Butler, Calhoun, Cerro Gordo and 17 more | 114 min |
| Aug 19, 9:53 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Fremont | 6 hr |
| Aug 19, 2:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Page, Taylor | 5 hr |
| Aug 21, 2:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Clayton, Clinton, Dubuque, Jackson, Scott | 9 hr |
| Sep 1, 3:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Cherokee, Ida, Lyon, Plymouth, Sioux, Woodbury | 9 hr |
| Sep 1, 9:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Buena Vista, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet and 14 more | 7 hr |
| Sep 6, 4:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Adams, Audubon, Boone, Cass, Clarke and 16 more | 5 hr |
By county
Every county with at least one alert. A county page lists each alert that covered it.
- Clinton County15
- Plymouth County15
- Cherokee County15
- Cedar County14
- Johnson County14
- O'Brien County14
- Sioux County14
- Jackson County13
- Jones County13
- Scott County13
- Lyon County13
- Osceola County13
- Calhoun County13
- Hamilton County13
- Pottawattamie County13
- Webster County13
- Buena Vista County13
- Dubuque County12
- Muscatine County12
- Washington County12
- Audubon County12
- Boone County12
- Clayton County12
- Dallas County12
- Delaware County12
- Linn County12
- Madison County12
- Warren County12
- Clay County12
- Dickinson County12
- Hardin County12
- Humboldt County12
- Mills County12
- Shelby County12
- Woodbury County12
- Guthrie County11
- Jasper County11
- Polk County11
- Poweshiek County11
- Story County11
59 more counties
- Allamakee County11
- Fremont County11
- Montgomery County11
- Page County11
- Harrison County11
- Monona County11
- Sac County11
- Wright County11
- Ida County11
- Adair County10
- Benton County10
- Buchanan County10
- Cass County10
- Iowa County10
- Mahaska County10
- Marion County10
- Floyd County10
- Adams County10
- Clarke County10
- Taylor County10
- Carroll County10
- Crawford County10
- Franklin County10
- Greene County10
- Grundy County10
- Cerro Gordo County10
- Worth County10
- Pocahontas County10
- Keokuk County9
- Louisa County9
- Marshall County9
- Tama County9
- Chickasaw County9
- Mitchell County9
- Winneshiek County9
- Union County9
- Wapello County9
- Hancock County9
- Kossuth County9
- Palo Alto County9
- Winnebago County9
- Henry County8
- Fayette County8
- Howard County8
- Lucas County8
- Monroe County8
- Jefferson County8
- Black Hawk County8
- Bremer County8
- Butler County8
- Emmet County8
- Des Moines County7
- Appanoose County7
- Davis County7
- Decatur County7
- Ringgold County7
- Van Buren County7
- Lee County6
- Wayne County6
The busiest days
Days with the most alerts issued, by UTC date.
Nearby
Sources
National Weather Service watches, warnings, advisories and statements from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's VTEC archive, which reconstructs tornado, severe thunderstorm, flash flood and marine warnings back to 1986 from the NWS text archive. Storm Prediction Center watches and mesoscale discussions from SPC's archive through the Mesonet. County centers from the US Census Bureau. Warning verification from the Mesonet's Cow. Rebuilt daily.