A line of showers with no thunder observed moved across the southern half of the state. An AWOS station in Mahaska county did record a 60 mph wind gust, as one of the showers moved through the area.
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.
A line of showers with no thunder observed moved across the southern half of the state. An AWOS station in Mahaska county did record a 60 mph wind gust, as one of the showers moved through the area.
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 Apr 3, 5:49 PM CST, 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 649 PM CDT SUN APR 3 2016 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 644 PM CDT SUN APR 3 2016 HAVE ISSUED AN SPS TO COVER THE HIGHLY LOCALIZED MICROBURST THREAT OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CWA WITH THE ONGOING SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. KIOW GUSTED TO 61 KTS IN THE LAST HOUR AS ONE SHOWER MOVED THROUGH. WITH ADIABATIC LAPSE RATES BELOW THESE HIGH-BASED STORMS...THERE IS A CHANCE...ALBEIT LOW...THAT A SIMILAR EVENT COULD OCCUR IN THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO. WIND ADVISORY IS STILL EXPECTED TO BE EXPIRED AT 7PM AS THE WIDESPREAD SYNOPTIC WIND THREAT IS DIMINISHING. && .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT/... ISSUED AT 338 PM CDT SUN APR 3 2016 MIXING HAS BEEN IMPRESSIVE THIS AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A FRONTAL BOUNDARY DROPPING SOUTH TOWARD THE NORTH THIS AFTERNOON. HAVE SEEN WINDS IN ADVISORY CRITERIA ACROSS THE MUCH OF THE EAST AND SOUTH DURING THE AFTERNOON WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH AT A FEW SITES. THESE WINDS WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH INTO THE EARLY EVENING AS THE MIXING GRADUALLY LESSENS WITH THE APPROACH OF SUNSET. WILL ALSO SEE FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WHICH WILL BE ADDRESSED IN THE FIRE WEATHER SECTION. WILL SEE A NARROW BAND OF INSTABILITY DEVELOP THIS EVENING ACROSS THE SOUTH WITH SOME SHOWERS AND EVEN A FEW THUNDERSTORMS...ALBEIT HIGH BASED. THESE SHOULD MOVE QUICKLY SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA LATER THIS EVENING WITH DRY CONDITIONS FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT. COLD ADVECTION WILL INTENSIFY DURING THE NIGHT WITH MODEST TO STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS. SOME CLOUDS WILL ALSO MOVE INTO THE FAR NORTH TOWARD DAYBREAK AS WELL. READINGS WILL FALL QUICKLY TONIGHT IN THE RELATIVELY DRY AIRMASS...COLD ADVECTION AND GENERALLY CLEAR SKIES. WILL SEE ANOTHER BIG DIURNAL SWING WITH READINGS BY MONDAY MORNING A GOOD 30 TO 40 DEGREES COOLER THAN TODAYS HIGHS. .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... ISSUED AT 338 PM CDT SUN APR 3 2016 MAIN CONCERN IN THE LONGER TERM WILL BE WITH THE SYSTEM LATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. RELATIVELY QUIET CONDITIONS UNTIL THAT POINT BUT WILL SEE INCREASING THETA-E AND WARM ADVECTION INTO MONDAY NIGHT. SOME WEAK ELEVATED INSTABILITY WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE WEST AND NORTH BY LATE MONDAY NIGHT AND SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED LATE ALONG THE GRADIENT PUSHING EAST NORTHEAST OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE WEST AND NORTH. OVERNIGHT READINGS WILL LIKELY BE NON-DIURNAL ON MONDAY NIGHT AS WELL WITH QUICKLY FALLING TEMPERATURES IN THE EVENING. READINGS ARE EXPECTED TO LEVEL OFF AND BEGIN CLIMBING LATE...ESPECIALLY IN THE WEST WHERE WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST BY DAYBREAK ALONG WITH THE THICKEST OVERCAST. SHOWERS WILL BE ONGOING ACROSS THE NORTH ON TUESDAY MORNING IN THE AREA OF STRONGEST WARM AND MOISTURE ADVECTION WITH SCATTERED PCPN FARTHER SOUTH. THERE WILL LIKELY BE SOME PERIOD OF RELATIVELY LITTLE PCPN ACROSS THE AREA FROM LATE MORNING TO MID/LATE AFTERNOON WITH THE AREA BRIEFLY IN THE WARM SECTOR OF THE SYSTEM. HOWEVER WITH THE APPROACH OF THE BOUNDARY AND INSTABILITY BY LATER TUESDAY AFTERNOON... SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS WILL OVERSPREAD SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL IOWA BY LATE AFTERNOON AND PERSIST INTO THE EVENING. THIS ACTIVITY WILL PROGRESS EAST AT A GOOD CLIP ON TUESDAY NIGHT WITH THE FRONT PASSING THROUGH THE STATE. BEYOND THIS TIME...RELATIVELY COOL...CLOUDY WITH THE THREAT OF LIGHT RAIN WILL PERSIST ON WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY WITH BROAD NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WITH A FEW SHORTWAVES DROPPING SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE MIDWEST. EVENTUALLY...THE PATTERN BEGINS TO FLATTEN TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK WITH WARMER TEMPERATURES AND DRIER CONDITIONS. && .AVIATION...04/00Z ISSUED AT 644 PM CDT SUN APR 3 2016 VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD WITH WINDS LESSENING THIS EVENING AND BACKING MORE TO THE NORTH FOR TONIGHT AND TOMORROW AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 304 PM CDT SUN APR 3 2016 WILL CONTINUE TO SEE ELEVATED FIRE DANGER FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING. CERTAINLY HAD SOME AREAS THE REACHED RED FLAG CRITERIA FOR A BRIEF TIME THIS AFTERNOON GIVEN THE HIGHER THAN EXPECTED MIXING AND WARMER TEMPERATURES. HOWEVER...HUMIDITIES SHOULD BEGIN TO CLIMB AFTER 5 PM AS TEMPERATURES COOL AND DEWPOINTS RISE IN ADDITION TO WINDS SLOWLY WEAKENING. WILL ISSUE A FINAL SPS THROUGH EARLY EVENING TO TALK ABOUT THE CONTINUING ELEVATED FIRE THREAT. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR APPANOOSE-BOONE- CLARKE-DALLAS-DAVIS-GREENE-GRUNDY-HAMILTON-HARDIN-JASPER-LUCAS- MADISON-MAHASKA-MARION-MARSHALL-MONROE-POLK-POWESHIEK-STORY-TAMA- WAPELLO-WARREN-WAYNE. && UPDATE...SKOW SHORT TERM...COGIL LONG TERM...COGIL AVIATION...SKOW FIRE WEATHER...COGIL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 702 PM CDT SUN APR 3 2016 IAZ033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-092>097-050015- 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- 702 PM CDT SUN APR 3 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING...A FEW OF WHICH MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED STRONG WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY ISOLATED NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-050015- EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER- 702 PM CDT SUN APR 3 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY ISOLATED NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. KS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 345 PM CDT SUN APR 3 2016 IAZ033>036-044>050-057>062-070>075-081>084-092>095-040000- SAC-CALHOUN-WEBSTER-HAMILTON-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-STORY- MARSHALL-TAMA-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-CASS- ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-ADAMS-UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS- TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SAC CITY...LAKE VIEW...ODEBOLT... WALL LAKE...SCHALLER...EARLY...ROCKWELL CITY...MANSON... LAKE CITY...POMEROY...FORT DODGE...WEBSTER CITY...DENISON... CARROLL...JEFFERSON...BOONE...AMES...MARSHALLTOWN...TAMA... TOLEDO...TRAER...DYSART...GLADBROOK...AUDUBON...EXIRA... GUTHRIE CENTER...PANORA...BAYARD...CASEY...PERRY...WAUKEE... ADEL...DES MOINES...NEWTON...GRINNELL...ATLANTIC...GREENFIELD... STUART...ADAIR...FONTANELLE...WINTERSET...EARLHAM...INDIANOLA... NORWALK...CARLISLE...PELLA...KNOXVILLE...OSKALOOSA...CORNING... CRESTON...OSCEOLA...CHARITON...BEDFORD...LENOX...NEW MARKET... MOUNT AYR...LAMONI...LEON...CORYDON...SEYMOUR...ALLERTON... HUMESTON 345 PM CDT SUN APR 3 2016 ...ELEVATED FIRE DANGER TO PERSIST INTO THE EARLY EVENING... HIGH WINDS AND DRY CONDITIONS WILL COMBINE TO CREATE ELEVATED FIRE DANGER INTO THE EARLY EVENING. WINDS WILL BE SUSTAINED NEAR 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH. RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL BE IN THE MID 20S TO LOWER 30S. THESE CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS BEFORE IMPROVING. THIS COMBINATION WILL ALLOW ANY FIRES WHICH START TO SPREAD RAPIDLY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 639 PM CDT SUN APR 3 2016 IAZ035>039-046>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-092>097-040200- WEBSTER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FORT DODGE...WEBSTER CITY... IOWA FALLS...ELDORA...ACKLEY...GRUNDY CENTER...REINBECK... CONRAD...DIKE...WELLSBURG...WATERLOO...CEDAR FALLS...JEFFERSON... BOONE...AMES...MARSHALLTOWN...TAMA...TOLEDO...TRAER...DYSART... GLADBROOK...AUDUBON...EXIRA...GUTHRIE CENTER...PANORA...BAYARD... CASEY...PERRY...WAUKEE...ADEL...DES MOINES...NEWTON...GRINNELL... ATLANTIC...GREENFIELD...STUART...ADAIR...FONTANELLE...WINTERSET... EARLHAM...INDIANOLA...NORWALK...CARLISLE...PELLA...KNOXVILLE... OSKALOOSA...CORNING...CRESTON...OSCEOLA...CHARITON...ALBIA... OTTUMWA...BEDFORD...LENOX...NEW MARKET...MOUNT AYR...LAMONI... LEON...CORYDON...SEYMOUR...ALLERTON...HUMESTON...CENTERVILLE... BLOOMFIELD 639 PM CDT SUN APR 3 2016 ...ISOLATED VERY STRONG WIND GUSTS WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING. THIS ACTIVITY IS ENHANCING THE ALREADY STRONG WINDS...AND ISOLATED BRIEF GUSTS AROUND 60 MPH OR EVEN HIGHER ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH AT LEAST 8 PM. DRIVERS OF HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES SHOULD USE CAUTION. ISOLATED PROPERTY DAMAGE IS ALSO POSSIBLE. KS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Oskaloosa Municipal Airport AWOS station recorded a 60 mph wind gust as a shower moved through the area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, April 2016
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: 627024.