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Iowa weather: Timing, location of strong storms, severe weather

Strong storms and more heavy rain are likely for some Iowans.

Iowa weather: Timing, location of strong storms, severe weather

Strong storms and more heavy rain are likely for some Iowans.

LIST. MAYBE SOMEWHERE WE DON’T KNOW QUITE WHERE YET. WE’RE HEADING OVER TO YOU, ZANE FOR A CHECK OF THE FORECAST AS THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME STORMS TODAY. YEAH, THERE ARE STILL SOME STORMS POSSIBLE. THE GOOD NEWS IS THE CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER LOOKS LESS LIKELY. LOOKS LOWER THAN IT DID YESTERDAY. CASE IN POINT A LITTLE GRAYER SKIES HERE RIGHT NOW. IN FACT, A LITTLE DARKER SKIES AS YOU LOOK TO THE SOUTHWEST OF OUR DOWNTOWN DES MOINES CAMERA. THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF SOME SHOWER ACTIVITY, ABOUT PROBABLY 15 MILES FROM THAT CAMERA, LOOKING THAT DIRECTION ACROSS PARTS OF DALLAS, MADISON, BACK TOWARDS ADAIR COUNTIES HERE THAT’S DRIFTING NORTHEAST. OTHERWISE, A LOT OF HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS SPREAD ACROSS THE STATE, SORT OF A LITTLE BIT OF A MESSY SITUATION TO LOOK AT IN TERMS OF IF YOU’RE A METEOROLOGIST TRYING TO DRAW WHERE THERE ARE BOUNDARIES OR THINGS LIKE THAT. LITTLE BIT OF A SHIFT IN THE WINDS. THIS KIND OF SUBTLE BOUNDARY STRETCHES FROM SOUTHERN IOWA AND INTO NORTHERN MISSOURI, BACK TO THE NORTH AND EAST. AND THEN THERE’S GOING TO BE ACTUALLY QUITE A FEW STORMS THAT DEVELOP DOWN INTO PARTS OF KANSAS LATER TODAY. SEE THAT LOW PRESSURE CENTER THAT’S GOING TO EVENTUALLY WORK ITS WAY UP THIS BOUNDARY AND TOWARDS IOWA LATE TONIGHT. THAT WILL BRING US MORE WIDESPREAD STORMS, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, DON’T HAVE A TON OF ENERGY IN THE ATMOSPHERE. WE DO HAVE ENOUGH, THOUGH, TO POP UP AT LEAST A FEW MORE STORMS, BUT THE REAL POWERFUL VARIETY NOT SO MUCH WHERE YOU SEE THOSE REAL HOTTER, BRIGHT YELLOW COLORS. WELL, TO OUR SOUTH INTO MISSOURI AND EVENTUALLY INTO KANSAS. THAT’S WHERE THERE’S THE BETTER THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY. THERE’S A LOW A LEVEL TWO RISK STILL KIND OF SKIMMING SOUTHERN TWO TIERS OF COUNTIES IN IOWA GOES FROM, LET’S SAY, ABOUT HIGHWAY 92, KNOXVILLE SOUTHWARD. AND THAT’S WHERE THERE MIGHT STILL BE ENOUGH HEAT THAT BUILDS UP. OTHERWISE, PRETTY LOW LEVEL, SEVERE RISK. MAYBE A FEW STORMS POP UP HERE AS WE GO TOWARDS THE AFTERNOON. THAT COULD SUSTAIN THEMSELVES LONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE A MAYBE A LARGER HAILSTONE. AND THEN AS THEY SORT OF CRASH AND DIE OFF, A COUPLE OF STRONGER WIND GUSTS. SO JUST KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE RADAR THIS AFTERNOON, BECAUSE WE’RE PROBABLY GOING TO SEE AT LEAST SOME SCATTERED ACTIVITY BLOSSOM UP HERE. I THINK MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE WIDESPREAD THAN THAT. WHAT THAT MODELING SHOWED AROUND TWO, THREE, 4:00 AND SO ON. AS WE HEAD TOWARDS THIS EVENING, SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL GET A LITTLE MORE WIDESPREAD. THEY WILL DRIFT ACROSS THE STATE. YOU NOTICE THERE’S A LITTLE BIT OF SWIRLING ACTION, THEN OVERNIGHT AND THEN INTO TOMORROW MORNING. ON WEDNESDAY. THAT IS FROM THAT LOW PRESSURE CENTER I JUST SHOWED YOU. WELL TO OUR SOUTHWEST, BASICALLY RIDING THAT BOUNDARY UP THROUGH IOWA. SO WE START OFF TOMORROW STILL WITH SOME SHOWERS AND STORMS. AND THEN AS THE AIR COOLS ALOFT BEHIND THIS SYSTEM, WE MIGHT POP UP JUST A FEW MORE AS WE HEAD TOWARDS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. SO I DON’T THINK WE’LL BE COMPLETELY DRY BY THE AFTERNOON HOURS OF WEDNESDAY, BUT BY THE TIME WE GET PAST WEDNESDAY AND INTO THURSDAY, WE WILL BE NOW. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WIDESPREAD, HEAVY, HEAVY RAIN CAN’T GUARANTEE THAT. BUT I WANT YOU TO JUST LOOK AT KIND OF THE NATURE OF THE THIS VERSION OF MODELING, SHOWING WHERE THERE’S GOING TO BE HEAVY RAIN. NOT EXACTLY LOCATIONS, BUT JUST HOW IT’S KIND OF SPOTTY, SCATTERED SORT OF STUFF. SO WE’RE GOING TO CALL THIS LOOKS LIKE A SCATTERED 1 TO 3IN OF RAIN ACROSS THE STATE. AS WE HEAD THROUGH TONIGHT AND INTO TOMORROW, NOT EVERYBODY’S GOING TO GET 1 TO 3IN OF RAIN. SOME PEOPLE ARE, THOUGH, HERE AS WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT ABOUT 24 TO 36 HOURS. ONCE WE GO PAST THAT TIME, ONCE WE GO PAST WEDNESDAY, TOMORROW, THEN WE GO BACK TO SEEING DRY WEATHER CONSISTENTLY THROUGH THE SECOND HALF OF THIS WEEK. AND WELL, IT GETS HOT. AS YOU’VE HEARD BY NOW, WE’RE GOING ABOVE THE 90 DEGREE MARK HERE, HEADED TOWARDS FRIDAY AND UP INTO THE MID 90S. THIS WEEKEND OUR HEAT INDEX VALUES MIGHT TOP 100 BY FRIDAY AND DEFINITELY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. KIND OF A HOT B
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Updated: 1:50 PM CDT Jun 17, 2025
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Iowa weather: Timing, location of strong storms, severe weather

