A strong low pressure system moved across Kansas through northern Missouri. Thunderstorms lifted northeast across Iowa during the evening of the 10th.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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 moved across Kansas through northern Missouri. Thunderstorms lifted northeast across Iowa during the evening of the 10th. The was no severe weather from the thunderstorms, however a gravity wave formed in the wake of the area of thunderstorms. This produced high winds of 60 to 75 MPH over parts of north central Iowa. Large trees were uprooted by the winds with scattered power outages reported. A secondary burst occurred during the early morning hours in Audubon County with high winds breaking 10 inch diameter branches east of Gray.
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 May 10, 11:43 AM CST, 2 hours 17 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1243 PM CDT MON MAY 10 2010 ...UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION... .SHORT TERM /TODAY/... MAIN FORECAST CONCERN IS WITH PRECIP AND WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH STRONG UPPER LOW EJECTING OUT OF THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES AND INTO THE PLAINS TODAY. MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH TIMING AND OVERALL SURGE OF MOISTURE INTO THE REGION. WENT WITH A BLEND OF THE SREF/NAM. VERY IMPRESSIVE THETA-E ADVECTION AND MOISTURE TRANSPORT INTO THE REGION LATE THIS MORNING AND CONTINUING INTO THE AFTERNOON. BUFR SOUNDINGS DEPICTING A DEEP SATURATED COLUMN B/T 15-18Z ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST...AND THEN THE ENTIRE CWA BY 21Z OR EARLIER. DELAYED POPS SLIGHTLY TOWARDS LATE THIS MORNING ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST...WITH HIGH POPS OVER THE ENTIRE CWA THIS AFTERNOON. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES RANGE FROM 0.5-1.0 INCH TODAY. VERY LITTLE...IF ANY ELEVATED INSTABILITY TODAY ACROSS THE CWA WITH ENOUGH SURFACE BASED CAPE TO KEEP MENTION OF THUNDER OVER THE SOUTH. SO MAINLY EXPECTING STRATIFORM RAIN THROUGHOUT THE DAY WITH DECENT ISENTROPIC LIFT AHEAD OF LOW...BUT WITH THUNDER CHANCES OVER THE SOUTH MAY SEE SOME LOCALLY HIGHER PRECIP AMOUNTS WITH THE CONVECTION. QPF AMOUNTS WILL RANGE FROM 0.25 NORTH UP TO 0.75 INCHES SOUTH. WRT WINDS TODAY...PRESSURE GRADIENT INCREASES LATE THIS MORNING WITH STRONG 850MB WINDS PARTIALLY MIXING DOWN BY THIS AFTERNOON. TWEAK WINDS UP SLIGHTLY...STILL BELOW ADVISORY LEVEL ATTM. .LONG TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... SITUATION HAS CHANGED LITTLE IN THIS PERIOD...ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE WORK WEEK...WITH A PROLONGED EPISODE OF WET AND COOL WEATHER. PRECIP SHOULD BE ONGOING AND EVEN INTENSIFYING SOMEWHAT TONIGHT WITH DEEP KINEMATIC AND THERMODYNAMIC FORCING COMING TOGETHER AHEAD OF POTENT AZ SHORT WAVE AS IT REACHES KS BY 00Z. HAVE CONTINUED NEAR 100 PERCENT POPS TONIGHT DIMINISHING TO CHANCES AND THEN ESSENTIALLY ENDING BY AFTERNOON. ISOLATED LARGE HAIL MAY OCCUR THIS EVENING AS ELEVATED CAPES BRIEFLY SURGE INTO SRN IA. SPC AND DMX WRF RUNS SUPPORT STRONGER CONVECTION AND HEAVY RAINS AS WELL. AFTER A BRIEF BREAK...ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO NEXT SYSTEM CURRENTLY OFF THE CA/OR COAST WHICH IS EXPECTED TO REACH UPPER MO VALLEY BY WED NIGHT. CONFIDENCE IN RAISING POPS MUCH MORE WED INTO THU JUST IS NOT THERE YET HOWEVER AS MODELS ARE STILL STRUGGLING TO REACH A CONSENSUS. FOR INSTANCE...H7 LOWS BY 12Z THU VARY FROM 12Z ECMWF OVER ND TO 12Z SREF/12Z GEFS NEAR NRN WI/UP MI WITH SIMILAR DIFFERENCES AT OTHER LEVELS INCLUDING MSLP. TIMING AND LOCATIONS ARE STILL UNCERTAIN...BUT CONFIDENCE THAT SOMEPLACE WILL RECEIVE HEAVY RAINS REMAINS RELATIVELY HIGH AND WILL BE DISCUSSED FURTHER IN HYDROLOGY SECTION. SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL WED NIGHT IS SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO TONIGHT AND EVEN A TAD MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH ELEVATED INSTABILITY PUSH CONDUCIVE FOR LARGE HAIL. PRECIP SHOULD END SW-NE THU WITH TRENDS SIMILAR TO CURRENT SYSTEM. LOWS SHOULD STAY ON THE WARM SIDE OF GUIDANCE TONIGHT WITH CLOUDS AND PRECIP. NO BIG CHANCES FROM MOS TUE OR TUE NIGHT...BUT WED SURE LOOKS COLD AND WET. PRECIP AND BRISK EAST WINDS WILL PROVIDE LITTLE BOOST IN TEMPS. BUFR SOUNDINGS AND SREF SUPPORT COOLER END OF GUIDANCE...IF THAT...SO HAVE TRIMMED BACK THOSE HIGHS AT LEAST SEVERAL DEGREES WITH FURTHER LOWERING QUITE POSSIBLE. SAME THINKING INTO WED NIGHT AS WELL. