A cold front moved across northeast Iowa during the late afternoon and evening hours on July 7th. A line of thunderstorms developed along the cold front and produced heavy rain, which caused flooding on streets and roadways.
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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 ARX wrote it up.
A cold front moved across northeast Iowa during the late afternoon and evening hours on July 7th. A line of thunderstorms developed along the cold front and produced heavy rain, which caused flooding on streets and roadways.
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 La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 7, 12:13 PM CST, 2 hours 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 113 PM CDT MON JUL 7 2008 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT DISTURBANCES MOVING THROUGH UPPER FLOW LOCKED UP ACROSS SOUTHERN CANADA AND FAR NORTHERN TIER STATES WILL REMAIN FOCUS FOR WEATHER CONCERNS. IN NEAR TERM MOST OF THE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE IN FIRST 24 HOURS SO WILL BE CONCENTRATING ON SEVERE WEATHER CHANCES AND SETUP. MAIN SHORT WAVE TROUGH IN FLOW IS MOVING EASTWARD INTO FAR SOUTHERN MANITOBA BUT COULD STILL BE SOME MINOR IMPULSES EMBEDDED IN FLOW ACROSS THE PLAINS. SIGNIFICANT DRYING NOTED IN WATER VAPOR IMAGERY COMING THROUGH THE DAKOTAS. AHEAD OF THIS...WEAK SURFACE LOW NOTED NEAR MINNESOTA AND DAKOTAS BORDER AS OF 18Z WITH WARM FRONT ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA. VERY RIPE AIR IN THE FORM OF 70+ DEG F SURFACE DEWPOINTS SOUTH OF THIS BOUNDARY LEADING TO 1000-2000 J/KG MIXED LAYER CAPES. BEYOND THIS INSTABILITY THOUGH DEEP SHEAR IS NOT OVERLY IMPRESSIVE AND NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF CONVERGENCE AROUND TO FOCUS ONGOING CONVECTION. THIS IS EVIDENT ON WIND PROFILERS AND VAD WIND PROFILES WITH MAIN SOUTHWEST TO WEST FLOW AROUND 850 MB FROM NEBRASKA ACROSS IOWA AND INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS. IT MAY TAKE A FEW MORE HOURS THIS AFTERNOON TO GET INTO ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER THREAT BUT WATCH IS LIKELY AT VERY LEAST. GIVEN AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY AND BOUNDARY IN AREA...IN ADDITION TO APPROACH OF SHORT WAVE ENERGY THAT MAY INCREASE WIND SHEAR HEADING INTO THIS EVENING...WILL LIKELY SEE A 3 TO 6 HOUR TIME FRAME OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AROUND. ALSO CONCERNED WITH HEAVY RAIN THREAT DEPENDING ON HOW THINGS ORIENTATE THIS AFTERNOON. LARGEST RAIN THREAT APPEARS TO BE ACROSS MAINLY NORTHEAST IOWA INTO SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN...CLOSER TO HIGHER CAPE VALUES AND CAPE GRADIENT. THIS WILL HAVE TO BE MONITORED AS WELL FOR POSSIBLE FLASH FLOOD WATCH ISSUANCE. HOPEFULLY STORMS WILL REMAIN PROGRESSIVE ENOUGH TO NOT CAUSE TOO MANY ISSUES. BULK OF WEATHER LOOKS TO PUSH EAST OF THE AREA OVERNIGHT WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING BACK IN ON TUESDAY AND SWEEPING IN SOME DRIER LOW LEVEL AIR. THIS PROMISES A FEW NICE DAYS UNTIL ABOUT THURSDAY WITH SEASONAL TEMPERATURES AND MINIMAL RAIN CHANCES. AHEAD OF NEXT DISTURBANCE ACROSS CANADA ON THURSDAY...LOW LEVEL MOISTURE RETURNS WELL WEST OF OUR AREA AND SEEMS TO FOCUS INTO NORTHERN MINNESOTA. THIS COULD DEVELOP COMPLEX THAT RIDES BY MAINLY TO OUR NORTH SO WILL KEEP SMALL POPS GOING AS WE PROGRESS TOWARDS THE END OF THE WEEK. .LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY ZONAL FLOW AND PASSING SHORT WAVE ENERGY ACROSS SOUTHERN CANADA WILL CONTINUE TO DRIVE WEATHER INTO LATER PERIODS AS WELL. ALL MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE IN AGREEMENT WITH THIS SCENARIO BUT DIFFER IN TIMING OF MAIN PASSING SHORT WAVE TROUGH THAT APPROACHES FRIDAY AND INTO THE START OF THE WEEKEND. WILL LIKELY BLEND THESE SOLUTIONS WITH CONVECTION FIRING ALONG APPROACHING FRONT TO THE NORTHWEST LATE ON FRIDAY...AND THEN MOVING THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA INTO SATURDAY. SOME AGREEMENT THAT THIS FRONT MAY DROP INTO CENTRAL IOWA AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON BUT NOT SURE THOSE KIND OF DETAILS WILL HOLD TRUE THIS FAR OUT. SOME UPSTREAM RIDGING TAKES OVER ON SUNDAY THOUGH SO PLAN ON KEEPING LOWER RAIN THREATS IN DAYS 6 AND 7 AND FOCUSED MORE IN SOUTHERN AREAS WITH WEAK SURFACE HIGH TO THE NORTH. && .AVIATION... THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO BE THE MAIN CONCERN FOR THE KRST/KLSE TAF SITES THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE APPROACHING