Morning Storms Roll Through

Rain and thundershowers had moved through the Cedar Rapids, Iowa metro area earlier in the morning on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, but had moved out of the area by 2:00 am CDT. A little over three hours later Severe Thunderstorm Watch 476 was issued for much of the state of Iowa effective from 5:15 am (above image). 

A cell in north central Iowa went severe-warned at 5:20 am. This location (and all the following) is near 33rd Avenue at 12th Street SW in Cedar Rapids. The panoramic image above looks north at 5:43 am. Slivers of sunrise can be seen through the colorful clouds.

5:44 am. Smaller updrafts in a colorful sky looking northwest. At about this time another cell just southwest of Des Moines went severe-warned and contained a sizable hail core.

5:45 am. Similar view looking north.

Fast forward to 8:33 am. The storm near Des Moines had gone linear and had now wheeled to the north where the top third of the line was tracking for Cedar Rapids. This view of the approaching storm looks west.

Radarscope capture for 8:33 am, showing the well-defined severe line of storms approaching Cedar Rapids. 

8:42 am. The line of storms had formed into a classic summertime shelf cloud appearance. This panoramic image looks west.

8:42 am. Closeup of leading edge of the shelf cloud, looking south.

8:42 am. Looking southwest.

8:42 am. Looking west.

8:43 am. Another leading edge capture looking south. Rain and wind were moments away. This system of storms delivered much needed rain to the state of Iowa. My home weather station recorded about .9 inch of rain for the day.  iPhone 11 camera.