Name: Hail in Iowa, July 8, 1995
Start: 1995-07-08T20:40
End: 1995-07-08T21:55
Location: Iowa

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $32,000
Crop damage: $1.3 million
Events: 6

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 118 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:37 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Franklin

When: July 8, 8:40 PM CST
Where: Franklin County, Alexander
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 42.733, -93.262 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Wright

When: July 8, 8:50 PM CST
Where: Wright County, Belmond
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 42.733, -93.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Hamilton

When: July 8, 9:30 PM CST
Where: Hamilton County, Webster City
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 42.384, -93.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A weak cold front moved southeast across Iowa. The air mass was quite unstable, but at the same time capped by warm temperatures aloft. The freezing level was around 14,300 MSL. One cell was able to develop over north central Iowa. It moved southeast across Franklin, Wright, and Hamilton Counties. The storm became severe and produced hail up to golf ball and slightly larger in size. Reports indicated the hail covered the ground in a few areas. One area was the area north of Jewell. Hail of golf ball size fell north of Ellsworth, breaking out the window in one house. A window was also broken out of a state police car as well. The damage to crops was serious. A survey of the area revealed an area about 12 miles long and two to three miles wide from east of Webster City south to near Ellsworth suffered substantial damage. About one quarter of the crop was destroyed with damage well in excess of $1 million. The WSR 88D pictures indicated a strong circulation in the cell. About that time a funnel cloud was reported southeast of Rowan in Wright County. Later as the storm passed through Hamilton County, another funnel cloud was observed near Blairsburg. The thunderstorm collapsed about as quickly as it formed. It dissipated over Story County.

Hail, Hamilton

When: July 8, 9:50 PM CST
Where: Hamilton County, Ellsworth
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $1.3 million
Coordinates: 42.384, -93.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A weak cold front moved southeast across Iowa. The air mass was quite unstable, but at the same time capped by warm temperatures aloft. The freezing level was around 14,300 MSL. One cell was able to develop over north central Iowa. It moved southeast across Franklin, Wright, and Hamilton Counties. The storm became severe and produced hail up to golf ball and slightly larger in size. Reports indicated the hail covered the ground in a few areas. One area was the area north of Jewell. Hail of golf ball size fell north of Ellsworth, breaking out the window in one house. A window was also broken out of a state police car as well. The damage to crops was serious. A survey of the area revealed an area about 12 miles long and two to three miles wide from east of Webster City south to near Ellsworth suffered substantial damage. About one quarter of the crop was destroyed with damage well in excess of $1 million. The WSR 88D pictures indicated a strong circulation in the cell. About that time a funnel cloud was reported southeast of Rowan in Wright County. Later as the storm passed through Hamilton County, another funnel cloud was observed near Blairsburg. The thunderstorm collapsed about as quickly as it formed. It dissipated over Story County.

Hail, Hamilton

When: July 8, 9:53 PM CST
Where: Hamilton County, Jewell
Measured: 2 in hail
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 42.384, -93.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A weak cold front moved southeast across Iowa. The air mass was quite unstable, but at the same time capped by warm temperatures aloft. The freezing level was around 14,300 MSL. One cell was able to develop over north central Iowa. It moved southeast across Franklin, Wright, and Hamilton Counties. The storm became severe and produced hail up to golf ball and slightly larger in size. Reports indicated the hail covered the ground in a few areas. One area was the area north of Jewell. Hail of golf ball size fell north of Ellsworth, breaking out the window in one house. A window was also broken out of a state police car as well. The damage to crops was serious. A survey of the area revealed an area about 12 miles long and two to three miles wide from east of Webster City south to near Ellsworth suffered substantial damage. About one quarter of the crop was destroyed with damage well in excess of $1 million. The WSR 88D pictures indicated a strong circulation in the cell. About that time a funnel cloud was reported southeast of Rowan in Wright County. Later as the storm passed through Hamilton County, another funnel cloud was observed near Blairsburg. The thunderstorm collapsed about as quickly as it formed. It dissipated over Story County.

Hail, Hamilton

When: July 8, 9:55 PM CST
Where: Hamilton County, Jewell
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $2,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 42.384, -93.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A weak cold front moved southeast across Iowa. The air mass was quite unstable, but at the same time capped by warm temperatures aloft. The freezing level was around 14,300 MSL. One cell was able to develop over north central Iowa. It moved southeast across Franklin, Wright, and Hamilton Counties. The storm became severe and produced hail up to golf ball and slightly larger in size. Reports indicated the hail covered the ground in a few areas. One area was the area north of Jewell. Hail of golf ball size fell north of Ellsworth, breaking out the window in one house. A window was also broken out of a state police car as well. The damage to crops was serious. A survey of the area revealed an area about 12 miles long and two to three miles wide from east of Webster City south to near Ellsworth suffered substantial damage. About one quarter of the crop was destroyed with damage well in excess of $1 million. The WSR 88D pictures indicated a strong circulation in the cell. About that time a funnel cloud was reported southeast of Rowan in Wright County. Later as the storm passed through Hamilton County, another funnel cloud was observed near Blairsburg. The thunderstorm collapsed about as quickly as it formed. It dissipated over Story County.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Iowa in 1995 Every state in 1995 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, July 1995

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10321625, 10324206, 10321782, 10324479, 10324480, 10324481.