During the afternoon and evening hours of May 27th, a few severe storms moved through Iowa, Illinois, and northeast Missouri. While there were not many storms, they remained strong to severe for most of the entire path through the area, producing large hail reports for the most part, along with some damaging winds, and one isolated EF0 tornado.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 DVN wrote it up.
During the afternoon and evening hours of May 27th, a few severe storms moved through Iowa, Illinois, and northeast Missouri. While there were not many storms, they remained strong to severe for most of the entire path through the area, producing large hail reports for the most part, along with some damaging winds, and one isolated EF0 tornado. Most notably, these storms produced significant swaths of small hail, accumulating deep enough to affect roads and leave piles near homes that lasted hours. Some areas of crops were damaged by the small hail and large hail.
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 Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 27, 5:22 PM CST, 0 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Quad Cities IA IL 622 PM CDT Mon May 27 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Strong storms possible through early this evening. - Scattered storms possible Tuesday afternoon. - Wet pattern late in the week into early next week. && .SHORT TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/... Issued at 235 PM CDT Mon May 27 2024 This afternoon into early this evening: Deep trough in the Great Lakes region has spokes of vorticity in the northwest flow. One of those comes across this afternoon into early this evening which will trigger scattered showers and thunderstorms. SPC has a MRGL risk, level 1 of 5, over the entire forecast area. Any stronger storm may produce winds up to 60 mph and hail up to one inch. These storms will be moving southeast at 45 mph so heavy rainfall would be brief. With the loss of heating the storms will end by early this evening. Overnight: Partly cloudy skies and comfortable temperatures with lows bottoming out in the lower 50s at most locations. Tuesday: Another vorticity maximum arrives from the northwest during the afternoon into early evening. Forecast soundings indicate weak shear and minimal instability (less than today) so strong storms are not expected. Highs in the upper 60s north to mid 70s south. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... Issued at 235 PM CDT Mon May 27 2024 Wednesday through Thursday: The deep trough shifts to the east while a high pressure ridge builds into our area. This allows for a delightful couple of days, with plenty of sunshine and pleasant temperatures. Enjoy the respite from the recent bouts of storminess but unfortunately this nice weather will be brief. Highs will be in the comfortable upper 60s to mid 70s, with lows in the mid 40s to lower 50s. Friday through early next week: Another wet pattern setting up as global models indicate a return to a zonal flow. A series of short waves in the flow will trigger several rounds of showers and thunderstorms. However, way too early to determine the severe threat or rain amounts. Stay tuned! Highs will be in the 70s Friday and Saturday, and into the 80s Sunday and Monday. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY/... Issued at 613 PM CDT Mon May 27 2024 A fast moving area of scattered thunderstorms will exit TAF sites before 00z. In the wake of these gusty storms, wind will remain below 12kts the rest of the evening as skies become mostly clear. A few showers may linger through 01z, but we're looking at a relatively quiet night. Tuesday afternoon another round of scattered showers and a few storms are expected to move through, with locally gusty winds and small hail possible. For now, a prob30 group for showers is included. && .HYDROLOGY... Issued at 1110 AM CDT Mon May 27 2024 Rainfall the past 24 hours was not as widespread as two days ago. Although not as heavy, amounts of 0.5 to 1 inch fell across northeast Iowa and parts of Wisconsin and Illinois. River forecasts have not changed all that much. Crests are working down the tributary rivers of eastern Iowa with new crests working down the tributaries of northern Illinois. The flood watches continues for the Skunk River at Augusta, IA and the Mississippi River at New Boston. Attenuation of the flood crest on the Skunk River brings a lower confidence that flood stage will be achieved at Augusta, Iowa. On the Mississippi, the forecast rise at New Boston is due to a combination of routed flow and the expected Cedar/Iowa flow arriving immediately downstream. The Cedar/Iowa flow will result in backwater effects but there is still some uncertainty regarding the timing of this flow. If the Cedar/Iowa flow and Mississippi routed flow constructively interfere with each other, that is arrive at the same time, then the probability of New Boston achieving flood stage is much higher. If deconstructive interference occurs, that is the flows arrive at different times, the the probability of New Boston reaching flood stage would be lower. Right now the probabilities of New Boston reaching flood stage are about 45-50 percent. After a brief reprieve this week, the active weather pattern will resume next weekend and into the following week. The Climate Prediction Center has a 35-38 percent probability favoring above normal precipitation into the first week of June. && .DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IA...None. IL...None. MO...None. && SHORT TERM...Haase LONG TERM...Haase AVIATION...Ervin HYDROLOGY...08
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Quad Cities IA IL 347 AM CDT Mon May 27 2024 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-280900- Buchanan-Delaware-Dubuque-Benton-Linn-Jones-Jackson-Iowa-Johnson- Cedar-Clinton-Muscatine-Scott-Keokuk-Washington-Louisa-Jefferson- Henry IA-Des Moines-Van Buren-Lee-Jo Daviess-Stephenson-Carroll- Whiteside-Rock Island-Henry IL-Bureau-Putnam-Mercer-Henderson- Warren-Hancock-McDonough-Scotland-Clark- 347 AM CDT Mon May 27 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central Illinois...northwest Illinois...west central Illinois...east central Iowa...northeast Iowa...southeast Iowa and northeast Missouri. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible this afternoon into the early evening. Some of these storms could be severe and there is a marginal or level 1 out of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms across the entire area. The primary risks are damaging winds and lightning with a secondary risk of hail. Portions of the Wapsipinicon, Cedar, Skunk, Iowa , and Mississippi Rivers are experiencing flooding. Please see the latest Flood Statements and Flood Warnings for details. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is possible this afternoon and early evening. GENERAL STORM MOTION OF THE DAY: Toward the southeast around 45 mph. DC
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Quad Cities IA IL
554 PM CDT Mon May 27 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0540 PM Hail 3 W Mount Sterling 40.62N 92.00W
05/27/2024 E0.70 Inch Van Buren IA Trained Spotter
Winds also estimated to 40 mph.
&&Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Quad Cities IA IL
555 PM CDT Mon May 27 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0542 PM Hail 2 SW Mccausland 41.72N 90.47W
05/27/2024 E1.00 Inch Scott IA Broadcast Media
Time estimated by radar.
&&
JTSPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Quad Cities IA IL
557 PM CDT Mon May 27 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0545 PM Hail 3 NNE Azen 40.60N 92.01W
05/27/2024 E1.00 Inch Scotland MO Trained Spotter
Time estimated from radar.
&&Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Quad Cities IA IL
607 PM CDT Mon May 27 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0515 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 1 S Monticello Municipa 42.22N 91.16W
05/27/2024 M51 MPH Jones IA AWOS
&&Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Quad Cities IA IL
610 PM CDT Mon May 27 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0530 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 1 NW Bankston 42.52N 90.97W
05/27/2024 M52 MPH Dubuque IA Trained Spotter
&&Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Quad Cities IA IL
621 PM CDT Mon May 27 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 PM Hail Chambersburg 40.52N 91.80W
05/27/2024 E1.00 Inch Clark MO Public
Time estimated by radar.
&&
JTSThe Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 78 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:22 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A few 3 inch diameter tree branches down. The time was estimated from radar data.
Spotter estimated winds to 60 mph or higher.
A large 8 to 10 inch tree limb was reported down on a remote rural road. The time was estimated from radar data.
Reported 12 inch diameter tree limb reported down across Highway 26. The time was estimated from radar data.
An 8 inch diameter tree limb down. The time was estimated from radar data.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, May 2024
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: 1177759, 1177754, 1177756, 1177757, 1177758.