Weather Story

Cooler Weather On Tap; Rain Chances Thu-Fri

July 20, 2026 Severe Storms & Flooding

Notably cooler and more comfortable weather will prevail through Friday, with daily highs generally in the 75-80 degree range. Rain and a few thunderstorms will return from late Thursday into Friday, mainly across western and southern area where localized amounts of 1/2 inch or more may occur. Severe weather is unlikely during that time. Hotter weather will then return from the latter half of the weekend into early next week.

Severe supercell-like thunderstorms formed across northern Iowa on July 20th and moved south across the state. These storms moved south and produced straight-line wind damage across portions of central Iowa. Large hail also fell in a swath from Hamilton County to northern Story County. When storms arrived to Des Moines, heavy rainfall led to flash flooding across the metro.