An upper level disturbance combined with a low level jet to initiate scattered thunderstorms across south central and southeast Iowa in a moist atmosphere. 75 inch hail 4 miles northeast of Fairfield, Iowa.
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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.
The episode as NWS DVN wrote it up.
An upper level disturbance combined with a low level jet to initiate scattered thunderstorms across south central and southeast Iowa in a moist atmosphere. A lone storm pulsed severe and produced 0.75 inch hail 4 miles northeast of Fairfield, Iowa.
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 Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 18, 2:35 PM CST, 9 hours 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 335 PM CDT SUN SEP 18 2005 .SYNOPSIS...AREA 88DS AND VISIBLE SATELLITE SHOW THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING AT MID AFTERNOON ALONG WARM FRONT AHEAD OF SURFACE AND H85 LOW OVER N CENTRAL KS. THIS ELEVATED CONVECTION WAS OCCURRING ALONG THE SURFACE WARM FRONT THAT EXTENDED FROM THE LOW THROUGH FAR NE KS...SE THROUGH KCOU TO MO BOOTHEEL. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY INDICATED VORT MAX IN W-SW MID LEVEL FLOW MOVING INTO S CENTRAL NEB ENHANCING THIS CONVECTION. TO THE NORTH...A STATIONARY FRONT REMAINED ACROSS UPPER MI TO N CENTRAL NEB. STRONGER MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH WAS EXITING THE NORTHERN ROCKIES WITH NEW TSRA COMPLEX FORMING ON COOL SIDE OF FRONT IN CENTRAL SD AND ALSO IN N CENTRAL NEB AT 20Z. && .SHORT TERM...THUNDERSTORMS ARE MAIN CHALLENGE AS NORTHERN SHORTWAVE STRENGTHENS THE LOW AND DRAWS IT NORTH THIS EVENING...THEN TRACKS EAST DRAGGING COLD FRONT THROUGH FORECAST AREA MONDAY. OF 12Z MODELS...GFS HAD INITIALIZATION OF UPPER LEVEL AND SURFACE FEATURES AND GENERALLY FOLLOWED. A QUICK LOOK AT THE 18Z ETA VERIFIED IT HAD A GOOD HANDLE ON MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS TO OUR SW...WITH THE MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE ENHANCING THE CONVECTION ALONG WARM FRONT MOVING INTO NW MO. THIS WILL BE FIRST ROUND OF CONVECTION TO WATCH AS IT PUSHES INTO S CENTRAL THEN SE IA THIS EVENING. THEN...FOCUS TURNS NORTH AS CONVECTIVE COMPLEX EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NORTHEAST OF MAIN SURFACE LOW AS IT REDEVELOPS OVER WESTERN IA. STRONGEST MID LEVEL FORCING POINTS ACROSS NORTHERN CWA AROUND MIDNIGHT...WHILE BEST LOW LEVEL MOISTURE ADVECTION AND MOIST LOW LEVEL JET TAKE AIM AT SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF FORECAST AREA. MADE SOME TIMING ADJUSTMENTS FOR SLOWER PROGRESSION...BUT KEPT CATEGORICAL WORDING FOR TSRA OVER ENTIRE AREA OVERNIGHT. AGREE WITH HPC QPF TOTALS OVER 1 INCH OVER AREAS SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 34 OVERNIGHT...WHILE REMAINDER OF CWA SHOULD SEE WIDESPREAD AMOUNTS OVER A HALF INCH...AND LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS...WITH THE STRONG FORCING AND AVAILABLE MOISTURE TAKING AIM AT AREA. WITH ANTICIPATED CONVECTION EXPECTED TO ENTER AREA A LITTLE LATER... SEVERE POTENTIAL SOMEWHAT DIMINISHED FROM EARLIER THINKING. HOWEVER...DUE TO DEGREE OF STRONG MID LEVEL QG FORCING...CANNOT RULE OUT SOME SEVERE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND POTENTIAL WITH BOWING SEGMENTS OF COMPLEX THAT MAY ENTER AREA LATE IN THE EVENING... ESPECIALLY IN EASTERN IA. MONDAY...THE LOW SHOULD PASS NORTH OF AREA IN THE MORNING WITH COLD FRONT SWEEPING THROUGH ACCOMPANIED BY SOME SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MORNING. PROGRESSIVE NATURE OF SYSTEM SHOULD SWEEP OUT ANY LOW CLOUDS BY AFTERNOON AND KEPT ISOLATED SHOWERS ONLY IN FAR E AND SE WHERE CYCLONIC FLOW LINGERS. WITH EXPECTED SUNSHINE AND DEEP MIXING...DO EXPECT DECENT TEMPERATURE RECOVERY...BUT GUIDANCE LOOKED TOO OPTIMISTIC AND STAYED TOWARD LOW END WITH HIGHS IN MID 70S TO AROUND 80. ..SHEETS.. && .LONG TERM... (MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)... FORECAST AREA WILL BE IN BETWEEN SYSTEM DURING THE PERIOD AS LOW PRESSURE AND UPPER S/W PULL EAST OF CWA MONDAY NIGHT. WILL FAVOR THE COOLER MOS NUMBERS FOR MINS TUESDAY MORNING. STRONG SUBSIDENCE BEHIND THE DEPARTING UPPER TROF SHOULD HELP CLEAR OUT ANY SIGNIFICANT CLOUDS. SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENTS RELAXES QUICKLY DURING THE EVENING ALLOW FOR GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING. HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES