A weak upper level short wave dropped southeast across Iowa during the afternoon and evening of the 13th. Abundant sunshine during the day allowed temperatures to warm into the 80s across the state, with dewpoint readings in the upper 50s to mid 60s.
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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 DMX wrote it up.
A weak upper level short wave dropped southeast across Iowa during the afternoon and evening of the 13th. Abundant sunshine during the day allowed temperatures to warm into the 80s across the state, with dewpoint readings in the upper 50s to mid 60s. The atmosphere became quite unstable with lifted indices falling to around -10 C. and CAPE approaching 3500 J/kg. The freezing level was relatively low, around 13,000 feet, with available CAPE in the -10 to -30 C. layer of the atmosphere around 600 J/kg. Moderate shear was present and was in the 40 to 45 kt range. Thunderstorms developed over southern Minnesota during the afternoon, and dropped southeast into Iowa during the early evening. The storms produced high winds northwest and north of the DMX CWA, however by the time the storms moved into the CWA winds had diminished below severe levels. The primary mode of severe weather was hail. Numerous reports of hail were received from northwest into west central Iowa as a bow echo element moved southeast quite rapidly through the area. Hail was generally in the nickel to quarter size range. Outside of crop damage, little damage occurred with the storms. One report of hail 1.5 inches in diameter was received from Carroll County, north of the Carroll Airport. That was the largest hail reported.
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 Aug 13, 2:17 PM CST, 3 hours 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 317 PM CDT WED AUG 13 2008 .SHORT TERM... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER SOUTHERN MINNESOTA THIS AFTERNOON AND A FEW HAVE TRIED TO TRICKLE INTO NORTHERN IA. STORMS FIRING ALONG 700 MB TROUGH AND WEAK SFC BOUNDARY. SYSTEM NOT QUITE IN PHASE AND HAVING DIFFICULTY BECOMING ORGANIZED THROUGH A FEW SEVERE STORMS HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN MINNESOTA. SFC HEATING IN CNTRL IOWA HAS ALLOWED SUBSIDENCE AND MIXING OF DRIER AIR TO THE SFC AND HAS DIMINISHED INSTABILITY. A FEW STORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE TONIGHT ALONG WITH AREAS OF FOG LATE. BEST LANDSPOUT ENVIRONMENT IS ALONG THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY AND JUST TO THE EAST OF HERE SO HOPEFULLY WILL ESCAPE THAT FUN TONIGHT. .LONG TERM /THU-WED/... FORECAST REMAINS IN FLUX DURING PERIOD AS FAIR AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY REMAINS WITH UPPER LEVEL LOW TRACK THIS WEEKEND THROUGH MID NEXT WEEK. A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT MOVES IN FROM THE NORTHEAST ON THURSDAY AND REACHES CENTRAL IOWA AROUND 21Z. SHOULD HOLD HIGHS IN THE 70S ACROSS THE NORTHEAST HALF WITH 80S TO THE SW. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP ALONG THE BOUNDARY THOUGH CLIMATOLOGICALLY THIS IS NOT A FAVORED SETUP FOR WIDESPREAD DEVELOPMENT. THE BOUNDARY WILL CONTINUE TO THE SOUTHWEST INTO THURSDAY EVENING. UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM DROPPING THROUGH NEBRASKA ALONG WITH ATTENDANT SFC FEATURES WILL INTERACT WITH GRADUALLY STALLING BOUNDARY OVER ERN NEBRASKA THROUGH SW IA AND NRN MO AND THIS WILL REMAIN THE PRIMARY FOCUS FOR PRECIPITATION POTENTIAL THROUGH FRIDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL SETTLE SOUTH INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST AND UPPER MISSOURI BASIN FRIDAY NIGHT BRINGING DRIER SFC AIR TO THE AREA. UNCERTAINTY REMAINS WITH CLOSE UPPER LEVEL LOW TREKKING SOUTH ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN WEST THEN EVENTUALLY SPINNING INTO THE PLAINS. UNCERTAINTY REMAINS ON HOW FAR SOUTH IT WILL DIG AND WITH LACK OF MID LEVEL FLOW...WHAT WILL GIVE IT A NUDGE TO FINALLY MOVE. CURRENTLY LACK OF A KICKER SEEMS TO POINT TO A PROLONGED STAY OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS BEFORE LIFTING OUT SOMETIME NEXT WEEK. LARGE SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE