A lack of rainfall and warmer than average temperatures resulted in severe drought conditions developing in northeast Iowa during the middle of June. Between April 1st and severe drought development in Clayton, Chickasaw, Fayette and Floyd counties by June 20th, approximately 4 to 10 inches of total rain had fallen, which was 2 to 10 inches below normal for the time period, or 25 to 75 percent…
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 ARX wrote it up.
A lack of rainfall and warmer than average temperatures resulted in severe drought conditions developing in northeast Iowa during the middle of June. Between April 1st and severe drought development in Clayton, Chickasaw, Fayette and Floyd counties by June 20th, approximately 4 to 10 inches of total rain had fallen, which was 2 to 10 inches below normal for the time period, or 25 to 75 percent of normal.
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 La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 20, 5:00 AM CST, 1 hour earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service La Crosse WI 600 AM CDT Tue Jun 20 2023 .DISCUSSION...(Today through Monday) Issued at 234 AM CDT Tue Jun 20 2023 Key Messages: - Dry with above-normal temperatures through Friday Morning. - Periodic showers and storms this weekend and early next week. Highest rain chances (60-80%) from Saturday night into Sunday. Through Friday... High pressure will produce dry weather through at least Friday morning and then a shortwave trough moving northeast through western and northern Minnesota may produce a chance (around 20%) of showers and storms mainly north of Interstate 90 on Friday afternoon. While there is still some 850 mb temperatures differences (ECMWF remains 1.5-2C warmer than GFS), the NBM temperature spread remains very tight with its 25-75th percentiles (within a 2-4F range). Due to this, the temperature forecast (mid-80s to lower 90s) forecast confidence (greater than 80%) remains high. With the HRRR showing some smoke across the area through tonight, increased the sky coverage forecast into the 20-30% range. Saturday through Monday... As the upper level ridge retrogrades to the west, a closed low will move east across the area this weekend. While there is good consensus in the models that this will occur, there remains timing differences and some questions on the southern extent of this system. The former impacts the amount of instability across the area and the latter will impact the amount of 0-6 km shear over the area. Due to this, there is plenty of uncertainty on whether we might see some organized severe weather. At this time, the greatest rain chances (60-80%) looks to be from Saturday night into Sunday. With precipitable water values around 1.5 inches, there could be some locally heavy rain. Temperatures will gradually cool closer to normal as the warmer 925 and 850 mb temperatures move southwest of the forecast area. && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Wednesday morning) Issued at 600 AM CDT Tue Jun 20 2023 Surface ridge over the Upper Great Lakes is expected to provide mostly sunny to mostly clear skies through the taf period. VFR conditions will prevail across the area and at both taf sites. Wind speeds will be less than 10 knots through the taf period. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && DISCUSSION...Boyne AVIATION...DTJ
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service La Crosse WI 243 AM CDT Tue Jun 20 2023 MNZ079-086>088-094-WIZ017-029-032>034-211100- Wabasha-Dodge-Olmsted-Winona-Mower-Taylor-Clark-Buffalo- Trempealeau-Jackson- 243 AM CDT Tue Jun 20 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast Minnesota...central Wisconsin...north central Wisconsin and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday There will be a chance of storms from Friday afternoon into Monday. The highest chances (60-80 percent) will be on Saturday night and Sunday. At this time, it is too early to discern if there would be a severe weather threat. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... No action needed. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... No webinar is scheduled. IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ095-096-WIZ041>044-053>055-061- 211100- Mitchell-Howard-Winneshiek-Allamakee-Floyd-Chickasaw-Fayette- Clayton-Fillmore-Houston-La Crosse-Monroe-Juneau-Adams-Vernon- Crawford-Richland-Grant- 243 AM CDT Tue Jun 20 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central Iowa...northeast Iowa...southeast Minnesota...central Wisconsin... southwest Wisconsin and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday There will be a chance of storms from Saturday into Monday. The highest chances (60-80 percent) will be on Saturday night and Sunday. At this time, it is too early to discern if there would be a severe weather threat. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... No action needed. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... No webinar is scheduled. Boyne
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drier than normal conditions resulted in severe drought conditions for 686 square miles or 87% of Clayton County through the end of June.
Drier than normal conditions resulted in severe drought conditions for 574 square miles or 78% of Fayette County through the end of June.
Drier than normal conditions resulted in severe drought conditions for 164 square miles or 33% of Chickasaw County through the end of June.
Drier than normal conditions resulted in severe drought conditions for 113 square miles or 23% of Floyd County through the end of June.
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, June 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: 1106455, 1106457, 1113739, 1113740.