Damaging Wind in Iowa, August 3, 2004

Name: Damaging Wind in Iowa, August 3, 2004
Start: 2004-08-03T12:05
End: 2004-08-03T12:05
Location: Iowa

August 3, 2004 · NWS FSD · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 thunderstorm wind, 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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 3, 2:30 AM CST, 9 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 3, 2:30 AM CST, 9 hours 35 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR SOUTHEAST SD/SOUTHWEST MN/NORTHWEST IA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD ... CORRECTION OF DATE
330 AM CDT TUE AUG 3 2004

.DISCUSSION...
ANOTHER DAY...ANOTHER ROUND OF CONVECTION. IN THE SHORT TERM...A
BAND OF TS HAS SET UP NORTH OF THE H9-H85 BOUNDARY IN A NW TO SE
ORIENTATION. IT EXTENDS FM NW SD TO CNTRL IA. LOOKING AT THE LATEST
META DATA...IT APPEARS THAT THIS BNDRY IS LOCKED INTO PLACE FOR
NOW...THEREFORE BELIEVE THAT THE CRNT SITUATION MAY NOT CHANGE MUCH
THRU ABOUT 14Z OR 15Z THIS MRNG. STRONG ERLY FETCH OF LOW LVL AIR IS
FEEDING INTO THE WRN SD ACTIVITY...WITH THE LOW LVL JET ABOUT 35
KTS. AGREE WITH SPC THAT WHEN LOOKING AT THE H9 STREAMLINES...FLOW
ACTUALLY DIVERGES CLOSE TO THE NEB BORDER. SINCE WERE N OF THE LOW
LVL BNDRY...ABUNDANT STRATUS IS FORMING UNDER THE INVERSION
THROUGHOUT THE CWFA...WITH AREAS OF FOG ON THE UPSLOPE SIDE OF THE
BUFFALO RIDGE IN SW MN AND NW IA. NOT GOING TO SPLIT HAIRS WITH THE
FOG AND WITH THE ERLY FLOW CONTINUING...WORDED THE ENTIRE CWA EITHER
PATCHY OR AREAS OF FOG THIS MRNG. WILL KEEP THE BAND OF SCT TS GOING
OVER PARTS OF THE SRN CWA THRU 15Z...WITH ISOLD ELSEWHERE. FOR THIS
AFTN AND EVENING...WAVE CRNTLY SHOWN ON THE WV IMAGERY IN THE
INTERMOUNTAIN WEST...IS FCST TO MOV INTO THE AREA LATE TDAY SETTING
UP WHAT COULD BE A FAIR AMNT OF SHRA/TS ARND. NGM/ETA DEPICT THE
H9-H85 BNDRY STAYING PUT JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THE CWFA...WITH THE
GFS LIFTING THE WHOLE NWD. NOT BUYING THE GFS SOLN IN THAT WITH THE
CRNT ROUND OF CONVECTION...THOUGHTS ARE THAT NMRS OUTFLOW WL NOT
ALLOW THE BNDRY TO LIFT NWD. THEREFORE HIGHS WL BE HINDERED TDAY
ALSO...BUT REMAINING HUMID. AND KSUX MAY APPROACH 90 AS THEY ARE THE
CLOSEST TO THE LOW LVL BNDRY...BUT COOLER ELSEWHERE. SO WITH THE
HIGH MSTR FEED CONTINUING AND ABUNDANT LIFT...SCT TS IS WARRANTED
LATER THIS AFTN CWA WIDE...WITH LIKELY POPS GOING MANY AREAS TNGT.
OPTED TO GO ONLY SCT POPS IN THE CORNERS TNGT...ARND THE MARSHALL
AND CHAMBERLAIN VICINITIES. MARSHALL LOOKS TO BE GETTING TOO FAR
NORTH OF THE BNDRY AND DEEPER INTO THE DRIER NE FLOW OF AIR.
CHAMBERLAIN IS DEEPER INTO THE OVERALL NWRLY WRAP ARND FLOW. FOR SVR
TS CHANCES LATER TDAY AND TNGT...LAPSE RATES ARE NOT ALL THAT
IMPRESSIVE AS WELL AS BUOYANCY AND DEEP LYR SPEED SHEAR. SOME
INSTABILITY DOES EXIST AS THE MID LVLS BEGIN TO COOL...SO CANNOT
RULE OUT SOME ISOLD HAILERS. BUT OVERALL IVE NEVER BEEN REAL
IMPRESSED ABOUT SVR CHCS WITH THE LOW LVL FLOW THRU 2 KM OUT OF THE
EAST. HOWEVER IF THE GFS WOULD HAPPEN TO PAN OUT IN LIFTING THE LOW
LVL BNDRY NWD...THEN SVR CHCS WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE MUCH GREATER...BUT
NOT PLAYING THAT CARD RIGHT NOW.

