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Grinnell F3 Tornado of 1978

In Historical by Jeff Wilcox

This may not be the season for tornadoes and we’ve seen in the past that tornadoes can occur at any time no matter what the calendar says. One such occurrence was 35 years ago on a Saturday evening in 1978. On this day, a lunar eclipse was taking place in Asia, eastern Africa and far eastern Europe. In Football, Iowa …

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May 25, 2008 Parkersburg-New Hartford EF5 Tornado

In Historical by Jeff Wilcox

A typical Memorial Day weekend was in the works across the state. It was a Sunday, many people were running around, graduation parties were taking shape, people were outside enjoying the warm weather that encompassed the state that day. Meanwhile the atmosphere was about to unleash a monster that would be the first catastrophic tornado to hit the state in …

Washington Tornado 1998

In Historical by Jeff Wilcox

Tornado Watch View Text 821 WWUS32 KDSM 152131 SLSIA IOWA AREAL OUTLINE FOR TORNADO WATCH 358 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 429 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 1998 TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 358…VALID UNTIL 1100 PM CDT… INCLUDES 20 COUNTIES IN THE FOLLOWING PARTS OF IOWA… NORTHEAST EAST CENTRAL SOUTHEAST SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE… BETTENDORF BURLINGTON CEDAR …

Dunkerton Tornado of 2000

In Historical by Jeff Wilcox

This tornado would be remembered more for being similar to the Parkersburg-New Hartford Tornado 8 years later. Some of the same areas were hit by this tornado and again in 2008. Here is the watch that was issued just after 6pm that Thursday Evening. View Text URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 264 STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK …

Two Years Later: April 27, 2011 Tornadoes

In Historical by Jeff Wilcox

With our weather nice and warm this weekend, an anniversary of an outbreak that will be etched in the memories of those who were and those who weren’t effected by the April 27th 2011 outbreak comes around again today. Our weather that day was quiet and cool as the system that went on to produce the violent tornado outbreak had …

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April Blizzard of 1973

In Historical by Jeff Wilcox

When you think of April, you think of trees budding, grass beginning to turn green, flowers starting to poke out of the ground and bloom, farmers getting into their fields to prepare for Spring Planting and the first days you’re able to open the windows and let the fresh warm spring air in after a long winter. Mother Nature had …

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Jordan F5 Tornado of 1976

In Historical by Jeff Wilcox

One of the largest tornadoes in Iowa moved in between the cities of Ames and Boone on the afternoon of June 13th 1976. The tornado began southwest of the small town of Luther a little before 3:30pm and moved north northeast. The tornado strengthened and grew larger as it approached US Highway 30 just east of the intersection of IA …

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The Ryan and Ladora Tornadoes of 1974

In Historical by Jeff Wilcox

August 12th, 1974, the country was only days into the new Ford Administration after the resignation of Richard Nixon, SAGBRAI (also known as the 2nd Annual RAGBRAI) had finished in Dubuque the previous Saturday and the outlook on corn and soybeans wasn’t looking too good for many area farmers. Two seperate storms, both produced F4 tornadoes dropped out of the …

Iowa City Tornado of 2006

In Historical by Jeff Wilcox

View Text SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 835 PM CDT THU APR 13 2006 IAC103-140200- /O.CON.KDVN.TO.W.0020.000000T0000Z-060414T0200Z/ JOHNSON IA- 835 PM CDT THU APR 13 2006 …A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL JOHNSON COUNTY… AT 833 PM CDT…TRAINED SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR THE WALMART IN …

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The Late May Snowstorm of 1947

In Historical by Jeff Wilcox

This is certainly something you wouldn’t expect as you head into Memorial Day Weekend, but those in the upper midwest thought the same thing as Memorial Day (then Decoration Day) approached. Temperatures preceding the storm had been in the 60s and 70s (around average for the time of year). A cold front moved through the upper midwest before stalling in …