Palo Alto County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Palo Alto County, IA right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 837 alerts that included Palo Alto County, roughly 84 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (115 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on May 18, 2026. 23 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 Palo Alto County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Emmet County, Pocahontas County, Clay County, Kossuth County.
Palo Alto County alert history
Alert events that included Palo Alto County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 115 | 17 | August 19, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 102 | 6 | March 16, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 99 | 3 | June 17, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 81 | 3 | August 7, 2026 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 73 | 4 | March 16, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 66 | 9 | September 2, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 37 | 1 | March 15, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 29 | 0 | December 6, 2025 |
| Heat Advisory | 29 | 4 | July 27, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 22 | 3 | September 30, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 22 | 3 | March 28, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 18 | 3 | May 17, 2026 |
| Blizzard Warning | 17 | 2 | March 15, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 17 | 0 | June 22, 2024 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 16 | 1 | January 23, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 14 | 2 | October 17, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 13 | 3 | May 11, 2026 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 13 | 2 | March 28, 2026 |
| High Wind Warning | 12 | 2 | March 15, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 9 | 5 | May 18, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 8 | 1 | September 6, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Watch | 7 | 2 | July 27, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 6 | 2 | July 26, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 5 | 1 | January 23, 2026 |
| High Wind Watch | 3 | 2 | March 15, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 3 | 1 | October 17, 2026 |
| Ice Storm Warning | 1 | 0 | January 3, 2023 |
Tornado history in Palo Alto County
23 tornadoes have been recorded in Palo Alto County since 1950, injuring 2 people. That ranks 83 of 99 counties in Iowa. The most recent was on December 15, 2021 (rated EF1).
Strongest tornadoes in Palo Alto County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 10, 1977 | F3 | Palo Alto County | 14.9 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 16, 1957 | F2 | Ida County | 47.6 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 14, 1976 | F2 | Palo Alto County | 26.9 mi | 33 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 7, 1984 | F2 | Pocahontas County | 25 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 2 |
| July 19, 1980 | F2 | Palo Alto County | 24.4 mi | 80 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 15, 2021 | EF1 | Palo Alto County | 11.2 mi | 90 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 16, 2014 | EF0 | Pocahontas County | 6.1 mi | 250 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 11, 2004 | F1 | Palo Alto County | 9 mi | 450 yd | 0 | 0 |
| October 13, 2000 | F1 | Pocahontas County | 14 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
| September 13, 2000 | F0 | Palo Alto County | 0.2 mi | 20 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Palo Alto County
- Population: 8,809 (2024 estimate)
- State: Iowa
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 019147 (how to use it)