Tornado and Hail in Iowa, April 27, 2016

Name: Tornado and Hail in Iowa, April 27, 2016
Start: 2016-04-27T14:14
End: 2016-04-27T14:50
Location: Iowa

April 27, 2016 · NWS OAX · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS OAX wrote it up.

A large upper-level storm system slow moved across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa during the afternoon on April 27th. As this occurred a occluded cold front slowly moved through the region, as a warm front lifted into southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Although surface temperatures only warmed into the upper 50s to mid 60s, very cold temperatures above the surface created instability across the region. Thunderstorms developed by mid afternoon along the two fronts and isolated to scattered reports of severe weather were received, mainly in the form of large hail and damaging winds. Two thunderstorms became tornadic though during the late afternoon as they interacted with the warm front, with one of these producing a small tornado in west Omaha. In addition, the slow moving nature of the storms also led to areas of heavy rainfall and flash flooding.

What forecasters said that day

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 Omaha, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 27, 12:52 PM CST, 1 hour 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 27, 12:52 PM CST, 1 hour 22 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
152 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

.UPDATE...
ISSUED AT 144 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

SURFACE LOW REMAINS PARKED IN THE PLATTE RIVER VALLEY WEST
SOUTHWEST OF COLUMBUS AT 18Z. SUBJECTIVE SURFACE ANALYSIS COMBINED
WITH BOUNDARIES NOTED ON KOAX RADAR SHOW THE OCCLUSION POINT WAS
BETWEEN LINCOLN AND WAHOO. CONVECTION HAS BEGUN TO DEVELOP ALONG
THE VARIOUS BOUNDARIES. CONVECTION ALLOWING MODELS OF HRRR...
EXPERIMENTAL HRRR AS NSSL 4KM SUGGEST MINI SUPER CELL STORMS WILL
DEVELOP FROM NEAR FREMONT EAST SOUTHEAST ALONG THE WARM FRONT.
THESE WOULD BE LOW TOPPED STORMS. OF SOME CONCERN IS THE TRIPLE
POINT WHERE SOME ROTATION MAY BE DEVELOPING JUST SOUTH OF OUR
OFFICE. SURFACE BASED CAPE IS 1000-1500 J/KG IN THE WARM SECTOR.
0-3KM CAPE IS 100-125 J/KG...WITH STEEP LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES. WE
COORDINATED WITH SPC EARLIER IN THE DAY TO PULL THE SLIGHT RISK OF
SEVERE STORMS FURTHER WEST...AND ALSO BRING 2 PERCENT TORNADO
PROBABILITIES INTO THE REGION. THERE IS A SMALL WINDOW OF STORMS
OF ABOUT 1-2 HOURS AT ANY GIVEN LOCATION AS THESE STORMS SHIFT
NORTH. FREEZING LEVEL IS LOW...AROUND 8000 FEET. THUS 50DBZ
HEIGHTS WOULD BE QUITE LOW FOR HAIL...WHICH COULD BE 1 TO 1.5
INCHES.

&&

.SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY)
ISSUED AT 307 AM CDT WED APR 27 2016

NEGATIVELY TILTED AND ELONGATE UPPER TROUGH AXIS CURRENTLY
EXTENDS FROM SOUTHEASTERN MONTANA INTO NORTHEAST COLORADO TO THE
BASE IN THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE/SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS. WIDESPREAD
SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO SPIRAL AROUND THE
SYSTEM THIS MORNING WITH THE SFC LOW AT 08Z LOCATED OVER NORTH
CENTRAL KANSAS.

