Long standing abnormally dry conditions were slightly alleviated in northeast Iowa through April. Besides a single week in July 2023, severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought had been affecting counties in northeast Iowa since June 6, 2023.
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.
Long standing abnormally dry conditions were slightly alleviated in northeast Iowa through April. Besides a single week in July 2023, severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought had been affecting counties in northeast Iowa since June 6, 2023. From the beginning of June 2023 to April onset, total liquid precipitation of 15 to 20 was more than 9 below normal over the 10 month time period. While 3 to 5 of total monthly precipitation was near normal, several days of heavier liquid precipitation above 0.25 sufficiently saturated soils through April resulting in slight reduction of severe (D2) and extreme (D3) drought conditions. The extreme (D3) drought conditions that affected Howard, Mitchell, and Floyd counties improved to severe (D2) drought while the extreme (D3) drought affecting Fayette and Chickasaw counties retreated slightly south. In far northeast Iowa along the Iowa and Minnesota border, severe drought receded southwest, relieving its hold on nearly all of Winneshiek and Allamakee counties.
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 Mar 31, 9:06 PM CST, 2 hours 54 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service La Crosse WI 1006 PM CDT Sun Mar 31 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Periodic light shower chances remain for today through Tuesday. The best chances of precipitation are along and south of I-90. - Drier conditions for the end of the week with a steady warming trend into the weekend. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 217 PM CDT Sun Mar 31 2024 Today through Tuesday: Starting with today, there is currently a band of light rain across portions of southeastern Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin. This band is forecasted to move northerly throughout the day but also gradually dissipate. Some other areas of light rain showers will be possible during the day. The uncertainty regarding these showers is that there is some dry air at the lowest levels which may inhibit precipitation from reaching the surface in some areas. The beginning of the week looks to be active compared to the end of the week. An upper-level trough, currently situated over the western US, will move across the central US Monday into Tuesday, however the brunt of the forcing will remain to our south. A couple of shortwave impulses will give the area some forcing to deal with. This in combination with warm air advection aloft and some mid-level frontogenesis will provide the area with some rain showers. After the initial wave of precipitation moves through today, a lull in the action is expected before the next wave of precipitation enters the area Monday morning. With temperatures in the low to mid 30s, particularly in northern portions of the forecast area Monday evening and Tuesday evening, some snow mixing in with the rain can not be ruled out. At this point any snow accumulations that could occur would be minimal. There are some areas of uncertainty with these rain showers as one area to look at will be how far north does the strongest frontogenesis go. If these bands of frontogenesis stay further the south or are not as strong, then this will limit lift and impact rain chances. The same goes for the warm air advection aloft. If the warm air advection is not as strong, then this will also limit precipitation chances. Another thing to note is the position of the low that will move across the US with the trough. If this low goes further south, then the previously mentioned frontogenesis and warm air advection and their resulting positions will also be impacted. Given these uncertainties, the current probabilistic QPF amounts are low. The area that could receive the highest amounts of rain would be in northeast Iowa and southern Wisconsin as there is a 60 to 80% chance of QPF >=0.25" through Wednesday afternoon. Heading into Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, a trough will come down from Canada allowing for the potential for some showers to linger on into Wednesday morning. Winds will also increase with the passage of this trough as the area will be in good northerly flow. Current wind gusts for Tuesday through Wednesday are forecasted to be 25 to 35mph. Quieter weather is expected from Thursday through the weekend as a ridge sets up over the area. The next potential chance of precipitation looks to be early next week. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY/... Issued at 1006 PM CDT Sun Mar 31 2024 There was a reversal in the CAMs over the past 2 to 3 hours. Instead of moving further and further south, they have now brought the rain further north and now much of the forecast area looks to see showers on Monday and Monday evening. Due to this latest trend, brought in IFR/MVFR on Monday morning and kept it through the remainder of the TAF period. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...None. MN...None. IA...None. && DISCUSSION...Cecava AVIATION...Boyne
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service La Crosse WI 436 AM CDT Sun Mar 31 2024 IAZ008>011-018-019-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034- 041>044-053>055-011345- Mitchell-Howard-Winneshiek-Allamakee-Floyd-Chickasaw-Wabasha- Dodge-Olmsted-Winona-Mower-Fillmore-Houston-Taylor-Clark-Buffalo- Trempealeau-Jackson-La Crosse-Monroe-Juneau-Adams-Vernon-Crawford- Richland- 436 AM CDT Sun Mar 31 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast Minnesota...northeast Iowa and southwest into central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... No action needed. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... No webinar is scheduled. IAZ029-030-WIZ061-011345- Fayette-Clayton-Grant- 436 AM CDT Sun Mar 31 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Isolated non-severe thunderstorms are possible tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... No action needed. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... No webinar is scheduled. EMS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Slightly above normal total monthly rainfall resulted in alleviation of severe (D2) drought in Allamakee County through April.
Slightly above normal monthly rainfall totals resulted in removal of severe (D2) drought for nearly all of Winneshiek County through April.
Slightly above normal monthly rainfall totals alleviated severe (D2) drought for some of Clayton County through April.
Near normal monthly rainfall totals alleviated extreme (D3) drought for much of Fayette County through April but severe (D2) drought persisted.
Sightly above monthly normal rainfall totals alleviated extreme (D3) drought across all but southern Chickasaw County through April, while severe (D2) drought persisted elsewhere across the county.
Slightly above normal monthly rainfall totals alleviated county wide extreme (D3) drought across Floyd County through April but severe (D2) drought persisted.
Near normal monthly rainfall totals alleviated extreme (D3) drought across southern Mitchell County through April but severe (D2) drought persisted countywide.
Slightly above normal monthly rainfall totals downgraded extreme (D3) drought in southern Howard County to severe (D2) drought through April.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, April 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: 1169237, 1169238, 1169239, 1169240, 1169241, 1169242, 1169243, 1169244.