A nearly stationary boundary across Iowa brought a second day of storms to the area on April 23rd. Warm, moist air streamed into the area through the day, pushing the boundary to the north.
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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.
A nearly stationary boundary across Iowa brought a second day of storms to the area on April 23rd. Warm, moist air streamed into the area through the day, pushing the boundary to the north. While weak shear limited more robust storm development, the moist environment resulted in MLCAPE around 1000-2000 J/kg. Storms developed along the boundary through the evening, producing penny to ping pong ball sized hail, often in large quantities that covered the ground.
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 23, 2:28 PM CST, 2 hours 59 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA Issued by National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 328 PM CDT Wed Apr 23 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - A marginal risk for severe wind and hail as storms redevelop this evening across central and southern Iowa. - More widespread rain on Thursday with over an inch expected and some more isolated locations seeing over an inch. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 326 PM CDT Wed Apr 23 2025 Morning showers & thunderstorms have dissipated and left behind partly cloudy skies for much of Iowa. Modest instability remains in place and our quasi-stationary boundary will gradually lift north over the next 24 hours. Additional thunderstorm & shower development will begin this evening into Thursday. SPC's SWO day 1 maintains a Marginal Risk (1 out of 5) for a few strong to severe storms that may be capable of producing isolated gusty winds & large hail, similar to what we saw yesterday evening. Forecast soundings would indicate our MUCAPE drops off after 03Z tonight & any severe weather threat likely tapers off too. Thursday & Friday continue the theme over the past few days with a rather gloomy outlook that features additional rain & storm chances. The culprit shortwave trough will eject out of the Plains on Thursday. This will prompt the sfc low over the western OK to move northeast towards the Great Lakes region Thursday afternoon. An subtle increase in moisture will occur ahead of this leading to PWAT values 1.0-1.2" Thursday PM. The sfc low will struggle as a sfc high pressure drops into the northern Plains and acts to suppress our sfc low. Enough forcing will be present to bring a more organized round of showers & Thunderstorms Thursday afternoon into early Friday. Precipitation amounts over the next 48 hours of an inch or more seem likely for much of Iowa. Severe weather potential Thursday and Thursday night will be very low as this becomes a stratiform-driven rain event vs a convective rain event. Precipitation will exit as the sfc low shifts into the southern Great Lakes on Friday and will leave behind drier weather & seasonable temperatures for Friday & Saturday. Sunday & Monday will see the sfc high pressure move east into the eastern CONUS. This will allow for southerly return flow set up over Iowa and begin to usher in moisture & warmer temperatures. This will lead to more shower and storm chances returning Sunday into Monday. Our pattern remains fairly active into next week, with SPC maintaining a day 6 15% risk (slight risk) for severe weather Monday into Tuesday as a wound up low pressure lifts into the area. More on this system will be provided in the coming days. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/... Issued at 1247 PM CDT Wed Apr 23 2025 VFR conditions this afternoon as skies are mostly clear across the region, and winds are light with a weak boundary draped across the region. This boundary will be the focus for scattered showers and thunderstorms later this evening and overnight. Chances for thunderstorms exist into Thursday as well. Overall expect VFR conditions to continue into Thursday, except for MVFR/IFR conditions where there are storms. && .HYDROLOGY... Issued at 326 PM CDT Wed Apr 23 2025 Widespread rainfall expected across central Iowa (80-90%) Thursday continues to signal an increasing potential for additional rainfall totals around an inch, with an isolated higher amount near 1.5’’ across central and northern Iowa. River responses per HEFS guidance suggests that a rise above Action Stage is likely (70-90%) at Shell Rock and Cedar Rivers Thursday into Friday. Though the likelihood for additional sites to see river flow exceedance is on the lower end (<=30) at the Iowa River, Des Moines River, and Raccoon River, rises at and above the Action Stage threshold if higher rainfall amounts were to occur. Close monitoring will continue to watch for this potential. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && DISCUSSION...BPH AVIATION...JRB HYDROLOGY...Bury
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Des Moines IA Issued by National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 334 PM CDT Wed Apr 23 2025 IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075- 081>086-092>097-242045- 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- 334 PM CDT Wed Apr 23 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight Scattered thunderstorms this this evening. A few may be strong with gusty winds, hail, and locally heavy rains. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Additional chances for thunderstorms Thursday, and again early next week. Some storms could produce heavy rain, along with a chance for severe weather. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters may be needed this evening, and then again later in the work week. BPH
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
Issued by National Weather Service Duluth MN
352 PM CDT Wed Apr 23 2025
IAZ095-232100-
Wayne IA-
352 PM CDT Wed Apr 23 2025
...A thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern Wayne County
through 400 PM CDT
...
At 351 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 5
miles south of Rathbun Lake, or 8 miles northwest of Centerville.
HAZARD...Pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible.
Locations impacted include...
Seymour and Promise City.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Cloud to ground lightning may occur with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 4059 9325 4072 9326 4086 9311 4058 9310
4058 9313
TIME...MOT...LOC 2051Z 228DEG 49KT 4078 9302
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH
NLySpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
Issued by National Weather Service Duluth MN
553 PM CDT Wed Apr 23 2025
IAZ057-058-232330-
Guthrie IA-Audubon IA-
553 PM CDT Wed Apr 23 2025
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern Guthrie
and eastern Audubon Counties through 630 PM CDT
...
At 553 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 6
miles east of Audubon, moving southeast at 20 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and penny size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of southwestern
Guthrie and eastern Audubon Counties, including the following
locations... Audubon County Airport.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 4180 9484 4171 9445 4150 9469 4150 9473
4169 9499
TIME...MOT...LOC 2253Z 297DEG 16KT 4169 9481
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
NLyThe Des Moines radar (KDMX), 82 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:27 UTC.
14 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Ping pong hail near Highway 44 and Cherry avenue. Report relayed by emergency management.
Ground covered in hail up to nickel sized.
Spotter reported nickel to quarter sized hail with the ground becoming mostly covered.
Report via mping.
Report via mping.
Wind gusts up to 60 mph and nickel sized hail. This occurred along a two to three mile wide area centered on this location.
Hail ranged from pea to ping pong ball sized. Report relayed by kwwl tv.
Report of lots of hail up to nickel sized.
Up to quarter sized hail but most was much smaller. Hail lasted from 7:38-7:42 pm LDT.
Hail stone measured with calipers.
Pea to nickel sized hail reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, April 2025
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: 1251369, 1251368, 1251370, 1251371, 1251372, 1251373, 1251374, 1251375, 1251376, 1251377, 1251378, 1251379, 1251384, 1251385, 1251386.