Hail in Iowa, April 10, 2001

Name: Hail in Iowa, April 10, 2001
Start: 2001-04-10T11:52
End: 2001-04-10T12:37
Location: Iowa

April 10, 2001 · NWS DMX · 6 events in 2 counties and zones

During the predawn hours of the 10th, a strong area of thunderstorms developed over central Nebraska. This area held together as it moved through eastern Nebraska into Western Iowa.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $42,000
Crop damage: None recorded
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.

What happened

The episode as NWS DMX wrote it up.

During the predawn hours of the 10th, a strong area of thunderstorms developed over central Nebraska. This area held together as it moved through eastern Nebraska into Western Iowa. The complex was moving into an area of lower quality air and tended to weaken as it moved into the state. The cluster did make it as far as central Iowa before falling below severe levels. As the storm moved into the Des Moines CWA, the severe event was that of hail. One inch diameter up to golf ball size hail fell out of the strong supercell. The storm weakened as it moved east of Adair County.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Des Moines, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 10, 10:30 AM CST, 1 hour 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 10, 10:30 AM CST, 1 hour 22 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1130 AM CDT TUE APR 10 2001

JUST A QUICK UPDATE FOR PRECIP AND TEMP TRENDS. -TSRA COMPLEX NOW IN EXTREME
WRN IA WL CONT TO PROPAGATE E AROUND 40 MPH. WL REACH WRN CWA BY 18Z WITH
SHOWERS N AND -TSRA S EXPECTED WHERE BEST INSTABILITY SRN IA. ALSO APPROACHING
WRM FROM S MAY GIVE SCT -TSRA ACR SRN ZONES THIS AFTERNOON ALSO. ANY THREAT FOR
SVR WX WOULD BE IN THE FORM OF LARGE HAIL. OTHERWISE CLOUD COVER AND EASTERLY
FLO WL AID IN KEEPING AFT TEMP COOLER BY 10 DEGREES THAN EARLIER EXPECTED.

.DSM...NONE

KNOLLHOFF

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 10, 11:07 AM CST, 45 minutes before

CENTRAL IOWA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1207 PM CDT TUE APR 10 2001

A WARM FRONT ACROSS NORTHERN KANSAS THROUGH CENTRAL MISSOURI WILL
LIFT NORTH THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHERN IOWA BY
THIS EVENING AND INTO NORTHERN IOWA BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. WARM MOIST
UNSTABLE AIR WILL BE LIFTED OVER THE WARM FRONT. SHEAR AND
INSTABILITY VALUES WILL BE MARGINAL...WITH THE BEST THREAT FOR
SEVERE STORMS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80. ABUNDANT GULF MOISTURE AND A
STRONG LOW LEVEL JET WILL ACT TO ENHANCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN
ORGANIZED CONVECTION OVERNIGHT...THUS INCREASING THE THREAT OF
LOCALIZED HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE FLOODING.

SEE SITE SPECIFIC DETAILS BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.

IAZ006-007-016-017-025>028-036>039-111100-
BLACK HAWK-BREMER-BUTLER-CERRO
GORDO-FRANKLIN-GRUNDY-HAMILTON-HANCOCK-HARDIN-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-WRIGHT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...IOWA FALLS...MASON CITY...WATERLOO...
WAVERLY AND WEBSTER CITY
1207 PM CDT TUE APR 10 2001

* EVENT TIMING... AFTER 500 PM

* THREAT CATEGORIES...
     TORNADO.......... NONE
     DAMAGING WINDS... LOW
     LARGE HAIL....... LOW
     FLASH FLOODING... MODERATE

* SPOTTER ACTIVATION OUTLOOK... LOW

IAZ004-005-015-023-024-033>035-111100-
CALHOUN-EMMET-HUMBOLDT-KOSSUTH-PALO ALTO-POCAHONTAS-SAC-WEBSTER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALGONA...ESTHERVILLE AND FORT DODGE
1207 AM CDT TUE APR 10 2001

* EVENT TIMING... BEGINNING FROM 100 PM TO 300 PM

* THREAT CATEGORIES...
     TORNADO.......... NONE
     DAMAGING WINDS... LOW
     LARGE HAIL....... LOW
     FLASH FLOODING... MODERATE

