KCCI Weather Alert: Track Tonight’s Dangerous Storms and Real-Time Des Moines Forecast

Central Iowa—Residents across Des Moines and 26 surrounding counties are bracing for another round of severe weather as KCCI’s Storm Team 8 tracks a potent line of thunderstorms pushing in from Nebraska and South Dakota. The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 3 a.m. CDT, warning of damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph, quarter-size hail and torrential downpours capable of dropping 1–3 inches of rain in just a few hours. Heavy rain and flood concerns Meteorologist Jason Sydejko says the ground is already saturated after multiple wet weeks, meaning even brief cloudbursts could trigger flash flooding in low-lying neighborhoods, rural creeks and along the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers. Urban street flooding during tonight’s commute and ponding on I-235, I-35 and I-80 are likely, so drivers should plan extra time or delay travel until storms pass. Timing the storms Storm Team 8 projects the first severe cells to fire along the western border by 7 p.m., reaching the Des Moines metro between 9 p.m. and midnight. A second wave of heavy rain may linger through the pre-dawn hours before tapering to scattered showers Friday afternoon. Behind the storms, south winds will ramp humidity again, keeping heat index values near 95 °F through the weekend. Counties under the watch As of 6 p.m., the Severe Thunderstorm Watch includes Polk, Dallas, Story, Boone, Madison, Warren, Marion, Guthrie, Greene, Carroll, and fifteen additional counties across central and western Iowa. The tornado threat is low but not zero; any discrete cell that develops ahead of the main squall line could briefly spin up. Power and travel impacts MidAmerican Energy is positioning extra crews in case straight-line winds topple tree limbs onto power lines. Des Moines International Airport advises passengers on evening flights to monitor their carrier’s alerts for possible delays or ground stops. Safety checklist • Secure patio furniture and trash bins before winds increase. • Charge phones and portable battery packs in case of outages. • Move vehicles into garages or under cover to protect against hail. • Never drive through flooded roadways—“Turn around, don’t drown.” • Have multiple ways to receive warnings overnight, including NOAA Weather Radio and the free KCCI Weather App. Looking ahead After a brief lull Friday night, forecast models hint at an additional cluster of thunderstorms late Saturday that could redevelop heavy rain along the I-80 corridor. Storm Team 8 will update the forecast live on KCCI-TV, KCCI.com and the station’s streaming platforms throughout the event. Bottom line KCCI weather alerts remain the fastest way for Iowans to track changing conditions, and tonight’s high-impact setup highlights why paying close attention to Storm Team 8 forecasts can protect lives and property across Des Moines and central Iowa.