ON WED...ETA KEEPS A VORT FILAMENT IN A NW TO SE ORIENTATION
BISECTING THE CWA. WITH ABUNDANT CLOUDS ARND...-SHRA MAY LINGER NEAR
THIS VORT FILAMENT AND DREW GRIDS ACCORDINGLY. CLOUDS FCST TO CLEAR
OUT OF THE CWA WED NIGHT. LOWERED LOWS A FAIR AMNT FOR WED NIGHT AND
THUR NIGHT...WITH CRNT FCST H85 TEMPS ON THE MODELS...AND A MAJOR
CANADIAN SFC HIGH OOZING DOWN FM CANADA. MSTR FETCH EXISTS JUST WEST
OF THE CWA LATE WED NIGHT AND THURSDAY ARND THE PERIPHERY OF THE
HIGH...WITH CHAMBERLAIN AND GREGORY COUNTY ON THE EDGE. BUT DO NOT
BELIEVE THE SW CWA WILL SEE ENUF CLOUDS TO AFFECT TEMPS ONE WAY OR
ANOTHER. WED AND THUR WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY COOLER AND LESS HUMID IN
THE CWA THAT WHAT WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING.

DID NOT LOOK AT THE EXTENDED WITH CRNT WX GOING ON.

&&

.FSD...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SD...NONE.
MN...NONE.
IA...NONE.
NE...NONE.

&&

MJF

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 3, 3:50 AM CST, 8 hours 15 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
450 AM CDT TUE AUG 03 2004

SDZ038>040-050-052>071-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097-098-
IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-NEZ013-014-041200-
AURORA-BEADLE-BON HOMME-BROOKINGS-BRULE-BUENA VISTA IA-
CHARLES MIX-CHEROKEE IA-CLAY-CLAY IA-COTTONWOOD MN-DAKOTA NE-
DAVISON-DICKINSON IA-DIXON NE-DOUGLAS-GREGORY-HANSON-HUTCHINSON-
IDA IA-JACKSON MN-JERAULD-KINGSBURY-LAKE-LINCOLN-LINCOLN MN-
LYON IA-LYON MN-MCCOOK-MINER-MINNEHAHA-MOODY-MURRAY MN-NOBLES MN-
OBRIEN IA-OSCEOLA IA-PIPESTONE MN-PLYMOUTH IA-ROCK MN-SANBORN-
SIOUX IA-TURNER-UNION-WOODBURY IA-YANKTON-
450 AM CDT TUE AUG 03 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA...
SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...NORTHWEST IOWA...AND NORTHEAST NEBRASKA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS...
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND WEST OF
A HURON TO PLATTE SOUTH DAKOTA LINE EARLY THIS MORNING. THERE IS
ALSO A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA
LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT IS HAIL UP TO
ONE AND A QUARTER INCH IN DIAMETER. IN ADDITION...SOME DAMAGING
WINDS COULD ALSO OCCUR OVER NORTHWEST IOWA...FAR NORTHEAST
NEBRASKA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA WHERE THE STRONGEST
CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP.

WIND AND FOG...
AREAS OF DENSE FOG WILL OCCUR THROUGH MID MORNING...MAINLY OVER
PARTS OF SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA AND NORTHWEST IOWA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE POSSIBLE EARLY THIS MORNING ALONG AND
WEST
OF A HURON TO PLATTE SOUTH DAKOTA LINE. SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL
AGAIN
BE POSSIBLE AFTER 3 PM OVER THE ENTIRE AREA.

