From NWS
2007: Unseasonably cool air spread across Iowa as temperatures fell below 40 F statewide and several areas experienced their earliest freeze on record. The lowest reported temperatures included 30 F at Guthrie Center, Pocahontas, and Waterloo, 29 F at Cresco and Ocheyedan, and 28 F at Elkader and Spencer.

2004: Several rounds of thunderstorms produced heavy rain across portions of northwestern Iowa with 1 to 2 inches falling on the night of the 13th into the morning of the 14th and around 6 additional inches falling from around midday on the 14th to sunrise on the 15th. From 7 am on the 14th to 7 am on the 15th all-time 24 hour rainfall records were set at Spencer with 7.13 inches, Swea City with 6.82 inches, and Estherville with 6.45 inches. At the Estherville Airport a total of 8.71 inches was measured with unofficial reports and estimates of as much as a foot of rain in the area. More heavy rain would fall on the 17th and again on the 21st and at a number of stations across northern Iowa the month finished as the wettest September on record.

1993: Light winds and clear skies allowed early morning temperatures to drop to near 30 degrees across most of western and northwestern Iowa resulting in a widespread early frost. The lowest reported temperatures included 31 F at Atlantic, Audubon, and Le Mars, 30 F at Cherokee and Rock Rapids, and 29 F at Sheldon and Sioux Rapids. Crops were hit especially hard because they were running late due to the record rainfall and flooding of the summer of 1993. At Des Moines the month would finish as the coolest September on record with an average temperature of only 59.2 F.

15 September 1988 → A tornado tracked a 25 mile path from Rietspruit to Bethesda, South Africa. 15 September 1989 → “Princess”, the Hurricane Hunter reconnaissance plane, was nearly lost when it went into the eye of Hurricane Hugo. It apparently hit a tornado-like vortex and lost two of its four engines. Fortunately the crew found a weaker spot in the eyewall and escaped.

Posted under Weather History