AS THE SURFACE LOW MOVES NORTHEAST INTO SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA TODAY...THE
COLD CLOSED UPPER LOW WILL TIGHTEN UP AND SHIFT NORTHEAST...SLIGHTLY
BEHIND THE SFC LOW. INGREDIENTS SEEM TO BE COMING TOGETHER FOR
WHAT COULD BE A CLASSIC MINI-SUPERCELL EVENT. THE TRIPLE POINT
BY 18-21Z IS FORECAST TO EXTEND FROM EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA INTO
SOUTHWEST IOWA. LATEST CAM'S SHOW DEVELOPMENT GENERALLY ALONG AND
EAST OF THE MISSOURI RIVER BY MID/LATE AFTERNOON AND QUICKLY
SPREAD THIS ACTIVITY NORTHEAST AS BOTH THE UPPER LOW AND SFC LOW
MOVE INTO E/NE EVENING. COOLER AIR...WITH EVEN A FEW HINTS OF 0C
850MB TEMPS...WRAP INTO THIS LOW TONIGHT WITH DEFORMATION BAND
SETTING UP ACROSS NORTHEAST NEBRASKA. WILL BE A CHILLY WET NIGHT
ACROSS MUCH OF OUR NORTHERN COUNTIES.

UPPER LOW EXITS EAST OF THE CWA THURSDAY AFTERNOON ENDING ANY
REMAINING PCPN CHANCES OVER OUR NORTHERN COUNTIES. COLD AIR
ADVECTION CONTINUES TO SETTLE SOUTH AS SFC HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE
NORTHERN PLAINS DROPS INTO THE AREA. THURSDAY NIGHT/FRIDAY MORNING
LOWS COULD BOTTOM OUT IN THE UPPER 30S IN OUR NORTH TO LOWER 40S
IN OUR SOUTH. WEAK UPPER RIDGING WILL BUILD OVERHEAD FRIDAY AHEAD
OF THE NEXT LARGE UPPER TROUGH WHICH WILL BE ROUNDING THE FOUR
CORNERS REGION AT THAT TIME.

.LONG TERM...(FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY)
ISSUED AT 307 AM CDT WED APR 27 2016

PCPN CHANCES INCREASE FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST FRIDAY EVENING
AS LARGE SCALE FORCING INCREASES WITH APPROACH OF UPPER LOW. ISENTROPIC
UPGLIDE ALSO WILL BE INCREASING IN WAA ZONE ACROSS OUR
SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES. PCPN CHANCES CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY AND
MUCH OF SUNDAY AS THE UPPER LOW SLOWLY SHIFTS EAST OF THE AREA BY
SUNDAY NIGHT. DRIER CONDITIONS ARE FINALLY ON THE HORIZON FOR MID
TO LATE NEXT WEEK.

&&

.AVIATION...(18Z TAFS FOR KOMA...KLNK...KOFK THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY)
ISSUED AT 144 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

BELIEVE THUNDERSTORMS COULD AFFECT KOMA/KOFK FROM 19-21Z AS A
FRONTAL BOUNDARY CONTINUES TO ARC NORTHWARD. OTHERWISE...IT'S
MOSTLY MVFR INITIALLY...BUT PROBABLY BECOMING IFR THROUGH THE
NIGHT. ALSO A COMPLICATED WIND FORECAST AS SURFACE LOW PRESSURE
MOVES THROUGH THE REGION.

&&

.OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...NONE.
IA...NONE.
&&

UPDATE...DEWALD
SHORT TERM...KERN
LONG TERM...KERN
AVIATION...DEWALD

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 27, 10:49 AM CST, 3 hours 25 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
1149 AM CDT WED APR 27 2016

NEZ011-012-015>018-030>032-042-065-078-088-089-280700-
KNOX-CEDAR-THURSTON-ANTELOPE-PIERCE-WAYNE-BOONE-MADISON-STANTON-
PLATTE-SEWARD-SALINE-JEFFERSON-GAGE-
1149 AM CDT WED APR 27 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST
NEBRASKA AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS COULD OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON...BUT IN GENERAL
SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED IN THIS AREA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

CHANCES FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS RETURN FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH
SATURDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION SHOULD NOT BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
TONIGHT.

IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ033-034-043>045-050>053-
066>068-090>093-280700-
MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-
PAGE-CUMING-BURT-COLFAX-DODGE-WASHINGTON-BUTLER-SAUNDERS-DOUGLAS-
SARPY-LANCASTER-CASS-OTOE-JOHNSON-NEMAHA-PAWNEE-RICHARDSON-
1149 AM CDT WED APR 27 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST
IOWA...WEST CENTRAL IOWA...EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA...NORTHEAST
NEBRASKA AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG A WARM FRONT
THAT EXTENDS FROM NEAR COLUMBUS NEBRASKA EAST SOUTHEAST TO NEAR
SHENANDOAH IOWA. STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON WITH
ONE TO ONE AND ONE HALF INCH HAIL POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY FROM
FREMONT EAST SOUTHEASTWARD IN INTO SOUTHWEST IOWA JUST NORTH OF
THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. THERE IS ALSO ALSO A VERY SMALL RISK FOR AN
ISOLATED TORNADO AND DAMAGING WINDS. STORMS ARE FORECAST TO
INITIALLY DEVELOP 1 TO 2 PM...AND COULD LINGER THROUGH 5 TO 7 PM
AS THEY SHIFT NORTHWARD.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

CHANCES FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS RETURN FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH
SATURDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

DEWALD

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 27, 1:51 PM CST, 23 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
251 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0239 PM     TORNADO          2 NE HEPBURN            40.87N 94.99W
04/27/2016                   PAGE               IA   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            BRIEF TOUCHDOWN. NO DAMAGE.

&&

NWS OMAHA/VALLEY NE
IRIS SYSTEM

Local storm report, Apr 27, 1:54 PM CST, 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
254 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0254 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     4 S RIVERTON            40.63N 95.57W
04/27/2016                   FREMONT            IA   PUBLIC

&&

PEARSON

Local storm report, Apr 27, 1:58 PM CST, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
258 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0247 PM     HAIL             2 NW VALLEY             41.33N 96.37W
04/27/2016  M1.00 INCH       DOUGLAS            NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

VDEWALD

Local storm report, Apr 27, 2:06 PM CST, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
306 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0306 PM     HAIL             7 E GRETNA              41.14N 96.11W
04/27/2016  E0.75 INCH       SARPY              NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

PEARSON

Local storm report, Apr 27, 2:12 PM CST, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
312 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0306 PM     HAIL             OMAHA                   41.26N 96.01W
04/27/2016  E0.25 INCH       DOUGLAS            NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

            144TH AND Q STREET

&&

PEARSON

Special weather statement, Apr 27, 2:14 PM CST, 0 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
314 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

NEZ052-272100-
DOUGLAS NE-
314 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY UNTIL 400
PM CDT...

AT 314 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
SOUTHWESTERN OMAHA...MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH.

DIME SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
OMAHA...RALSTON...MILLARD...BENNINGTON AND BOYS TOWN.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 80 IN NEBRASKA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 446 AND
448.

LAT...LON 4120 9600 4120 9622 4138 9623 4139 9603
TIME...MOT...LOC 2014Z 173DEG 13KT 4124 9614

DEWALD

The radar

The Omaha radar (KOAX), 117 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:10 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Montgomery

When: April 27, 2:14 PM CST to 2:19 PM CST
Where: Montgomery County, 3.78 mi E of Stanton to 2.65 mi SW of Tenville
Rating: EF1
Path length: 1.7 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 40.974, -95.048

The tornado impact two farmsteads along the path. At the first farm outbuildings were destroyed including a large recently build machine shed. Tree damage was also observed at this location as well. The tornado then traveled north northeast crossing State Highway 34 where additional tree damage was observed. The tornado then impacted the second farmstead where additional outbuilding damage was observed.

Hail, Montgomery

When: April 27, 2:25 PM CST
Where: Montgomery County, 2.09 mi SW of Wallin
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.050, -95.100

Hail, Page

When: April 27, 2:50 PM CST
Where: Page County, Essex
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 40.830, -95.300

What these are

Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Iowa in 2016 Every state in 2016 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Iowa, 2016 Warnings in Iowa, April 2016

Sources

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: 624318, 622295, 622296.