Lack of rainfall and very warm temperatures allowed the expansion of severe drought to persist across portions of central Iowa.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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 DMX wrote it up.
Lack of rainfall and very warm temperatures allowed the expansion of severe drought to persist across portions of central Iowa.
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 Jun 20, 5:47 AM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 647 AM CDT Tue Jun 20 2023 ...Updated for the 12z Aviation Discussion... .DISCUSSION.../Today through Monday/ Issued at 358 AM CDT Tue Jun 20 2023 FORECAST HIGHLIGHTS: --Dry and warm this week. --Precipitation chances return this weekend. DISCUSSION: It has been a quiet night across the state with few to no clouds, though some hints of smoke remain with a small band of near- surface smoke dropping visibilities slightly, through still generally 7 miles or above, in addition to some patchy fog. This small band of smoke is modeled to continue to dissipate as it moves westward through the morning hours, though guidance suggests some additional smoke aloft will move into eastern Iowa later this morning and may clip some of our northeast counties into tonight. Although concentrations look higher to the northeast, some additional visibility reductions (generally 7 miles or greater) are possible if some near-surface smoke reaches into our northeast counties as well. Outside of the smoke, not much to talk about in the short term with a positively tilted ridge continuing to build through the central U.S. with upper lows over the southeast and northwest U.S. Thus, high pressure conditions with ample sunshine will dominate much of the work week with surface flow out of the east to southeast bringing in drier air that will help keep heat indicies near to lower than the actual temperatures. Temperatures will still be warm and in the upper 80s to low 90s for most but dew points will be a bit lower helping with the humidity factor, though only slightly as dew points top out in the 50s to low 60s during the afternoon hours. Did lower low temperatures tonight slightly given the clear and dry conditions in place with light winds. Precipitation chances don't return to the forecast until the weekend when the stagnant pattern we have in place this week finally looks to break down. Although some timing differences remain, the better chances look to be Saturday afternoon into early Sunday as the upper low from the northwest U.S. traverses the Upper Midwest and a boundary looks to move through the state. Additional details on the precipitation front will be provided in the coming days, but some slightly cooler temperatures look to return to start the next work week. && .AVIATION.../For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Wednesday morning/ Issued at 633 AM CDT Tue Jun 20 2023 Combination of some patchy fog and near-surface smoke early this morning has brought some low VFR to MVFR visibilities to some terminals. Conditions are expected to improve towards VFR over the next few hours as any fog dissipates and near-surface smoke moves westward and dissipates with time as well. Guidance suggests some smoke aloft will remain and kept with previous forecast of FEW- SCT200 ceilings to account for this smoke aloft. Some additional low VFR visibilities are possible at northeast sites (MCW/ALO) later today with more near-surface smoke, but confidence in timing and impacts not high enough to include mentions. Otherwise, VFR conditions expected to prevail with light winds out of the east to southeast this morning becoming around 10-15 knots through the afternoon. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && DISCUSSION...KCM AVIATION...KCM
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Des Moines IA 433 AM CDT Tue Jun 20 2023 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075- 081>086-092>097-210945- 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- 433 AM CDT Tue Jun 20 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Thunderstorm chances return to the region Saturday through Sunday. At this time, an increasing severe weather risk is anticipated for Saturday into Saturday night across portions of the area. The coverage and severe types will be better determined toward the latter portion of this week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not needed at this time. REV
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe drought expanded into Franklin County by mid June with below normal rainfall and very warm temperatures. The drought continued through the end of the month.
Severe drought expanded into Tama County by mid June with below normal rainfall and very warm temperatures. The drought continued through the end of the month.
Severe drought expanded into Decatur County by mid June with below normal rainfall and very warm temperatures. The drought continued through the end of the month.
Severe drought expanded into Pocahontas County by mid June with below normal rainfall and very warm temperatures. The drought continued through the end of the month.
Severe drought expanded into Calhoun County by mid June with below normal rainfall and very warm temperatures. The drought continued through the end of the month.
Severe drought expanded into Cass County by mid June with below normal rainfall and very warm temperatures. The drought continued through the end of the month.
Severe drought expanded into Adams County by mid June with below normal rainfall and very warm temperatures. The drought continued through the end of the month.
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: 1108404, 1108406, 1108407, 1108408, 1108410, 1108411, 1108413.