A thunderstorm complex raced southeast out of Minnesota through northeast Iowa and northern Illinois during the late morning and early afternoon hours of July 31 producing winds in excess of 60 mph and some large hail. Near Winslow, IL, one person received several fractures when the pole barn they were in collapsed.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
A thunderstorm complex raced southeast out of Minnesota through northeast Iowa and northern Illinois during the late morning and early afternoon hours of July 31 producing winds in excess of 60 mph and some large hail. Near Winslow, IL, one person received several fractures when the pole barn they were in collapsed.
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 Jul 31, 9:05 AM CST, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 1005 AM CDT THU JUL 31 2008 .UPDATE... FOG HAS LIFTED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE CWFA. MINNESOTA BOW ECHO IS WEAKENING BUT CONTINUES TO RACE SOUTHEAST TOWARD THE CWFA. ...08... /PREVIOUS DISCUSSION/ .UPDATE... FOG HAS LIFTED OVER ALL BUT THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE CWFA. BOW ECHO MCS ACROSS MINNESOTA TO AFFECT THE AREA LATE THIS MORNING. ...08... /PREVIOUS DISCUSSION/ .UPDATE... DENSE FOG HAS EXPANDED A LITTLE FARTHER NORTH THIS MORNING THAN IT WAS EARLIER EXPECTED TO DO. HAVE EXPANDED DENSE FOG ADVISORY TO AREAS WHERE THE DENSE FOG HAS BEEN REPORTED AND/OR HAS DEVELOPED ON THE OBSERVATIONS. WHERE THE ADVISORY IS NOT IN EFFECT...EXPECT THAT THERE IS AT LEAST PATCHY DENSE FOG IN LOW LYING AREAS. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT BOW ECHO DROPPING SOUTHEAST ALONG A WARM FRONT DRAPED FROM EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA...ACROSS SOUTHERN MINNESOTA INTO NORTHERN IOWA AND TO ALONG THE ILLINOIS/WISCONSIN BORDER. IT IS CURRENTLY MOVING INTO SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA. AT ITS CURRENT RATE OF MOVEMENT...THIS STORM WILL BE INTO THE FORECAST AREA AROUND MID MORNING. WE WILL BE WATCHING THIS VERY CAREFULLY...AS THIS STORM HAS BEEN PRODUCING WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS. HAVE UPDATED THE FORECAST FOR THE FASTER MOVEMENT...BUT MAY NEED TO UPDATE AGAIN FOR ANY LATER WATCH ISSUANCES. && .DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IA...NONE. IL...NONE. MO...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 1011 AM CDT THU JUL 31 2008 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-010945- BUCHANAN-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-BENTON-LINN-JONES-JACKSON-IOWA-JOHNSON- CEDAR-CLINTON-MUSCATINE-SCOTT-KEOKUK-WASHINGTON-LOUISA-JEFFERSON- HENRY IA-DES MOINES-VAN BUREN-LEE-JO DAVIESS-STEPHENSON-CARROLL- WHITESIDE-ROCK ISLAND-HENRY IL-BUREAU-PUTNAM-MERCER-HENDERSON- WARREN-HANCOCK-MCDONOUGH-SCOTLAND-CLARK- 1011 AM CDT THU JUL 31 2008 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 THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80...MAINLY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. LATE THIS AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE OUTLOOK AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST...BRINGING A RISK OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THEN LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED. THE MAIN RISK WITH THESE STORMS IS FOR DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ON FRIDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EAST OF A LINE FROM INDEPENDENCE IOWA TO MACOMB ILLINOIS. THE GREATEST THREAT WILL BE DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS...WHEN THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS AREA MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND. SCATTERED NON-SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT...AND AGAIN MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY ACROSS ESPECIALLY THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE OUTLOOK AREA. IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER. HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL BUILD ACROSS THE AREA SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. HEAT INDEX VALUES MAY EXCEED 100 SUNDAY AND