Thunderstorms produced a tornado. damaging winds, and nickel size hail in separate locations in northwest Iowa during the afternoon of May 10th.
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 FSD wrote it up.
Thunderstorms produced a tornado. damaging winds, and nickel size hail in separate locations in northwest Iowa during the afternoon of May 10th.
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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 10, 1:51 PM CST, 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD 251 PM CDT SUN MAY 10 2015 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 251 PM CDT SUN MAY 10 2015 THUNDERSTORMS WILL DECREASE TO THE EAST AND NORTHEAST THIS EVENING AS THE MAIN UPPER AND SURFACE LOW MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. SHOWERS WILL ALSO DECREASE OVER THE EASTERN PART OF THE AREA AND MORE SLOWLY OVER THE WEST,,,WITH SOME SHOWER THREAT LINGERING TO THE END OF THE NIGHT OVER THE NORTHWEST HALF AND INTO PART OF SOUTHWEST MN. WINDS WILL SLOWLY BECOME W TO NW AND IT WILL BE OR GET BREEZY OVER THE SOUTHWEST HALF. WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE LOW...THE WINDS WILL BRING COOLING AND EVENTUALLY MORE UNIFORM TEMPERATURES TO THE AREA WITH EARLY MORNING LOWS IN THE UPPER 30S SOUTHWEST TO MID 40S EAST. SOME HALF DECENT RAINFALL AMOUNTS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOULD BE LESS THAN AN INCH. MONDAY WILL BE A LONG ADVERTISED COOL AND BREEZY DAY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS...ESPECIALLY NORTH...AS THE BACK END OF THE UPPER TROUGH MOVES OVER THE AREA. HIGHS WILL BE IN THE MID 40S TO MID 50S BUT IT WILL FEEL COOLER. RAINFALL AMOUNTS SHOULD BE LIGHT. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 251 PM CDT SUN MAY 10 2015 MONDAY NIGHT WILL BRING DECREASING SHOWERS AND CLOUDS AS THE STUBBORN SYSTEM TO THE EAST IS KICKED OUT FASTER BY A COMBINATION OF A CANADIAN SHORT WAVE DIGGING SOUTHWEST TOWARD MONTANA...AND PLAINS RIDGING AHEAD OF THE NEXT DIGGING WESTERN TROUGH. THE RESULTING WESTERLY FLOW WILL KICK THE LOW AWAY AND LEAVE TUESDAY DRY AND FAIRLY PLEASANT WITH TEMPERATURES WARMING TO THE UPPER 50S TO MID 60S. THE RIDGING SHOULD BRING A SLOW BUT STEADY WARMING TREND THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. THE WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY PERIOD SHOULD ALSO BE GENERALLY WET AS THE RIDGE AXIS QUICKLY MOVES TO THE EAST AND SHORT WAVE ENERGY FROM THIS NEXT WESTERN TROUGH IS EJECTED NORTHEAST INTO THE PLAINS. THURSDAY NIGHT AND/OR FRIDAY COULD BE AN EXCEPTION TO THE WET PART AS BOTH THE GFS AND EC SHOW A SHORT WAVE PASSING THE AREA STRONGLY ENOUGH TO BRIEFLY FORCE THE RIDGE AXIS BACK JUST WEST OF THE AREA. IF THIS HAPPENED THE MOIST SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WOULD QUICKLY RESUME EARLY IN THE WEEKEND. MODELS THEN SHOW THE WESTERN SYSTEM APPROACHING QUICKLY ENOUGH TO POSSIBLY TRIGGER A SIGNIFICANT RAIN/STORM EVENT SUNDAY...THE LAST DAY OF THIS FORECAST. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1235 PM CDT SUN MAY 10 2015 GENERALLY IFR CEILINGS AND AREAS OF VISIBILITY 3-5SM SHRA/TSRA FAR WESTERN PART OF THE FORECAST AREA INCLUDING KHON...AFT 11/00Z THIS AREA WILL SEE CEILINGS 1-2K FEET VARIABLE TO BELOW 1K FEET WITH SCATTERED -SHRA. OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN PART OF THE AREA CEILINGS 1-3K FEET WITH SOME CEILINGS BELOW 1K FEET ESPECIALLY NORTH OF KFSD. AREAS OF VISIBILITY 3-5SM IN SHRA/TSRA...THEN AFTER 11/03Z CEILINGS 1-2K FEET VARIABLE TO BELOW 1K FEET...SCT -SHRA MAINLY NORTH OF FSD. SURFACE GUSTS ABOVE 25 KNOTS FROM THE SOUTHEAST OVER SOUTHEAST PART OF THE AREA...OTHERWISE SURFACE GUSTS ABOVE 25 KNOTS FROM THE W/NW DEVELOPING FROM THE WEST AFTER 11/12Z. && .FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM... LONG TERM... AVIATION...
