Palo Alto County Storm Activity
Wind, hail, and tornado activity from official NOAA sources (NWS & SPC) · Last 180 days · Updated Sep 11, 2026
Palo Alto County, Iowa has recorded tornado activity: official National Weather Service (NWS) and Storm Prediction Center (SPC) records list 2 tornado reports among 11 severe weather events here in the last 180 days, alongside 2 hail reports with hail up to 1" and 7 high-wind reports with gusts up to 65 mph. The most recent recorded storm activity was on Aug 4, 2026. This page updates daily: every event comes straight from official NOAA data — no estimates, no modeling, just the record.
What the radar showed
Check an address in Palo Alto County for storm exposure
See address-level storm activity — verified reports and warning boundaries around any specific property. Free account, takes under a minute.
Check an address free →Storm log — the official record, day by day
Events older than 30 days, as recorded by the National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center. Excerpts are quoted directly from official warnings and verified reports.
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
1 NWS warning — wind gusts up to 50 mph
“At 338 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from 4 miles northeast of Swan Lake to Emmetsburg to near Laurens. Movement was east at 55 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 50 mph. The Spencer Airport recorded a wind gust of 48 mph at 308 AM and the Estherville Airport recorded a wind gust of 39 mph at 330 AM.”
- Wind 50 mph Palo Alto County NWS severe weather mention
Saturday, July 4, 2026
1 SPC verified storm report
“Local EM reports large branches down. (DMX)”
- Wind Unknown Emmetsburg SPC verified report
Monday, June 1, 2026
1 NWS warning — hail up to 0.75"
“At 1140 AM CDT, emergency management reported a strong thunderstorm 8 miles southeast of Swan Lake, or 15 miles northeast of Emmetsburg, moving south at 20 mph. Hazard: Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail. Ringsted, Iowa. Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible. Locations impacted include...”
- Hail 0.75" Palo Alto County NWS severe weather mention
Saturday, May 16, 2026
2 SPC verified storm reports — 1 tornado report
“Reports of power pole and tree damage in town. Time estimated by radar. (DMX)”
“Daily CoCoRaHS observer notes from IA-PA-5 stated there was damage to a machine shed 1 mile ESE of their location... which is the location of this report. Time estimate (DMX)”
- Tornado Tornado Graettinger SPC verified report
- Wind Unknown 4 W West Bend SPC verified report
Monday, April 13, 2026
2 SPC verified storm reports — hail up to 1", 1 tornado report
- Tornado Tornado 4 N Emmetsburg SPC verified report
- Hail 1" Graettinger SPC verified report
Sunday, March 15, 2026
4 NWS warnings — wind gusts up to 65 mph
“...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS DEVELOPING AND PERSISTING TONIGHT... .A significant winter storm will move across the area through tonight. Widespread snow will fall across Iowa with higher amounts of 6+ inches possible north and east. Winds will gust 55 to 65+ mph, resulting in significant drifting of snow and visibility reductions to white-out conditions at times.”
“WHAT...Northwest winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 55 to 65 mph expected. The highest wind gusts will be late this afternoon and this evening. WHERE...Portions of central, north central, northeast, northwest, south central, southeast, southwest, and west central Iowa. WHEN...Until 4 AM CDT Monday. IMPACTS...Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Power outages are possible.”
- Wind 65 mph Palo Alto County NWS severe weather mention
- Wind 65 mph Palo Alto County NWS severe weather mention
- Wind 55 mph Palo Alto County NWS severe weather mention
- Wind 55 mph Palo Alto County NWS severe weather mention
Today's severe weather outlook
Common questions
When was the last severe storm in Palo Alto County, IA?
The most recent recorded event was on Aug 4, 2026. Official NWS and SPC records show 11 severe weather events in Palo Alto County over the last 180 days. Exact dates and locations for recent storms are available in the app with a free account.
Has there been hail in Palo Alto County recently?
Yes — 2 hail reports in the last 180 days, with hail up to 1" recorded.
How do I check whether a specific address was affected?
Create a free IDOLCheck account and run an address check. It shows verified storm reports and official NWS warning boundaries around any specific property — county-level pages like this one only tell part of the story.