* SPOTTER ACTIVATION OUTLOOK... LOW

IAZ044>047-057>060-070>073-081>084-092>095-111100-
ADAIR-ADAMS-AUDUBON-BOONE-CARROLL-CASS-CLARKE-CRAWFORD-DALLAS-
DECATUR-GREENE-GUTHRIE-LUCAS-MADISON-POLK-RINGGOLD-TAYLOR-UNION-
WARREN-WAYNE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ATLANTIC...BOONE...CARROLL...CHARITON...
CRESTON...DENISON...DES MOINES...INDIANOLA...LAMONI AND PERRY
1207 PM CDT TUE APR 10 2001

* EVENT TIMING... BEGINNING BETWEEN 100 PM AND 300 PM

* THREAT CATEGORIES...
     TORNADO.......... NONE
     DAMAGING WINDS... LOW
     LARGE HAIL....... MODERATE
     FLASH FLOODING... MODERATE

* SPOTTER ACTIVATION OUTLOOK... MODERATE

IAZ048>050-061-062-074-075-085-086-096-097-111100-
APPANOOSE-DAVIS-JASPER-MAHASKA-MARION-MARSHALL-MONROE-POWESHIEK-
STORY-TAMA-WAPELLO-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...AMES...CENTERVILLE...GRINNELL...
KNOXVILLE...MARSHALLTOWN...NEWTON...OSKALOOSA...OTTUMWA AND PELLA
1207 PM CDT TUE APR 10 2001

* EVENT TIMING... AFTER 400 PM

* THREAT CATEGORIES...
     TORNADO.......... NONE
     DAMAGING WINDS... LOW
     LARGE HAIL....... MODERATE
     FLASH FLOODING... MODERATE

* SPOTTER ACTIVATION OUTLOOK... MODERATE

-------------------------------------------------------------------

THREAT KEY:
    TORNADO.......... ANY TORNADO OCCURRENCE
    DAMAGING WINDS... WINDS >= 58 MPH
    LARGE HAIL....... HAIL >= 3/4 INCH DIAMETER
    FLASH FLOODING... FLOODING CAUSED BY HEAVY RAINS WITHIN 6 HOURS
                      OF RAIN EVENT. POSES THREAT TO LIFE OR
                      PROPERTY.

THREAT CATEGORY KEY:  PROBABILITY OF THREAT OCCURRING WITHIN 25
                      MILES OF POINT WITHIN FORECAST AREA
    NONE....... NOT EXPECTED.  LESS THAN 5% ( 2% FOR TORNADOES)
    LOW........ 5-15% (2-15% FOR TORNADOES)
    MODERATE... 25-35%
    HIGH....... 45% OR GREATER

SPOTTER ACTIVATION OUTLOOK KEY:
    NOT EXPECTED
    LOW........ ACTIVATION POSSIBLE BUT NOT LIKELY
    MODERATE... POSSIBILITIES ABOUT 50-50
    HIGH....... ACTIVATION LIKELY

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PROBABILISTIC SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOKS...GO
TO THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER WEBSITE AT
WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/PRODUCTS/OUTLOOK/PROBINFO.HTML .

$$>
MS APR 01

The radar

The Omaha radar (KOAX), 102 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:53 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Cass

When: April 10, 11:52 AM CST
Where: Cass County, Griswold
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.233, -95.150

Hail, Cass

When: April 10, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Cass County, Griswold
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.233, -95.150

Hail, Cass

When: April 10, 12:05 PM CST
Where: Cass County, Griswold
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 41.233, -95.150

Hail, Cass

When: April 10, 12:10 PM CST
Where: Cass County, Cumberland
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $4,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.267, -94.883

Hail, Adair

When: April 10, 12:35 PM CST
Where: Adair County, Bridgewater
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.250, -94.683

Hail, Adair

When: April 10, 12:37 PM CST
Where: Adair County, Bridgewater
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 41.250, -94.683

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 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, April 2001

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: 5238919, 5238920, 5238921, 5238922, 5238923, 5238924.