High Wind in Iowa, October 27, 2010

Name: High Wind in Iowa, October 27, 2010
Start: 2010-10-27T09:00
End: 2010-10-27T16:00
Location: Iowa

October 27, 2010 · NWS DMX · 25 events in 25 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 25 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 3
Property damage: $740,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 25

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS DMX wrote it up.

Intense low pressure that was over northern Minnesota the previous day had moved into southwest Ontario, north of Lake Superior, during the day on the 27th. A lobe of low pressure rotated around the low as strong cold air advection took place over Iowa. Winds increased sharply after sunrise with wind gusts in excess of 58 MPH over a large part of central and north central Iowa. The strongest winds were recorded in central Iowa in Boone, Story, into Polk County. Winds gusted to 63 MPH in Boone, with 62 MPH winds in the Des Moines metropolitan area. The high winds overturned three semi tractor-trailer trucks, one in Boone County, one on Interstate 35 in Franklin County near Dows, and the other in Story County. All three drivers received minor injuries from the accidents. Scattered power outages were reported around the state. Outages peaked around 1000 customers during the afternoon hours. Minor tree damage was also reported around the state.

What forecasters said that day

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 Oct 27, 5:36 AM CST, 3 hours 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 27, 5:36 AM CST, 3 hours 24 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 27, 4:07 AM CST, 4 hours 53 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 27, 8:30 AM CST, 30 minutes before

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Local storm report, Oct 27, 8:45 AM CST, 15 minutes before

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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

25 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Kossuth

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Kossuth forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $40,000
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 43.204, -94.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hancock

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Hancock forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 43.082, -93.734 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Cerro Gordo

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Cerro Gordo forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 43.082, -93.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Humboldt

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Humboldt forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 42.777, -94.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wright

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Wright forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 42.733, -93.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Franklin

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated sustained
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 42.733, -93.262 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Butler

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Butler forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 42.732, -92.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Webster

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 42.428, -94.182 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hamilton

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 42.384, -93.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hardin

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Hardin forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 42.384, -93.240 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Grundy

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Grundy forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 42.402, -92.791 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Black Hawk

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Black Hawk forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 42.470, -92.309 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Carroll

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Carroll forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 42.036, -94.861 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Greene

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Greene forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 42.036, -94.397 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Boone

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Boone forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 42.037, -93.932 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Story

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Story forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated sustained
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 42.036, -93.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Marshall

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 42.036, -92.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Audubon

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Audubon forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 41.685, -94.906 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Guthrie

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Guthrie forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 41.684, -94.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Dallas

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Dallas forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 41.685, -94.040 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Polk

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Polk forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 41.686, -93.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Adair

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Adair forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 41.331, -94.471 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Warren

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 41.334, -93.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Marion

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 41.334, -93.099 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Monroe

When: October 27, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 41.030, -92.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Iowa in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, October 2010

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 258561, 258562, 258563, 258565, 258567, 258568, 258569, 258570, 258571, 258572, 258573, 258574, 258575, 258576, 258577, 258578, 258579, 258580, 258581, 258582, 258583, 258585, 262721, 264526, 264527.