Iowa, 1997

Hail in Iowa, August 24, 1997

August 24, 1997 · NWS DMX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A very warm and humid air mass was in place over Iowa following the passage of a warm front the previous day. Temperatures reached the mid 80s to around 90 with dew point readings in the low to mid 70s F.

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
None recorded
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.

A very warm and humid air mass was in place over Iowa following the passage of a warm front the previous day. Temperatures reached the mid 80s to around 90 with dew point readings in the low to mid 70s F. A weak cold front dropped south across the state during the late afternoon. The front moved through ith little fanfare until after sunset. Scattered thunderstorms developed over south central Iowa and became severe. The storms produced winds of 60 to 65 MPH, downing numerous trees. Some hail was also reported with the storms, however it was limited to three quarter inch in size due to the very warm airmass in place over the state.

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 127 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:39 UTC.

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Event by event

1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Ringgold

When
August 24, 10:37 PM CST
Where
Ringgold County, 5 mi SW of Mt Ayr
Measured
0.75 in hail
Crop damage
$10,000
Coordinates
40.670, -94.300

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 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, August 1997

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: 5610256.