Gusty winds were found across Iowa during the day on the 27th. Though wind gusts were below severe criteria, they were gusty in the 30 to 35 range and had been higher the day before.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
Gusty winds were found across Iowa during the day on the 27th. Though wind gusts were below severe criteria, they were gusty in the 30 to 35 range and had been higher the day before. A 3 year old boy was playing in his back yard in Fontanelle when a tree fell on him during the wind gusts and killed him.
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 27, 11:29 AM CST, 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1229 PM CDT SUN MAY 27 2012 .UPDATE 27/18Z AVIATION DISCUSSION... .SHORT TERM /TODAY/... RAISED MAXT ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN IA AS TEMPS CONTINUE WELL AHEAD OF EXPECTED EARLIER MAXES. BEST WARM AIR ADVECTION HEADING NORTHEAST AND OUT OF THE AREA BY 00Z...BUT WITH GOOD HEAD START ON WARMING WE SHOULD HAVE LITTLE TROUBLE ECLIPSING MANY OF THE PREVIOUS RECORDS OR TIE THEM. WINDS HAVE BEEN SUSTAINED TO NEAR 30 WEST AND EXPECT THIS TO RELAX SLICKLY THIS AFTERNOON...WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 40 MPH AT TIMES...SUB ADVISORY. STORMS TONIGHT WILL BRING SOME BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL WEST BUT SEVERE CHANCES REMAIN SUSPECT DUE TO DECREASING CAPE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AND LESSENING SFC CONVERGENCE IN THE EARLY EVENING. .PREVIOUS SHORT TERM.../TODAY/ LITTLE OF CONCERN INITIALLY TODAY WITH IA WELL INTO THE WARM SECTOR AND ANY FRONTAL CONVERGENCE WELL REMOVED TO THE WEST AND NORTH FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. MOST SOUNDINGS ADJUSTED TO THEIR BIASES SUGGEST HIGHS IN THE LOWER 90S TODAY WITH MIXING JUST ABOVE H85. BRISK SOUTH WINDS IN BOUNDARY LAYER...GUSTING OVER 30 MPH AT TIMES...MAY EVEN AID MIXING AND SUPERADIABATIC EFFECTS FURTHER TO ECLIPSE THAT SO TEMP TRENDS WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED BY MIDDAY. EVEN SO...THESE SOMEWHAT CONSERVATIVE HIGHS ARE STILL NEAR OR JUST EXCEEDING RECORD HIGHS TODAY. BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON ATTENTION WILL TURN TO THE WEST AS COLD FRONT REACHES SIOUXLAND AREA. KINEMATIC FORCING WILL INCREASE WITH SHORT WAVES EJECTING OUT OF SWRN TROUGH AND DIFFLUENCE BETWEEN MT UPPER LOW AND OH VALLEY RIDGE. ALTHOUGH SURFACE WINDS AND ASSOCIATED CONVERGENCE WILL BE MUCH LESS THAN WHAT IS CURRENTLY OBSERVED OVER NE/SD BY THE TIME THE FEATURE REACHES US...THE AFOREMENTIONED FORCING SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO FIRE CONVECTION DURING PEAK HEATING WITH MLCAPES 1500-2500 J/G. DEEP AND SHALLOW SHEAR REMOVED FROM THE FRONT TO THE EAST ARE NOT TOO IMPRESSIVE HOWEVER...SO WHILE SOME SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A HIGH END EVENT FOR US. .LONG TERM.../TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/ MAIN FORECAST CONCERN IS WITH COLD FRONT SWEEPING ACROSS THE STATE TONIGHT BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER. OTHER FORECAST CONSIDERATION ARE WITH POPS MID TO LATE WEEK AND COLDER TEMPERATURES. MODEL CONTINUE TO BE IN GOOD AGREEMENT OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS BEFORE SOME DISCREPANCIES DEVELOP BY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY...COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE STATE OVERNIGHT AND SHOULD BE CLEAR MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA BY 12Z MONDAY. UPPER LOW TRACKS ACROSS THE DAKOTAS INTO NORTHERN MINNESOTA AND INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES BY TUESDAY. THE MAJORITY OF THE WRF MODEL RUNS (15KM ARW-WRF/4KM-ARW-WRF/4KM NMM- WRF) HAVE THE PRECIP BAND/SQUALL LINE DIMINISHING AS IT MOVES EAST TONIGHT. WITH THE LACK OF GOOD DEEP SHEAR AND REALLY LOW LEVEL SHEAR...AS WELL AS INSTABILITY DECREASING LATE THIS EVENING...HAVE TO AGREE THE PRECIP SHOULD FALL APART PAST 06Z INTO 12Z MONDAY. MOST OF THE PRECIP WILL BE CONFINED TO NORTHERN IOWA TONIGHT CLOSEST TO THE BEST FORCING. HAVE CUT BACK ON POPS PAST 12Z MONDAY WITH THE FRONT MOVING A LITTLE QUICKER SOUTHEAST AND PRECIP FALLING APART BEFORE THEN. DECENT MIXING DEVELOPS BY THE AFTERNOON MONDAY...MAINLY LOOKING AT ALMOST A DOWNSLOPE SET UP WITH WINDS OUT OF THE WEST. HAVE TWEAKED MAX TEMPS UP SLIGHTLY BEFORE A SECOND SHOT OF CAA DEVELOPS BY TUESDAY. ANOTHER GOOD MIXING DAY ON TUESDAY BUT WITH FORECAST AREA WITHIN THE CAA REGIME BEHIND THE UPPER LOW MOVING EAST. TEMPS SHOULD BE ABOUT 25-30 DEGREES COOLER THAN TODAY. WINDS