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Storm tracker · Cedar Rapids, IA

Cedar Rapids storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history

Live watches and warnings for Cedar Rapids, IA, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.

Live alerts for Cedar Rapids, IA

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    Storm outlook, next 48 hours

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    Thunderstorm forecastHigh instabilityModerateLow

    Severe weather in Cedar Rapids by the numbers

    9.9severe-weather days a year (avg 2016–2025)
    4.7hail days a year
    47storm reports in the last 12 months
    2.75″biggest hail since 2016 (Jul 11, 2020)
    39tornado reports since 2016 · strongest EF2

    Cedar Rapids gets regular severe thunderstorms: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 604 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 228 hail reports, 337 damaging-wind reports and 39 tornado reports. On average that is 9.9 days a year with at least one report.

    Storm season here peaks in April, May, July, when 65% of all reports were filed.

    In the last 12 months there were 15 hail reports, 30 wind reports and 2 tornado reports around Cedar Rapids; the largest hail was 2.00″ (hen egg) on Mar 10, 2026.

    Latest storm reports near Cedar Rapids

    DateReportWhere
    Sep 8, 2026Damaging wind10 mi SW · Linn Co.
    Aug 11, 2026Damaging wind21 mi S · Johnson Co.
    Aug 7, 2026Damaging wind1 mi SW · Linn Co.
    Aug 7, 2026Tornado20 mi NE · Linn Co.
    Jul 31, 2026Tornado7 mi SW · Linn Co.
    Jul 20, 2026Damaging wind1 mi SW · Linn Co.
    Jul 20, 2026Hail 1.00″9 mi SW · Linn Co.
    Jul 3, 2026Damaging wind20 mi SW · Iowa Co.
    Jun 17, 2026Damaging wind9 mi S · Linn Co.
    Jun 16, 2026Damaging wind13 mi SW · Linn Co.

    One line per day and type — the closest report that day. Distance and direction from the city centre. The latest SPC reports are preliminary until NOAA finalises them.

    Storm reports by year

    028568311116: 5 hail16: 12 damaging wind16: 4 tornado1617: 34 hail17: 32 damaging wind17: 3 tornado1718: 12 hail18: 13 damaging wind18: 8 tornado1819: 7 hail19: 17 damaging wind19: 2 tornado1920: 64 hail20: 42 damaging wind20: 3 tornado2021: 3 hail21: 22 damaging wind21: 6 tornado2122: 6 hail22: 25 damaging wind2223: 57 hail23: 49 damaging wind23: 5 tornado2324: 20 hail24: 55 damaging wind24: 3 tornado2425: 5 hail25: 40 damaging wind25: 3 tornado2526: 15 hail26: 30 damaging wind26: 2 tornado26
    HailDamaging windTornado

    Storm season in Cedar Rapids

    04693140186Jan: 2JanFeb: 5FebMar: 35MarApr: 110AprMay: 99MayJun: 62JunJul: 186JulAug: 62AugSep: 16SepOct: 9OctNov: 4NovDec: 14Dec

    All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.

    Hail in Cedar Rapids

    Cedar Rapids averages 4.7 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 2.75 inches — about the size of a baseball — reported 13 miles from the city centre on Jul 11, 2020. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.

    Tornadoes near Cedar Rapids

    There have been 39 tornado reports within 25 miles of Cedar Rapids since 2016; the strongest was rated EF2 (Jul 11, 2025, 14 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.

    Storm alerts for Cedar Rapids on your iPhone

    Lightning Tracker shows storm risk around you, live severe-weather alerts and how close the storm is — free on the App Store.

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    Storm trackers near Cedar Rapids

    Des Moines, IA105 mi · 11.7 storm days/yrRockford, IL132 mi · 11.1 storm days/yrMadison, WI136 mi · 9.7 storm days/yrPeoria, IL140 mi · 11.5 storm days/yrAurora, IL172 mi · 14.8 storm days/yrElgin, IL173 mi · 15.3 storm days/yrAll of Iowalive warnings & state storm stats

    Questions about storms in Cedar Rapids

    Does Cedar Rapids get a lot of severe storms?

    Cedar Rapids averages 9.9 days a year with at least one hail, damaging-wind or tornado report within 25 miles, based on NOAA Storm Prediction Center reports 2016–2025.

    When is storm season in Cedar Rapids?

    Most severe-weather reports around Cedar Rapids come in April, May, July.

    What is the biggest hail recorded near Cedar Rapids?

    2.75 inches (baseball size) on Jul 11, 2020, 13 miles from the city centre.

    Have tornadoes hit near Cedar Rapids?

    Yes — 39 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF2 on Jul 11, 2025.

    How do I get storm alerts for Cedar Rapids?

    The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Cedar Rapids, IA. For alerts on your phone, Lightning Tracker for iPhone shows storm risk and warnings for your location.

    How this page works: storm reports are NOAA Storm Prediction Center local storm reports (final database 2016–2025, preliminary daily reports after that) within 25 miles of Cedar Rapids, IA. They are reports of hail, damaging wind and tornadoes — not lightning strike counts, which no free public dataset provides at city level. Live alerts come from the National Weather Service API, the outlook from Open-Meteo forecast models. Updated Oct 29, 2026.