Rain, hail, and strong winds swept across Iowa on Friday evening, putting large portions of the state under severe thunderstorm warnings and even knocking out power for thousands.
The storms came as part of a swath of severe weather that swept across the nation called a "bomb cyclone."
Iowa's storms were part of the same storm system that moved from the west to the east coast. The storm system spun up a tornado in Southern California, dumped snow on the Sierra Nevada, caused dangerous road conditions in Texas, and spawned fatal tornadoes in the South and Midwest overnight.
The storms have come and gone in Iowa. Here's what you need to know about Friday night's storms, including rainfall totals, wind speeds and if we were really hit by a "bomb cyclone."
What is a 'bomb cyclone,' and did it hit Iowa?
The large storm system that swept across the United States is sometimes referred to as a "bomb cyclone," a storm that undergoes an intensification process known as bombogenesis, which is a quick drop in atmospheric pressure, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
While the storm that hit Iowa was categorized as a "bomb cyclone" by the low barometric pressure, according to National Weather Service Des Moines meteorologist Kristy Carter, it did not bring as much damage as other parts of the storm system.
"Overall, we had a large, low-pressure system that brought these multiple rounds of storms, with wind being the main threat," Carter told the Register.
What were the highest rainfall totals?
Friday night's storm pounded Iowa with heavy rains, but rainfall was scattered, Carter said.
Here are some of the rainfall totals:
Where did it hail and how big did it get?
Portions of southwest and central Iowa even saw some hail from .25 inches up to 1.5 inches in diameter in Friday night's storms, according to National Weather Service data on Iowa Environmental Mesonet.
Here's where hail was reported and how big it got:
How windy did it get in Friday night's storms?
Winds upwards of 80 mph were reported as part of Friday night's storms. Dust from Texas and even New Mexico swept up to Iowa, according to a social media post from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies.
Here are some of the highest wind speeds that were recorded throughout the state, according to data on Iowa Environmental Mesonet:
These high wind speeds reportedly blew tractor-trailers over on Interstate 80 and one on Highway 20, according to a storm summary provided by the National Weather Service.
There also were 25 reports of wind damage, according to Iowa Environmental Mesonet, including in Urbandale, Saylorville and near the Des Moines International Airport and scattered throughout in the central western and eastern parts of the state.
There were no reported sightings of tornadoes in Iowa, according to the National Weather Service.
Are there more storms or even snow coming? Next week's forecast:
As of Saturday morning, most of Iowa is still under a hazardous weather outlook, while northwestern Iowa is under a wind advisory and even a winter weather advisory that extends throughout South Dakota.
Here's the weather forecast for the next week:
Sunday: Breezy and sunny with a high of around 50 and a low of 34 in the evening.
Monday: Breezy and sunny with a high near 70 and a low of 48.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny with a high near 76 during the day, with a temperature drop to near 34 with precipitation likely.
Wednesday: A high near 40 with rain in the morning, turning into snow in the afternoon and a low of around 25.
Thursday: Sunny and windy during the day with a high of 44 and partly cloudy in the evening with a low of 27.
Friday: Partly cloudy with a high of around 48.
This week's forecast is likely to change, and snow accumulation amounts and location are still unknown. Keep an eye on this week's weather by checking the National Weather Service's forecast.
Kyle Werner is a reporter for the Register. Reach him at [email protected].