Hail and Damaging Winds in Iowa, April 27, 2024

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Iowa, April 27, 2024
Start: 2024-04-27T14:43
End: 2024-04-27T17:26
Location: Iowa

April 27, 2024 · NWS DMX · 9 events in 7 counties and zones

Another robust shortwave passed across the area. The warm front draped across the area provided the focus for thunderstorm development in the afternoon.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS DMX wrote it up.

Another robust shortwave passed across the area. The warm front draped across the area provided the focus for thunderstorm development in the afternoon. Initial more discrete convection developed with and environment supportive of large hail with sufficient instability and large looping hodographs favoring rotating updrafts. The storms grew upscale into the early evening, producing a line of storms with damaging wind gusts across southern Iowa.

What forecasters said that day

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 27, 1:04 PM CST, 1 hour 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 27, 1:04 PM CST, 1 hour 39 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 27, 2:30 PM CST, 13 minutes before

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The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 53 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:40 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.

Funnel Cloud, Warren

When: April 27, 2:43 PM CST
Where: Warren County, 3.12 mi W of Milo
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.280, -93.510

Funnel cloud reported near Milo. Location estimated by radar.

Hail, Jasper

When: April 27, 2:57 PM CST
Where: Jasper County, 0.52 mi E of Sully
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.580, -92.840

Quarter sized hail reported near Sully.

Hail, Jasper

When: April 27, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Jasper County, 2.28 mi S of Sully Muni Arpt
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.537, -92.846

Delayed report, time estimated by radar.

Hail, Hardin

When: April 27, 4:30 PM CST
Where: Hardin County, 0.69 mi N of Hubbard
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.310, -93.300

Hail, Story

When: April 27, 4:37 PM CST
Where: Story County, Ames
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 42.030, -93.620

Penny sized hail mixed with pea hail.

Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe

When: April 27, 5:08 PM CST
Where: Monroe County, 1.25 mi ENE of Lovilia
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 41.140, -92.910

Power pole and lines down on Highway 5 a mile and a half north of town.

Hail, Appanoose

When: April 27, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Appanoose County, 1.26 mi WSW of Thirty
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 40.690, -92.870

Report via mping.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mahaska

When: April 27, 5:26 PM CST
Where: Mahaska County, Oskaloosa
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.300, -92.650

Reports of trees and branches down. Time estimated via radar.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mahaska

When: April 27, 5:26 PM CST
Where: Mahaska County, 0.69 mi S of Oskaloosa
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.290, -92.650

Reports of large trees down and power outages in town. Time estimated via radar.

What these are

Funnel Cloud: A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Iowa in 2024 Every state in 2024 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, April 2024

Sources

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: 1170867, 1170868, 1170869, 1170873, 1170874, 1170878, 1170879, 1170881, 1170882.