GULF OF ALASKA WILL EVENTUALLY PUSH RIDGE UP OVER THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST. CANADIAN AND ECMWF SUGGESTING A HURRICANE AROUND THE GULF OF MEXICO WHICH COULD ALSO BECOME A FACTOR. HAVE MADE LITTLE CHANGES TO PRECIP CHANCES DURING THE EXTENDED DUE TO INCONSISTENCIES AND MANY FACTORS INVOLVED. ONCE SYSTEM DOES ARRIVE...EXPECT A COOL AND RAINY PERIOD. && .AVIATION...13/18Z FOG HAS LIFTED WITH VSBYS NOW P6SM. CONVECTION CONTINUES TO MOVE OUT OF MN INTO NW IA ATTM AND HOLDING TOGETHER WITH UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT AND WEAK SFC BOUNDARY. INSTABILITY AXIS OF TD GREATER THAN 60F WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SOUTH MOVEMENT THRU AFTERNOON. MID LEVEL CONVECTION ALREADY DEVELOPING IN ERN SD. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...POSSIBLY A LINE FOR A FEW HOURS...WILL MOVE SWD LOWERING CONDITIONS FOR A FEW HOURS WITH POTENTIAL FOR GUSTY OUTFLOW AND SOME HAIL. LINE MOVING A BIT FASTER THAN EARLIER EXPECTED SO HAVE HASTENED TIMING OF CONVECTION ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION. MAY SEE SOME LINGERING ACTIVITY INTO THE EVENING HOURS. THINGS SHOULD QUIET DOWN AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH MVFR FOG EXPECTED...THOUGH WILL HAVE TO WATCH TYPICAL TROUBLE AREAS SUCH AS KOTM AND KMCW FOR POSSIBLE IFR OR LIFR FOG. /REV && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...REV AVIATION...REV LONG TERM...DONAVON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1100 AM CDT WED AUG 13 2008 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>026-033>037-044>047-057>059-070-071-081- 092-141015- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-SAC-CALHOUN-WEBSTER-HAMILTON- HARDIN-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS- ADAIR-ADAMS-TAYLOR- 1100 AM CDT WED AUG 13 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS BY MID AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE MAINLY THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT...WITH HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH...AND SMALL TORNADOES ALL POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THERE ARE INTERMITTENT CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY...THOUGH THE CHANCES WILL BE QUITE LOW FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT APPEARS FAIRLY LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. IAZ027-028-038-039-048>050-060>062-072>075-082>086-093>097-141015- BUTLER-BREMER-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-POLK-JASPER- POWESHIEK-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE- WAPELLO-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE-APPANOOSE-DAVIS- 1100 AM CDT WED AUG 13 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON...MAINLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. THE CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE AND EXPAND SOUTHWARD TONIGHT. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE MAINLY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT...WITH HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH THE MAIN THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THERE ARE INTERMITTENT CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY...THOUGH THE CHANCES WILL BE QUITE LOW FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT APPEARS FAIRLY LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. MOYER/REV
The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 156 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:09 UTC.
14 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A KICD staffer reported hail in the Ruthven and Lost Island Lake area.
Nickel to quarter size hail was reported.
Dime to quarter size hail fell for about 10 minutes from 1921 to 1931. No property damage was reported.
Hail was dime to quarter size along with heavy rain.
Nickel to quarter size hail fell in town.
Penny to ping pong ball size hail was reported.
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, August 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: 113302, 113292, 113303, 113293, 113308, 113304, 113306, 113294, 113307, 113295, 113298, 113301, 113299, 113296.