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD 446 AM CDT SUN MAY 10 2015 IAZ001-002-012>014-020>022-031-032-NEZ013-014-SDZ066-067-069>071- 111000- LYON IA-OSCEOLA-SIOUX-O'BRIEN-CLAY IA-PLYMOUTH-CHEROKEE- BUENA VISTA-WOODBURY-IDA-DIXON-DAKOTA-TURNER-LINCOLN SD-YANKTON- CLAY SD-UNION- 446 AM CDT SUN MAY 10 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST IOWA...NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA AFTER 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS...WINDS TO 70 MPH...AND EVEN AN ISOLATED TORNADO WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE SEVERE POTENTIAL SHOULD DECREASE AFTER 7 PM THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY AFTER 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON. IAZ003-MNZ080-081-089-090-097-098-SDZ053>056-059>062-064-065-068- 111000- DICKINSON-MURRAY-COTTONWOOD-NOBLES-JACKSON-PIPESTONE-ROCK-SANBORN- MINER-LAKE-MOODY-DAVISON-HANSON-MCCOOK-MINNEHAHA-DOUGLAS- HUTCHINSON-BON HOMME- 446 AM CDT SUN MAY 10 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST IOWA...SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...EAST CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA AFTER 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON. AN ISOLATED STORM COULD BE SEVERE WITH HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS...WINDS TO 70 MPH...AND EVEN AN ISOLATED TORNADO WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE SEVERE POTENTIAL SHOULD DECREASE AFTER 7 PM THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE POSSIBLE AFTER 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON. MNZ071-072-SDZ038>040-050-052-057-058-063-111000- LINCOLN MN-LYON MN-BEADLE-KINGSBURY-BROOKINGS-GREGORY-JERAULD- BRULE-AURORA-CHARLES MIX- 446 AM CDT SUN MAY 10 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...EAST CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT OCCASIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. WHILE THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER IS LOW...AN ISOLATED STORM THIS AFTERNOON COULD PRODUCE HAIL TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS AND WINDS TO 60 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE UNLIKELY.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1129 AM CDT SUN MAY 10 2015
...TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
...DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1115 AM TORNADO 4 WNW DIMOCK 43.49N 98.05W
05/10/2015 HUTCHINSON SD LAW ENFORCEMENT
TORNADO ON THE GROUND.
&&
NWS SIOUX FALLS SD
IRIS SYSTEMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1132 AM CDT SUN MAY 10 2015
...TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
...DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1123 AM TORNADO 4 W ETHAN 43.55N 98.06W
05/10/2015 DAVISON SD STORM CHASER
TORNADO ON THE GROUND.
&&
NWS SIOUX FALLS SD
IRIS SYSTEMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
219 PM CDT SUN MAY 10 2015
...TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
...DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0147 PM HAIL 4 N DIXON 42.47N 96.99W
05/10/2015 E0.50 INCH DIXON NE PUBLIC
&&
NWS SIOUX FALLS SD
IRIS SYSTEMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
245 PM CDT SUN MAY 10 2015
...TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
...DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0232 PM HAIL 4 SSE WHITE LAKE 43.67N 98.68W
05/10/2015 E0.50 INCH AURORA SD PUBLIC
&&
NWS SIOUX FALLS SD
IRIS SYSTEMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
251 PM CDT SUN MAY 10 2015
...TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
...DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0240 PM TSTM WND GST 2 N SALIX 42.34N 96.29W
05/10/2015 E55 MPH WOODBURY IA PUBLIC
&&
NWS SIOUX FALLS SD
IRIS SYSTEMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
320 PM CDT SUN MAY 10 2015
...TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
...DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0315 PM FLOOD CANTON 43.30N 96.58W
05/10/2015 LINCOLN SD PUBLIC
SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING JUST WEST OF CANTON
ALONG HIGHWAY 18. SOME DITCHES ARE BANK
FULL.
&&
NWS SIOUX FALLS SD
IRIS SYSTEMThe Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:22 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, 1 hail, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including branches blown down.
A tornado observed over open fields caused no reported damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Iowa, 2015Warnings in Iowa, May 2015
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: 577272, 577274, 577277, 577275.