High Wind in Montgomery, Iowa

Personal weather station measured wind gust of 64 mph near Villisca, IA.

On March 15, 2026, strong non-thunderstorm wind gusts impacted eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa. During the morning hours, a deepening mid-level trough moved into the region and intensified an existing surface low pressure system. This intensification caused a considerable tightening of the regional pressure gradient, resulting in strong northwest winds that overspread the area from the late morning through the remainder of the day. Behind the departing surface low, strong cold air advection steepened low-level lapse rates. This deep mixing tapped into a potent 60 to 70 knot jet descending on the backside of the system, efficiently transferring momentum to the surface and resulting in multiple measured wind gusts in the 58 to 64 mph range.