Lightning TrackerDes Moines storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Des Moines, IA, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Des Moines, IA
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Des Moines by the numbers
Des Moines gets regular severe thunderstorms: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 754 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 328 hail reports, 381 damaging-wind reports and 45 tornado reports. On average that is 11.7 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in May, June, July, when 62% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 22 hail reports, 32 wind reports and 2 tornado reports around Des Moines; the largest hail was 2.25″ (hen egg) on Sep 8, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Des Moines
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 8, 2026 | Hail 1.25″ | 9 mi SW · Warren Co. |
| Sep 8, 2026 | Damaging wind | 2 mi SW · Polk Co. |
| Sep 8, 2026 | Hail 2.25″ | 9 mi N · Polk Co. |
| Aug 12, 2026 | Damaging wind | 17 mi N · Polk Co. |
| Jul 20, 2026 | Damaging wind | 3 mi E · Polk Co. |
| Jul 20, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 8 mi W · Polk Co. |
| Jul 3, 2026 | Damaging wind | 5 mi SW · Polk Co. |
| Jul 2, 2026 | Hail 1.50″ | 4 mi NW · Polk Co. |
| Jul 2, 2026 | Damaging wind | 4 mi W · Polk Co. |
| Jun 11, 2026 | Damaging wind | 7 mi NE · Polk 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
Storm season in Des Moines
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Des Moines
Des Moines averages 7.1 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 3.25 inches — about the size of a tea cup — reported 3 miles from the city centre on Jul 9, 2021. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Des Moines
There have been 45 tornado reports within 25 miles of Des Moines since 2016; the strongest was rated EF3 (Aug 20, 2019, 24 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Des Moines 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.
Storm trackers near Des Moines
Questions about storms in Des Moines
Does Des Moines get a lot of severe storms?
Des Moines averages 11.7 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 Des Moines?
Most severe-weather reports around Des Moines come in May, June, July.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Des Moines?
3.25 inches (tea cup size) on Jul 9, 2021, 3 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Des Moines?
Yes — 45 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF3 on Aug 20, 2019.
How do I get storm alerts for Des Moines?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Des Moines, 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 Des Moines, 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 27, 2026.