Polk County, IA Weather Alerts
Every National Weather Service alert issued for Polk County, Iowa, pushed to your phone within moments — county code IAC153, forecast zone 2 zones (IAZ060, IAZ048). Free with StormCast.
Download on Google PlayHow the NWS identifies Polk County
These are the identifiers the National Weather Service uses when it issues a warning here. StormCast watches IAC153 directly rather than matching on place names, which is why an alert arrives whether you are in Alleman or anywhere else in the county.
NWS County Code
IAC153
Forecast Zones
2 zones (IAZ060, IAZ048)
Forecast Office
Des Moines (DMX)
Radar Station
KDMX
Towns covered in Polk County
An NWS alert for Polk County applies to all 16 of these communities. You do not need a separate alert for each one.
River gauges in and around Polk County
StormCast tracks 12 gauges near Polk County. Set a flood-stage alert on any of them to get notified before the water reaches you.
- Fourmile Creek near Ankeny NE 86th Ave
- Des Moines River at Saylorville Tail
- Fourmile Creek near Altoona NE 54th Ave--IFC
- Fourmile Creek near Altoona I-80
- Des Moines River at Des Moines 2nd Ave
- Des Moines River at Saylorville Reservoir
- Fourmile Creek near Ankeny US 69
- Fourmile Creek at Ankeny NE 47th St--IFC
- Fourmile Creek at Des Moines Easton Blvd
- Big Creek Ponding Area near Polk City
- Des Moines River at Des Moines SE 6th St
- Beaver Creek near Grimes
Current conditions
Loading current conditions…
Alert types issued for Polk County
Tornado
Tornado Warning, Tornado Watch, Tornado Emergency and Severe Thunderstorm Warning.
How tornado alerts work →Flooding
Flash Flood Warning, Flood Watch, Flood Advisory and River Flood Warning.
How flood alerts work →Winter
Winter Storm Warning, Ice Storm Warning, Blizzard Warning and Winter Weather Advisory.
Winter warnings explained →Fire Weather
Red Flag Warning and Fire Weather Watch when conditions favor rapid fire spread.
Fire weather alerts →Heat & Cold
Excessive Heat Warning, Heat Advisory, Freeze Warning and Frost Advisory.
Frost & freeze alerts →Polk County weather alert questions
Which NWS forecast zone is Polk County in?
Polk County, Iowa is NWS county code IAC153 and spans 2 forecast zones (IAZ060, IAZ048). Alerts for it are issued by the Des Moines (DMX) Weather Forecast Office, and the nearest NEXRAD radar is KDMX.
Which towns in Polk County are covered?
All of them. NWS alerts are issued at the county and zone level, so a warning for Polk County covers every community inside it, including Alleman, Altoona, Ankeny, Berwick, Bondurant, Clive, Des Moines, Elkhart, Grimes, Johnston, Mitchellville, Polk City, Runnells, Sheldahl, Urbandale and West Des Moines.
Are there river gauges in Polk County?
Yes — StormCast monitors 12 river gauges in and around Polk County, including Fourmile Creek near Ankeny NE 86th Ave, Des Moines River at Saylorville Tail, Fourmile Creek near Altoona NE 54th Ave--IFC. You can set a flood-stage alert on any of them and get a push notification when the water rises.
How fast are alerts for Polk County delivered?
StormCast polls the NWS alert feed every 30 seconds. When a warning is issued for IAC153, the push notification goes out within moments — even with your screen off.