A cold front moved through the state during the afternoon of the 6th. Temperatures warmed into the mid 80s to around 90, with dew points in the mid 70s to low 80s.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 cold front moved through the state during the afternoon of the 6th. Temperatures warmed into the mid 80s to around 90, with dew points in the mid 70s to low 80s. The atmosphere became very unstable with CAPE rising to 8000 J/kg by late afternoon. Downdraft CAPE was around 1200 J/kg, with CAPE in the -10 to -30 C layer of the atmosphere between 800 and 1100 J/kg. The freezing level was high, around 15,000 feet with a 700 mb temperature around 12 C. Significant capping was in place. Precipitable water was between 1.6 and 1.8 inches with an LCL around 1000 meters. The lifted index fell to -13 C. There was a significant amount of CAPE in the 0-3 km layer of the atmosphere along the front, between 150 and 175 J/kg. Shear was quite weak however, with only 25 kts of effective shear available. The non-severe storm parameter was around 0.5 over northeast Iowa near the cold front. Eight tornadoes occurred during the evening. Fortunately, the tornadoes missed cities, though they did do considerable crop damage. There was little other severe weather reported with the storms. One inch diameter hail fell in Poweshiek County, while winds gusted to 60 MPH or more in Wapello County.
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 Jul 6, 4:54 PM CST, 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 554 PM CDT SUN JUL 6 2014 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT/... ISSUED AT 319 PM CDT SUN JUL 6 2014 CLOUDS TODAY CONTINUE TO COMPLICATE THIS EVENINGS CONVECTION CHANCES. LOW LEVEL STRATUS WHICH FORMED IN THE SOUTHERLY MOISTURE FEED ACROSS THE AREA HAVE KEPT TEMPERATURES ABOUT 5 TO 7 DEGREES COOLER THAN FORECAST. ALOFT WE ARE ALSO DEALING WITH A SUFFICIENT MID LEVEL CAP AT H700 WITH TEMPS FROM 10 TO 12C IN THE WARM SECTOR THAT HAS TENDED TO KEEP CONVECTION EAST OF THE AREA. COMBINED WITH RELATIVELY WEAK CONVERGENCE ALONG THE APPROACHING COOL FRONT... AFTERNOON CONVECTION HAS BEEN SLOW TO TAKE OFF ALONG THE BOUNDARY IN MN/WESTERN WI. BUFR SOUNDINGS SHOW THAT CAP SHOULD REMAIN IN PLACE ALONG AND WEST OF I35 THIS EVENING...WHILE ERODING EAST OF THAT LINE WITH THE HELP OF THE DEVELOPING CONVECTION WHICH SHOULD BUILD BACK WEST SOUTHWEST WITH TIME THROUGH 06Z. GENERALLY SCATTERED CONVECTION IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA SINCE THE CAP ALOFT WILL BE STRONGER AS THE STORMS MOVE BACK WEST INTO IOWA. NEARLY ALL THE MODELS INCLUDING THE HRRR FAVOR THIS SCENARIO. SO...HAVE TRIMMED POP/THUNDERSTORM CHANCES FROM I35 WEST WITH THE EXCEPTION OF AREAS ALONG THE IA/MO BORDER WHERE LATE MID EVENING SOME RESIDUAL CONVECTION MAY LINGER ALONG THE BOUNDARY. AIRMASS OVER EASTERN AND NORTHERN IA STILL RATHER UNSTABLE AND ANY STORMS THAT BUILD BACK TO THE WEST WILL STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO PRODUCE SVR WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... ISSUED AT 319 PM CDT SUN JUL 6 2014 INITIALLY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE QUIET MONDAY MORNING WITH SURFACE BOUNDARY STALLED IN MO/KS. SHORTWAVE WILL BE RAPIDLY ADVANCING SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS. MODELS ALL INDICATE SURFACE MOISTURE RETURNING WITH DEWPOINTS INTO THE U60S/L70S BY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...BEST LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE APPEARS TO REMAIN JUST SOUTH OF IOWA AND THIS WILL LIKELY BE THE FOCUS OF THE MOST INTENSE CONVECTION BY LATE AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY NIGHT. THIS CONVECTION WILL LIKELY IMPACT SOUTHWEST THIRD OR SO OF THE STATE WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. HEAVY RAINS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ALTHOUGH THE FOCUS AGAIN MAY BE JUST SOUTH AND WEST OF THE STATE WHERE BEST LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR. OTHERWISE...STRONG MID LEVEL FORCING WILL PRODUCE CONVECTION FARTHER NORTHEAST THROUGH MUCH OF THE REMAINDER OF CENTRAL IOWA LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING BUT WITH LESS COVERAGE. DRIER AIR WILL FITLER INTO THE STATE IN THE WAKE OF THE SYSTEM ON TUESDAY WITH RELATIVELY QUIET WEATHER INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES AT OR BELOW SEASONAL NORMS. BOTH GFS AND EURO CONTINUE NORTHWEST FLOW INTO THE LATER PORTION OF THE FORECAST WITH NEXT SYSTEM ARRIVING THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. THIS WILL BE THE NEXT APPRECIABLE THREAT OF CONVECTION WITH GFS TRYING TO LINGER ADDITIONAL STORMS INTO THE WEEKEND AS IT LEAVES THE FRONT IN VICINITY OF IA. EURO PUSHES THE BOUNDARY FARTHER SOUTH WITH RELATIVELY TRANQUIL WEATHER FOR NEXT WEEKEND. && .AVIATION...06/00Z ISSUED AT 549 PM CDT SUN JUL 6 2014 COLD FRONT ACROSS IA FROM NERN CORNER TO THE SWRN CORNER WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST AND BE SOUTHEAST OF THE TAF SITES BY 06Z. SCATTERED LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE FRONT WILL BE AROUND THE ERN TAF SITES EARLY THIS EVENING. WITH LIGHT WINDS OVERNIGHT...EXPECT TO SEE SOME MVFR FOG CONDITIONS DEVELOP AROUND SUNRISE. LIGHT WINDS AND VFR CONDITIONS ON MONDAY. OUTLOOK...SECOND COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE STATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY TUE. EXPECT TO SEE WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT...ESPECIALLY OVER THE SRN THIRD OF THE STATE MONDAY NIGHT WITH ACTIVITY MOVING OUT TUE. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING VFR CONDITIONS WED THROUGH THU. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...REV LONG TERM...COGIL AVIATION...MS JUL 14
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 346 PM CDT SUN JUL 6 2014 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075- 081>086-092>097-072100- 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-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-JASPER- POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-ADAMS-UNION- CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE- APPANOOSE-DAVIS- 346 PM CDT SUN JUL 6 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH LATE EVENING. THE BEST CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS AND FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE EAST OF INTERSTATE 35. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER THIS EVENING...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREATS. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE BRIEF LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH COULD LEAD TO MINOR STREET FLOODING OR PONDING OF WATER. FLOOD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE DES MOINES RIVER. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST LATE MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN AT INTERVALS FROM LATE THURSDAY INTO SATURDAY. THE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE BETTER DEFINED IN THE COMING DAYS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED OVER PORTIONS OF THE AREA THIS EVENING...MAINLY EAST OF INTERSTATE 35...AND AGAIN LATE MONDAY. REV
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 556 PM CDT SUN JUL 6 2014 IAZ026>028-036>039-048>050-070030- FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-STORY- MARSHALL-TAMA- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HAMPTON...PARKERSBURG...CLARKSVILLE... SHELL ROCK...GREENE...APLINGTON...ALLISON...DUMONT...WAVERLY... WEBSTER CITY...IOWA FALLS...ELDORA...ACKLEY...GRUNDY CENTER... REINBECK...CONRAD...DIKE...WELLSBURG...WATERLOO...CEDAR FALLS... AMES...MARSHALLTOWN...TAMA...TOLEDO...TRAER...DYSART...GLADBROOK 556 PM CDT SUN JUL 6 2014 ...CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR FUNNEL CLOUDS... CURRENT ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF FUNNEL CLOUDS. USUALLY...THESE FUNNEL CLOUDS CAN FORM FROM SHOWERS AND WEAK THUNDERSTORMS. THESE FUNNELS ARE NORMALLY BRIEF...DROP ONLY A FEW HUNDRED FEET FROM THE CLOUD BASE...AND RARELY BECOME A TORNADO OR CAUSE DAMAGE. HOWEVER...IF ONE IS SPOTTED...PLEASE IMMEDIATELY REPORT IT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. IF A TORNADO WARNING WOULD BECOME NECESSARY...TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION.
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 66 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:03 UTC.
9 tornado, 1 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Brief landspout near Jewell stayed in rural agricultural fields.
Brief landspout photographed by several members of the public.
Tornado touched down with a debris ball noted. Damage to homes occurred many to the southwest of Reinbeck. Numerous crops flattened.
Tornado evident in photographs from the public as well as flyover satellite data. This brief segment started shortly after the Reinbeck tornado ended. The tornado moved from Grundy into Tama county. This is the first segment.
This tornado moved into Tama county from Grundy county. It remained in agricultural fields doing only crop damage. This is the second and final segment.
Visually striking tornado moved through rural areas of Tama county. Debris was noted, farmstead was damaged, and numerous crops damaged. Track was well captured by satellite overflight.
Tornado touched down in rural countryside east of Stuart.
Southeast moving tornado made a wide turn toward the southwest by end of the track. Stayed in rural agricultural fields.
Numerous photos a brief landspout near Kellogg. Moved just west of south.
Law enforcement reported a power pole downed by thunderstorm winds.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Iowa, 2014Warnings in Iowa, July 2014
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: 517441, 517520, 517645, 526580, 526589, 517646, 517655, 517654, 517518, 524574, 517517.