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES INTO REMAINDER OF PERIOD. && .HYDROLOGY... CONFIDENCE HAS INCREASED SOMEWHAT THAT SCATTERED MINOR FLOODING PROBLEMS WILL DEVELOP BY MIDWEEK. VARIOUS ISENT SFCS SHOW STRONG MOISTURE TRANSPORT AND CONVERGENCE BOTH TONIGHT AND WED INTO WED NIGHT. PW AND WARM CLOUD DEPTHS ARE ABOVE AVERAGE TONIGHT BUT REALLY INCREASE TO ANOMALOUS LEVELS BY LATE WED. PWS ARE FORECAST TO REACH 1.50 INCHES WITH WARM CLOUD DEPTHS OF 10-12K FT. THIS SHOULD PROVIDE FOR VERY EFFICIENT RAINS WITH STAGE WELL SET BY PRECIP EARLIER IN THE WEEK. SMALLER SRN IA BASINS MAY BE MOST AFFECTED DUE TO CURRENT WETTER SOIL CONDITIONS WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY MBRFC ENSEMBLE FORECASTS. FLOODING STILL LOOKS TO MAINLY BE MINOR BUT SEE NO REASON NOT TO CONTINUE ESF HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK. TWO EVENT TOTALS REACH 1.5-4.0 INCHES BY THU WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS QUITE POSSIBLE. HIGHEST AMOUNTS SERN TWO-THIRDS. && .AVIATION... 10/18Z...WIDESPREAD SHOWER ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED ACROSS IOWA THROUGH 06Z WITH THUNDERSTORMS IN THE SOUTHERN HALF OF IOWA. THE PRECIPITATION WILL END FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST LATE TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING AS LOW PRESSURE PASSES THROUGH THE STATE. CIGS WILL CONTINUE TO LOWER THIS AFTERNOON WITH WIDESPREAD MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS AND VSBYS...ESPECIALLY IN AND AROUND THUNDERSTORMS. SFC WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG FROM THE SOUTHEAST TODAY BECOMING MORE EASTERLY OVERNIGHT. AFTER PRECIPITATION ENDS...VSBYS WILL IMPROVE TO VFR WITH CONTINUED MVFR CIGS INTO TUESDAY MORNING. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. SHORT TERM...KLP LONG TERM/HYDROLOGY...BSS AVIATION...COGIL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 532 AM CDT MON MAY 10 2010 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-111100- 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- 532 AM CDT MON MAY 10 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT OCCASIONAL SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THE SHOWERS AND STORMS MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS WITH RAINFALL TOTALS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES BY DAYBREAK TUESDAY. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY AGAIN WEDNESDAY INTO EARLY THURSDAY. SOME OF THE SHOWERS AND STORMS MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS AND MINOR FLOODING WITH FOUR DAY RAINFALL TOTALS OF TWO TO THREE INCHES...LOCALLY UP TO FOUR OR MORE. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED...HOWEVER REPORTS OF HEAVY RAIN AND EXCESSIVE RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE APPRECIATED AND ENCOURAGED. IAZ057>062-070>075-081>086-092>097-111100- AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON- WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-ADAMS-UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-TAYLOR- RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE-APPANOOSE-DAVIS- 532 AM CDT MON MAY 10 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT OCCASIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THE SHOWERS AND STORMS MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS WITH RAINFALL TOTALS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES BY DAYBREAK TUESDAY. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY AGAIN WEDNESDAY INTO EARLY THURSDAY. SOME OF THE SHOWERS AND STORMS MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS AND MINOR FLOODING WITH FOUR DAY RAINFALL TOTALS OF TWO TO THREE INCHES...LOCALLY UP TO FOUR OR MORE. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE BRIEFLY NEEDED TONIGHT AND AGAIN WEDNESDAY OR WEDNESDAY NIGHT. REPORTS OF HEAVY RAIN AND EXCESSIVE RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE ALSO APPRECIATED AND ENCOURAGED. SMALL
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Ten inch diameter tree branches were downed by high winds.
Trees were damaged by high winds.
Trees were damaged by high winds, with gusts to 55 MPH.
Trees were damaged by high winds, with gusts estimated 55 to 60 MPH.
Numerous trees were downed in Clear Lake by high winds.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, May 2010
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: 219704, 219703, 219698, 219699, 219700, 219701, 222605.