Above normal temperatures combined with below normal rainfall continue to produce severe drought conditions across much of northwest Iowa during June.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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.
Above normal temperatures combined with below normal rainfall continue to produce severe drought conditions across much of northwest Iowa during June.
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 May 31, 10:48 PM CST, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 1148 PM CDT Mon May 31 2021 ...Updated 06z Aviation... .DISCUSSION.../Tonight through Monday/ Issued at 212 PM CDT Mon May 31 2021 Fairly quiet across most of the forecast area as we head into the afternoon. An area of light showers is exiting south central Iowa, although radar returns suggest more rainfall than what was actually realized due to influences from dry air. Hi-res models highlight a few showers and storms over the next several hours as a weak frontal boundary sags into northern Iowa. Confidence in any sort of widespread, robust development is shaky at best as kinematic support from a passing wave aloft has pushed off into WI/IL, and surface winds are parallel to the frontal axis and unfavorable for any strong convergence. Kept slight chance PoPs running in the forecast to highlight the potential for an isolated shower or storm. Any activity will diminish with the loss of daytime heating. Later tonight into early Tuesday morning model guidance suggests some fog development along and south of I-80. Scattered to broken cloud cover lends some doubt with respect to fog coverage and intensity at this point, but did go ahead and add mention of patchy fog into the forecast. Upper trough slowly swings through on Tuesday/Wednesday. Models are still in a bit of disagreement with the speed and track of the main low, but regardless provide enough broad scale lift to generate sporadic light precipitation over the area. Location is difficult to pin down at this juncture as convergence is very weak, so the activity may be scattered and unorganized. Enough convective instability is present to not rule out a few rumbles of thunder on Wednesday. An upper ridge gradually builds over the central conus over the latter half of the week. Southerly flow beneath the ridge will bring warmer temperatures back into the region, and eventually higher humidity as well as flow taps into Gulf moisture. Highs in the mid to upper 80s look likely by Friday and through the weekend. Model guidance suggests some areas may crack into the 90s, but opted not to bump forecast above NBM since it is already running near the upper end of the guidance spectrum. Otherwise the bulk of the extended range forecast is dry as the main upper jet is shunted north of the region. GEFS/ECENS both in strong agreement with no precip late week and weekend. Our next window for appreciable rainfall likely waits until an upper low emerges from the southwest early next week. && .AVIATION.../For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Tuesday night/ Issued at 1145 PM CDT Mon May 31 2021 There are few clouds around Iowa late this evening from previous shower activity. Most of these bases are VFR. Fog is expected to develop in southern Iowa, and will likely impact OTM at some point overnight and into early Tuesday morning. Patchy fog may spread up to DSM. Winds overall will be calm. CIGs across southern Iowa may also drop to IFR. Light rain is possible, but not much is expected in the way of precipitation. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && DISCUSSION...Martin AVIATION...Krull
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Des Moines IA 724 PM CDT Mon May 31 2021 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075- 081>086-092>097-011200- 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- 724 PM CDT Mon May 31 2021 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...Tuesday through Sunday Low chances of non-severe thunderstorms return on Wednesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed. Lee
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe drought continued across Emmet County during June. Precipitation remained below normal for the entire month with temperatures well above normal. Streamflows fell well below normal throughout northern Iowa.
Severe drought expanded across all of Kossuth County during June. Precipitation remained below normal for the entire month with temperatures well above normal. Streamflows fell well below normal throughout northern Iowa.
Severe drought remained across all of Palo Alto County during June. Precipitation remained below normal for the entire month with temperatures well above normal. Streamflows fell well below normal as well.
Severe drought remained across all of Pocahontas County during June. Precipitation remained below normal for the entire month with temperatures well above normal. Streamflows fell well below normal as well.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, June 2021
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: 957638, 957639, 957640, 957641.