Iowa
Large hail and tornadoes may be headed for eastern Iowa on Wednesday. What to know:
The National Weather Service is urging Johnson County residents to prepare for the possibility of large hail, strong winds and tornadoes on Wednesday morning.
A lot of uncertainty remains about the nature of the storm.
Here’s what to know:
First round of storms to move through overnight
A storm system is first set to move through the area overnight on Tuesday into Wednesday.
The National Weather Service in the Quad Cities is forecasting a level one severe weather threat, the second-lowest on their scale. These storms will feature lightning and the possibility of hail that may disrupt the morning commute.
The first set of storms is expected to hit the area by 8 a.m. on Wednesday.
Second round of storms could bring hail, tornadoes
A second set of storms is forecast to roll through eastern Iowa, including the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids metros, during the day on Wednesday.
The National Weather Service has given the second system a level two rating out of five, noting that it could produce hail, wind and tornadoes. However, “a high degree of uncertainty” remains with regard to the strength, severity and widespread nature of the storms. They are expected to develop and impact the area between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Maximum wind gusts are forecasted to reach 35-40 miles per hour.
Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.