Hail in Iowa, July 6, 2003

Name: Hail in Iowa, July 6, 2003
Start: 2003-07-06T03:20
End: 2003-07-06T03:20
Location: Iowa

July 6, 2003 · NWS OAX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
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 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 Omaha, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 5, 2:30 PM CST, 12 hours 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 5, 2:30 PM CST, 12 hours 50 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
330 PM CDT SAT JUL 5 2003

MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGES...SEVERE POTENTIAL THE REST OF THIS AFT AND
TON AND TIMING/INTENSITY OF TSRA INTO MID WEEK.  HEAT SUN...HOT
TEMPS LATER NEXT WEEK.

SYNOPSIS...WATER VAPOR STLT PICS HIGHLIGHTING MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE
ENERGY TRACKING ACRS THE CNTRL U.S. TODAY AND ZONE OF UVV OVER PARTS
OF NEB. THE LATEST SFC ANALYSIS HAD THE SFC FNT NR LNK AND
CLARINDA.  WEAK CONVERGENCE WAS NOTED HERE WITH TEMPS IN THE 90S AND
DEWPOINTS IN THE 70S.  TEMPS FARTHER NORTH WERE IN THE 70S/80S.  18Z
OAX SOUNDING SHOWED SOME DECENT CAPE AROUND 1700 J/KG...AND LI OF -7
AND CIN OF 400 J/KG.  PRECIPITABLE WATER WAS 1.18. GOES 18Z
SOUNDINGS APPEAR OVERDONE COMPARED TO ACTUAL OAX 18Z.  RH APPEARS
TOO HIGH...WITH CAPES OF NEARLY 5K AND LI OF -11.

CURRENT WSR-88D HAS SEVERAL CELLS ON RADAR.  TREND HAS BEEN FOR THE
NRN STORMS TO MAINTAIN THEMSELVES...HOWEVER...THOSE TO THE S HAVE
WEAKENED AS THEY MOVE SE.

IN THE SHORT TERM...SHORT WAVE TROF TO PROCEED EASTWARD TAF/TON
...TAPPING UNSTABLE/STEEP LAPSE RATE ENVIRONMENT WITH 35-50KT 0-6KM
SHEAR VALUES.  MID LEVEL WAA HAS KEPT SOME PRECIP OVR CNTRL AND NE
NEB DURING THE DAY AND CAP SO FAR HAS HELD TSRA BACK.  SPC HAS PUT
PARTS OF THE OAX AREA IN A MODERATE RISK.  COORDINATING LARGE SEVERE
TSRA WATCH TO RUN UNTIL 10PM FOR ONGOING PRECIP AND ADVANCE OF MID
LEVEL WAVE.  PER ANALYSIS AND SHORT RANGE MODELS (ETA/MESOETA/MM5/KF
ETA) MOST ACTIVE PD NOW THRU THIS EVENING. WILL INCLUDE SCT TSRA
WITH DMG WIND THIS EVENING FOR WATCH AREA...LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED
TOR ALSO POSSIBLE. MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE COMPLEX EXPECTED TO PROCEED
ACROSS IOWA.  MAINTAIN SOME CHC PRECIP N AND ERN ZONE LATER TONIGHT.
LOWS TON IN THE UPR 60S AND LOWER 70S. LEFT CHC OR SLIGHT CHC ACRS
NRN ZONES SUNDAY AS STRONG WESTERLIES AFFECT AREA AND UVV/MID LVL RH
AVAILABLE AND FARTHER S SUNDAY NIGHT.  AGAIN HOT MID LEVEL TEMPS
WILL INHIBIT DEVELOPMENT.  WITH TEMPS IN THE 90S SUN AND HEAT INDEX
VALUES IN THE 90 TO 105 DEG RANGE.  WILL MENTION IN ZONES WHERE 95
TO 105 RANGE WILL BE HIT. PATTERN CONTINUES MON AND TUE AND HAVE
GRADIENT OF POPS HIGHS N AND E AND LOWEST SW ZONES.  THIS ALSO
REFLECTED MON AND TUE WITH COOLER TEMPS FCST.

IN LATER PERIODS...06Z GFS HAS MINOR RIPPLES IN WESTERLY FLOW AND
ECMWF IS SIMILAR WITH SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TIMING. SFC FNT SLIPS S WED
WITH SEASONAL TEMPS TUES AND WED. ECMWF/GFS BUILD RIDGE IN THU AND
FRI WITH FLATTENING OF THE RIDGE ACRS THE NRN PLNS SAT. TEMPS IN THE
80S FOR THU WITH HOTTER 90S FRI AND SAT.

.OMA...NONE.

