Scattered thunderstorms developed in a semi-moist atmosphere that was north of a warm front from central Iowa to central Illinois. The severe storms were mainly of the pulse variety producing hail.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
Scattered thunderstorms developed in a semi-moist atmosphere that was north of a warm front from central Iowa to central Illinois. The severe storms were mainly of the pulse variety producing hail. Additional rounds of storms developed in the late morning and early afternoon as low pressure moved east along the front.
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 Apr 16, 2:20 AM CST, 9 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 320 AM CDT SUN APR 16 2006 .SYNOPSIS... CLOSED LOW SYSTEM LOCATED AT 2 AM NEAR OMAHA MOVING EAST TO EAST SOUTHEAST AT 20 TO 25 MPH. RATE OF MOVEMENT OF SYSTEM AS OFTEN OCCURS IS A BIT SLOWER THAN EARLIER PROGGED AND RECENT TRENDS SUGGEST SFC LOW TO PASS NEAR BRL OR EOK ABOUT 21Z. THIS SLOWER PACE WILL INCREASE SEVERE POTENTIAL PM FOR SOUTH 1/3 TO 1/2 OF AREA. POSITION OF DEFORMATION ZONE AND TRACK SUPPORTS WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AMOUNTS 50 MILES EITHER SIDE OF I-80 CORRIDOR...JUST NORTH OF HIGHEST SEVERE THREAT WITH HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL SOUTH AS WELL WITH SUPERCELLS. PRESSURE FALLS AND RADAR TRENDS SUPPORT REDEVELOPMENT OF STORMS TO WEST NEXT 2 TO 4 HOURS TO MOVE BACK INTO FORECAST AREA BY MID TO LATE MORNING AND THEN STRONG DEVELOPMENT BY EARLY PM WITH HEATING. && .DISCUSSION... TODAY AND TONIGHT...ANOTHER SEVERE EPISODE TO AFFECT AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON POSSIBLY INTO EARLY EVENING HOURS FOR SOUTH 1/3 TO 1/2 OF FORECAST AREA ALONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY TO VERY HEAVY RAINS. NOWCAST TOOLS DESCRIBED ABOVE REASON FOR BREAK IN STORMS AND THUS ONLY CHANCE TO SLIGHT CHANCE POPS TIL 16Z ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 30. THEN NEXT LOBE OF ENERGY MOVES IN AND RAISED TO CATEGORICAL OR LIKELY AS STORMS MOVE BACK IN OR REDEVELOP. SHARP GRADIENT FOR SEVERE TO JUST PERIODS OF RAIN WITH AREAS ALONG HIGHWAY 30 TO I-80 TO SEE STORMS WITH POSSIBLY SOME LARGE HAIL AND EVEN STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...ESPECIALLY NEAR ALONG I-80 CORRIDOR. MAINLY A COLD RAIN AND SOME EMBEDDED THUNDER NORTH OF HIGHWAY 30 UP TO HIGHWAY 20. ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 34 APPEAR MOST FAVORED FOR SEVERE WEATHER WHICH MAY BE QUITE SIGNIFICANT OF MODERATE SCOPE AND INTENSITY IF GET DRY SLOTED AS SUGGESTED AND AREA HEATS INTO UPPER 70S WHICH IS PROGGED. THESE LOCATIONS WOULD SEE A FEW LOW TOP SUPERCELLS WITH LARGE HAIL UP TO AND IN EXCESS OF GOLF-BALL AND POSSIBLE EVEN TO BASEBALL SIZE IN FAR SE SECTIONS BY LATE PM. DAMAGING WINDS ALSO A CONCERN OF 60 PLUS MPH AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ALONG OCCLUSION WHICH WOULD BE ALONG AND ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 34 BY MID TO LATE PM. THIS IS A HIGHLY NON-LINEAR SITUATION SO HEATING IS CRITICAL...MORE THERE IS...THE MORE INTENSE THE CONVECTION TO FIRE SOUTH AND EAST SECTIONS THIS AFTERNOON. WILL EMPHASIZE CONCERNS IN UPDATED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OR HWO PRODUCT. THE RECENT