WILL BE A CONCERN...BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW APPEAR TO REMAIN UNDER CRITERIA LEVELS. WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE COMBINED WITH A WEAK SURFACE HIGH SLOWLY TRACK ACROSS THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY. LOW CONFIDENCE WITH MUCH CONVECTION AS SYSTEM LACKS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY...BUT GIVEN THE TIME OF YEAR AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF ELEVATE CAPE PRESENT...KEPT MENTION OF ISOLATED THUNDER THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. COOL...CLOUDY AND WET DAY IN STORE FOR THURSDAY. ECMWF SHOWS ANOTHER WEAK SHORTWAVE MOVING ACROSS THE STATE ON FRIDAY WHILE THE GFS KEEPS CONDITIONS DRY ATTM. ECMWF HAS BEEN CONSISTENT THE PAST COUPLE MODEL RUNS WITH THE SET UP ON FRIDAY...AND WENT WITH SMALL POPS FRIDAY. && .AVIATION...27/18Z TRENDS CONTINUE ON TRACK FOR THUNDER NORTHWEST AFT 00Z WITH ACTIVITY AFFECTING MAINLY KFOD AND KMCW PRIOR TO WEAKENING OVERNIGHT. FEEL THAT SCT NATURE OF STORMS LATER IN THE EVE AFT 06Z WILL RESULT IN VC WORDING GIVEN THE DECREASING COVERAGE. WINDS WILL REMAIN BRISK WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 35 MPH THROUGH 00Z DIMINISHING AFT 00Z. WINDS WILL PICK UP AGAIN MON AFT 15Z EAST PRIOR TO FRONTAL PASSAGE THEN SWING AROUND TO 240/270 AFT FRONTAL PASSAGE FROM WEST TO EAST. CIGS SHOULD REMAIN VFR UNLESS HEAVY DOWNPOUR OVER APT CAUSES SUDDEN DROP IN CIGS. FOR NOW...NOT COUNTING ON THAT OCCURRENCE THOUGH KFOD HAS BETTER CHANCE OF HITTING MVFR WITH ACTIVITY THIS EVENING. /REV && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...SMALL/REV AVIATION...REV LONG TERM...PODRAZIK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 508 AM CDT SUN MAY 27 2012 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>027-033>037-044>048-057>060-070>072-081-082- 092-281015- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-SAC-CALHOUN-WEBSTER- HAMILTON-HARDIN-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-STORY-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE- DALLAS-POLK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR- 508 AM CDT SUN MAY 27 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS FORECAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT...MAINLY ALONG AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 35 AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE LIKELY TO BE THE MAIN THREAT...WITH AN ISOLATED TORNADO POSSIBLE AS WELL. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS AND MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY ISOLATED NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST ON WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. IAZ028-038-039-049-050-061-062-073>075-083>086-093>097-281015- BREMER-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-MARSHALL-TAMA-JASPER-POWESHIEK-WARREN- MARION-MAHASKA-CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE- APPANOOSE-DAVIS- 508 AM CDT SUN MAY 27 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING INTO EARLY MONDAY MORNING...BUT THE WIDESPREAD SEVERE POTENTIAL REMAINS LOW AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY LINGERING THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY MORNING BUT NO SEVERE WEATHER. ISOLATED NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST ON WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. KLP
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1028 AM CDT SUN MAY 27 2012 IAZ005>007-016-017-024>026-034>036-045-046-271800- KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT- FRANKLIN-CALHOUN-WEBSTER-HAMILTON-CARROLL-GREENE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALGONA...FOREST CITY...NORTHWOOD... GARNER...MASON CITY...HUMBOLDT...CLARION...HAMPTON... ROCKWELL CITY...FORT DODGE...WEBSTER CITY...CARROLL...JEFFERSON 1028 AM CDT SUN MAY 27 2012 ...BRIEF WINDY CONDITIONS THIS MORNING... AN AREA OF WINDS NEARING 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 40 MPH WILL OCCUR OVER THE AREA THIS MORNING THROUGH ABOUT 1 PM CDT THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON. LATER IN THE AFTERNOON THE WINDS WILL REMAIN BREEZY...WITH WINDS AROUND 25 MPH AND GUSTS NEAR 35 TO 40 MPH. REV
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds blew a tree down, killing a 3 year old boy around 1145 CST.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind, Adair | 2012-05-27 | 3 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, May 2012
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: 373389.