Extreme Fire Weather Concerns; Severe Thunderstorms from the Plains to Mississippi Valley

Extremely critical fire weather concerns for portions of the southern High Plans as strong wind and very dry conditions could result in rapid spread of any fires. Meanwhile, severe thunderstorms are expected once again across areas of the Central and Southern Plains, then spreading in the Mississippi Valley regions on Monday. Damaging winds, very large hail and strong tornadoes are possible. Read More >

Overview

Severe thunderstorms developed along a cold front that dropped south across southeastern Iowa and northwest Illinois during the afternoon hours of Wednesday, April 8, 2020. Very large hail was reported with some of the severe storms.

The hardest hit areas were parts of southeast Iowa and west central Illinois where hail stones of golf ball to soft ball sized were reported.

Other areas that got storms saw copious amounts of small hail which covered the ground.

Storm Reports
Hail Photos
Radar
Environment

Hail Photos:


Denmark, IA Courtesy: EMA	Denmark, IA Courtesy: EMA

Radar

Interactive Radar Loop

Storm Reports

Interactive Storm Report Map	SPC Storm Reports


PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 755 PM CDT WED APR 8 2020 ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 0454 PM HAIL GALVA 41.17N 90.04W 04/08/2020 M1.00 INCH HENRY IL TRAINED SPOTTER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND TRAINED SPOTTERS REPORTED HAIL THAT WAS BETWEEN PEA TO QUARTER SIZED. ALSO REPORTED HALF INCH HAIL ALONG HIGHWAY N300 NEAR 1500 E HIGHWAY. 0450 PM HAIL COLONA 41.49N 90.35W 04/08/2020 E0.25 INCH HENRY IL TRAINED SPOTTER 0449 PM HAIL MILLEDGEVILLE 41.97N 89.78W 04/08/2020 E0.25 INCH CARROLL IL TRAINED SPOTTER 0436 PM HAIL 1 WSW SHERRARD 41.31N 90.53W 04/08/2020 M0.25 INCH MERCER IL TRAINED SPOTTER 0435 PM HAIL 2 NNW CLINTON 41.87N 90.25W 04/08/2020 M0.50 INCH CLINTON IA TRAINED SPOTTER LASTED FOR TEN MINUTES FROM 435 TO 445 PM. 0434 PM HAIL 2 SSE DAVENPORT 41.54N 90.59W 04/08/2020 E0.25 INCH SCOTT IA TRAINED SPOTTER 0432 PM HAIL 1 ENE BODEN 41.27N 90.57W 04/08/2020 M0.88 INCH MERCER IL PUBLIC VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. 0425 PM HAIL AUGUSTA 40.23N 90.95W 04/08/2020 M1.00 INCH HANCOCK IL CO-OP OBSERVER DIME TO QUARTER HAIL. 0415 PM TSTM WND GST 3 W ADAIR 40.42N 90.56W 04/08/2020 M64 MPH MCDONOUGH IL TRAINED SPOTTER 0415 PM HAIL 3 W ADAIR 40.42N 90.56W 04/08/2020 M1.00 INCH MCDONOUGH IL TRAINED SPOTTER 0415 PM HAIL 5 NNW ELIZA 41.36N 91.01W 04/08/2020 E0.50 INCH ROCK ISLAND IL TRAINED SPOTTER PEA TO MARBLE. TIME ESTIMATED. 0412 PM HAIL 2 ENE BARDOLPH 40.51N 90.53W 04/08/2020 E1.00 INCH MCDONOUGH IL TRAINED SPOTTER MULTIPLE REPORTS OF 1 INCH HAIL. 0411 PM HAIL GOOD HOPE 40.56N 90.68W 04/08/2020 U0.75 INCH MCDONOUGH IL PUBLIC REPORT FROM MPING: DIME (0.75 IN.). 0410 PM HAIL 2 SSE MACOMB 40.44N 90.67W 04/08/2020 E1.75 INCH MCDONOUGH IL TRAINED SPOTTER 1.5 TO 1.75 INCH HAIL. 0409 PM HAIL COLCHESTER 40.43N 90.79W 04/08/2020 M1.50 INCH MCDONOUGH IL TRAINED SPOTTER 0405 PM HAIL 2 SW MACOMB 40.45N 90.71W 04/08/2020 M0.88 INCH MCDONOUGH IL TRAINED SPOTTER NICKEL HAIL COVERING GROUND. 0400 PM HAIL 4 SE BLANDINSVILLE 40.51N 90.82W 04/08/2020 M0.75 INCH MCDONOUGH IL TRAINED SPOTTER LASTED APPROX. 10 MIN. COVERED THE GROUND. 0359 PM HAIL 2 WNW LETTS 41.34N 91.27W 04/08/2020 E0.70 INCH MUSCATINE IA PUBLIC VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. 0358 PM HAIL 3 SW BLANDINSVILLE 40.52N 90.89W 04/08/2020 U0.50 INCH MCDONOUGH IL PUBLIC REPORT FROM MPING: HALF-INCH (0.50 IN.). 0357 PM HAIL CONESVILLE 41.38N 91.35W 04/08/2020 M0.75 INCH MUSCATINE IA PUBLIC VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. 0355 PM HAIL MACOMB 40.47N 90.68W 04/08/2020 E1.25 INCH MCDONOUGH IL PUBLIC VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. 0344 PM HAIL 2 SE CARMAN 40.71N 91.05W 04/08/2020 E1.00 INCH HENDERSON IL TRAINED SPOTTER 0338 PM HAIL SAINT PAUL 40.77N 91.51W 04/08/2020 E0.88 INCH LEE IA FIRE DEPT/RESCUE DIME TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL. 0331 PM HAIL 1 ESE SHOKOKON 40.75N 91.04W 04/08/2020 M1.00 INCH HENDERSON IL TRAINED SPOTTER DIME TO QUARTER SIZED HAIL OCCURRING NOW. 0328 PM HAIL 2 NNE NAUVOO 40.57N 91.38W 04/08/2020 M0.88 INCH HANCOCK IL TRAINED SPOTTER NICKEL HAIL FOR 2 MINUTES BEGAN AROUND 328 PM. 0325 PM HAIL NAUVOO 40.55N 91.38W 04/08/2020 M0.75 INCH HANCOCK IL PUBLIC VIA SOCIAL MEDIAL. 0324 PM HAIL 1 E NAUVOO 40.55N 91.38W 04/08/2020 M0.75 INCH HANCOCK IL PUBLIC 0322 PM HAIL 1 W DENMARK 40.75N 91.35W 04/08/2020 E4.00 INCH LEE IA EMERGENCY MNGR FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS SOFT BALL HAIL WEST OF DENMARK, IA IN NORTHERN LEE COUNTY. 0315 PM HAIL 3 N WEST POINT 40.76N 91.45W 04/08/2020 E1.75 INCH LEE IA TRAINED SPOTTER 0307 PM HAIL LOWELL 40.82N 91.44W 04/08/2020 M1.75 INCH HENRY IA TRAINED SPOTTER DIME TO THROUGH GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL. 0300 PM HAIL 1 S SALEM 40.83N 91.62W 04/08/2020 M1.75 INCH HENRY IA TRAINED SPOTTER 0257 PM HAIL 1 S SALEM 40.84N 91.62W 04/08/2020 M1.50 INCH HENRY IA LAW ENFORCEMENT 911 CENTER RELAYED A REPORT FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT OF 1.50 INCH HAL. 0214 PM HAIL WINTHROP 42.47N 91.73W 04/08/2020 M0.25 INCH BUCHANAN IA EMERGENCY MNGR 0202 PM HAIL 1 N INDEPENDENCE 42.48N 91.89W 04/08/2020 M0.25 INCH BUCHANAN IA TRAINED SPOTTER MORE HAIL FALLING THEN RAIN. && $$

