Hail in Iowa, May 9, 2016

Name: Hail in Iowa, May 9, 2016
Start: 2016-05-09T19:29
End: 2016-05-09T19:29
Location: Iowa

May 9, 2016 · NWS OAX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

More to come.

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: 1

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.

More to come.

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 May 9, 2:39 PM CST, 4 hours 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 9, 2:39 PM CST, 4 hours 50 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
339 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2016

.SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)
ISSUED AT 257 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2016

UPPER LOW CURRENTLY OVER SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA WILL CONTINUE
TO OPEN AND BECOME A NEGATIVELY TILTED TROUGH WITH THE TROUGH
AXIS EXTENDING FROM THE WESTERN DAKOTAS INTO WESTERN
MISSOURI/WESTERN IOWA BY 06Z TONIGHT. A SMALL EMBEDDED VORT MAX
OVER NORTH CENTRAL NEB/SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA SEEN ON
SATELLITE LOOPS HAS INITIATED SCATTERED TSTMS OVER NORTHEAST
NEBRASKA THIS AFTERNOON. THESE CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTH INTO
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA WITH POTENTIAL FOR SMALL HAIL. OTHER
SCATTERED CONVECTION CONTINUES TO DEVELOP ALONG REMNANT OUTFLOW
BOUNDARIES ACROSS THE REGION AND AGAIN...SMALL HAIL WILL BE THE
PRIMARY THREAT THROUGH THE EVENING. BULK SHEAR VALUES REMAIN
FAIRLY WEAK AND DESPITE MLCAPE OF AROUND 1000-1500J/KG. EXPECTING
QUICK UPDRAFTS THAT PRODUCE SMALL HAIL BEFORE THEY WEAKEN AND
DISSIPATE.

THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS WILL SWING EAST OF OUR AREA BY
MORNING...WITH QUIET CONDITIONS FOR MUCH OF TUESDAY. ANOTHER VORT
LOBE WILL ROTATE INTO THE AREA TUESDAY EVENING GIVING THE REGION
ANOTHER GOOD CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND NEAR
AN EWD MOVING LOW LEVEL BOUNDARY. SHOWERS MOVE EAST OF THE AREA
BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS DRIFTS EAST OF THE
REGION. SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA BY THURSDAY.

.LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY)
ISSUED AT 257 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2016

AREA WILL BE IN NORTHWESTERLY FLOW AT THE START OF THE PERIOD WITH
TEMPERATURES REMAINING BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE WEEKEND. A WEAK WAVE
WILL DROP THROUGH THE FLOW WHICH COULD PRODUCE A FEW SHOWERS ON
FRIDAY. 850MB TEMPS FLIRT WITH -3C IN OUR NORTHERN AND EASTERN
CWA BY SATURDAY MORNING AND SO WILL BE WATCHING SATURDAY MORNING
LOWS CLOSELY FOR ANY SIGN OF FREEZING SFC TEMPS. A 1024MB SFC
HIGH WILL MOVE IN THROUGH THE DAY SATURDAY WHEN WE HAVE COOL HIGHS
IN THE UPPER 50S TO AROUND 60. RETURN FLOW AND WARM AIR ADVECTION
SET UP AROUND THE HIGH BY LATE SUNDAY. A COUPLE OF WEAK MID LEVEL
WAVES ARE FORECAST TO DROP THROUGH INCREASING ZONAL FLOW. WILL
CARRY LOW CONFIDENCE POPS INTO DAY 7.

&&

.AVIATION...(18Z TAFS FOR KOMA...KLNK...KOFK THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY)
ISSUED AT 1207 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2016

WE EXPECT AN INCREASE IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE
AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL LIKELY AFFECT ALL 3 TAF SITES AT
VARIOUS TIMES. THE SCT NATURE TO THE TSRA WILL CREATE ISSUES FOR
TIMING...BUT DID INCLUDE A TEMPO GROUP FOR THUNDER IN ALL 3 SITES
BUT TIMING MAY NEED TO BE ADJUSTED. OTHERWISE SCT TO BKN CU IS
EXPECTED THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND SOME OF THIS MAY BE CLOSE TO
THE MVFR RANGE. PRECIP SHOULD CLEAR THE AREA THIS THIS EVNG WITH
CONDS DRY THE REST OF THE PERIOD. MAY SEE SOME MVFR VISBY TUE MRNG
WITH SOME FOG...BUT CONFIDENCE IS LOW AT THIS TIME.

&&

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

SHORT TERM...KERN
LONG TERM...KERN
AVIATION...BOUSTEAD

Hazardous weather outlook, May 9, 4:39 PM CST, 2 hours 50 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
539 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2016

IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034-
042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-101245-
MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-
PAGE-KNOX-CEDAR-THURSTON-ANTELOPE-PIERCE-WAYNE-BOONE-MADISON-
STANTON-CUMING-BURT-PLATTE-COLFAX-DODGE-WASHINGTON-BUTLER-
SAUNDERS-DOUGLAS-SARPY-SEWARD-LANCASTER-CASS-OTOE-SALINE-
JEFFERSON-GAGE-JOHNSON-NEMAHA-PAWNEE-RICHARDSON-
539 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2016

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND TUESDAY

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING
WITH SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE. LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARD
BUT AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS ALSO POSSIBLE. LOCALIZED FLOODING IS
ALSO POSSIBLE. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH
LATER THIS EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY

ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL DIVE SOUTHEASTWARD TUESDAY WITH
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT AND
WEDNESDAY MORNING. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY STRONG TO
SEVERE...WITH HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS POSSIBLE.

