Severe (D2) and extreme (D3) drought conditions at the start of November remained constant across northeast Iowa through November from long-standing abnormally dry conditions. While the previous month of October provided near to slightly above normal rainfall amounts, total rainfall near 20 inches from April 1 to October 31st was 9 to 12 inches below normal.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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.
Severe (D2) and extreme (D3) drought conditions at the start of November remained constant across northeast Iowa through November from long-standing abnormally dry conditions. While the previous month of October provided near to slightly above normal rainfall amounts, total rainfall near 20 inches from April 1 to October 31st was 9 to 12 inches below normal. During November, only 1 to 3 days of measurable precipitation provided 0.1 to 0.5 inches total rainfall, near 2 inches below the monthly normal. While the growing season was all but over, multiple days of above normal temperatures, 10 to 20 degrees above normal, inhibited the ground from freezing. The drought remained unchanged through November as county-encompassing extreme drought (D3) extended from Mitchell and Floyd counties eastward to Winneshiek and Fayette counties. Widespread severe drought (D2) continued in Allamakee and Clayton counties with areas of extreme drought (D3).
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 Oct 31, 9:40 PM CST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service La Crosse WI 1040 PM CDT Tue Oct 31 2023 .DISCUSSION...(This evening through Tuesday) Issued at 215 PM CDT Tue Oct 31 2023 Key Messages: - Gradually warming, drier for the rest of the week. WARMER AND DRIER THROUGH FRIDAY: In the wake of this departing low pressure system, very cool air advects into the Upper Mississippi Valley in the northwesterly flow aloft for overnight lows in the teens and low 20s. Temperatures begin to gradually moderate tomorrow through Friday with a zonal upper-level flow pattern. This will result in near-normal highs later in the week. Weak pockets of vorticity embedded in the zonal flow periodically advect across the Upper Midwest during this time period, but there is little to no signal area wide in the GEFS and EPS for organized precipitation through Friday. WEEKEND OUTLOOK: While the details remain unclear, there's some consensus in the global models for a more amplified upper-level flow pattern this weekend. Precipitation chances increase in the GEFS come Saturday and Sunday, but the EPS tells a much drier story with fewer members producing precipitation and those that produce less QPF. This uncertainty presents itself as 20-35% PoPs in the NBM during this timeframe. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Wednesday night) Issued at 1040 PM CDT Tue Oct 31 2023 After a brief break in the clouds for some, satellite imagery shows another area of clouds sinking southeastward across the region. Expecting VFR conditions to remain through the TAF period. However, a brief period of patchy MVFR ceilings cannot be completely ruled out at KRST overnight. Have noted that latest guidance has backed off a bit on the southern extent of these lower ceilings though. Otherwise, winds become more southwest and increase 10-15 kts during the day, with some wind gusts possible especially at KRST early in the day. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && DISCUSSION...KAA AVIATION...EMS
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service La Crosse WI 927 PM CDT Tue Oct 31 2023 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029- 032>034-041>044-053>055-061-020230- Mitchell-Howard-Winneshiek-Allamakee-Floyd-Chickasaw-Fayette- Clayton-Wabasha-Dodge-Olmsted-Winona-Mower-Fillmore-Houston- Taylor-Clark-Buffalo-Trempealeau-Jackson-La Crosse-Monroe-Juneau- Adams-Vernon-Crawford-Richland-Grant- 927 PM CDT Tue Oct 31 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central Iowa, northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, central Wisconsin, north central Wisconsin, southwest Wisconsin, and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed. nofwd
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe (D2) drought persisted across all of Allamakee County through November. The combination of total monthly precipitation under 0.2 inches, more than 2 inches below normal in spots, and several days of anomalously warm temperatures resulted in 20 to 30% below normal topsoil moisture.
Extreme (D3) drought persisted across all of Chickasaw County through November. The combination of total monthly precipitation near 0.25 inches, 2 inches below normal, and several days of anomalously warm temperatures resulted in 30 to 50% below normal topsoil moisture.
Severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought persisted across all of Clayton County through November. The combination of total monthly precipitation near 0.25 inches, 2 inches below normal, and anomalously warm temperatures resulted in 20 to 30% below normal topsoil moisture.
Extreme (D3) drought persisted across all of Fayette County through November. The combination of total monthly precipitation near 0.25 inches, 2 inches below normal, and several days of anomalously warm temperatures resulted in 20 to 40% below normal topsoil moisture.
Extreme (D3) drought persisted across all of Floyd County through November. The combination of total monthly precipitation near 0.25 inches, 2 inches below normal, and several days of anomalously warm temperatures resulted in 40 to 50% below normal topsoil moisture.
Extreme (D3) drought persisted across all of Howard County through November. The combination of total monthly precipitation near 0.25 inches, 2 inches below normal, and several days of anomalously warm temperatures resulted in 30 to 50% below normal topsoil moisture.
Extreme (D3) drought persisted across all of Mitchell County through November. The combination of total monthly precipitation near 0.25 inches, 2 inches below normal, and several days of anomalously warm temperatures resulted in 40 to 50% below normal topsoil moisture.
Extreme (D3) drought persisted across all of Winneshiek County through November. The combination of total monthly precipitation near 0.25 inches, 2 inches below normal, and several days of anomalously warm temperatures resulted in 20 to 40% below normal topsoil moisture.
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, November 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: 1148595, 1148596, 1148597, 1148598, 1148599, 1148600, 1148601, 1148602.