The Storm Prediction Center's (SPC) outlooks for the state of Iowa early in the morning of Monday, April 28, 2025 seemed to indicate significant tornado, hail and wind areas (above).
I made the decision to leave home and target New Hampton, Iowa in Chickasaw County for a possible intercept, which was well within the posted SPC Moderate Risk zone. Storms had begun to fire up in far western Iowa, and I reasoned more storms would do the same near this location. Northbound on US Highway 63 just south of New Hampton at 3:06 pm CDT, a small storm cell to my west (above) displayed some promising convection, but it soon dissipated.
3:25 pm. Tornado Watch 181 (above) was issued for a large portion of northern Iowa. Another promising development. After about 30 minutes, however, it was becoming apparent no significant storm cells were developing near me in New Hampton, so I decided to pack up and head west toward Mason City on US Highway 18, where a line of severe warned storms was ongoing.
5:23 pm. Looking northwest at the line of severe warned storms as seen from the interchange of US Highway 18 and Interstate 35 near Clear Lake and just west of Mason City in Cerro Gordo County.
5:54 pm. Looking northwest at a tornado warned area of the storm system as seen from the Interstate 35 rest area near Dows, Iowa in Franklin & Wright counties. The warned area was still some 85 miles distant and moving east.
Radarscope image for 6:22 pm. My location is indicated by the blue target icon.
6:48 pm. Severe warned cells and the setting sun looking northwest beyond my vehicle, located atop the Mallard Avenue overpass on US Highway 18 just southwest of Mason City, Iowa.
Radarscope image corresponding to the photo above it. Note the tornado warned polygon near the Albert Lea area of Minnesota. Storms were creeping closer to me but daylight was now waning fast and I was a long way from home.
7:44 pm. I was now heading back homeward, but the distant pursuing storm clouds were putting on a visual show, as this image looking west from near Waverly, Iowa in Bremer County attests.
8:13 pm. One last stop and look back: looking northwest at backlit storm clouds from the intersection of Reed Avenue (County Road V49, foreground) and Highway 3 (background) just north of Readlyn, Iowa in Bremer County. The capture of the distant cloud images was the best I could accomplish on this day, as severe weather never really materialized in eastern Iowa. In other words, the Moderate Risk was a bust here. Sunset was at 8:00 pm. Nikon Z6ii camera.
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