REGIME OUR AREA HAS BEEN IN PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS ANOTHER NOTEWORTHY SEVERE EVENT IS PLAUSIBLE. HEAVY TO VERY INTENSE RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO AN IN EXCESS OF TWO INCHES AN HOUR AND EVENT TOTALS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES MANY LOCATIONS ALSO WILL CAUSE SOME WATER PROBLEMS. LOCAL CALCULATIONS OF UPPER 70 TEMPS AND LOWER 60 DEWPOINTS SOUTH SECTIONS YIELD CAPE AOA 1500 J/KG WITH ENOUGH SCL SHEAR AND INSTABILITY FOR BRIEF TORNADOES AND SOME DAMAGING WIND OF 60 MPH OR MORE ALONG WITH LARGE HAIL. WITH SLOWER SYSTEM LINGERING RAIN MANY LOCATIONS INTO EVENING HOURS AS LOW MOVES SOUTHEAST OF AREA AND CLOUDS REMAIN. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 30 MPH MOST LOCATIONS TODAY IN NORTH 1/2 AND ALL AREA THIS EVENING. WENT ON HIGH SIDE FOR MIN TEMPS TONIGHT DUE TO CLOUDS AND WINDS FOR MIXING BY AT LEAST A CATEGORY. MONDAY AND TUESDAY...SOME CLEARING AND TRIMMED TEMPS A CATEGORY MANY PERIODS AND LOCATIONS WITH FRESH EAST TO NORTHEAST WINDS AS GREAT LAKES HIGH MOVES SOUTH. SHOULD MAKE FOR PLEASANT EARLY SPRING DAYS. DELAYED POPS LATE TUESDAY TIL TUESDAY NIGHT AS SLOWER TIMING OF NEXT SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM STILL ON TRACK TO AFFECT REGION WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WITH NO CHANGES MADE TO CURRENT FORECAST. ..NICHOLS.. && .DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IA...NONE. IL...NONE. MO...NONE. NICHOLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 525 AM CDT SUN APR 16 2006 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-171000- BENTON IA-BUCHANAN IA-BUREAU IL-CARROLL IL-CEDAR IA-CLARK MO-CLINTON IA-DELAWARE IA-DES MOINES IA-DUBUQUE IA-HANCOCK IL-HENDERSON IL-HENRY IA-HENRY IL-IOWA IA-JACKSON IA-JEFFERSON IA-JO DAVIESS IL-JOHNSON IA- JONES IA-KEOKUK IA-LEE IA-LINN IA-LOUISA IA-MCDONOUGH IL-MERCER IL- MUSCATINE IA-PUTNAM IL-ROCK ISLAND IL-SCOTLAND MO-SCOTT IA- STEPHENSON IL-VAN BUREN IA-WARREN IL-WASHINGTON IA-WHITESIDE IL- 525 AM CDT SUN APR 16 2006 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...TODAY AND TONIGHT TODAY...A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ALONG THE IOWA-MISSOURI BORDER TODAY AND INTO CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS EVENING. THIS SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MUCH OF THE DAY. THE AREA OF GREATEST RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS WILL BE SOUTH OF A SIGOURNEY IOWA TO MONMOUTH ILLINOIS LINE. THE GREATEST THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL UP TO QUARTER SIZE DUE TO LOW FREEZING LEVELS. DAMAGING WINDS OF 60 MPH AND ISOLATED TORNADOES MAY ALSO POSSIBLE IF ENOUGH HEATING OCCURS FOR TEMPERATURES TO REACH THE MID TO UPPER 70S. BETWEEN HIGHWAY 30 AND HIGHWAY 34...A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS. ANOTHER THREAT OVER MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE SYSTEM...ALLOWING FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. THIS MAY RESULT IN SOME FLOODING IN LOW LYING AND FLOOD PRONE LOCATIONS AND PUSH SOME RIVER LEVELS TO REACH OR EXCEED FLOOD LEVELS. ALL SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO MOVE EAST OF THE OUTLOOK AREA BY THIS EVENING. