An upper level disturbance pushed into eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois August 14 sparking some scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms across the area. One of the storms near Hazelton, IA surpassed severe thresholds producing nickel-sized hail and strong winds.
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.
An upper level disturbance pushed into eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois August 14 sparking some scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms across the area. One of the storms near Hazelton, IA surpassed severe thresholds producing nickel-sized hail and strong winds.
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 Aug 14, 1:40 PM CST, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 240 PM CDT THU AUG 14 2008 .SYNOPSIS... SHORT WAVE DIVING SOUTHWARD OUT OF WI TO BRING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO THE DVN CWA THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT. THEN QUEBEC UPPER LOW TO RETROGRADE INTO THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES LATER TONIGHT AND FRIDAY BEFORE LIFTING BACK TO THE EAST. DEEPENING NORTHEAST LOW LEVEL FLOW TO BRING DRIER AIR INTO THE REGION. IN THE MEANTIME EXTREME SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN LOW PRESSURE WILL DIVE SOUTHWARD INTO THE CENTRAL ROCKIES AS RIDGING BUILDS TO THE NORTH. THIS SETS UP A REX BLOCK IN THE WEST. EVENTUALLY RIDGING ALOFT BUILDS INTO THE MIDWEST WHILE OPERATIONAL MODELS TAKE LOW TO THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES EARLY NEXT WEEK. TOWARDS THE END OF NEXT WEEK LOW PRESSURE THEN CROWBARS NORTHEAST INTO THE PLAINS PER HENRY RULE AS DEEPENING TROUGH MOVES INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. THE BOTTOM LINE IS OUR REGION WILL BE IN FOR ABOUT A WEEK OF DRY WEATHER. ..HAASE.. && .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT AND FRIDAY... SHORT WAVE DIVING SOUTHWARD OUT OF WI ASSOCIATED WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IN WI AND SOUTHEAST MN WILL AFFECT THE DVN CWA THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT. EXPECTING LOW TOPS WITH LITTLE SHEAR AND MARGINAL INSTABILITY THUS SEVERE THREAT LOW BUT WITH FREEZING LEVELS ABOUT 11000 FEET MAY GET MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL. IN ADDITION WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER 60S AND PRECIPITABLE WATERS IN EXCESS OF AN INCH COULD SEE BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS IN STRONGER STORMS. OTHERWISE...ALREADY SEEING DEEPER NORTHEAST FLOW TAKING SHAPE IN MI AND NORTHERN WI AS DEWPOINTS HAVE BEEN LOWERING ALL AFTERNOON. THE DRIER AIR WILL BE ARRIVING FROM NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE DVN CWA OVERNIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. OTHER THAN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF STORMS FRIDAY MORNING IN OUR SOUTHWEST CWA...HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE BUILDING OUT OF THE GREAT LAKES FOR A VERY PLEASANT FRIDAY WITH COMFORTABLE TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITIES. TIME HEIGHT SECTIONS AND BUFKIT INDICATE PLENTY OF SUNSHINE TOO ACROSS MUCH OF THE DVN CWA...EXCEPT THE SOUTHWEST CWA WHERE MORE CLOUDS EXPECTED. EXCELLENT HAY CUTTING WEATHER. ..HAASE.. .LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT THURSDAY... FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT...AS OUR CUT OFF LOW SLOWLY ROTATES SOUTH ACROSS THE EASTERN ROCKIES...A SURFACE RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS...MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN. THIS SURFACE RIDGE SLOWLY SHIFTS SOUTH TO LAY OVER THE FORECAST AREA FRIDAY NIGHT...AND LINGERS ON SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. THUS...WE WILL GET IN SOME SURFACE DRY AIR SETTLING IN FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...WITH DEWPOINTS ONLY IN THE 50S. THEY INCREASE AGAIN SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT BUT ONLY TO AROUND 60. BETWEEN ALL THIS DRY AIR AND THE RIDGING DO NOT EXPECT ANY PRECIPITATION. WITH THE NORTHEAST FLOW FRIDAY NIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER THAN NORMAL...BUT NOT BY MUCH WITH ALL THE SUNSHINE. SLIGHTLY WARMER CONDITIONS SATURDAY NIGHT AS THE AIRMASS MODIFIES WITH THE DRY GROUND AND SUNSHINE. SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THERE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE SENSIBLE WEATHER FORECAST. THE LAST COUPLE OF RUNS OF BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF HAVE SENT THE CUT OFF UPPER LEVEL LOW A LITTLE FARTHER SOUTHWEST...LEAVING THE FORECAST AREA HIGH AND DRY FOR SUNDAY THROUGH AT LEAST TUESDAY. WOULD BE LEERY OF JUMPING ON THIS FORECAST TREND USUALLY...BUT IT IS NOT NEW...IT SHOWED UP ON THE NEW ECMWF YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AS