Isolated thunderstorms developed along a cold front during the afternoon of May 14th. One of these storms become strong enough to produce high winds with the automated weather observing equipment at the Charles City Airport (Floyd County) measuring a wind gust of 58 mph.
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The episode as NWS ARX wrote it up.
Isolated thunderstorms developed along a cold front during the afternoon of May 14th. One of these storms become strong enough to produce high winds with the automated weather observing equipment at the Charles City Airport (Floyd County) measuring a wind gust of 58 mph.
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 La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 14, 2:19 PM CST, 1 hour 26 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 319 PM CDT TUE MAY 14 2013 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 319 PM CDT TUE MAY 14 2013 THE MAIN FOCUS IN THE SHORT TERM IS WITH HOW MUCH CONVECTION THE PASSING COLD FRONT WILL BE ABLE TO PRODUCE INTO TONIGHT. TEMPERATURES HAVE SKYROCKETED INTO THE 90S AND LOW 100S IN THE WARM SECTOR AHEAD AND ALONG OF A COLD FRONT THAT CURRENTLY EXTENDS SOUTHWEST FROM A SURFACE LOW IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA. THE TRIPLE POINT OF THE SURFACE LOW...WARM FRONT AND DRYLINE/COLD FRONT IS VISIBLE VIA MPX RADAR AND SURFACE OBS NEAR FARIBAULT MINNESOTA. A CORRIDOR OF +30C 925MB TEMPERATURES AHEAD OF THIS LOW COMBINED WITH DEEP MIXING THROUGH 600MB HAS ALLOWED FOR THIS RAPID WARMING WITH SOME PLACES JUMPING UP 20F IN AN HOUR AFTER THE MID LEVEL CLOUDS CLEARED. THIS CLOUD COVER AND SPRINKLES THAT CAME THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON WAS ASSOCIATED WITH AN OVERNIGHT MCS THAT INITIATED IN THE DAKOTAS AND CONTINUALLY WEAKENED AS IT PROPAGATED INTO THE REGION. CONVECTION HAS STARTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA JUST TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE LOW...BUT SHOULD REMAIN FAIRLY ISOLATED THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. INVERTED V SOUNDINGS AND FAVORABLE 0-3KM UNIDIRECTIONAL SHEAR OF 30-40 KTS MEAN THAT ANY SHOWERS/STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP WILL POSE THE THREAT OF DEVELOPING STRONG DOWNDRAFTS WITH THEM...PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE WARM SECTOR IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST IOWA THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING. THIS CONVECTION WILL REMAIN FAIRLY ISOLATED AND SHOULD DIMINISH INTO THE EVENING HOURS. THE COLD FRONT WILL THEN SETTLE DOWN TO THE SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA WITH A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN FROM THE NORTHWEST. THIS SHOULD LEAD TO A MAINLY CLEAR PERIOD FROM OVERNIGHT INTO TOMORROW WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES STILL IN THE 70S. .LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 319 PM CDT TUE MAY 14 2013 THE COLD FRONT WILL THEN START TRANSITIONING TO A WARM FRONT THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY AS A MID LEVEL SHORT WAVE TROUGH TRACKS INTO THE REGION AS A DEEPER TROUGH STARTS TO CARVE ITS WAY THROUGH THE ROCKIES. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT STARTS NOSING UP THROUGH WESTERN MINNESOTA/IOWA THURSDAY NIGHT WITH SOME WEAK CONVERGENCE ALONG THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY. KEPT PRECIPITATION CHANCES AS IS THROUGH THE WEEKEND BASED ON A 14.12Z GFS/ECMWF BLEND...BUT THINK THAT THE PRECIPITATION IS LIKELY OVERDONE DUE TO THE HIGH DEW POINTS BEING OFFERED UP. WITH STRONGER SOUTHERLY FLOW DUE TO THE DIGGING TROUGH...CAN NOT RULE OUT THESE SIMILAR SCENARIOS WHERE A SURFACE LOW DRIFTS EAST ACROSS THE PLAINS THIS WEEKEND WITH CONVECTION DEVELOPING OUT AHEAD OF IT IN THE WARM SECTOR...WHICH ALSO COULD BE MORE CAPPED THAN IT CURRENTLY IS SUGGESTING. THE ECMWF IS MORE PROGRESSIVE WITH THE LOW WHILE THE GFS CUTS IT OFF AND HAS IT LINGERING IN THE REGION INTO TUESDAY. CONFIDENCE STILL NOT VERY HIGH ON THE SEVERE THREAT...BUT THE 14.12Z ECMWF WOULD SUGGEST THAT SUNDAY WOULD BE THE MAIN PERIOD WITH THE 14.12Z GFS SAYING SUNDAY NIGHT IS THE MAIN CONCERN FOR TIMING OF THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1255 PM CDT TUE MAY 14 2013 SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 14 TO 18 KTS ARE EXPECTED AT THE TAF SITES THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THE WINDS WILL GUST TO AROUND 30 KTS AT KRST AND TO AROUND 24 KTS AT KLSE. A COLD FRONT WILL SLIDE ACROSS THE TAF SITES LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING...POSSIBLY GENERATING A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. CONFIDENCE ON THESE IMPACTING THE TAF SITES IS LOW SO HAVE NOT INCLUDED THEM IN THE TAFS AT THIS TIME. WINDS WILL DIMINISH INTO THE 7 TO 10 KT RANGE LATE THIS EVENING AND SWITCH TO THE NORTHWEST BEHIND THE FRONT. WEAK SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO BUILD IN LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED. PLAN ON NORTH/NORTHWEST WINDS INCREASING TO AROUND 12 KTS DURING THE MID TO LATE MORNING HOURS ON WEDNESDAY. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR MNZ086-094. IA...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR IAZ008-018. && SHORT TERM...HALBACH LONG TERM...HALBACH AVIATION...WETENKAMP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 458 AM CDT TUE MAY 14 2013 IAZ009>011-019-029-030-MNZ079-087-088-095-096-WIZ017-029-032>034- 041>044-053>055-061-151200- ADAMS-ALLAMAKEE-BUFFALO-CHICKASAW-CLARK-CLAYTON-CRAWFORD-FAYETTE- FILLMORE-GRANT-HOUSTON-HOWARD-JACKSON-JUNEAU-LA CROSSE-MONROE- OLMSTED-RICHLAND-TAYLOR-TREMPEALEAU-VERNON-WABASHA-WINNESHIEK-WINONA- 458 AM CDT TUE MAY 14 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTHEAST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE COMBINATION OF UNSEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON... DEVELOPING BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS AND DRY AIR WILL RESULT IN AN ELEVATED RISK FOR WILDFIRES...ESPECIALLY WEST OF HIGHWAY 52 IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST IOWA. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING...BETWEEN 5 PM AND MIDNIGHT. AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. OTHERWISE...LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARDS WITH THE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. CONCERN IS GROWING ABOUT POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE IN THE WEEKEND...BUT IT IS STILL TOO EARLY TO DISCERN DETAILS AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. IAZ008-018-MNZ086-094-151200- DODGE-FLOYD-MITCHELL-MOWER- 458 AM CDT TUE MAY 14 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM. THE COMBINATION OF TEMPERATURES CLIMBING INTO THE LOWER 90S...DRY AIR AND DEVELOPING BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL RESULT IN FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR WILDFIRES. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING...BETWEEN 5 PM AND MIDNIGHT. AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. OTHERWISE...LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARDS WITH THE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. CONCERN IS GROWING ABOUT POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE IN THE WEEKEND...BUT IT IS STILL TOO EARLY TO DISCERN DETAILS AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. AJ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 408 PM CDT TUE MAY 14 2013 IAZ008>011-018-019-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-142300- ALLAMAKEE-CHICKASAW-DODGE-FILLMORE-FLOYD-HOUSTON-HOWARD-MITCHELL- MOWER-OLMSTED-WABASHA-WINNESHIEK-WINONA- 408 PM CDT TUE MAY 14 2013 ...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST IOWA. THE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO 50 MPH ALONG WITH OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. THE STORMS MAY NOT PRODUCE MUCH IF ANY RAINFALL AS THEY MOVE THROUGH. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...BE PREPARED FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS IF A SHOWER OR STORM APPROACHES YOUR AREA. ALSO BE ALERT FOR LIGHTNING...EVEN IF NO RAIN IS BEING OBSERVED. WETENKAMP
The La Crosse radar (KARX), 142 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:48 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The automated weather observing equipment at the Charles City airport measured a wind gust of 58 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, May 2013
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: 446820.