Severe to extreme drought remained over much of central Iowa although with some minor improvement given another month of near to above normal precipitation. However, longer term drought deficits remain problematic for much of the area.
Every event with a place to put it; 44 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.
Severe to extreme drought remained over much of central Iowa although with some minor improvement given another month of near to above normal precipitation. However, longer term drought deficits remain problematic for much of the area. Despite a strong cold snap in the middle of January, temperatures were near normal for the month over much of the state.
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 Dec 31, 11:22 PM CST, 38 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 1122 PM CST Sun Dec 31 2023 ...Updated for the 06z Aviation Discussion... .DISCUSSION.../Tonight through Sunday/ Issued at 231 PM CST Sun Dec 31 2023 Key Messages: -Clearing by early Monday with another round of clouds Tuesday into Wednesday. -Nearby precipitation next weekend with a promising chance of precipitation beyond day 7. Stratus clouds will continue to blanket the area through this evening and will begin to be pushed out by a surface high from the west into the morning hours. Despite the cold air advection, much of the area under cloud cover tonight should have lows held in the 20s whereas areas that start to see clearing will drop into the teens. Calmer winds out of the southwest will preserve highs in the 30s. The work week will be largely a quiet stretch. A series of shortwaves will pass over Tuesday and Wednesday, both of which appear moisture starved at this time. Still, some deterministics, mainly the NAM, generate a profile similar to Saturday's flurry/FZDZ case. Have withheld adding mention of precipitation at this time, but will monitor trends to see if lapse rates steepen in other models. After a benign finish to the work week, a trough will deepen and negatively tilt somewhere over the Mid-South. Enough moisture fetch will make it up north to have some light snow across the southern part of the state. A more promising system arrives early next week. The grand ensemble mean has the center of the surface low passing over the Ohio River Valley and clusters that contain a majority of GEFS members pull the center farther north. There is enough consensus to continue to monitor location trends with this system, but not enough agreement to determine impacts to Iowa including precipitation type. && .AVIATION.../For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Monday night/ Issued at 1122 PM CST Sun Dec 31 2023 The low clouds are not budging, and MVFR ceilings will prevail across the area through tonight and into Monday. A period of IFR ceilings may be possible at FOD and MCW around sunrise, and have included it in the 06Z TAFs accordingly. Other than this potential for IFR, the primary aviation forecast challenge is determining when the clouds will finally move out. There are some indications they may finally begin to clear in the west on Monday afternoon, however, confidence is low, and it is likely the clouds will hold in the east through Monday and perhaps until Tuesday. Have reflected this in the outgoing TAFs, but expect refinement in subsequent issuances. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && DISCUSSION...Jimenez AVIATION...Lee
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Des Moines IA 106 PM CST Sun Dec 31 2023 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075- 081>086-092>097-011915- 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- 106 PM CST Sun Dec 31 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...This afternoon 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... Spotter activation will not be needed.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
44 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe drought persisted in eastern Winnebago county during January with temperatures remaining above normal and near normal precipitation.
Severe to extreme drought persisted in Worth county during January with temperatures remaining above normal and near normal precipitation.
Severe to extreme drought persisted in Hancock county during January with temperatures remaining above normal and near normal precipitation.
Severe to extreme drought persisted in Cerro Gordo county during January with temperatures remaining above normal and near normal precipitation.
Severe drought persisted in southeast Humboldt county during January with temperatures remaining above normal and near normal precipitation.
Severe to extreme drought persisted in Wright county during January with temperatures remaining above normal and near normal precipitation.
Severe to extreme drought persisted in Franklin county during January with temperatures remaining above normal and near normal precipitation.
Severe to extreme drought persisted in Butler county during January with temperatures remaining above normal and near normal precipitation.
Extreme drought persisted in Black Hawk county during January with temperatures remaining above normal. Precipitation was above normal, however this did little to help the longer term dryness across the area.
Extreme drought persisted in Bremer county during January with temperatures remaining above normal. Precipitation was above normal, however this did little to help the longer term dryness across the area.
Severe to extreme drought persisted in Grundy county during January with temperatures remaining above normal. Precipitation was above normal, however this did little to help the longer term dryness across the area.
Severe drought persisted in Hardin county during January with temperatures remaining above normal. Precipitation was above normal but did little to help improve the longer term dryness across the area.
Severe drought persisted in Hamilton county during January with temperatures remaining above normal. Precipitation was above normal but this did little to help improve the longer term dryness across the area.
