From NWS
2003: Severe thunderstorms produced large hail, strong winds, and several tornadoes across northwestern, northern, and eastern Iowa. The strongest storms moved southeast from around Waterloo through Cedar Rapids to Muscatine before crossing into Illinois. This cluster of storms produced at least half a dozen tornadoes, including one that inflicted F2 damage unroofing several homes along a quarter mile long track in western sections of Cedar Rapids. This was the first tornado to touch down within the Cedar Rapids city limits since 1965. A local television station measured a wind gust to 73 mph and trees and power lines were reported down throughout the area with nearly half of the population without power at the height of the storm. Further southeast straight line winds intensified near Muscatine as the storms crossed the river, with wind gusts estimated in excess of 90 mph.

1934: A summer of record breaking heat continued as the temperature rose all the way to 118 F at Keokuk establishing the all-time Iowa record. The reliability of this reading has been questioned since it was obtained, however it does remain the highest official temperature on record in Iowa. The second-highest occurred just two years later on July 25, 1936 when the temperature reached 117 F at Atlantic and Logan. Other high temperatures recorded on July 20, 1934 included 112 F at Fairfield and Knoxville, 111 F at Thurman, and 110 F at Albia, Sigourney, and Winterset.

1903: Severe thunderstorms produced strong straight-line winds and very large destructive hail across portions of Cass, Adams, and Taylor counties in southwestern Iowa. There were several swaths of significant damage to trees, buildings, and crops with large areas of corn totally destroyed.

1860: As a thunderstorm passed over Marion at about 8:30 in the morning lightning struck a school house on the north side of the city. Although school was not yet in session the teacher and seven students had already arrived and all were “felled senseless to the floor”. Three of the children died and the others as well as their teacher were seriously injured.

20 July 1951 → An F3 tornado tore across the southwest portion of Minneapolis from Lake Minnetonka to the international airport. At the airport 100 planes were damaged or destroyed. The anemometer at the NWS office measured a 100mph wind gust. The tornado was accompanied by powerful downbursts that caused widespread damage. 20 July 2002 → Heavy rain and winds buffeted the leaders of the British Open in Muirfield, Scotland causing scores to soar and washing away Tiger Woods’s dream of a golfing Grand Slam.

Posted under Weather History