Hail in Iowa, June 12, 1996

Name: Hail in Iowa, June 12, 1996
Start: 1996-06-12T15:35
End: 1996-06-12T15:35
Location: Iowa

June 12, 1996 · NWS DMX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Isolated thunderstorms formed over eastern Iowa. A cut off low pressure in the upper atmosphere was located to the east of the state.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: $3,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Events: 1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS DMX wrote it up.

Isolated thunderstorms formed over eastern Iowa. A cut off low pressure in the upper atmosphere was located to the east of the state. Strong heating during the day aided in the development of the isolated thunderstorms during the afternoon. Temperatures reached the middle 80s F. with dew point readings in the middle 60s, making for an unstable atmosphere. One cell became severe and dropped hail about the size of quarters est of Colo in Story County. The hail began as pea size hail about 15 minutes before the larger hail fell.

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 49 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:34 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Story

When: June 12, 3:35 PM CST
Where: Story County, 3 mi E of Colo
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $3,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 42.020, -93.270

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

Every storm in Iowa in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, June 1996

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: 5553457.