Iowa, 1995

Hail and Damaging Wind in Iowa, September 6, 1995

September 6, 1995 · 6 events in 4 counties and zones

5 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$58,000
Crop damage
$10,000
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), 135 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:39 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Butler

When
September 6, 6:41 AM CST
Where
Butler County, Austinville
Measured
0.75 in hail
Property damage
$3,000
Coordinates
42.732, -92.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorms formed during the night ahead of a slow moving Pacific cold front. They moved into northeast Iowa during the predawn hours. Though many were not severe, one storm did produce hail over Butler County. Three quarter-inch diameter hail fell in the Austinville area, with golf ball-size hail reported at Applington. High winds in the Applington area also downed numerous trees and power lines as well.

Hail, Butler

When
September 6, 6:50 AM CST
Where
Butler County, Applington
Measured
1.75 in hail
Property damage
$10,000
Crop damage
$2,000
Coordinates
42.732, -92.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorms formed during the night ahead of a slow moving Pacific cold front. They moved into northeast Iowa during the predawn hours. Though many were not severe, one storm did produce hail over Butler County. Three quarter-inch diameter hail fell in the Austinville area, with golf ball-size hail reported at Applington. High winds in the Applington area also downed numerous trees and power lines as well.

Thunderstorm Wind, Butler

When
September 6, 6:50 AM CST
Where
Butler County, Applington
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage
$25,000
Crop damage
$3,000
Coordinates
42.732, -92.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorms formed during the night ahead of a slow moving Pacific cold front. They moved into northeast Iowa during the predawn hours. Though many were not severe, one storm did produce hail over Butler County. Three quarter-inch diameter hail fell in the Austinville area, with golf ball-size hail reported at Applington. High winds in the Applington area also downed numerous trees and power lines as well.

Hail, Cerro Gordo

When
September 6, 6:15 PM CST
Where
Cerro Gordo County, Clear Lake
Measured
0.75 in hail
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
43.082, -93.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Mitchell

When
September 6, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Mitchell County, New Haven
Measured
1.75 in hail
Property damage
$10,000
Crop damage
$5,000
Coordinates
43.356, -92.789 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Howard

When
September 6, 7:15 PM CST
Where
Howard County, Cresco
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
43.357, -92.317 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Two frontal systems were moving southeast across the central United States. The first cold front was Pacific in origin and was quite weak. A much stronger cold front dropped southeast from Canada and entered Iowa during the afternoon. The air mass was capped in the mid levels. CAPE values were in the 2000-3000 J-kg-1 range ahead of the Canadian cold front. Surface dew point temperatures in the lower 70s F. Strong thunderstorms developed over north central Iowa and moved into the northeast counties. The produced brief heavy rainfall and gusty winds for the most part. A few storms produced hail during the early evening hours as colder air moved in aloft. Three-quarter-inch diameter hail fell in several locations over northeast Iowa. Golf ball-size hail fell in a few locations. Both Applington, in Butler County, and New Haven, in Mitchell County, reported golf ball-size hail.

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Iowa in 1995Every state in 1995This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, September 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: 10322138, 10322139, 10322140, 10321488, 10323873, 10324534.