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE MAINLY FRIDAY AND
SUNDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON.

FOBERT

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 9, 6:43 PM CST, 46 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
743 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2016

IAZ090-NEZ068-091-100115-
FREMONT IA-NEMAHA NE-OTOE NE-
743 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2016

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTH CENTRAL FREMONT...NORTH
CENTRAL NEMAHA AND SOUTHEASTERN OTOE COUNTIES UNTIL 815 PM CDT...

AT 743 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5
MILES WEST OF PERU...OR 24 MILES WEST OF TARKIO...MOVING NORTH AT 20
MPH.

NICKEL SIZE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
HAMBURG AND JULIAN.

THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING HIGHWAYS...
 HIGHWAY 75 IN NEBRASKA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 31 AND 42.
 INTERSTATE 29 NEAR MILE MARKER 1.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN IOWA...AND SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA.

LAT...LON 4043 9592 4063 9593 4063 9563 4058 9567
      4058 9577 4057 9577 4056 9576 4053 9577
      4052 9575 4053 9572 4056 9568 4053 9571
      4052 9571 4043 9578
TIME...MOT...LOC 0043Z 197DEG 19KT 4051 9584

BOUSTEAD

Local storm report, May 9, 6:50 PM CST, 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
750 PM CDT MON MAY 09 2016

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

0746 PM     HAIL             PALMYRA                 40.71N 96.39W
05/09/2016  M1.00 INCH       OTOE               NE   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

MEAD

Special weather statement, May 9, 7:08 PM CST, 21 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
808 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2016

NEZ066-068-089-090-100200-
JOHNSON NE-GAGE NE-LANCASTER NE-OTOE NE-
808 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2016

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN JOHNSON...
NORTHEASTERN GAGE...SOUTHEASTERN LANCASTER AND SOUTHWESTERN OTOE
COUNTIES UNTIL 900 PM CDT...

AT 808 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
CORTLAND...OR 17 MILES NORTH OF BEATRICE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

DIME SIZE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
FIRTH...CORTLAND...PANAMA...WAGON TRAIN STATE RECREATION AREA AND
STAGECOACH STATE RECREATION AREA.

THIS INCLUDES HIGHWAY 77 IN NEBRASKA BETWEEN MILEMARKERS 39 AND 43.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA.

LAT...LON 4040 9664 4054 9675 4065 9656 4052 9643
TIME...MOT...LOC 0108Z 223DEG 18KT 4052 9669

MEAD

Special weather statement, May 9, 7:17 PM CST, 12 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
817 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2016

IAZ090-NEZ068-091-100145-
FREMONT IA-NEMAHA NE-OTOE NE-
817 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2016

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL FREMONT...NORTH CENTRAL
NEMAHA AND SOUTHEASTERN OTOE COUNTIES UNTIL 845 PM CDT...

AT 817 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR FARRAGUT TO 4 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF NEBRASKA CITY...AND MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH.

DIME SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THESE STORMS.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
NEBRASKA CITY...HAMBURG...SIDNEY...RIVERTON AND WAUBONSIE STATE PARK.

THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING HIGHWAYS...
 HIGHWAY 2 IN NEBRASKA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 507 AND 508.
 HIGHWAY 75 IN NEBRASKA NEAR MILE MARKER 45.
 INTERSTATE 29 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 12.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN IOWA...AND SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA.

LAT...LON 4055 9569 4056 9568 4058 9569 4058 9577
      4057 9577 4056 9576 4053 9577 4051 9584
      4069 9587 4089 9550 4061 9550
TIME...MOT...LOC 0117Z 199DEG 20KT 4073 9553 4064 9580

BOUSTEAD

Special weather statement, May 9, 7:25 PM CST, 4 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
825 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2016

NEZ018-032-033-100215-
STANTON NE-CUMING NE-WAYNE NE-
825 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2016

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN STANTON...
NORTHWESTERN CUMING AND SOUTHEASTERN WAYNE COUNTIES UNTIL 915 PM
CDT...

AT 825 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
WAYNE...OR 21 MILES NORTHEAST OF NORFOLK. THIS STORM WAS NEARLY
STATIONARY.

DIME SIZE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
WAYNE...WINSIDE AND 8 MILES SOUTH OF WAYNE.

THIS INCLUDES HIGHWAY 275 IN NEBRASKA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 84 AND 93.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA.

LAT...LON 4217 9683 4195 9719 4206 9732 4228 9704
TIME...MOT...LOC 0125Z 348DEG 2KT 4219 9706

MEAD

Local storm report, May 9, 7:29 PM CST, 0 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
829 PM CDT MON MAY 09 2016

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

0829 PM     HAIL             ESSEX                   40.83N 95.30W
05/09/2016  E0.88 INCH       PAGE               IA   PUBLIC

&&

JB

The radar

The Omaha radar (KOAX), 105 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:31 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Page

When: May 9, 7:29 PM CST
Where: Page County, Essex
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 40.830, -95.300

What these are

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 Warnings in Iowa, May 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: 624345.