Drought continued expansion into early July for a small portion of central Iowa. This only lasted 2 week before decent mid month rainfall helped ease dry conditions.
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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.
Drought continued expansion into early July for a small portion of central Iowa. This only lasted 2 week before decent mid month rainfall helped ease dry conditions.
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 Jul 4, 5:50 AM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 650 AM CDT Tue Jul 4 2023 ...Updated for the 12z Aviation Discussion... .DISCUSSION.../Today through Monday/ Issued at 422 AM CDT Tue Jul 4 2023 Key Messages: -Scattered storms north early this morning, then hot for much of today. -Storms this evening into tonight, some severe storms possible with damaging winds and large hail mainly this evening in the west. -Cooler into the weekend with next chance of rain by this weekend. Scattered storms have persisted overnight across portions of northern Iowa. Current convection has been spreading gradually south-southwest behind outflow which is impinging upon a weak to modest low level jet from the southwest. The strongest updrafts may have some small hail with a few reports of gusty winds as well. Additional convection moving across southern South Dakota may also complicate the forecast for today as it may also impact portions of northern Iowa before dissipating this morning and this will need to be monitored. Otherwise, skies should be mostly sunny once again with temperatures climbing into the lower 90s in most locations as thermal ridging pushes into the state. Instability is expected to climb into the afternoon, especially across western Iowa where values of 1500-2000 J/KG are forecast in NW Iowa. The cap should sufficiently weaken by mid to late afternoon with initiation at the time. Much of this convection is likley to be west of the forecast area initially and much of the guidance suggests a south-southeast movement keeping the bulk of strongest activity just west of the area. However, it is likely that some of the activity spills into the west during the evening with a few severe storms remaining possible. Not much has changed from the previous discussion with damaging winds and hail the main concerns with somewhat inverted-v soundings. And as is common in the summer, localized heavy rainfall remains possible but should not be too problematic unless it parks over an urbanized location. The convection pushes east into Wednesday as a surface front sweeps through the forecast area. It still appears the best severe threat remains southeast of the CWA but some initial development may clip our southeast with a severe storm or two. Otherwise, cooler and drier air pushes into Iowa as a Canadian airmass settles into the Midwest. Surface ridging slides across the area on Thursday with very pleasant weather continuing into early Friday. However, the return to warm advection along with theta-e advection by Friday afternoon and beyond brings with it an increasing threat of scattered showers and storms periodically into the weekend as a series of shortwaves passes through the region. This also keeps temperatures at or below normal during this time with the warmer air suppressed to the southwest of Iowa. && .AVIATION.../For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Wednesday morning/ Issued at 650 AM CDT Tue Jul 4 2023 Mostly VFR conditions today although a few storms may pass along the IA/MN border. Surface winds remain mostly south to southwest through the day. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to move southeast across central Iowa tonight with MVFR conditions in and around thunderstorms. A surface front will begin to pass through the state tonight with surface winds becoming northwest behind the boundary. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && DISCUSSION...Cogil AVIATION...Cogil
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Des Moines IA 411 AM CDT Tue Jul 4 2023 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075- 081>086-092>097-050915- 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- 411 AM CDT Tue Jul 4 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight A few thunderstorms will linger across northern Iowa early this morning. This afternoon heat indices will approach 100 degrees in central to southern Iowa. Later this evening thunderstorms will impact northwest Iowa, moving towards central Iowa later in the evening and overnight. Severe storms are possible with damaging winds and large hail the main hazards. Brief heavy rainfall is also possible with these storms. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Storms will continue across central to southeast Iowa on Wednesday. A few strong to severe storms are once again possible with damaging winds and large hail the main hazards, in addition to brief heavy rain. Thunderstorms return to the forecast by next weekend. Any severe threat will be better determined in the coming days. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed on today and Wednesday. Hagenhoff
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe drought conditions expanded into Poweshiek County for a brief period during July with dry and very warm conditions. However, substantial rainfall mid month alleviated the conditions.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, July 2023
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: 1108438.