Strong storms and more heavy rain are likely for some Iowans.

vlog logo
Updated: 1:50 PM CDT Jun 17, 2025
Editorial Standards
Storms hit central Iowa Monday evening, and more storms are expected to come.Here's what to know about our chances for severe weather.Some parts of Iowa could see up to 3 inches of rainThe overall severe risk today is lower than it appeared yesterday.Wind shear is pretty meager and overall energy will be limited by cloud cover. A few scattered storms are still possible this afternoon. One or two could briefly produce some hail and isolated stronger wind gusts.Later tonight into Wednesday, more widespread thunderstorms will move across Iowa and bring heavy rain to some areas.A scattered 1-3 inches looks likely through Wednesday.There is the risk of some localized flooding problems in low-lying areas and any spot that gets hit by storms multiple times.Belin Quartet moves insidePotential weather concerns are prompting some changes for central Iowa events.Tuesday's Belin Quartet performance will move inside and now take place at the grand hall (fourth floor) of the Temple for Performing Arts. The event is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.Keep an eye on weather across Iowa with vlog's skycamsWeather watchers can keep an eye on conditions by checking our skycam page, which shows aerial views from 20 sites across the state.Power outagesMore than 3,000 MidAmerican Energy Co. customers were without power in Des Moines on Monday night, according to the company's outage report. Power was restored late Monday night.Severe thunderstorm watch Monday nightA Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for western Iowa until midnight Tuesday morning.Damaging wind gusts and large hail are possible with storms arriving from South Dakota and Nebraska. More rounds of thunderstorms are ahead for Iowa through the first half of this week. Here's what to expect:Strong storms are possible tonight in northwest IowaMore storms (possibly severe) in central/southern IowaWidespread heavier rain Tuesday overnight into early WednesdayStorms will form this evening ahead of a boundary stretching from Minnesota into southeast South Dakota and Nebraska.These will travel southeast into Iowa after 5 p.m.Some of these cells could pack damaging wind gusts and large hail between 6-8 p.m. By the time these storms reach central Iowa toward 9-10 p.m., they will be running out of gas.

Storms hit central Iowa Monday evening, and more storms are expected to come.

Here's what to know about our chances for severe weather.

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Some parts of Iowa could see up to 3 inches of rain

The overall severe risk today is lower than it appeared yesterday.

Wind shear is pretty meager and overall energy will be limited by cloud cover. A few scattered storms are still possible this afternoon. One or two could briefly produce some hail and isolated stronger wind gusts.

Later tonight into Wednesday, more widespread thunderstorms will move across Iowa and bring heavy rain to some areas.

A scattered 1-3 inches looks likely through Wednesday.

There is the risk of some localized flooding problems in low-lying areas and any spot that gets hit by storms multiple times.


Belin Quartet moves inside

Potential weather concerns are prompting some changes for central Iowa events.

Tuesday's Belin Quartet performance will move inside and now take place at the grand hall (fourth floor) of the Temple for Performing Arts. The event is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.


Keep an eye on weather across Iowa with vlog's skycams

Weather watchers can keep an eye on conditions by checking our skycam page, which shows aerial views from 20 sites across the state.


Power outages

More than 3,000 MidAmerican Energy Co. customers were without power in Des Moines on Monday night, according to the . Power was restored late Monday night.


Severe thunderstorm watch Monday night

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for western Iowa until midnight Tuesday morning.

Damaging wind gusts and large hail are possible with storms arriving from South Dakota and Nebraska.

More rounds of thunderstorms are ahead for Iowa through the first half of this week.

Here's what to expect:

  • Strong storms are possible tonight in northwest Iowa
  • More storms (possibly severe) in central/southern Iowa
  • Widespread heavier rain Tuesday overnight into early Wednesday
iowa weather
Hearst Owned

Storms will form this evening ahead of a boundary stretching from Minnesota into southeast South Dakota and Nebraska.

These will travel southeast into Iowa after 5 p.m.

iowa weather
Hearst Owned

Some of these cells could pack damaging wind gusts and large hail between 6-8 p.m. By the time these storms reach central Iowa toward 9-10 p.m., they will be running out of gas.