A dry airmass was in place over the state with a strong southerly flow of air across the region. A few showers formed in the area of warm advection across the state, but produced very little rainfall.
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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 DMX wrote it up.
A dry airmass was in place over the state with a strong southerly flow of air across the region. A few showers formed in the area of warm advection across the state, but produced very little rainfall. The sounding was dry in the low levels which resulted in an inverted V type sounding. As showers dissipated in Sac County, winds estimated around 60 MPH occurred in Odebolt. Power was knocked out to most of the town as trees fell on power lines.
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 7, 11:18 AM CST, 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1218 PM CDT FRI OCT 7 2011 ...UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION... .SHORT TERM /TODAY/... MAIN FORECAST TODAY IS WITH MAX TEMPS AND WINDS. FAIRLY DEEP TROUGH LOCATED OVER THE ROCKIES/PLAINS WITH STRONG RIDGE TO THE EAST WILL PROVIDE A SHARP PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS IOWA TODAY. BUFR SOUNDINGS DEPICTING MIXING UP TO AROUND 850MB WHERE WE SHOULD SEE SOME GUSTS OVER 40KTS THIS AFTERNOON. THE ONE THING GOING AGAINST THE DEEP MIXING IS THE MID TO HIGH THIN CLOUD COVER...BUT THINKING THE PRESSURE GRADIENT AND MIXING UP TO A LEAST 900MB SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS ACROSS THE NORTH. SO HAVE ISSUED WIND ADVISORY LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH JUST AFTER SUNSET TONIGHT. WINDS LOOK TO STILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN STRONG AFTER 00Z SATURDAY...BUT EXPECTING THE STRONG GUSTS TO DIMINISH BELOW ADVISORY LEVEL DUE TO THE LACK OF PEAK HEATING. THE STRONG WAA CONTINUED OVERNIGHT AND KEPT TEMPS REMAINING FAIRLY WARM...GENERALLY ABOUT 10 TO 15 DEGREES ABOVE FROM THURSDAY MORNINGS LOW TEMPERATURES. IN ADDITION...DEW POINTS HAVE INCREASED DRAMATICALLY AS WELL...WHERE THEY RANGE IN THE UPPER 40S TO THE LOWER 50S AND LOOK TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE A FEW MORE DEGREES THROUGHOUT THE DAY TODAY. SO WITH THE HIGHER DEW POINTS...WARMER START...AND VERY GOOD MIXING TODAY...INCREASED MAX TEMPS A DEGREE OR TWO ACROSS THE ENTER FORECAST AREA. THIS IS MUCH CLOSER TO THE MET MOS GUIDANCE FOR MAX TEMPS. HAVE VERY LOW CONFIDENCE IN POPS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST TODAY AND KEPT ONLY SLIGHTS GOING FOR A POSSIBLE STRAY SHOWER DURING THE DAY. THE 05Z HRRR AND 4.0KM 00Z WRF SHOWING A FEW DRIBBLES INTO THE NORTHWEST LATE THIS MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON. .LONG TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERN CONTINUES TO BE EVOLUTION OF LARGE ROCKIES CYCLONE...MAINLY PRECIP TRENDS. PRIMARY NRN HIGH PLAINS SHORT WAVE AND ASSOCIATED SFC REFLECTION SHOULD BE EXITING INTO MANITOBA BY THE START OF THE PERIOD WITH BASE OF THE LONG WAVE TROUGH STILL WELL TO THE SW TOWARD THE FOUR CORNERS AREA. GFS HAS NOW COME AROUND TO A MUCH MORE ECMWF-LIKE SOLUTION COMPARED TO THIS TIME YESTERDAY LIFTING THIS OUT THROUGH THE MO VALLEY EARLY MON. RIBBON OF INSTABILITY...FORCING AND SOMEWHAT DEEPER MOISTURE RESPONSIBLE FOR CURRENT CONVECTION TO OUR WEST IS EXPECTED TO REACH NWRN IA TONIGHT AND REMAIN INTO EARLY SATURDAY BEFORE LIFTING INTO MN BY SAT EVENING. MODELS THEN DIVERGE SOMEWHAT INTO SUN WITH NAM/SREF SUGGESTING PRECIP AREA ADVANCING FARTHER INTO CENTRAL IA WHILE ECMWF/GFS REMAIN TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. PREVIOUS FORECAST ONLY HAD SLIGHTS AND LOW CHANCES THROUGH SUN NIGHT SO WITH SOME UNCERTAINLY WILL KEEP IT THAT WAY. CONFIDENCE NOT THERE TO REMOVE THINGS FURTHER QUITE YET...ALTHOUGH SUN MAY BE A CANDIDATE IN LATER FORECASTS. BETTER POTENTIAL LOOKS TO BE MON AND MON EVENING AS LAST REMNANTS OF TROUGH LIFT NORTHEAST. THIS WILL NOT END OUR PRECIP CHANCES HOWEVER AS GULF OF AK LOW EJECTS SHORT WAVES INTO PACIFIC NW...EVENTUALLY LOWERING HEIGHTS AND CARVING OUT ANOTHER CENTRAL CONUS TROUGH TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK INCREASING POPS AGAIN. && .AVIATION...07/18Z VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. A FEW SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE POSSIBLE BUT SHOULD REMAIN IN NORTHWESTERN IA SO HAVE NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THE 18Z TAFS. INTERMITTENT CIGS EXPECTED BUT MAINLY BETWEEN FL050-100. PRIMARY AVIATION CONCERN WILL BE STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS...DROPPING OFF SLOWLY OVERNIGHT THEN PICKING UP AGAIN ON SATURDAY MORNING. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WIND ADVISORY THROUGH 00Z WEST OF A LINE FROM MASON CITY TO CRESTON. && SHORT TERM...PODRAZIK LONG TERM...SMALL AVIATION...LEE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 528 AM CDT FRI OCT 7 2011 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>025-033>035-081100- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-SAC-CALHOUN-WEBSTER- 528 AM CDT FRI OCT 7 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WARM AND WINDY CONDITIONS WILL ONCE AGAIN CREATE AN ELEVATED FIRE DANGER THIS AFTERNOON. FIRES IN FARM FIELDS AND GRASSLANDS COULD DEVELOP AND SPREAD RAPIDLY. SOUTH WIND GUSTS MAY REACH 35 TO 50 MPH FROM MIDDAY INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER DETAILS. A FEW NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY ALSO OCCUR LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER THROUGH MONDAY...AND RETURN AGAIN AROUND WEDNESDAY. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. IAZ026>028-036>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-092>097-081100- FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-CRAWFORD- CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK- JASPER-POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-ADAMS- UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE- APPANOOSE-DAVIS- 528 AM CDT FRI OCT 7 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WARM AND WINDY CONDITIONS WILL ONCE AGAIN CREATE AN ELEVATED FIRE DANGER THIS AFTERNOON. FIRES IN FARM FIELDS AND GRASSLANDS COULD DEVELOP AND SPREAD RAPIDLY. SOUTH WIND GUSTS MAY REACH 30 TO 45 MPH FROM MIDDAY INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS. A FEW NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY ALSO OCCUR OVER WESTERN IOWA LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS WESTERN SECTIONS OF IOWA OVER THE WEEKEND...ADVANCING INTO CENTRAL IOWA MONDAY. ISOLATED STORMS MAY ALSO RETURN AROUND WEDNESDAY. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. SMALL
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High winds blew trees down, knocking out power for a large part of Odebolt.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, October 2011
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: 340445.