4,632 first-hand accounts of flood events in Iowa, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.
The cold front mentioned in the event above became stationary for several hours during the early morning of the 24th as low pressure moved from the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles on the night of the 23rd, northeast into Iowa by the morning of the 24th.
Read the full account →A very unstable airmass moved into Iowa during the day on the 29th as a warm front lifted north into the state during the afternoon. Low pressure approached from the west, along with a cold front so that the triple point was near the western Iowa, eastern Nebraska area by late…
Read the full account →A warm front lifted northeast through Iowa during the evening hours of June 21 and the early morning hours of June 22 triggering some heavy rain-producing showers and thunderstorms across much of Iowa. Some of the storms were severe producing winds over 58 mph and large hail.
Read the full account →A warm front lifted northeast through Iowa during the evening hours of June 21 and the early morning hours of June 22 triggering some heavy rain-producing showers and thunderstorms across much of Iowa. Some of the storms were severe producing winds over 58 mph and large hail.
Read the full account →A weak cold front moved southeast across Iowa early on the 4th and had become stationary east-west to the south of the state. The thermal gradient increased during the day and moisture pooled along the front by evening.
Read the full account →Once again the atmosphere over Iowa became very unstable during the peak heating of the day. CAPE rose to 3500-4500 J/kg by the mid to late afternoon with lifted indices of -8 to -10 C.
Read the full account →An unstable airmass remained in place over Iowa. CAPE values were in the 3000 to 5000 J/kg range with lifted indices in the -5 to -10 C range. A frontal boundary shifted south during the late afternoon and evening.
Read the full account →An unstable airmass was located over Iowa. A cold front moved into the western part of the state during the afternoon. Thunderstorms erupted around mid day and tracked east across the southern and eastern part of the state.
Read the full account →A quasi-stationary front was located south of Iowa as an upper level shortwave advanced across the area in strong westerly flow aloft. The atmosphere was somewhat unstable, albeit the instability was elevated in nature.
Read the full account →A frontal system over the area brought two rounds of showers and thunderstorms to the mid Mississippi Valley on June 18. The first was during the midday to early afternoon hours, quickly followed by the second round in the late afternoon and evening.
Read the full account →A strong warm advection pattern set up over Iowa during the evening of the 21st into the morning hours of the 22nd. Strong moisture transport pooled moisture over the state with precipitable water values increasing to 2 to 2.3 inches over the north half of the state.
Read the full account →A strong warm advection pattern set up over Iowa during the evening of the 21st into the morning hours of the 22nd. Strong moisture transport pooled moisture over the state with precipitable water values increasing to 2 to 2.3 inches over the north half of the state.
Read the full account →A strong warm advection pattern set up over Iowa during the evening of the 21st into the morning hours of the 22nd. Strong moisture transport pooled moisture over the state with precipitable water values increasing to 2 to 2.3 inches over the north half of the state.
Read the full account →The nearly stationary frontal boundary that had plagued Iowa for the previous couple days remained in place, setting the stage for strong thunderstorm development to the north of the front.
Read the full account →Moisture was drawn north into Iowa during the overnight hours of the 6th into the 7th. The freezing level rose to around 14,500 feet as precipitable water rose to 1.5 to 2 inches.
Read the full account →Moisture was drawn north into Iowa during the overnight hours of the 6th into the 7th. The freezing level rose to around 14,500 feet as precipitable water rose to 1.5 to 2 inches.
Read the full account →A very unstable atmosphere was in place over Iowa with CAPE values around 2000 J/kg and lifted indices in the -8 to -10 C range. Precipitable water increased to around 2.25 inches along a boundary that extended from northeast into west central Iowa.
Read the full account →A large convective complex developed to the northwest of Iowa during the night of the 12th into the morning of the 13th. Precipitable water values were very high, in excess of 2.1 inches over Minnesota.
Read the full account →A very unstable airmass was in place over Iowa during the predawn hours of the 21st. The elevated CAPE was in the 2000 to 3000 J/kg range. Downdraft CAPE was quite high at 1400 J/kg. There was 500 to 600 J/kg of CAPE available in the -10 to -30 C layer of the atmosphere.
Read the full account →A warm front moved slowly north into Iowa during the overnight hours of the 28th into the 29th. The airmass became unstable as surface temperatures warmed into the low 80s, with dewpoints around 70 along and south of the front.
Read the full account →A strong warm front was in place across central Nebraska through northern Missouri. The front aloft bisected Iowa from northwest to southeast. A 35 kt low level jet was in place with strong moisture transport into the state.
Read the full account →A strong storm system developed over the southern Rockies during the early morning hours of the 17th. A strong frontal boundary extended from the low, northeast across Iowa. A 50 kt low level jet developed during the predawn hours.
Read the full account →A strong warm front was in place across central Nebraska through northern Missouri. The front aloft bisected Iowa from northwest to southeast. A 35 kt low level jet was in place with strong moisture transport into the state.
Read the full account →A warm front moved slowly north into Iowa during the overnight hours of the 28th into the 29th. The airmass became unstable as surface temperatures warmed into the low 80s, with dewpoints around 70 along and south of the front.
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