Environment

SPC Event Summary - April 8th, 2020


Figure 1: DVN 12z 04/08 Sounding	Figure 2: ILX 18z 04/08 Sounding	Figure 3: SPC MCD #310

Mesoscale Discussion 0310 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0146 PM CDT Wed Apr 08 2020 Areas affected...souteast IA...northeast MO...and much of western and central IL Concerning...Severe potential...Watch likely Valid 081846Z - 082045Z Probability of Watch Issuance...95 percent SUMMARY...Thunderstorm development is expected in the next couple of hours near southeast IA/northeast MO/west-central IL. Very large hail and damaging winds will be the main threat associated with these storms. DISCUSSION...Strong heating across southeast IA into MO/IL ahead of a surface low and cold front has resulted in weak to moderate destabilization this afternoon. Strong boundary layer mixing has been noted across IL, where morning dewpoints had been in the mid 50s F, generally are now in the mid 40s to low 50s F. Further south across MO toward southern IL, dewpoints from the low 60s to upper 50s F were being maintained. Aloft, a plume of very steep midlevel lapse rates has continued to spread eastward across the mid-MS Valley, with 18z regional RAOBs showing 8-9 C/km lapse rates in place. Cumulus development near a quasi-stationary boundary from southeast IA into IL has been increasing, while additional deepening of midlevel CU near the MO/IA border continues. Stronger height falls have been noted recently across SD/NE into southern MN and western IA as a lead shortwave impulse begins to eject across the area ahead of the main upper trough. This is expected to provide adequate forcing for thunderstorm development in the next couple of hours. Initial development is expected to be semi-discrete, higher-based supercells. Forecast hodographs continue to indicate long, straight hodographs with speed shear increasing with height. In conjunction with very steep lapse rates, large hail (some greater than 2 inches in diameter) is expected. Low level lapse rates also are steep across the region due to ample heating and mixing. This should act to enhance downdrafts, and damaging wind gusts also are expected. As frontal forcing increases later this evening, and through storm outflow interactions, upscale growth into one or more bowing segments is expected across parts of southeast MO into central IL, further enhancing the damaging wind threat. Given generally dry low levels resulting in higher-based storms, at least initially, the tornado threat is expected to be rather marginal. ..Leitman/Guyer.. 04/08/2020 ...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov for graphic product... ATTN...WFO...LOT...ILX...LSX...DVN...SGF...DMX...EAX... LAT...LON 41029220 41159207 41289159 41359108 41259048 41128995 40938931 40628849 40138781 39788757 39568758 39328769 38838828 38358943 38019044 37879151 37949201 38459236 39509241 40759227 41029220

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Extreme Fire Weather Concerns; Severe Thunderstorms from the Plains to Mississippi Valley

April 8th - Large Hail Event