FROM THE PLAINS WILL PUSH A SURFACE COLD FRONT TOWARD AND THROUGH THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT PRODUCING LIFT AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. SOME THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE SEVERE...AND INCLUDE TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. IT APPEARS THE MAIN TIME FRAME FOR THESE CONDITIONS AT THE TAF SITES WILL BE FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING. CONFIDENCE REMAINS HIGH ENOUGH TO INCLUDE TEMPO TSRA IN THE TAFS ALONG WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY BELOW 3SM IN HEAVIER SHOWER ACTIVITY. THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND ANY LINGERING SHOWERS WILL BE SOUTHEAST OF THE TAF SITES BY LATE EVENING OR AROUND MIDNIGHT. DRIER AIR WILL FILTER INTO THE AREA ON TUESDAY WITH JUST SCATTERED FAIR WEATHER CUMULUS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY MID MORNING. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && SHORT AND LONG TERM - SHEA AVIATION - DAS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 1020 AM CDT MON JUL 7 2008 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034- 041>044-053>055-061-081100- ADAMS-ALLAMAKEE-BUFFALO-CHICKASAW-CLARK-CLAYTON-CRAWFORD-DODGE- FAYETTE-FILLMORE-FLOYD-GRANT-HOUSTON-HOWARD-JACKSON-JUNEAU-LA CROSSE- MITCHELL-MONROE-MOWER-OLMSTED-RICHLAND-TAYLOR-TREMPEALEAU-VERNON- WABASHA-WINNESHIEK-WINONA- 1020 AM CDT MON JUL 7 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA... NORTHEAST IOWA...AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY ACROSS THE AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT...AS A COUPLE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES INTERACT WITH THE MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS IN PLACE. THERE IS A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE...WITH THE PRIMARY THREATS BEING DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. THE MAIN THREAT TIME FOR THE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL AREAWIDE APPEARS TO BE FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH 2 AM TUESDAY MORNING...EXCEPT THE ISOLATED TORNADO POTENTIAL WHICH SHOULD BE CONFINED MAINLY BETWEEN 3 PM AND 7 PM. OF SPECIAL NOTE...THE HEAVY RAINFALL THREAT SUGGESTS THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS AND STEEP TERRAIN WHERE RAINFALL RUNOFF MAY BE ENHANCED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ANY LINGERING THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO END TUESDAY MORNING... AS A COLD FRONT SWEEPS ACROSS THE AREA. PROBABILITIES FOR SEVERE STORMS IN THIS TIME FRAME APPEAR TO BE LOW. THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND. AT THIS POINT...IT WAS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE THE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL IN THIS TIME FRAME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER GROUPS MAY BE NEEDED AREAWIDE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT. IN ADDITION...ANY RAINFALL REPORTS...ALONG WITH ANY REPORTS OF FLOODING...WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO CALL IS SCHEDULED. DAS/THOMPSON
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
226 PM CDT MON JUL 07 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0215 PM TSTM WND DMG LYLE 43.51N 92.94W
07/07/2008 MOWER MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
A FEW TREES, BRANCHES, AND A POWER LINE DOWN
&&
DAVISPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
239 PM CDT MON JUL 07 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0239 PM HEAVY RAIN LYLE 43.51N 92.94W
07/07/2008 M1.75 INCH MOWER MN PUBLIC
&&
SHEAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
249 PM CDT MON JUL 07 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0248 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 NE SPRING VALLEY 43.70N 92.38W
07/07/2008 FILLMORE MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
POWER LINES AND TREES DOWN
&&
DAVISPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
253 PM CDT MON JUL 07 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0245 PM TSTM WND DMG GRAND MEADOW 43.71N 92.57W
07/07/2008 MOWER MN AMATEUR RADIO
TWO TREES DOWN
&&
DAVISThe La Crosse radar (KARX), 144 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:17 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Street flooding was reported in Osage with measured rainfall of 2.50 inches.
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, 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: 104607.