A strong low pressure system developed over the northern Plains during the day on the 15th. A strong pressure gradient resulted across the state with winds of 30 to 45 MPH common across much of Iowa.
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 DMX wrote it up.
A strong low pressure system developed over the northern Plains during the day on the 15th. A strong pressure gradient resulted across the state with winds of 30 to 45 MPH common across much of Iowa. The winds were the strongest over western Iowa with frequent gusts to around 50 MPH. High winds in the Deloit area of Crawford County downed a 7 inch and 12 inch diameter tree there.
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 Des Moines, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 15, 2:15 AM CST, 11 hours 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 315 AM CDT TUE APR 15 2008 .DISCUSSION... OVERALL FORECAST REMAINS THE SAME AS MODELS CONTINUE TO COME TOGETHER ON DETAILS OVER THE NEXT 2 TO 3 DAYS WITH SPLIT FLOW AND 2 SYSTEMS AFFECTING THE AREA TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. HIGH PRESSURE EXITING TO THE EAST OF THE AREA TNT WILL ALLOW SOUTHERLY WINDS TO INCREASE ...ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON. STRONG WAA AND INCREASING H850 WINDS WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL IA LATER THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. BY 00Z THIS EVENING...A 988 LOW IS EXPECTED OVER NORTH DAKOTA WITH A 14MB SFC PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE CWA. H850 WINDS ALSO EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO NEAR 50KTS BY 00Z WED. CURRENT SFC ANALYSIS CONTINUES TO SHOW VERY DRY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS WITH ONLY MODEST INCREASE EXPECTED BY THIS EVENING. THOUGH WAA IS RATHER STRONG TODAY...WITH LACK OF MOISTURE ALOFT AND NO FOCUSING MECHANISM FOR SHOWERS...NO PRECIP IS EXPECTED. BUFKIT SOUNDINGS IMPRESSIVE THIS AFTERNOON AFT 18Z WITH SUSTAINED SFC WINDS 30 TO 35 MPH ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTHERN SECTIONS...25 TO 30 MPH SOUTH. WITH ADIABATIC SOUNDINGS MIXING SHOULD EASILY TAKE AFTERNOON WINDS INTO THE ADVISORY CRITERIA FOR 3 TO 5 HOURS. SOUNDINGS SUGGEST MAX WIND GUSTS MAY REACH UPWARDS TO NEAR 45 TO 50 MPH FOR A BRIEF PERIOD TODAY. AS WE LOSE INSOLATION THIS AFTERNOON...WINDS WILL DIMINISH TONIGHT THOUGH GRADIENT WINDS TO REMAIN RATHER BREEZY. HAVE OPTED TO INCREASE OVERNIGHT LOWS AS WIND REMAIN RATHER BRISK. NORTHERN LOW IS EXPECTED TO DRAG A PACIFIC COLD FRONT ACROSS THE STATE WED AFTERNOON WITH ANOTHER PERIOD OF ENHANCED WINDS FOR THE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS. VERY WEAK FORCING WITH THE FRONT IS EXPECTED AS SFC WINDS REMAIN NEARLY PARALLEL TO BOUNDARY AND LACK OF CONVERGENCE ALOFT SUGGESTS LIMITED FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING AS WELL. THOUGH THE GFS THROWS OUT A TOKEN HUNDREDTH OR TWO...WILL OPT TO KEEP FCST DRY FOR NOW. SOUTHERN STREAM WAVE WILL BECOME THE MORE ACTIVE FEATURE LATE WED NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. MODELS DIFFER ON DETAILS...BUT MED RANGE GUIDANCE HAS COME CLOSER TO SUGGESTING THE NORTH/SOUTH STREAM BEGIN TO PHASE AND RESULT IN A CUT OFF LOW OVER IL BY THE WEEKEND. THE NET RESULT WILL BE TO SLOW THE EASTWARD PROGRESSION OF THE FORCING/PRECIP... KEEPING SOME MOISTURE AROUND UNTIL SATURDAY OVER THE EAST PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA. PRESENT GEM/GFS IN CLOSE AGREEMENT ON TIMING AND PLACEMENT WHILE 12Z 14TH AND 00Z 15TH EURO CONTINUE TO TAKE A SLIGHTLY MORE SOUTHERLY TRACK. DIFFERENCES ARISE IN WHETHER THE NORTH/SOUTH STREAM PHASE. AS FOR THE TIMING AND POP...LATE WED NIGHT FIRST BIG PUSH OF THETAE ADVECTION ARRIVES WITH EXPECTED ELEVATED THUNDER ALONG THE H850 BOUNDARY DRAPED OVER SOUTHERN IA. CRUCIAL TO THE THUR FORECAST IS HOW FAST THE LOW PULLS NORTHEAST THUR BEFORE CUTTING OFF. NAM/EURO FAVOR A MORE PROGRESSIVE SOLN ATTM. HAVE LEANED TOWARD SOME SLOWING WITH POSSIBLE PHASING AND CUT OFF FORMING CLOSER TO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. DOUBTFUL THAT THE MEAN LONGWAVE RIDGE HAS SHIFTED MUCH SINCE THE WEEKEND AND THE EURO MAY BE TOO FAST TO DIG WEST COAST WAVE INTO THE PACNW SO WILL KEEP SOME PRECIP GOING THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING. MADE SOME DOWNWARD ADJUSTMENTS ON TEMPS FOR THURS AS COLDER AIR FILTERS INTO THE AREA WITH SOME RECOVERY BY FRIDAY. NEXT SYSTEM ARRIVES LATE IN THE WEEKEND WITH WARMING AHEAD OF THE ARRIVAL OF SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. && AVIATION...15/18Z VFR CONDITIONS THRU TAF PERIOD. MAIN FCST CONCERN WILL BE OF A STRONG LOW OVER THE NRN PLAINS TRACKING ACROSS MN. PRESSURE GRADIENT OVR IA WILL TIGHTEN AS A RESULT CAUSING STRONG SRLY WIND AT SPEEDS OF 25-40KTS LIKELY THROUGH 01Z THEN GRADUALLY DIMINISHING THROUGH 03Z. IF CURRENT TRENDS HOLD...WIND ADVSY MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED...ESPECIALLY OVER NRN IA. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY ALL BUT THE FAR SOUTHEAST SECTIONS FROM 17Z THROUGH 00Z THIS AFTERNOON. && SHORT TERM/AVIATION...FAB LONG TERM...REV
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 534 AM CDT TUE APR 15 2008 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>074- 081>084-092>094-161100- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-SAC-CALHOUN- WEBSTER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE- BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-JASPER- POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-ADAMS-UNION-CLARKE- LUCAS-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR- 534 AM CDT TUE APR 15 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MOST OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG WINDS APPROACHING 50 MPH WILL DEVELOP DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS TODAY. MOST OF THE AREA WILL EXPERIENCE WINDS TO NEAR 45 MPH WITH AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 30...WEST OF INTERSTATE 35 POSSIBLY EXPERIENCING WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 50 MPH THIS AFTERNOON. THE WIND WILL DIMINISH THIS EVENING. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM EXISTS FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY AND AT THIS TIME IS NOT ANTICIPATED FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT OR THURSDAY. IAZ075-085-086-095>097-161100- MAHASKA-MONROE-WAPELLO-WAYNE-APPANOOSE-DAVIS- 534 AM CDT TUE APR 15 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 35 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED TODAY...DIMINISHING THIS EVENING ACROSS THE REGION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM EXISTS FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... AT THIS TIME...SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT OR THURSDAY. REV
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Seven and 12 inch diameter trees were blown down in Deloit.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, April 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: 80804.