Author: Ben Maurer

Ben is the founder and CEO of Iowa Storm Center. He provides weather consulting services to businesses and operations in the energy and agriculture industry. His family has owned a private grain elevator and feed mill since 1953. In his free time, he likes to look at long range patterns and spend time with friends and family.

Severe Weather Risk Iowa Storm Center.com Date: 10/13/23 at 6:30am Central Timing: Effective early afternoon through evening…. Hazards: Large hail, damaging winds and isolated spin-ups. Discussion: The upper-level system will continue to move east today sparking a risk of strong storms from central and toward southeast Iowa. The dynamics are not the greatest with today’s setup, but hail and damaging wind gusts will be possible with the storms that do develop early this afternoon through the evening. Also, southeasterly low-level backed winds should at least warrant the probability for a few isolated tornado spin-ups, especially along a line extending from Fort…

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Severe Weather Risk Iowa Storm Center.com Date: 10/12/23 at 4:21am Central Timing: Effective this evening through early Friday morning…. Hazards: Large hail, damaging winds, heavy rainfall and an isolated tornado. Discussion: The upper-level low will continue to intensify today setting the stage for a round of severe storms this evening through late tonight. The current thinking is for an arch of super-cell thunderstorms to develop over central and eastern Nebraska this afternoon. All of this activity should continue to shift east into western Iowa this evening with the main risks of hail and gusty winds. Additionally, a limited layer of instability…

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Severe Weather and Strong Wind Gusts Iowa Storm Center.com Date: 10/11/23 at 10:54am Central Timing: Effective late tonight through Friday…. Hazards: Heavy rainfall, Strong winds, Large hail, damaging winds and a few isolated tornadoes. Discussion: A trough will deepen in the upper levels of the atmosphere today leading to a developing surface low over Colorado. Meanwhile, a warm front will extend from the low points east across parts of Nebraska and toward the Iowa/Minnesota border. Once the atmosphere has fully destabilized, this boundary will be the primary focus for thunderstorm development (6-8 PM) with the main threat of small to large…

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Frost/Freeze Alert Iowa Storm Center.com Date: 10/06/23 at 9:05am Central Timing: Effective late tonight through Saturday morning…. Hazards: Damage to sensitive plants and outdoor plumbing. Discussion: Iowa Storm Center has issued freeze alerts ahead of brisk cold air that will usher into the forecast area this evening. The air will be so cold that temperatures will range 32-36F combined with clear skies making conditions favorable for frost formation across a large portion of the forecast area. The hardest hit zone will extend along the highway 60 corridor from Sioux City to Sheldon with temperatures dipping as low as 29-32F across extreme…

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Wind Risk Iowa Storm Center.com Date: 10/05/23 at 9:45am Central Timing: Effective Friday morning through evening…. Hazards: Strong Wind Gusts Discussion: A strong cold front will slide through the forecast area Friday morning through the evening. Scattered rain showers will be possible across northern Iowa during the morning hours extending through the afternoon, but a wave of gusty winds is expected to follow behind the front with the strongest gusts (near advisory criteria) from northwest to central Iowa. Additionally, temperatures will cool into the lower/middle 30s Friday night across western Iowa which will lead to the likelihood of a freeze. Iowa…

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Severe Weather/Heavy Rainfall Risk Iowa Storm Center.com Date: 9/23/23 at 8:55am Central Timing: Effective early this afternoon through late evening…. Hazards: Large hail, damaging winds and a few isolated tornadoes. Discussion: A upper-level low will impact portions of the forecast area later today through tonight. The latest expectations are for an existing line of severe storms across northeast Nebraska to slide into west central and northwest Iowa early this afternoon. During this time period, additional severe storms are expected develop deeper into the afternoon across central and southern Iowa. The primary affected zone will be across the northern half of Iowa…

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Severe Weather/Heavy Rainfall Risk Iowa Storm Center.com Date: 9/21/23 at 9:14am Central Timing: Effective Friday evening through Saturday evening…. Hazards: Large hail and damaging winds. An isolated tornado threat will be possible in the earlier stages of the event… Discussion: A strong upper-level system will impact the forecast area starting Friday night and extending through Saturday night as a two-punch event. The latest synopsis is for a line of strong to heavy storms to develop across Nebraska Friday afternoon into the evening where the primary risk of severe weather will exist, but these storms may blead into western Iowa later Friday…

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A series of storm systems will slide through the forecast area with each one bringing chances of rain and snow, so read on for the details… The first system hits today with scattered rain showers across southern Iowa and a decent chance later this evening into northwest to north central Iowa as the warm front advances to the north. Additional scattered showers are anticipated after midnight tonight through Wednesday morning along and ahead of the frontal zone. Most of this activity should be well off to the east by late morning but likely to still have some lingering showers into…

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A strong storm system will impact the forecast area starting tonight, maximizing Thursday morning and ending early Thursday afternoon, so read on for details… The strong storm front will begin to impact the southern Iowa with rain working in 4-6 pm this evening. The activity will continue to spread north and east through late tonight and as it does so, temperatures will cool with rain changing over to heavy wet snow overnight. Once Thursday hits, the low will be positioned off into Illinois which will put the east central and southeast zones in the best trajectory for light to moderate…

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A weak pulse of energy moved through yesterday and now a stronger storm system will impact the forecast area later Wednesday night through Friday with a risk for rain, snow and gusty winds, so read on for details… A potent low pressure system will work light to moderate rain into central and eastern Iowa later Wednesday evening. Cold air will begin to take over the system later Wednesday night changing rain over to heavy wet snow. This will introduce a risk for accumulating snow stretching from central and off into northeast Iowa. The threat for light/moderate snow accumulations will be…

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