MONDAY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON...AND AGAIN LATER THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT...MAINLY FOR AREAS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 602 AM CDT THU JUL 31 2008 IAZ051>053-063>068-ILZ009-015>018-311315- BENTON-LINN-JONES-IOWA-JOHNSON-CEDAR-CLINTON-MUSCATINE-SCOTT- WHITESIDE-ROCK ISLAND-HENRY IL-BUREAU-PUTNAM- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...VINTON...CEDAR RAPIDS...ANAMOSA... MARENGO...IOWA CITY...TIPTON...CLINTON...MUSCATINE...BETTENDORF... DAVENPORT...STERLING...ROCK FALLS...MOLINE...ROCK ISLAND... KEWANEE...PRINCETON...HENNEPIN 602 AM CDT THU JUL 31 2008 ...AREAS OF DENSE FOG... A VERY MOIST AIRMASS AND CLEAR SKIES HAVE ALLOWED FOG TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION THIS MORNING. IN SOME LOCATIONS...THE FOG HAS BECOME DENSE...WITH VISIBILITIES REDUCED TO A QUARTER MILE AT TIMES. THE FOG IS MOST LIKELY TO BE DENSE NEAR RIVER VALLEYS AND OTHER LOW LYING AREAS. THE FOG WILL BEGIN TO IMPROVE BY MID MORNING...AND IS EXPECTED TO DISSIPATE BY 11 AM. THESE REDUCED VISIBILITIES WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE. MOTORISTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR SUDDEN CHANGES IN VISIBILITY. WHEN ENCOUNTERING DENSE FOG...SLOW DOWN AND LEAVE PLENTY OF DISTANCE AHEAD OF YOU.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 923 AM CDT THU JUL 31 2008 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>066-ILZ001-002-007-009-311630- BUCHANAN-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-BENTON-LINN-JONES-JACKSON-IOWA-JOHNSON- CEDAR-CLINTON-JO DAVIESS-STEPHENSON-CARROLL-WHITESIDE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...INDEPENDENCE...MANCHESTER...DUBUQUE... VINTON...CEDAR RAPIDS...ANAMOSA...MAQUOKETA...MARENGO... IOWA CITY...TIPTON...CLINTON...GALENA...FREEPORT... MOUNT CARROLL...STERLING...ROCK FALLS 923 AM CDT THU JUL 31 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING... A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE HIGHWAY 20 CORRIDOR BETWEEN 10:30 AND 11 AM. HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...AND WINDS GUSTING TO 50 MPH WILL BE SEEN WITH THESE STORMS. THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING SOUTHEAST AND SHOULD REACH THE HIGHWAY 30 CORRIDOR BETWEEN 11 AM AND NOON.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 1127 AM CDT THU JUL 31 2008 IAZ041-042-053-054-ILZ001-002-007-311730- CARROLL IL-DELAWARE IA-DUBUQUE IA-JACKSON IA-JO DAVIESS IL-JONES IA- STEPHENSON IL- 1127 AM CDT THU JUL 31 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS... A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ALONG AND JUST SOUTH OF THE HIGHWAY 20 CORRIDOR THROUGH 1 PM. HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...AND WINDS GUSTING TO 50 MPH WILL BE SEEN WITH THESE STORMS.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1143 AM CDT THU JUL 31 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1140 AM HAIL 5 N DUBUQUE 42.58N 90.70W
07/31/2008 E0.25 INCH DUBUQUE IA TRAINED SPOTTER
PEA-SIZED HAIL. HEAVY RAIN. WIND ESTIMATED TO BE 40 TO 50
MPH BLOWING THE RAIN SIDEWAYS.
&&
14The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:02 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph blew down a 3 to 4 inch diameter branch in Galena, IL around 12:00 pm July 31.
Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph blew down some tress and tree limbs in Galena, IL around 12:05 pm July 31.
Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph blew down some trees and tree limbs in Hanover, IL around 12:15 pm July 31.
Wind gusts measured to be 70 mph were observed near Kent, IL at 12:29 pm July 31.
Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew down a pole barn on State Line Rd and Swiss Rd near Winslow, IL at 12:35 pm July 31. One person was injured with several fractures.
Dime-sized hail fell near Kent, IL at 12:35 pm July 31.
Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph were observed just north of Lanark, IL at 12:40 pm July 31.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, July 2008
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: 123708, 123710, 123711, 123713, 123715, 123718, 123719.