&&

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT
WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/FSD. THIS INCLUDES THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS
WEATHER OUTLOOK.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 3, 10:35 AM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1135 AM CDT TUE AUG 03 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1050 AM     TSTM WND DMG     9 W SALEM               43.72N 97.57W
08/03/2004                   MCCOOK             SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

            2 SEMI-TRUCKS TURNED OVER ON I-90 NEAR SPENCER EXIT

1132 AM     TSTM WND GST     6 NE HUMBOLDT           43.71N 96.99W
08/03/2004  90 MPH           MINNEHAHA          SD   PUBLIC

            85 TO 90 MPH WIND GUSTS...LARGE COTTONWOOD TREE
            UPROOTED...3 TO 4 INCH TREE LIMBS DOWN

&&

DEMORIN

Local storm report, Aug 3, 11:14 AM CST, 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1214 PM CDT TUE AUG 03 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1021 AM     TSTM WND GST     9 W SALEM               43.72N 97.57W
08/03/2004  70 MPH           MCCOOK             SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

            70 MPH WIND GUSTS IN SPENCER SD

1025 AM     HAIL             9 W SALEM               43.72N 97.57W
08/03/2004  0.88 INCH        MCCOOK             SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

            NICKEL SIZE HAIL IN SPENCER SD

1049 AM     TSTM WND GST     MONTROSE                43.70N 97.18W
08/03/2004  70 MPH           MCCOOK             SD   TRAINED SPOTTER

            70 MPH WIND GUSTS IN MONTROSE

1153 AM     TSTM WND GST     4 SE CROOKS             43.62N 96.75W
08/03/2004  70 MPH           MINNEHAHA          SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

            70 MPH WIND GUSTS JUST SOUTH OF RENNER SD

1155 AM     TSTM WND GST     GARRETSON               43.72N 96.50W
08/03/2004  90 MPH           MINNEHAHA          SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

            60 TO 90 MPH WIND GUSTS AT GARRETSON SD

1156 AM     TSTM WND GST     GARRETSON               43.72N 96.50W
08/03/2004  70 MPH           MINNEHAHA          SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

            70 MPH WIND GUSTS JUST SOUTH OF GARRETSON SD

1059 AM     TSTM WND GST     HARTFORD                43.62N 96.94W
08/03/2004  60 MPH           MINNEHAHA          SD   TRAINED SPOTTER

            60 MPH WIND GUSTS IN HARTFORD SD

1117 AM     TSTM WND GST     HUMBOLDT                43.65N 97.07W
08/03/2004  50 MPH           MINNEHAHA          SD   TRAINED SPOTTER

            WINDS GREATER THAN 50 MPH ESTIMATED

1129 AM     TSTM WND GST     HARTFORD                43.62N 96.94W
08/03/2004  0 MPH            MINNEHAHA          SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

            GREATER THAN 60 MPH WINDS IN HARTFORD

1132 AM     TSTM WND DMG     CROOKS                  43.66N 96.81W
08/03/2004                   MINNEHAHA          SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

            POWER LINES DOWN IN AND NEAR CROOKS SD

1134 AM     TSTM WND DMG     S CROOKS                43.66N 96.81W
08/03/2004                   MINNEHAHA          SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES DOWN JUST SOUTH OF CROOKS SD...WIND GUSTS GREATER
            THAN 60 MPH.

1147 AM     TSTM WND GST     W GARRETSON             43.72N 96.50W
08/03/2004  65 MPH           MINNEHAHA          SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

            65 MPH WIND GUSTS WEST OF GARRETSON SD

1151 AM     TSTM WND GST     4 SE CROOKS             43.62N 96.75W
08/03/2004  65 MPH           MINNEHAHA          SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

            65 MPH WIND GUSTS IN RENNER SD

1204 AM     FLASH FLOOD      BALTIC                  43.76N 96.74W
08/03/2004                   MINNEHAHA          SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

            LOW LAND FLOODING AROUND BALTIC SD

1204 AM     TSTM WND DMG     BALTIC                  43.76N 96.74W
08/03/2004                   MINNEHAHA          SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES DOWN IN BALTIC SD

