Iowa, 2025

Damaging Winds in Iowa, June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025 · NWS FSD · 12 events in 5 counties and zones

A ridge rider pattern continued across the region, with a volatile but slightly capped environment in place heading into the evening of June 28. Remnant boundaries from convection the prior morning provided focus for the new storm development, which had up to 3000 J/kg MUCAPE and around 30 knots of effective shear.

Where it happened

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

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  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
12

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 FSD wrote it up.

A ridge rider pattern continued across the region, with a volatile but slightly capped environment in place heading into the evening of June 28. Remnant boundaries from convection the prior morning provided focus for the new storm development, which had up to 3000 J/kg MUCAPE and around 30 knots of effective shear. Storms remained fairly restrained in the Missouri River Valley fighting the warmest air aloft and weakest shear profiles. Storms coming from northeast South Dakota became the most organized, with a small bowing segment producing damaging winds up to around 65 mph. Other late night storms strengthened moving from far southeast South Dakota across northwest Iowa with wind gusts up to 80 mph.

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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 28, 2:19 PM CST, 12 hours 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 28, 2:19 PM CST, 12 hours 29 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 28, 3:18 AM CST, 23 hours 30 minutes before
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The radar

The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 81 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:50 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sioux

When
June 29, 2:48 AM CST to 2:51 AM CST
Where
Sioux County, 0.86 mi NE of Maurice
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
42.980, -96.170

Thunderstorm winds measured at Sioux County Airport.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sioux

When
June 29, 2:50 AM CST to 2:55 AM CST
Where
Sioux County, 2.13 mi SSE of Sioux Center
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.050, -96.170

Winds were measured by a personal weather station.

Thunderstorm Wind, Plymouth

When
June 29, 2:52 AM CST to 2:55 AM CST
Where
Plymouth County, 0.69 mi S of Le Mars Muni Arpt
Measured
53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
42.770, -96.200

Thunderstorm wind gusts measured by AWOS station KLRJ at the Le Mars Airport.

Thunderstorm Wind, Plymouth

When
June 29, 2:55 AM CST to 2:59 AM CST
Where
Plymouth County, 0.69 mi N of Le Mars
Measured
61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
42.790, -96.170

Thunderstorm wind gusts produced tree damage throughout Le Mars and caused damage to property at a local campground. Power outages were reported across portions of the city.

Thunderstorm Wind, Plymouth

When
June 29, 2:57 AM CST to 3:02 AM CST
Where
Plymouth County, 1.38 mi N of Oyens
Measured
59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
42.840, -96.050

A period of severe wind gusts was measured by a personal weather station, with the peak wind gust at 0300 CST.

Thunderstorm Wind, Plymouth

When
June 29, 3:00 AM CST to 3:03 AM CST
Where
Plymouth County, 0.86 mi SE of Remsen
Measured
65 kt (75 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.810, -95.970

Thunderstorm wind gusts snapped a large tree in half in Remsen.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sioux

When
June 29, 3:04 AM CST to 3:09 AM CST
Where
Sioux County, 1.51 mi W of Hospers
Measured
61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.070, -95.910

Numerous large tree limbs were downed by thunderstorm wind gusts. Several large empty water tanks were blown into the cemetery.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cherokee

When
June 29, 3:09 AM CST to 3:14 AM CST
Where
Cherokee County, Marcus
Measured
61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.820, -95.800

Thunderstorm wind gusts removed numerous 6 inch diameter tree limbs as well as knocked down several trees around town.

Thunderstorm Wind, O'Brien

When
June 29, 3:09 AM CST to 3:13 AM CST
Where
O'Brien County, 1.01 mi W of Germantown
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Social Media
Coordinates
42.950, -95.800

Numerous large tree limbs were taken down by thunderstorm winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cherokee

When
June 29, 3:22 AM CST to 3:27 AM CST
Where
Cherokee County, 4.84 mi N of Cleghorn
Measured
65 kt (75 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
42.890, -95.700

Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured by a personal weather station.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ida

When
June 29, 3:45 AM CST
Where
Ida County, 0.86 mi NE of Holstein
Measured
61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Social Media
Coordinates
42.490, -95.540

Thunderstorm wind gusts removed several large tree limbs at Holstein Park.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ida

When
June 29, 3:55 AM CST to 4:00 AM CST
Where
Ida County, Battle Creek
Measured
65 kt (75 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
42.320, -95.600

Numerous large tree limbs were taken down by thunderstorm wind gusts, some limbs in excess of 12 inches in diameter. Power was knocked out across town due to tree limbs falling on power lines.

What these are

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

More

Every storm in Iowa in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, June 2025

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1278781, 1278792, 1278790, 1278798, 1278797, 1278803, 1278814, 1278804, 1278808, 1278801, 1278812, 1278807.