TO THE SOUTH TUESDAY...KEEPING LIGHT WEST WINDS OVER THE AREA. WITH LIMITED MIXING...FELT THE COOLER MOS NUMBERS WERE MORE REPRESENTATIVE FOR MAX TS AND EVEN WENT BELOW ALL GUIDANCE NUMBERS IN THE SOUTH...CLOSER TO THE CENTER OF THE HIGH. RETURN FLOW SETS UP TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. KEPT THE LOW CHANCE POPS INTACT DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY WITH BOTH THE NAM AND GFS SHOWING STRONG H8 THETA-E ADVECTION DEVELOPING DURING THE DAY. H7-5 LAPSE RATES WERE NOT ALL THAT IMPRESSIVE OVER ERN IA/NW IL...HOWEVER WITH STRONG MOISTURE AND TEMP ADVECTION IN PLACE...SOME ELEVATED SHRA/TSRA IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. (WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY)... MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE AN ACTIVE PATTERN OVER THE CENTRAL U.S. THROUGH THE PERIOD. BROAD UPPER RIDGE OVER THE NORTHERN GULF INTO THE GULF COAST STATES AND SWRN U.S. IS BEING OVER TOPPED BY FAST WEST SOUTHWEST FLOW AND UNDER CUT BY TROPICAL SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE SOUTHERN GULF EARLY IN THE PERIOD. ALL LONG RANGE MODELS ARE SHOWING SOME SHORT WAVE ENERGY EJECTING OUT OF THE CENTRAL ROCKIES LATE WEDNESDAY AND SPINNING UP A SURFACE LOW OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THE GFS CONTINUES TO SHOW A CAPPED ENVIRONMENT INTO THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AHEAD OF THE THIS SYSTEM WITH BEST POTENTIAL FOR PCPN ALONG THE WARM FRONT EXTENDING EAST FROM THE SURFACE WAVE THROUGH NRN IA/SRN MN. BASED ON THIS POPS WEDNESDAY NIGHT HAVE BEEN RAISED INTO THE CHANCE CATEGORY OVER THE NRN THIRD OF THE CWA AND CONTINUED WITH SLIGHT CHANCE WORDING IN THE SOUTH. MODELS DROP FRONT SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE REGION THURSDAY/THURSDAY NIGHT. LOW CHANCE POPS WILL BE CONTINUED FOR THE FROPA DURING THE PERIOD...WITH THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR PCPN THURSDAY NIGHT...POST FRONTAL. FOR FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND THERE IS SOME QUESTION AS TO THE STRENGTH OF THE TROF DIGGING INTO THE WRN U.S. THE ECMWF/UKMET CONTINUE TO SHOW MORE DIGGING THAN THE GFS. AS A RESULT HAVE CONTINUED CHANCE WORDING INTO SATURDAY WITH THE POTENTIAL OF FRONT STALLING IN THE AREA AS UPPER FLOW BECOMES MORE SOUTHWESTERLY. ..DLF.. && .DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IA...NONE. IL...NONE. MO...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 1030 PM CDT SUN SEP 18 2005 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-191200- BUCHANAN-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-BENTON-LINN-JONES-JACKSON-IOWA-JOHNSON- CEDAR-CLINTON-MUSCATINE-SCOTT-KEOKUK-WASHINGTON-LOUISA-JEFFERSON- HENRY-DES MOINES-VAN BUREN-LEE-JO DAVIESS-STEPHENSON-CARROLL- WHITESIDE-ROCK ISLAND-BUREAU-PUTNAM-MERCER-HENDERSON-WARREN- HANCOCK-MCDONOUGH-SCOTLAND-CLARK- 1030 PM CDT SUN SEP 18 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS...NORTHWEST ILLINOIS...WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL IOWA...NORTHEAST IOWA...SOUTHEAST IOWA AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS ACROSS ALL OF EASTERN IOWA...NORTHEAST MISSOURI...AND NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS OVERNIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL UP TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER. THE STORMS WILL ALSO BRING HEAVY RAINFALL WITH WIDESPREAD AMOUNTS OF ONE QUARTER TO THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH LIKELY. LOCALIZED RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH REPEATED DEVELOPMENT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ON MONDAY...MAINLY DURING THE MORNING. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY. IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED OVERNIGHT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1225 AM CDT MON SEP 19 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1224 AM HAIL FAIRFIELD 41.01N 91.97W
09/19/2005 0.25 INCH JEFFERSON IA LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
BRIANPThe Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 130 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:38 UTC.
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A lot of pea to dime sized hail with a few stones of penny size.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, September 2005
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: 5478821.