Jefferson County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Jefferson County, IA right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 746 alerts that included Jefferson County, roughly 75 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (123 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on August 13, 2026. 13 tornadoes have touched down in the county since 1950.
Updated from the National Weather Service · lists refresh hourly; the live map loads current alerts directly from the NWS
No warnings, watches or advisories include Jefferson County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Wapello County, Van Buren County, Henry County, Washington County.
Jefferson County alert history
Alert events that included Jefferson County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 123 | 21 | September 20, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 89 | 7 | September 17, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 76 | 2 | March 16, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 62 | 3 | April 2, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 55 | 8 | August 13, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 53 | 7 | August 31, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 46 | 9 | September 30, 2026 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 37 | 3 | January 26, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 29 | 11 | July 20, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 25 | 2 | October 17, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 19 | 0 | November 29, 2025 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 18 | 1 | March 16, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 17 | 3 | March 28, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 16 | 1 | May 2, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 12 | 3 | September 2, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 12 | 2 | August 15, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 11 | 6 | August 13, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Watch | 8 | 2 | July 27, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 7 | 0 | October 16, 2024 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 6 | 1 | January 23, 2026 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 5 | 2 | February 27, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 4 | 0 | June 25, 2021 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 4 | 1 | January 23, 2026 |
| High Wind Watch | 3 | 1 | March 15, 2026 |
| High Wind Warning | 3 | 1 | March 15, 2026 |
| Ice Storm Warning | 3 | 0 | December 14, 2024 |
| Blizzard Warning | 2 | 1 | March 15, 2026 |
| Snow Squall Warning | 1 | 0 | December 9, 2019 |
Tornado history in Jefferson County
13 tornadoes have been recorded in Jefferson County since 1950, injuring 4 people. That ranks 97 of 99 counties in Iowa. The most recent was on May 17, 2017 (rated EF1).
Strongest tornadoes in Jefferson County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 1959 | F3 | Van Buren County | 17.8 mi | 250 yd | 0 | 1 |
| April 21, 1967 | F3 | Jefferson County | 0.1 mi | 200 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 8, 1988 | F2 | Davis County | 71 mi | 60 yd | 0 | 0 |
| September 13, 1982 | F2 | Wapello County | 26 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 |
| November 9, 1975 | F2 | Van Buren County | 8.8 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 3 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2017 | EF1 | Jefferson County | 3.2 mi | 25 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 2, 2006 | F1 | Jefferson County | 0.3 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 10, 2003 | F0 | Jefferson County | 2.4 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 10, 2003 | F0 | Jefferson County | 5 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 8, 1999 | F0 | Jefferson County | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Jefferson County
- Population: 15,781 (2024 estimate)
- State: Iowa
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 019101 (how to use it)