A NEW TREND THEN...AND THE 00Z GFS BEGAN TO TREND THAT DIRECTION. HAVE DEVIATED FROM THE HPC GUIDANCE...BUT THIS GUIDANCE STILL SEEMS TO BE HANGING ON TO THE WETTER SOLUTION OF YESTERDAY. THE 12Z GFS HAS CONTINUED THIS TREND...AS HAS THE NEW 12Z NAM. ESSENTIALLY AS THE CUT OFF LOW SHIFT SOUTH IN THE NEXT 24-48 HOURS...A REX BLOCK OF SORTS FORMS OVER THE ROCKIES FOR SATURDAY NIGHT INTO THE EARLY PART OF THE WEEK. THE CUT OFF LOW GETS RATHER WEAK AT THIS POINT...BEFORE IT IS PICKED UP BY A LONGWAVE TROUGH THAT MOVES OVER THE WESTERN STATES LATE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...AND PUSHES TOWARDS US AS A TROUGH THURSDAY FROM THE SOUTHWEST. THUS...HAVE ALLOWED POPS TO INCREASE AGAIN FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AS THIS TROUGH MOVES NORTHEAST AGAIN...THOUGH CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH GIVEN RECENT CHANGES IN THE MODELS. HAVE WARMED UP TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH MORE SUNSHINE AND LESS PRECIPITATION EXPECTED...THOUGH WE WILL STILL BE A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. ...LE... && .AVIATION... SCATTERED AND SHORT LINES OF STORMS IN EASTERN IA THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT. COVERAGE NOT ENOUGH TO WARRANT MORE THAN VCTS AT THIS TIME. MVFR CIGS/VIS IN THUNDERSTORMS OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH TONIGHT. VFR CONDITIONS ON FRIDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OUT OF THE GREAT LAKES. SPECIFICALLY LOOK FOR FEW-SCT040-050 ON FRIDAY WITH NORTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 KNOTS. ..HAASE.. && .DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IA...NONE. IL...NONE. MO...NONE. && HAASE/LE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 1142 AM CDT THU AUG 14 2008 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-151000- 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- 1142 AM CDT THU AUG 14 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...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS AND SHORT LINES OF STORMS SHOULD DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED...BUT SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS AROUND 40 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON OR TONIGHT. HAASE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 414 PM CDT THU AUG 14 2008 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>066-ILZ001-002-007-009-142315- 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 414 PM CDT THU AUG 14 2008 ...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING NORTH OF I-80... AT 410 PM CDT DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING NORTH OF I-80. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS NORTH OF HIGHWAY 20 WILL BE MOVING SOUTH INTO NORTHEAST IOWA THROUGH 6 PM. THE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH...ALONG WITH HAIL TO NEAR PENNY SIZE. HAASE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
506 PM CDT THU AUG 14 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0504 PM HAIL CEDAR RAPIDS 41.97N 91.67W
08/14/2008 M0.25 INCH LINN IA TRAINED SPOTTER
PEA SIZE HAIL ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS.
&&
JH2PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
508 PM CDT THU AUG 14 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0505 PM HEAVY RAIN 1 SSE CEDAR RAPIDS 41.95N 91.66W
08/14/2008 M1.00 INCH LINN IA TRAINED SPOTTER
DURING PAST 15 MINUTES.
&&
MIKEZPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
517 PM CDT THU AUG 14 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0513 PM HEAVY RAIN 1 SSE CEDAR RAPIDS 41.95N 91.66W
08/14/2008 M1.50 INCH LINN IA TRAINED SPOTTER
1.5 INCHES IN LAST 25 MINUTES.
&&
DLSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
518 PM CDT THU AUG 14 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0513 PM TSTM WND GST 1 SSE CEDAR RAPIDS 41.95N 91.66W
08/14/2008 E50 MPH LINN IA TRAINED SPOTTER
ESTIMATED 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS AND PEA SIZE HAIL.
&&
DLSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
531 PM CDT THU AUG 14 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0530 PM HEAVY RAIN 1 SSE CEDAR RAPIDS 41.95N 91.66W
08/14/2008 M1.80 INCH LINN IA TRAINED SPOTTER
DURING THE PAST 40 MINUTES. RAIN IS LETTING UP.
&&
MIKEZThe La Crosse radar (KARX), 144 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:53 UTC.
2 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph blew down several tree branches and bent some corn fields about 2 miles northwest of Hazelton, IA at 555 pm August 14. Some pea-sized hail was also observed.
Nickel-sized hail fell 2 miles northwest of Hazelton, IA at 555 pm August 14.
Nickel-sized hail fell 1 mile north of Hazelton, IA at 600 pm August 14.
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: 130382, 130383, 130384.