1207 AM     TSTM WND GST     5 SW HARDWICK           43.72N 96.27W
08/03/2004  70 MPH           ROCK               MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            70 MPH WIND GUSTS...SEMI-TRAILER TRUCK OVERTURNED ON
            HIGHWAY 23

&&

DEMORIN

Local storm report, Aug 3, 11:20 AM CST, 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1220 PM CDT TUE AUG 03 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1215 AM     TSTM WND DMG     LUVERNE                 43.65N 96.21W
08/03/2004                   ROCK               MN   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES AND BRANCHES DOWN IN LUVERNE MN

1218 AM     TSTM WND DMG     LUVERNE                 43.65N 96.21W
08/03/2004                   ROCK               MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN ACROSS HIGHWAY 75 IN LUVERNE MN.

&&

DEMORIN

Local storm report, Aug 3, 11:28 AM CST, 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT ... CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1228 PM CDT TUE AUG 03 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1204 PM     FLASH FLOOD      BALTIC                  43.76N 96.74W
08/03/2004                   MINNEHAHA          SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

            LOW LAND FLOODING AROUND BALTIC SD

1204 PM     TSTM WND DMG     BALTIC                  43.76N 96.74W
08/03/2004                   MINNEHAHA          SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES DOWN IN BALTIC SD

1207 PM     TSTM WND GST     5 SW HARDWICK           43.72N 96.27W
08/03/2004  70 MPH           ROCK               MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            70 MPH WIND GUSTS...SEMI-TRAILER TRUCK OVERTURNED ON
            HIGHWAY 23

1215 PM     TSTM WND DMG     LUVERNE                 43.65N 96.21W
08/03/2004                   ROCK               MN   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES AND BRANCHES DOWN IN LUVERNE MN

1218 PM     TSTM WND DMG     LUVERNE                 43.65N 96.21W
08/03/2004                   ROCK               MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN ACROSS HIGHWAY 75 IN LUVERNE MN.

&&

DEMORIN

Local storm report, Aug 3, 11:41 AM CST, 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1241 PM CDT TUE AUG 03 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0935 AM     TSTM WND GST     10 N MOUNT VERNON       43.86N 98.26W
08/03/2004  50 MPH           SANBORN            SD   PUBLIC

            GREATER THAN 50 MPH.

1056 AM     HEAVY RAIN       FULTON                  43.73N 97.82W
08/03/2004  3.10 INCH        HANSON             SD   PUBLIC

            3.10 INCHES IN UNDER 30 MINUTES.

1108 AM     TSTM WND GST     6 NE HUMBOLDT           43.71N 96.99W
08/03/2004  0 MPH            MINNEHAHA          SD   PUBLIC

            75 MPH WIND GUSTS

1230 PM     TSTM WND GST     ADRIAN                  43.63N 95.93W
08/03/2004  0 MPH            NOBLES             MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            60 MPH WIND GUSTS IN ADRIAN...TREE BRANCHES DOWN.

&&

DEMORIN

Local storm report, Aug 3, 12:04 PM CST, 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
104 PM CDT TUE AUG 03 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1240 PM     TSTM WND GST     ADRIAN                  43.63N 95.93W
08/03/2004  80 MPH           NOBLES             MN   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            LOCAL ELEVATOR BLOWN AWAY...TREES UPROOTED...POWER LINES
            DOWN...WIND GUST AT LEAST 80 MPH.

1240 PM     TSTM WND DMG     RUSHMORE                43.62N 95.80W
08/03/2004                   NOBLES             MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            DEAD TREE LIMBS FALLING...WIND GUSTS 50 MPH.

1245 PM     TSTM WND GST     5 S RUSHMORE            43.55N 95.80W
08/03/2004  70 MPH           NOBLES             MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            70 MPH WIND GUSTS BLEW DOORS OFF BARN AND DAMAGED TREES.

&&

DEMORIN

The radar

The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 115 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:06 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dickinson

When: August 3, 12:05 PM CST
Where: Dickinson County, Lake Park
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 43.467, -95.317

Thunderstorm winds caused tree and power line damage.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Iowa in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, August 2004

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: 5418690.