Increasing rainfall into the first half of May helped to end the severe drought conditions in portions of northwest Iowa. However, long term dryness still persists with moderate drought continuing.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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.
Increasing rainfall into the first half of May helped to end the severe drought conditions in portions of northwest Iowa. However, long term dryness still persists with moderate drought continuing.
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 Apr 30, 10:45 PM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 1145 PM CDT Sun Apr 30 2023 ...Updated for the 06z Aviation Discussion... .DISCUSSION.../Tonight through Sunday/ Issued at 200 PM CDT Sun Apr 30 2023 Key Messages: - Strong winds and fire weather concerns Monday - Tuesday. - Warmer with rain chances possible latter half of the week. 19z GOES water vapor imagery shows deep cyclonic flow encompassing the eastern two-thirds of the conus. The dominant upper low was located over the Great Lakes region and anomalously deep for this time of year, reaching into NAEFS climo min for 500mb heights. Sluggish progression of the blocked up synoptic pattern leads to a few more days of strong winds and below normal temps as the state holds on the western edge of a compressed pressure gradient and cool northerly flow. Peak wind gusts on Monday fall back slightly as model soundings show 35-40 kts of flow at the top of the mixed layer, compared to 40-50 kts today. Hedged the forecast toward the drier end of Td guidance as more sunshine should favor deeper diurnal mixing. Elevated fire weather conditions arise as RH levels drop into the 20 to 30 percent range, but unsure if Red Flag criteria will be met as the corridors of strongest winds and lowest RH are a bit out of phase. Similar story for Tuesday with more fire weather concerns. Winds decrease a bit more as the upper low nudges further east and a surface ridge axis starts to build into the region. Lower min RH values are probable as the chilly air mass erodes and temps begin to warm up. Pattern flip arrives Wednesday as an upper ridge builds into the central Plains and southerly winds boost highs back into the 70s. Precip chances return Thursday as a shortwave slides down the eastern periphery of the ridge and induces isentropic lift along and north of a sfc warm front. GFS/EC show considerable differences wrt the degree of moisture return and northerly progression of the warm front. Low level dry air north of the front will likely be stubborn to overcome and eat into some of the precip, but most ensemble guidance generates some light QPF central and south. Low chance PoPs from latest NBM are sufficient for now. Synoptic pattern progression remains sluggish into the weekend as multiple weak shortwaves work to flatten the upper ridge. Models fester spurious QPF around the area and as a result NBM has consecutive periods of low PoPs through the weekend. It's highly probable that this is temporally overdone, but it is difficult to narrow down the more likely time periods at this juncture. && .AVIATION.../For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Monday night/ Issued at 1143 PM CDT Sun Apr 30 2023 Breezy conditions will continue early in the period with gusts becoming more frequent by morning then increasing thorugh the morning. Gusts to 35 kts are possible again by Monday afternoon. Any cigs will generally be at 6 kft or higher. May have scattering into the early morning before some diurnal flat cumulus redevelops. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && DISCUSSION...Martin AVIATION...Donavon
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Des Moines IA 757 PM CDT Sun Apr 30 2023 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075- 081>086-092>097-020100- 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- 757 PM CDT Sun Apr 30 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...Tonight Gusty winds will continue tonight with periodic gusts reaching 45 mph, at times. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday Strong, gusty winds and elevated fire weather conditions are expected on Monday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Decent rainfall during the 1st half of May helped to reduce the severe drought to moderate drought across Palo Alto county. Some longer term residual dryness persists.
Decent rainfall during the 1st half of May helped to reduce the severe drought to moderate drought across Kossuth county. Some longer term residual dryness persists.
Decent rainfall during the 1st half of May helped to reduce the severe drought to moderate drought across Pocahontas county. Some longer term residual dryness persists.
Decent rainfall during the 1st half of May helped to reduce the severe drought to moderate drought across Sac county. Some longer term residual dryness persists.
Decent rainfall during the 1st half of May helped to reduce the severe drought to moderate drought across Crawford county. Some longer term residual dryness persists.
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, May 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: 1088653, 1088654, 1088656, 1088657, 1088658.