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA IN A SLIGHT RISK. EMERGENCY MANAGERS SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS TODAY FOR ANY CHANGES TO THE RESPECTIVE THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE REGION RESULTING IN A CHANCE FOR MORE THUNDERSTORMS. CONDITIONS REMAIN TOO UNCLEAR TO ASSESS ANY SEVERE RISK OR HEAVY RAINFALL POTENTIAL WITH THIS SYSTEM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS PROBABLE BY AFTERNOON SOUTH OF A SIGOURNEY IOWA TO MONMOUTH ILLINOIS LINE. SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE BETWEEN HIGHWAY 30 AND HIGHWAY 34 MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON. NICHOLS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1137 AM CDT SUN APR 16 2006
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1124 AM HAIL 2 N STERLING 41.83N 89.69W
04/16/2006 M0.25 INCH WHITESIDE IL TRAINED SPOTTER
PEA SIZE HAIL.
&&
ELLIOTTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1147 AM CDT SUN APR 16 2006
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1144 AM HAIL E STERLING 41.80N 89.69W
04/16/2006 M0.75 INCH WHITESIDE IL CO-OP OBSERVER
COOP OBSERVER REPORTED PENNY HAIL. ONE HALF MILE EAST OF
LEE COUNTY LINE.
&&
ELLIOTTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED TIME OF EVENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1227 PM CDT SUN APR 16 2006
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1221 PM HAIL 2 W KOSZTA 41.83N 92.24W
04/16/2006 E0.25 INCH IOWA IA TRAINED SPOTTER
PEA HAIL FALLING AT JUNCTION OF HIGHWAY 21 AND 212 WEST
OF KOSZTA AND OUTH OF BELLE PLAINE.
&&
MDBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1227 PM CDT SUN APR 16 2006
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1221 AM HAIL 2 W KOSZTA 41.83N 92.24W
04/16/2006 E0.25 INCH IOWA IA TRAINED SPOTTER
PEA HAIL FALLING AT JUNCTION OF HIGHWAY 21 AND 212 WEST
OF KOSZTA AND OUTH OF BELLE PLAINE.
&&
MDBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED TIME OF EVENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1231 PM CDT SUN APR 16 2006
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1229 PM HAIL 9 S CEDAR RAPIDS 41.84N 91.67W
04/16/2006 E0.50 INCH JOHNSON IA TRAINED SPOTTER
1/2 INCH HAIL FALLING ALONG INTERSTATE 380 SOUTH OF CEDAR
RAPIDS NEAR LINN COUNTY AND JOHNSON COUNTY BORDER.
&&
MDBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1231 PM CDT SUN APR 16 2006
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1229 AM HAIL 9 S CEDAR RAPIDS 41.84N 91.67W
04/16/2006 E0.50 INCH JOHNSON IA TRAINED SPOTTER
1/2 INCH HAIL FALLING ALONG INTERSTATE 380 SOUTH OF CEDAR
RAPIDS NEAR LINN COUNTY AND JOHNSON COUNTY BORDER.
&&
MDBThe Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 88 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:35 UTC.
1 hail, 1 heavy rain, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Also reported by the EM. Near continuous hail occurred between 1135 to 1145 CST but most of it was non severe. Additionally 0.75 inches of rain fell in 15 minutes.
Dispatcher measured 1.75 inches of rain since 0600 CST.
A Pulse severe thunderstorm downed a tree and tore part of the roof off a shed on the Rick Gerot Farm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, April 2006
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: 5502897, 5502898, 5502955.