A warm front draped across northern Missouri and west central Illinois was the focal point for the repeated development of heavy rain-producing showers and thunderstorms during the late evening of June 2 through the early morning of June 4. Scattered showers and thunderstorms initially developed along the boundary over southeast Iowa, northeast Missouri, and west central Illinois during the late…
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The episode as NWS DVN wrote it up.
A warm front draped across northern Missouri and west central Illinois was the focal point for the repeated development of heavy rain-producing showers and thunderstorms during the late evening of June 2 through the early morning of June 4. Scattered showers and thunderstorms initially developed along the boundary over southeast Iowa, northeast Missouri, and west central Illinois during the late evening and overnight hours. Between 6 and 10 am on June 3, a bowing line of thunderstorms raced southeast out of central Iowa into central Illinois producing heavy rains and damaging winds. Behind the system, strong gradient winds were observed, with an isolated gust causing some tree damage in Davenport, IA. Additional heavy rains fell during the late evening of June 3 in Burlington, IA which resulted in some flooded streets.
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 Jun 3, 2:44 AM CST, 3 hours 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 344 AM CDT TUE JUN 3 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDED FROM LOW PRESSURE OVER CENTRAL KS EAST THROUGH NRN MO INTO CENTRAL IL EARLY THIS MORNING. SEVERAL MCS/S HAD DEVELOPED ALONG AND NORTH OF THE FRONT AND AHEAD OF THE SURFACE LOW. MCS ON THE FRONT OVER SRN IA/NERN MO/CNTRL IL AND JUST EAST OF SFC LOW IN WRN MO WERE BEING FUELED BY 50-60KT H8 JET AND H8 DEWPOINTS AROUND 15C POOLED ALONG AND NORTH OF THE SFC BOUNDARY. SERN SD MCS APPEARS TIED TO MCV. && .SHORT TERM...TODAY AND TONIGHT... ACTIVE WX EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING. TSRA EXPECT TO CONTINUE OVER SRN CWA UNTIL H8 JET VEERS AND SUBSIDES BETWEEN 12Z AND 15Z. MEANWHILE MCS OVER SERN SD/NW IA SHOULD CONTINUE TO DIVE SE ALONG STRONG INSTABILITY GRADIENT. CURRENT TIMING SUGGESTS IT WILL REACH THE WRN CWA BETWEEN 10Z AND 12Z. BASED ON THIS TIMING HIGHEST PROBABILITY OF TSRA WILL BE THIS MORNING. BY THIS AFTERNOON...AIRMASS SHOULD BE PRETTY WELL WORKED OVER TO LIMIT ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO SCATTERED ELEVATED TSRA. THIS EVENING MID-LEVEL TROF APPROACHING FROM THE WEST SHOULD PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR TSRA DEVELOPMENT IN THE MOIST UNSTABLE AIRMASS CLOSE TO THE BOUNDARY IN NRN MO AND WEST CENTRAL IL WITH SRN IA ON THE NRN FRINGE. PLENTY OF CAPE AND LOW LEVEL SHEAR TO SUPPORT A DECENT SEVERE THREAT IN THE FAR SOUTH...ESPECIALLY EAST OF THE MS RIVER. HEAVY RAINS ON GOING OVER OUR NE MO AND W CNTRAL IL COUNTIES THIS MORNING...MAY SET THE STAGE FOR A FLASH FLOOD THREAT LATE TODAY/THIS EVENING...BUT WILL LET THE DAY SHIFT TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEED FOR A WATCH SINCE A LOT WILL DEPEND ON WHERE THE OUTFLOWS SET UP THIS AFTERNOON. ...DLF... .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... STATIONARY FRONT ALONG OR JUST SOUTH OF SOUTHERN CWFA BORDER WED MORNING IS PROGGED TO LIFT NORTH TO AT LEAST I-80 CORRIDOR DURING THE DAY. BACKING FLOW ALOFT IN RESPONSE TO DIGGING UPPER TROUGH OUT WEST WILL HELP THIS PROCESS ALONG. GFS SHEAR AND INSTABILITY PROFILES SUPPORTIVE OF POTENTIAL FOR SUPERCELLS ALONG THIS NORTHWARD LIFTING WARM FRONT AND SPC HAS ENTIRE AREA IN DAY 2 SLIGHT RISK. HAVE CHANCE POPS OVER ENTIRE AREA...ALTHOUGH WARM H7 TEMPERATURES ADVECTING INTO AREA MAY CAP CONVECTION IN THE WARM SECTOR ACROSS THE SOUTH IN THE AFTERNOON. WED NIGHT INTO THU...THE SURFACE BOUNDARY IS SHOWN TO SHIFT NORTH AND BECOME SW-NE ORIENTED PARALLEL TO THE UPPER FLOW. HAVE KEPT BEST CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS CLOSEST TO THIS BOUNDARY IN THIS TIME FRAME...WITH VERY LOW TO SLIGHT CHANCES IN THE SOUTH AND SE WHERE WARM AIR AT H7 MAY CAP THINGS. MAIN UPPER WAVE LIFTS NORTHEAST OUT OF CENTRAL PLAINS FRI WITH ONE OR MORE SIGNIFICANT SHORTWAVES OUT AHEAD TRIGGERING MCS ACTIVITY AND SEVERE POTENTIAL THU NIGHT. FOCUSING ON THIS FORCING...HAVE LIKELY POPS IN THE WEST THU NIGHT...THEN OVER MOST OF CWFA FRI. BRIEF BOUT OF SHORTWAVE RIDGING AND H8 MOISTURE SUPPRESSED SOUTHWARD SHOULD LIMIT THUNDERSTORM