Severe drought persisted in southeast Webster county during January with temperatures remaining above normal. Precipitation was slightly above normal but this did little to help improve the longer term dryness across the area.
Severe drought persisted in southern Calhoun county during January with temperatures remaining above normal. Precipitation was slightly above normal but this did little to help improve the longer term dryness across the area.
Severe drought persisted in far southeast Sac county during January with temperatures and precipitation near normal. This did little to help improve the longer term dryness across the area.
Severe drought persisted in southeast Crawford county during January with temperatures and precipitation near normal. This did little to help improve the longer term dryness across the area.
Severe drought persisted in Carroll county during January with temperatures and precipitation near normal. This did little to help improve the longer term dryness across the area.
Severe drought persisted in Greene county during January with temperatures and precipitation near normal. Extreme drought was no longer observed in the county by the end of January.
Severe drought persisted in Boone county during January with temperatures and precipitation near normal. Extreme drought was no longer observed in the county by the end of January.
Severe drought persisted in Story county during January with above normal temperatures and precipitation near normal.
Severe drought persisted in Marshall county during January with above normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. The wetter than normal conditions did little to improve the longer term drought.
Severe to extreme drought persisted in Tama county during January with above normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. The wetter than normal conditions did little to improve the longer term drought.
Severe drought persisted in Audubon county during January with temperatures and precipitation near normal. Extreme drought was no longer observed in the county by the end of January.
Severe drought persisted in Guthrie county during January with temperatures and precipitation above normal. Extreme drought was no longer observed in the county by the end of January.
Severe drought persisted in Dallas county during January with temperatures and precipitation above normal. Extreme drought was no longer observed in the county by the end of January.
Severe drought persisted in Polk county during January with temperatures and precipitation above normal. Extreme drought was no longer observed in the county by the end of January.
Severe drought persisted in Jasper county during January with temperatures and precipitation above normal. Longer term precipitation deficits kept the area from improving.
Severe to extreme drought persisted in Poweshiek county during January with temperatures and precipitation above normal. Longer term precipitation deficits kept the area from improving.
Severe drought persisted in Cass county during January with near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Extreme drought was no longer observed in the county by the end of the month. Longer term dryness kept from any further improvements.
Severe drought persisted in Adair county during January with near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Extreme drought was no longer observed in the county by the end of the month. Longer term dryness kept from any further improvements.
Severe drought persisted in Madison county during January with near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Extreme drought was no longer observed in the county by the end of the month. Longer term dryness kept from any further improvements.
Severe drought persisted in Warren county during January with near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Extreme drought was no longer observed in the county by the end of the month. Longer term dryness kept from any further improvements.
Severe drought persisted in Marion county during January with near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Extreme drought was no longer observed in the county by the end of the month. Longer term dryness kept from any further improvements.
Severe drought persisted in Mahaska county during January with near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Extreme drought was no longer observed in the county by the end of the month. Longer term dryness kept from any further improvements.
Severe drought persisted in Adams county during January with below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Longer term dryness kept from any further improvements.
Severe drought persisted in Union county during January with below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Longer term dryness kept from any further improvements.
Severe drought persisted in Clarke county during January with near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Extreme drought was no longer observed in Clarke county by the end of January. Longer term dryness kept from any further improvements.
Severe drought persisted in Lucas county during January with near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Extreme drought was no longer observed in the county by the end of January. Longer term dryness kept from any further improvements.
Severe drought persisted in Monroe county during January with near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Extreme drought was no longer observed in the county by the end of January. Longer term dryness kept from any further improvements.
Severe drought persisted in western Wapello county during January with near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Extreme drought was no longer observed in the county by the end of January. Longer term dryness kept from any further improvements.
Severe drought persisted in northern Davis county during January with near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Extreme drought was no longer observed in the county by the end of January. Longer term dryness kept from any further improvements.
Severe drought persisted in northern Taylor county during January with near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Longer term dryness kept from any improvements.
Severe drought persisted in northern Appanoose county during January with near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Extreme drought was no longer observed in the county by the end of January. Longer term dryness kept from any further improvements.
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, January 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: 1153258, 1153259, 1153260, 1153261, 1153262, 1153263, 1153264, 1153265, 1153267, 1153268, 1153269, 1153270, 1153271, 1153272, 1153273, 1153274, 1153275, 1153276, 1153277, 1153278, 1153279, 1153280, 1153281, 1153282, 1153283, 1153284, 1153285, 1153286, 1153287, 1153288, 1153289, 1153290, 1153291, 1153292, 1153293, 1153294, 1153295, 1153296, 1153297, 1153298, and more.