Severe storms drop hail throughout northwest Iowa

(NWS photo) Meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls captured an impressive view of the severe thunderstorm just before sunset. This storm was about 85 miles to the photographer's southeast near the southern Clay County border.

A line of thunderstorms triggered warnings, created high winds and caused a bit of damage Wednesday night in northwest Iowa.

The most extensive damage took place northwest of the Spencer area. Half of a hog barn less than three miles northeast of Lake Park was destroyed by high winds at about 6:08 p.m.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Dickinson County at 5:46 p.m. It was replaced with a tornado warning about 20 minutes later. Funnel clouds and golf ball-sized hail were reported in the Lake Park area.

Pea-sized hail was noted in south Spencer just before 7 p.m. The hail grew larger, about an inch in diameter as the storm approached the Royal and Webb areas in Clay County.

The storm triggered a severe thunderstorm warning for northern Clay Count at 6:28 p.m. because of strong winds and large hail. It was expanded to all of Clay County at 6:52 p.m. A few minutes before the warning was issued, penny-sized hail was reported in the Lost Island Lake area.

Southern Clay County was placed under a warning at 7:26 p.m.

The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls gathered 23 hail reports and two wind reports from its service area, which includes 11 counties in northwest Iowa.