Overnight thunderstorms across Nebraska moved into Iowa in the early morning hours of May 8th. The nocturnal storms we fueled in part by the low level jet, and continued to be sustained by steady moisture transport across the area.
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 DMX wrote it up.
Overnight thunderstorms across Nebraska moved into Iowa in the early morning hours of May 8th. The nocturnal storms we fueled in part by the low level jet, and continued to be sustained by steady moisture transport across the area. As storms moved across the Des Moines metro, a lightning strike is believed to have started a fire which caused significant damage to several condos. By afternoon some strengthening occurred and while thunderstorms remained below severe limits, penny sized hail was reported with one storm.
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 8, 5:45 AM CST, 31 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 645 AM CDT Sun May 8 2022 ...Updated for the 12z Aviation Discussion... .DISCUSSION.../Today through Saturday/ Issued at 353 AM CDT Sun May 8 2022 Key Messages: -Showers and storms today with cooler temperatures, locally heavy rain possible. -Severe threat late Monday afternoon/evening with scattered surface based convection. -Heat builds into the work week. Robust southeast winds have persisted overnight ahead of convection sliding through Nebraska. The convection remains mostly elevated with strong LLJ supplying moisture to the storms. The axis of the jet will veer over the next several hours into Iowa with moisture transport increasing into the state. This should help maintain the storms into Iowa this morning although remaining elevated with little severe threat. The moisture axis remains pointed into the state through much of today and this is likely to help maintain convection into this afternoon across the northern half of Iowa. A few of the CAM runs do indicate a heavier band of rainfall in the north central this afternoon and with the GFS in the same spatial area as well. WPC guidance has also added this area into the day 1 excessive outlook, therefore will need to maintain vigilance into the afternoon for locally heavy rainfall. The extensive cloud cover and precipitation today keeps temperatures nearly 10 degrees cooler than Saturday, especially in the north where low ceilings will be more extensive. The next shortwave ejecting into the Plains tonight redirects forcing to the north and west of Iowa with the bulk of convection in the Dakotas and eventually Minnesota. A front associated with the shortwave will pass into the state by Monday afternoon. Ahead of this boundary, thermal ridging builds into the state with strong south winds. Temperatures are likely to rise quickly on Monday into the 80s and even some low 90s in the south. With dewpoints the 60s, it will be very summer-like, especially given the relatively cool temperatures recently. The strong winds approach advisory criteria in the north and may need a headline for gusts of 45+ mph as well. A extensive cap is in place across the area during the day but erodes by later afternoon in the north ahead of the boundary. Models continue to indicate some isold/sct development by late afternoon with CAPE values of up to 3000 J/KG. There appears to be a narrow window where there exists a threat for wind/hail and a tornado or two. However, the convection likley become elevated by later in the evening with the main threat becoming hail and some locally heavy rainfall. The front lingers across the state into Tuesday although most soundings show and extensive cap in place which likely will inhibit convection for most of the area. Temperatures are likely to be wide ranging with cooler readings in the north with easterly surface flow but much warmer south in the warm sector. The front blows north on Wednesday as upper ridging builds into the Midwest. Very warm and relatively humid conditions are then expected Wednesday and Thursday before a boundary arrives toward Friday with an increasing threat for storms on cooling temperatures. && .AVIATION.../For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Monday morning/ Issued at 645 AM CDT Sun May 8 2022 Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected today with VFR to MVFR ceilings. Visibilities will also be restricted in and around thunderstorms. Winds remains from the southeast for the duration of the forecast being gusty for much of the period. The threat for precipitation diminishes tonight. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && DISCUSSION...Cogil AVIATION...Cogil
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Des Moines IA 331 AM CDT Sun May 8 2022 IAZ004-005-015-023-024-033>035-044>046-057-058-070-071-081-092- 090845- Emmet-Kossuth-Palo Alto-Pocahontas-Humboldt-Sac-Calhoun-Webster- Crawford-Carroll-Greene-Audubon-Guthrie-Cass-Adair-Adams-Taylor- 331 AM CDT Sun May 8 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight Thunderstorms will move into the area this morning and remain periodic throughout the day and evening. The threat for severe weather is low, but some storms may produce small hail and locally heavy rainfall. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday Additional thunderstorms are possible Monday evening through Monday night, mainly across northern and eastern Iowa. A few of these storms may become severe, with large hail and damaging winds being the primary threats. Locally heavy rainfall would also be possible. Chances for scattered thunderstorms remain for the duration of the week. Temperatures by the middle of next week may reach above 90 degrees in some locations. Heat index values may approach the upper 90s at times. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters will not be needed at this time. IAZ006-007-016-017-025>028-036>039-047>050-059>062-072>075- 082>086-093>097-090845- Winnebago-Worth-Hancock-Cerro Gordo-Wright-Franklin-Butler-Bremer- Hamilton-Hardin-Grundy-Black Hawk-Boone-Story-Marshall-Tama- Dallas-Polk-Jasper-Poweshiek-Madison-Warren-Marion-Mahaska-Union- Clarke-Lucas-Monroe-Wapello-Ringgold-Decatur-Wayne-Appanoose- Davis- 331 AM CDT Sun May 8 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight Thunderstorms will move into the area this morning and remain periodic throughout the day and evening. The threat for severe weather is low, but some storms may produce small hail. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday Additional thunderstorms are possible Monday evening through Monday night, mainly across northern and eastern Iowa. A few of these storms may become severe, with large hail and damaging winds being the primary threats. Locally heavy rainfall would also be possible. Chances for scattered thunderstorms remain for the duration of the week. Temperatures by the middle of next week may reach above 90 degrees in some locations. Heat index values may approach the upper 90s at times. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters will not be needed at this time. Jimenez
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 18 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:16 UTC.
1 lightning, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
At 201 Grand Avenue, three condos suffered major damage and a fourth had minor damage from a fire believed to have been started by lightning according to firefighters. Time estimated using lightning data.
Photo of a nickel next to a slightly smaller hail stone.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, May 2022
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: 1027548, 1025400.