July 6 Severe Weather

7:40 PM Update: Continued thunderstorms across portions of extreme northeast Iowa, with showers and an embedded storm or two over the remaining northern third of the state. The severe weather threat seems to have been diminished, and the severe thunderstorm storm watch will likely be canceled within the next hour. Once again, the biggest reports of the day will come from two state parks. The first from Stone State Park where a brief tornado touchdown was reported, luckily in an open area near the park. The second comes from Lewis & Clark State Park near Onawa, IA where trees were uprooted and fell onto campers. Unfortunately injuries were reported from this park, more details are not known at this time. No other updates are likely for today/tonight...

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5:06 PM Update: The NWS in Sioux Falls has received reports of a brief tornado touchdown near Stone State Park, that is ~4 miles northwest of Sioux City. This does appear to have occurred in an open area, and was very brief.

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5:00 PM Update: A tornado warning has been issued for portions of Plymouth and Woodbury counties in Iowa. This storm has produced several funnels and recent reports indicate that a tornado did touch down on the northwest portions of Sioux City at 4:55 PM. It does appear on radar that the strongest rotation is north of Sioux City, between the towns of Jefferson, SD and Hinton, IA. This storm is moving the east/northeast around 25 mph and should continue to effect portions along the Plymouth and Woodbury county lines.

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4:30 PM Update: Severe storms continue to develop/move into the state this afternoon. Currently a cluster of severe storms exist from west of Pocahontas, IA to the north of Ida Grove, IA to just south of Sioux City, IA where the line then extends north/south. The north/south line extends from Dixon county Nebraska to the south of Onawa, IA.

Another segment of thunderstorms exist north of the severe line, from near Primghar, IA through Winnebego county Iowa.

Expect thunderstorms to continue over western and northern Iowa this evening, slowly making their way into portions of central Iowa for the late evening/overnight hours. The main severe threats will be hail to the size of quarters, and winds 60-70 mph.

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3:00 PM Update: A cold front is positioned across Minnesota, extreme northwest Iowa, and into eastern Nebraska. Showers and thunderstorms have lingered throughout the morning and early afternoon, however, with continued heating these isolated showers/storms should continue to expand and increase in intensity. Other storms should also initiate along this boundary, likely overcoming any inhibition they are facing within the next couple of hours. The Storm Prediction Center has also noted this and have indicated that a severe thunderstorm watch will likely be issued in the next hour or two for parts of NE/IA/MN/SD.

Currently isolated thunderstorm development is taking place near the Missouri River, with several rapid thunderstorms now south of Sioux City. One such storm has now went severe with large hail and damaging winds in northeast Nebraska. Expect this to continue throughout the afternoon hours, with storms moving mainly northeast at 15-30 mph. Watch should be issued soon for portions of northwest Iowa, expect severe thunderstorms to move/develop into Iowa within the next hour.