Most locations during September and October across northwest Iowa recorded a top-ten driest two-month period, which extended general dry weather since July and spurred re-emergence of severe drought conditions.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 FSD wrote it up.
Most locations during September and October across northwest Iowa recorded a top-ten driest two-month period, which extended general dry weather since July and spurred re-emergence of severe drought conditions.
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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 21, 9:43 PM CST, 2 hours 17 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD 1043 PM CDT Mon Oct 21 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Scattered showers with an isolated thunder will be possible this evening with the main concerns 50 mph winds from any stronger storms. - Continued warm and breezy conditions will lead to elevated fire danger Tuesday as a cool front brings increased northwest winds. - Temperatures will be near normal to above normal from mid week into the weekend. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 228 PM CDT Mon Oct 21 2024 A nicely wrapped up upper level low pressure will move into NE through the afternoon into tonight. Ahead of this some very weak instability exists which should allow for scattered showers and very isolated thunderstorms. Model soundings not really indicating any CAPE and low levels are fairly dry, so hail and tornadoes not expected. With a deep unidirectional wind a few stronger winds gusts would be possible with the better chances mainly south and east of a Yankton to Jackson MN line. A few of the hi-res models are kicking out winds gusts around 50 mph, which is down a bit from some of the earlier runs which were closer to 60 mph. Right now tough to buy into the higher gusts with so little instability and while there is a dry layer in the lower levels it is not excessive. The main threat would be from about 5-8 pm for the stronger wind gusts. Otherwise southerly flow remains in place and overnight lows will be very mild in the lower to mid 50s. A stronger upper level jet will push into the Northern Plains on Tuesday afternoon driving a cool front into the area. This will bring a decrease in dew points and an increase in west to northwest winds. With highs into the 70s, a very high fire danger is likely. Will need to monitor trends in the dryness of dew points as winds should gust to 30 to 40 mph at times, with the strongest winds most likely west of I-29. Tuesday night into Wednesday morning a weak wave on the tail end of this jet maxima will move through and could bring some very light rain or sprinkles. The latest models are backing off on this light precipitation a bit but overall impacts will be very minor. Wednesday should be a pleasant fall day as winds diminish and temperatures climb to around the seasonal normals. Ridging aloft will bring stronger southerly flow back into the area on Thursday which will bring temperatures back to 10 to 15 degrees above normal. Once this system passes temperatures will drop back to around normal for Friday and Saturday bringing a couple of nice fall days, although southerly return flow on Saturday might bring some gustier winds to the area. A trough is expected to deepen over the Western U.S. which will bring some weaker upper level ridging to the central U.S. This should result in above normal temperatures for Sunday and Monday. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 1042 PM CDT Mon Oct 21 2024 A band of light rain showers is pushing into the Missouri River Valley late this evening. This band will continue to track northwards over the next hour or two before dissipating. Light showers may persist across parts of northwest Iowa through the first half of the night. Have continued to include a PROB30 group in KSUX's TAF to account for this uncertainty. Latest guidance has backed off on MVFR ceilings tonight so have removed any mention of low ceilings in KHON's TAF. Light southerly winds will persist for the rest of the night. A cold front remains on track to push through the area tomorrow. This front will turn winds at the surface to out of the northwest in its wake. Gusts will strengthen to 20-30 knots across the area with the strongest gusts occurring across central South Dakota. Winds will be weakening during the evening hours to end the TAF period. && .FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...None. MN...None. IA...None. NE...None. && DISCUSSION...08 AVIATION...Meyers
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD 635 PM CDT Mon Oct 21 2024 IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097- 098-NEZ013-014-SDZ038>040-050-052>071-222345- Lyon-Osceola-Dickinson-Sioux-O'Brien-Clay-Plymouth-Cherokee- Buena Vista-Woodbury-Ida-Lincoln-Murray-Cottonwood-Nobles-Jackson- Pipestone-Rock-Dixon-Dakota-Beadle-Kingsbury-Brookings-Gregory- Jerauld-Sanborn-Miner-Lake-Moody-Brule-Aurora-Davison-Hanson-McCook- Minnehaha-Charles Mix-Douglas-Hutchinson-Turner-Bon Homme-Yankton- Union- 635 PM CDT Mon Oct 21 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Iowa, west central Iowa, southwest Minnesota, northeast Nebraska, central South Dakota, east central South Dakota, south central South Dakota and southeast South Dakota. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Scattered showers with an occasional rumble of thunder is possible mostly south of I-90 this evening. Rainfall accumulations will be light with up to a tenth of an inch possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Warm, breezy and mostly dry conditions will continue to produce areas of elevated fire danger through Tuesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe (D2) drought developed with precipitation around 6 inches below normal since August 1.
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, October 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: 1217034.