Iowa, 1998

Hail in Iowa, April 14, 1998

April 14, 1998 · NWS DMX · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

A strong upper level system moved northeast toward Iowa from the southwest. A low pressure located at the surface extended a warm front east across northern Missouri.

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
$4,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 strong upper level system moved northeast toward Iowa from the southwest. A low pressure located at the surface extended a warm front east across northern Missouri. Strong thunderstorms fired at the nose of the dry slot as it impinged upon the warm front. Severe weather was widespread southwest of Iowa, but weakened considerably as it advanced into Iowa. The main severe weather feature was hail from this event. The freezing level was only 7900 feet. One of the storms exhibited a hook echo and BWER as it advanced into southwest Iowa. The storm did not produce a tornado since a 3000 to 4000 foot deep layer of cool and dry air was located over the area brought upon by a strong east-northeast flow. Widespread hail of three quarter to one inch in diameter occurred as the storms advanced into the southwest counties of the state. Little damage was reported however. The storms weakened rapidly as the advanced northeast into the cooler air to their northeast.

The radar

The Omaha radar (KOAX), 139 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:20 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Taylor

When
April 14, 9:20 PM CST
Where
Taylor County, New Market
Measured
0.75 in hail
Property damage
$500
Coordinates
40.730, -94.900

Hail, Taylor

When
April 14, 9:31 PM CST
Where
Taylor County, 1 mi W of Gravity
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
40.770, -94.750

Hail, Taylor

When
April 14, 9:49 PM CST
Where
Taylor County, 2 mi W of Clearfield
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
40.800, -94.500

Hail, Ringgold

When
April 14, 9:56 PM CST
Where
Ringgold County, 8 mi NW of Diagonal
Measured
0.75 in hail
Property damage
$500
Coordinates
40.880, -94.430

Hail, Adams

When
April 14, 9:56 PM CST
Where
Adams County, 6 mi SE of Prescott
Measured
0.75 in hail
Property damage
$500
Coordinates
40.970, -94.550

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 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, April 1998

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: 5641782, 5641783, 5641784, 5641785, 5641786.