Scattered thunderstorms developed during the latter half of the afternoon along a slow moving cold front. Dry air poised off the surface allowed for outflow dominant storms to develop, with a brief period of damaging gusty wind.
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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 FSD wrote it up.
Scattered thunderstorms developed during the latter half of the afternoon along a slow moving cold front. Dry air poised off the surface allowed for outflow dominant storms to develop, with a brief period of damaging gusty wind.
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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 4, 5:58 AM CST, 7 hours 52 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD 658 AM CDT Tue Jul 4 2023 .SHORT TERM...(Today and Tonight) Issued at 348 AM CDT Tue Jul 4 2023 Key Messages: 1. Intermittent showers and thunderstorm activity will continue for most of the day today. A few storms may become severe. 2. Cool and mostly quiet conditions return by the midweek. 3. More rain chances return by the weekend. However, activity will continue to be very hit and miss. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Today: A warm and wet day will likely be on tap for the holiday today. Taking a look across the area, clusters of scattered showers and thunderstorms have developed in two areas. The first area is north of the Hwy-14 corridor with the better thermodynamics and just north of the boundary stretched across the I-90 corridor. The second area is just west of the Missouri River ahead of a developing surface low and subsequent cold front. As the low level jet (LLJ) continue to strengthen, expect more scattered showers and thunderstorms to develop ahead of the second area as it continues its eastward push this morning. While severe weather isn't expected with this round, small hail and a few stronger wind gust (up to 45 mph) will be possible with developing storms. However, as activity gets displaced from the better shear expect gradual weakening to occur. Otherwise, southerly flow at the surface will transition to northerly flow this afternoon behind the cold front with highs expected to peak in the upper 70s to low 90s across the region. This Evening/Tonight: Looking into the rest of the day, another round of showers and thunderstorms will likely develop along the cold front this afternoon as deeper synoptic lift enters the area. A few storms could become severe with large hail and damaging winds being the primary threats. An isolated tornado isn't completely out of the question either as localized enhancements of low-level shear could favor a brief spin up. Otherwise, overnight temperatures will be a bit cooler due to the increased rain chances. This will result in lows in the low to upper 50s across the area. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday through Monday) Issued at 348 AM CDT Tue Jul 4 2023 Wednesday-Friday: Heading into the extended period, lingering showers east of I-29 will continue to dissipate early wednesday as the cold front continues to slowly move southeastwards. Otherwise, cool and mostly quiet conditions return as surface ridging moves in to replace the departing frontal boundary. This will result in a few days of below normal temperatures across the region with highs peaking mostly in the 70s and lows sitting in the 50s (and possibly 40s Wed night). More precipitation chances will likely return by Friday as a weak mid-level wave moves through the area. However, medium range guidance begins to diverges on timing and intensity details which leads to lower confidence in precipitation chances. As a result, decided to leave the default NBM guidance in for POPs for this time period. Saturday-Monday: Looking into the rest of the weekend, the active pattern aloft continues as multiple weak shortwaves move through the area bringing daily low confidence precipitation chances. While the rain is much needed, expect developing showers and thunderstorm to be mostly diurnally driven with the activity being very hit or miss. Otherwise, expect the warmer conditions to continue with daily highs expected to reach the upper 70s to low 80s across the area. && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Wednesday Morning) Issued at 657 AM CDT Tue Jul 4 2023 VFR conditions with occasionally MVFR/IFR visibilities will be possible across the area. Taking a look across the area, clusters of showers and thunderstorms continue to push through southeastern SD this morning. Expect this activity to continue to push east- northeast over the next several hours. With the better shear and instability sitting west of the James River, redevelopment on the backside of the main area of interest will be possible throughout the morning hours. Otherwise, more showers and thunderstorms will likely develop this afternoon along the cold front. Looking into the winds, southerly flow at the surface will become northerly tonight to end the TAF period. && .FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...None. MN...None. IA...None. NE...None. && SHORT TERM...Gumbs LONG TERM...Gumbs AVIATION...Gumbs
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD 507 AM CDT Tue Jul 4 2023 IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097- 098-NEZ013-014-SDZ040-055-056-062-066-067-070-071-051015- Lyon-Osceola-Dickinson-Sioux-O'Brien-Clay-Plymouth-Cherokee- Buena Vista-Woodbury-Ida-Lincoln-Murray-Cottonwood-Nobles-Jackson- Pipestone-Rock-Dixon-Dakota-Brookings-Lake-Moody-Minnehaha-Turner- Union- 507 AM CDT Tue Jul 4 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Iowa, west central Iowa, southwest Minnesota, northeast Nebraska, east central South Dakota and southeast South Dakota. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Multiple rounds of scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to push through the area today. A few storms could become severe with large hail up to ping pong ball size and damaging winds up to 60 mph being possible. Locally heavy rainfall and backbuilding storms could promote some flooding concerns this afternoon. For those spending the 4th fo July holiday outdoors or attending firework shows, continue to stay aware of the forecast. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. More chances for isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms return this weekend. While severe weather isn't expected locally heavy downpours and frequent lightning will be possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. SDZ038-039-050-052>054-057>061-063>065-068-069-051015- Beadle-Kingsbury-Gregory-Jerauld-Sanborn-Miner-Brule-Aurora-Davison- Hanson-McCook-Charles Mix-Douglas-Hutchinson-Bon Homme-Yankton- 507 AM CDT Tue Jul 4 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central South Dakota, east central South Dakota, south central South Dakota and southeast South Dakota. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Several clusters of showers and thunderstorms will continue to push through this area this morning. A few storms may become severe with large hail up to the size of quarters and damaging winds up to 60 mph being possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. More chances for isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms return this weekend. While severe weather isn't expected locally heavy downpours and frequent lightning will be possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
853 AM CDT Tue Jul 4 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0818 AM Tstm Wnd Gst 5 S Freeman 43.28N 97.42W
07/04/2023 M51 MPH Hutchinson SD Mesonet
Mesonet station 163 SD RWIS Freeman.
0615 AM Tstm Wnd Gst 1 S Volga 44.30N 96.92W
07/04/2023 M55 MPH Brookings SD Mesonet
Mesonet station VGAS2 Volga (SD Mesonet).
&&The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 114 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:47 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several larger limbs were broken off trees by thunderstorm winds.
Thunderstorm winds snapped several large tree branches, with the section of one branch thrown into a house. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
An older tree was blown down across the road near the intersection of Dogwood Trail and Port Neal Road.
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: 1122704, 1122702, 1122701.