ZAPOTOCNY

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 5, 4:10 PM CST, 11 hours 10 minutes before

IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034-
042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-071030-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
510 PM CDT SUN JUL 5 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF EASTERN NEBRASKA
AND SOUTHWEST IOWA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND MONDAY

THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN TONIGHT ACROSS
THE AREA AS A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES INTO EASTERN NEBRASKA
AND SOUTHWEST IOWA FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS. SOME STORMS MAY
REACH SEVERE LEVELS IN NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA
LATE TONIGHT. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY
HAZARDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN MONDAY NIGHT
THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY. THE COLD FRONT THAT WILL PUSH SOUTH
TONIGHT IS FORECAST TO BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY OVER SOUTHERN
NEBRASKA THROUGH MIDWEEK BEFORE LIFTING BACK NORTH LATER IN
THE WEEK. THERE WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
ALONG AND NORTH OF THIS FRONT.

A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT IS FORECAST TO STRENGTHEN OVER
THE SOUTHERN PLAINS LATE IN THE WEEK. THIS COULD RESULT IN
VERY HOT TEMPERATURES BY NEXT FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT ACROSS NORTHEAST
INTO EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA...AND ADJACENT PORTIONS OF WESTERN
IOWA

FOBERT

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 5, 11:56 PM CST, 3 hours 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
1256 AM CDT SUN JUL 06 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1100 PM    MONROE                    NE   WIND DAMAGE
07/05/03   PLATTE                         TREES AND GRAIN BIN
                                          DOWN AND BUILDING
                                          DAMAGE. REPORTED BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

Local storm report, Jul 6, 12:16 AM CST, 3 hours 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
116 AM CDT SUN JUL 06 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1159 PM    1 NW VALLEY               NE   63 MPH TSTM GUST
07/05/03   DOUGLAS                        AT THE NWS OFFICE

Local storm report, Jul 6, 12:20 AM CST, 3 hours before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
120 AM CDT SUN JUL 06 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1255 AM    GLENWOOD                  IA   WIND DAMAGE
07/06/03   MILLS                          12 INCH DIAMETER LIMBS
                                          DOWN. REPORTED BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

Local storm report, Jul 6, 12:47 AM CST, 2 hours 33 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
147 AM CDT SUN JUL 06 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1200 AM    BEEMER                    NE   WIND DAMAGE
07/06/03   CUMING                         TREES DOWN ON CARS AND
                                          THROUGH A ROOF.  METAL
                                          POLES SNAPPED. REPORTED
                                          BY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

1210 AM    2 NW LITTLE SIOUX         IA   60 MPH TSTM GUST
07/06/03   HARRISON                       WIND BLEW TRELLIS OFF
                                          OF HOUSE AND AN 8 TO 10
                                          INCH DIAMETER DEAD TREE
                                          SNAPPED OFF AT TRUNK.
                                          REPORTED BY COOPERATIVE
                                          OBSERVER.

0100 AM    5 SW PAPILLION            NE   WIND DAMAGE
07/06/03   SARPY                          ROAD BLOCKED BY A TREE
                                          AT PLATTVIEW ROAD AND
                                          108TH ST. REPORTED BY
                                          HAM RADIO OPERATOR.

0100 AM    3 NE ELKHORN              NE   WIND DAMAGE
07/06/03   DOUGLAS                        TREES ACROSS THE ROAD
                                          AT 174 AND STATE STREET
                                          WITH ROAD BLOCKED.
                                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

Local storm report, Jul 6, 1:14 AM CST, 2 hours 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
214 AM CDT SUN JUL 06 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1250 AM    PANAMA                    IA   WIND DAMAGE
07/06/03   SHELBY                         TREES AND POWERLINES
                                          DOWN. REPORTED BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

0100 AM    HARLAN                    IA   WIND DAMAGE
07/06/03   SHELBY                         TREES AND POWERLINES
                                          DOWN. REPORTED BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

0115 AM    ELK HORN                  IA   WIND DAMAGE
07/06/03   SHELBY                         TREES AND POWERLINES
                                          DOWN. REPORTED BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

Local storm report, Jul 6, 2:44 AM CST, 36 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
344 AM CDT SUN JUL 06 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1240 AM    LINCOLN                   NE   WIND DAMAGE
07/06/03   LANCASTER                      REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
                                          TREE  BLOWN DOWN NEAR
                                          73RD AND VINE.  TIME
                                          ESTIMATED.  SOME OTHER
                                          BRANCHES DOWN AROUND
                                          TOWN.

The radar

The Omaha radar (KOAX), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:21 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Pottawattamie

When: July 6, 3:20 AM CST
Where: Pottawattamie County, Avoca
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 41.483, -95.350

Some of the hail was still on the ground at daybreak.

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 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, July 2003

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: 5334223.