CHANCES SAT AND REMOVED CHANCES SAT. ANOTHER LONGWAVE TROUGH MOVING INTO THE WESTERN CONUS RESETS THE ACTIVE SW FLOW PATTERN FOR SUN INTO MON WITH THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WITH ELEVATED MOISTURE RETURN SAT NIGHT. ..SHEETS.. && .AVIATION... GENEARLLY VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED OUTSIDE OF TSRA THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH GREATEST TSRA THREAT AT KBRL WHICH WILL BE CLOSER TO THE SURFACE BOUNDARY OVER NRN MO. THIS MORNING TSRA OVER SERN IA/NERN MO SHOULD DIMINISH BY MID MORNING. SCATTERED SHRA/-TSRA WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER MUCH OF THE AREA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON WITH THE FOCUS MOVING BACK TO THE SOUTH THIS EVENING. INCREASING NELY SFC WINDS THROUGH THIS EVENING WILL DRY OUT LOWER LEVELS WHICH PUSH THE TSRA THREAT SOUTH OF THE AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. ...DLF... && .HYDROLOGY... TRAINING THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHEAST MO COUNTIES AND FAR SE IA INTO W CENTRAL IL OVERNIGHT HAVE LIKELY RESULTED IN SEVERAL INCHES OF RAINFALL. WILL HAVE TO MONITOR THIS AREA CLOSELY WITH ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TODAY...TONIGHT AND LATER THIS WEEK. OTHER AREA OF CONCERN IS ALONG HIGHWAY 20 CORRIDOR...WHICH WILL BE IN MORE FAVORABLE AREA FOR THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WED NIGHT THROUGH FRI. LAST ROUND OF RIVER FORECASTS HAD SIGNIFICANT RISES EXPECTED ON THE SKUNK... ENGLISH...FOX AND LA MOINE RIVERS BY LATE TODAY. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TODAY COULD AGGRAVATE ONGOING FLOODING ON THE IOWA...WAPSI...AND CEDAR RIVERS. PORTIONS OF THE MS RIVER FROM GLADSTONE SOUTHWARD COULD SEE RISES APPROACHING FLOOD STAGE OVER NEXT SEVERAL DAYS IF HEAVY RAINFALL FALLS ON THE AFOREMENTIONED RIVER BASINS. ..SHEETS.. && .DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IA...NONE. IL...NONE. MO...NONE. && DLF/SHEETS/
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 515 AM CDT TUE JUN 3 2008 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-041015- 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- 515 AM CDT TUE JUN 3 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 THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH OF FREEPORT...CEDAR RAPIDS...WILLIAMSBURG LINE THIS MORNING. THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING THE RISK OF SEVERE STORMS WILL BE MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 34 WITH A MODERATE RISK INPLACE SOUTH OF A KAHOKA MISSOURI...ROSEVILLE ILLINOIS LINE. THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS NORTHEAST MISSOURI AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS EARLY THIS MORNING. THE HEAVY RAINS WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING. THE STORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. A CLUSTER THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OUT OF CENTRAL IOWA THIS MORNING WILL SPREAD INTO EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI BY MID MORNING. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AS THEY MOVE OUT OF CENTRAL IOWA...BUT ISOLATED STRONGER STORMS IN EASTERN IOWA AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI MAY PRODUCE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNY/S. HEAVY RAINS WILL ALSO BE A THREAT...ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHEAST IOWA AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING OVER SOUTHEAST IOWA...NORTHEAST MISSOURI AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS THAT THE GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE ALONG AND EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THE PRIMARY SEVERE THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS PLACED THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA UNDER A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY...THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. ON WEDNESDAY...SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG A WARM FRONT THAT WILL LIFT NORTH THROUGH THE AREA. THESE STORMS MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. IT APPEARS THE GREATEST RISK WILL BE IN EASTERN IOWA AND NORTHWEST ILLINOIS ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 34 IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. WEDNESDAY NIGHT...A COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA WITH THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND...HEAVY RAIN...AND LARGE HAIL. THIS RISK IS GREATEST WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. A LARGE STORM SYSTEM MOVING OUT OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES WILL BRING ADDITIONAL ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. CONDITIONS WILL AGAIN BE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER... BUT IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE MORE SPECIFIC TIMING...LOCATIONS... AND THREATS ASSOCIATED WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS. MINOR TO MAJOR FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ON SEVERAL EASTERN IOWA TRIBUTARIES THIS WEEK. THE STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THIS WEEK WILL LIKELY BRING ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS TO THE REGION. ANY HEAVY RAIN THAT OCCURS WILL LIKELY PROLONG THE ONGOING FLOODING OR CAUSE ADDITIONAL FLOODING ON AREA TRIBUTARIES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 34.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
456 AM CDT TUE JUN 03 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0453 AM HEAVY RAIN MEMPHIS 40.46N 92.17W
06/03/2008 M2.80 INCH SCOTLAND MO TRAINED SPOTTER
6 HOUR RAINFALL TOTAL
&&
DLFPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
458 AM CDT TUE JUN 03 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0453 AM FLASH FLOOD ARBELA 40.46N 92.02W
06/03/2008 SCOTLAND MO TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER REPORTED WATER WAS OVER SECONDARY ROADS IN THE
ARBELA AREA.
&&
DLFPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
642 AM CDT TUE JUN 03 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0639 AM FLASH FLOOD SSW RUTLEDGE 40.31N 92.09W
06/03/2008 SCOTLAND MO TRAINED SPOTTER
CREEK OUT OF ITS BANKS AND FLOWING OVER GRAVEL ROAD
&&
DLFPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
645 AM CDT TUE JUN 03 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0645 AM HEAVY RAIN 2 W RUTLEDGE 40.31N 92.13W
06/03/2008 M3.65 INCH SCOTLAND MO TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
DLFThe Des Moines radar (KDMX), 120 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:27 UTC.
5 flash flood, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds estimated to be 60 mph blew down some 2 inch diameter branches around 7:30 am on June 3 in the vicinity of What Cheer, IA.
Heavy rains of 1 to 2.5 inches fell in under an hour resulting in some flash flooding from What Cheer, Iowa to South English, Iowa during the morning and early afternoon hours of June 3.
Heavy rains of 1 to 2 inches fell in a short amount of time resulting in some flash flooding in several parts of Iowa County during the morning and early afternoon hours of June 3. Highway 6 between Ladora and South Amana and 240th street just west of Williamsburg were flooded as well as several other rural roads across the area.
Heavy rains of 1.5 to 2.5 inches fell in a short amount of time resulting in some flash flooding in Kalona, Iowa during the morning and early afternoon hours of June 3. Highway 22 and some other streets in town were flooded and impassable.
Heavy rains of 1 to 2.5 inches in a short amount of time resulted in flash flooding of some streets near the intersection of Melrose Ave. and Mormon Trek Blvd. in Iowa City. The location in question is a low spot in the road that is prone to flooding. This report was relayed by a trained spotter.
Winds estimated to be 60 mph blew down some branches and stripped the leaves off of some trees in Keokuk, IA. In addition, heavy rains estimated to be around 1 inch fell in about 20 minutes.
Strong easterly gradient winds behind the storm system estimated to be gusting to 60 mph blew down a 4 to 6 inch diameter branch near the intersection of 53rd Street and Utica Ridge Road on the northeast side of Davenport, IA. Time estimated.
Several rounds of thunderstorms moved across the Burlington, IA area from early on June 3 through the early morning of June 4. An additional 1.5 inches of rain fell between 11:00 pm and 12:00 am making the 25 hour rainfall total just under 3 inches. Shortly after 12:00 am on June 4, street flooding was observed on Roosevelt Avenue between Mt Pleasant Street and Kirkwood Street where the flood waters were 3 to 4 inches deep.
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, June 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: 111210, 111258, 111216, 111223, 111226, 111232, 111266, 111536.