Hail in Iowa, April 19, 2023

Name: Hail in Iowa, April 19, 2023
Start: 2023-04-19T08:23
End: 2023-04-19T10:37
Location: Iowa

April 19, 2023 · NWS DVN · 14 events in 5 counties and zones

Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed during the morning hours of April 19th. These showers and storms developed along a cold front that moved across eastern Iowa.

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: 14

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 DVN wrote it up.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed during the morning hours of April 19th. These showers and storms developed along a cold front that moved across eastern Iowa. Some of these storms became severe north of US Highway 30, and produced hail up to the size of golf balls.

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 Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 19, 5:02 AM CST, 3 hours 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 19, 5:02 AM CST, 3 hours 21 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 19, 2:14 AM CST, 6 hours 9 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Quad Cities IA IL
314 AM CDT Wed Apr 19 2023

IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007-
009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-200815-
Buchanan-Delaware-Dubuque-Benton-Linn-Jones-Jackson-Iowa-Johnson-
Cedar-Clinton-Muscatine-Scott-Keokuk-Washington-Louisa-Jefferson-
Henry IA-Des Moines-Van Buren-Lee-Jo Daviess-Stephenson-Carroll-
Whiteside-Rock Island-Henry IL-Bureau-Putnam-Mercer-Henderson-
Warren-Hancock-McDonough-Scotland-Clark-
314 AM CDT Wed Apr 19 2023

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central
Illinois...northwest Illinois...west central Illinois...east
central Iowa...northeast Iowa...southeast Iowa and northeast
Missouri.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

Thunderstorms are possible north of Highway 30 today, and over the
entire area tonight. The Storm Prediction Center is forecasting a
slight risk for severe storms tonight, mainly west of a Cedar
Rapids to Fairfield Iowa line, with a Marginal Risk farther east.
The main risk tonight will be large hail, and potentially heavy
rainfall. There is a low risk for damaging winds as well.

Locations along the Mississippi River will begin to experience
flooding this week. Please see the latest Flood Statements and
Flood Warnings for details.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

There is a marginal risk for severe storms forecast for Illinois
Thursday, as a cold front sweeps through the area. The risk for
storms is conditional that we warm up into the 70s Thursday. If
storms do refire, there could be a risk for hail and damaging
winds in the afternoon.

Cold weather is forecast for the upcoming weekend, with a nightly
threat for below freezing temperatures Friday night through
Sunday night.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is possible tonight, mainly in eastern Iowa.

ERVIN

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 19, 7:22 AM CST, 1 hour 1 minute before

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The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 112 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:25 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Benton

When: April 19, 8:23 AM CST
Where: Benton County, 2.31 mi SSE of Atkins
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.950, -91.850

Hail, Benton

When: April 19, 8:30 AM CST
Where: Benton County, 2.81 mi N of Walford
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.920, -91.860

The time of the event was estimated by the spotter.

Hail, Linn

When: April 19, 8:34 AM CST
Where: Linn County, 2.17 mi ESE of Covington
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.990, -91.730

Hail, Linn

When: April 19, 8:46 AM CST
Where: Linn County, 1.72 mi NE of Marion
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.050, -91.580

Hail, Linn

When: April 19, 8:46 AM CST
Where: Linn County, 1.47 mi NNW of Marion
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 42.050, -91.610

Hail, Delaware

When: April 19, 8:55 AM CST
Where: Delaware County, 0.86 mi NW of Hopkinton
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Storm Chaser
Coordinates: 42.360, -91.260

Hail, Linn

When: April 19, 8:56 AM CST
Where: Linn County, 1.38 mi N of Marion
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 42.050, -91.600

A public report of hail that was mostly pea sized but a few stones were quarters.

Hail, Jones

When: April 19, 9:25 AM CST
Where: Jones County, 0.86 mi SE of Anamosa
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.110, -91.270

Hail, Jones

When: April 19, 9:31 AM CST to 9:41 AM CST
Where: Jones County, 2.14 mi NNE of Scotch Grove
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 42.210, -91.110

Hail fell for 10 minutes. Most of the stones were nickel size with a couple around 1 inch.

Hail, Dubuque

When: April 19, 10:03 AM CST
Where: Dubuque County, 0.51 mi E of (Dbq)dubuque Muni Ar
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 42.400, -90.710

The Emergency Manager reported hail that was mostly pea size with a few quarter sized.

Hail, Dubuque

When: April 19, 10:10 AM CST
Where: Dubuque County, 1.47 mi NNE of (Dbq)dubuque Muni Ar
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.420, -90.710

Hail, Dubuque

When: April 19, 10:30 AM CST
Where: Dubuque County, 0.86 mi NW of Center Grove
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 42.510, -90.710

Hail, Dubuque

When: April 19, 10:34 AM CST
Where: Dubuque County, 1.23 mi NE of (Dbq)dubuque Muni Ar
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 42.410, -90.700

Hail, Dubuque

When: April 19, 10:37 AM CST
Where: Dubuque County, 2.55 mi E of (Dbq)dubuque Muni Ar
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 42.400, -90.670

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 2023 Every state in 2023 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, April 2023

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: 1094692, 1094693, 1094694, 1094695, 1094696, 1094699, 1094697, 1094698, 1094700, 1094701, 1094702, 1094703, 1094705, 1094704.