The 2022 tornado season started much like the 2021 season ended, with several tornadoes during a cool season event. March 5 was a very impressive start to the season with a total of 15 tornadoes of which one was a long track EF4; the first EF4 in Iowa since 2013. Unfortunately, this tornado resulted in six deaths and five injuries near Winterset. With a path length just over 70.5 miles, it was one of the longest tornadoes of the past 40 years. Another deadly tornado occurred near Chariton and resulted in another fatality in a campground at Red Haw State Park. The 15 tornadoes made it one of the earliest outbreaks with a total that high so early in the season. About a month later on April 12, another round of tornadoes struck the state with 13 spin-ups across Iowa. The peak of tornado season is normally in May and June, however, 2022 was another year where these months were relatively inactive. May and June only saw a combined four tornadoes. Six additional tornadoes occurred in July and the year ended with one last tornado in the month of August, bringing the 2022 grand total to 42. While a few of these tornadoes damaged trees and farmsteads, most remained in rural areas and produced little to no damage.

Tama-Grundy Publishing note: On March 5 at approximately 6:33 p.m., a tornado formed southwest of the intersection of 370th Street and H Avenue in Tama County – roughly 4.3 miles southwest of the Tama Airport – and moved northeast. According to the National Weather Service, the tornado remained mostly over cropland and wooded areas but did impact a couple of different residences with EF1 damage to outbuildings along US 63 south of Tama, followed by EF2 damage to a house on E64 southeast of Tama. The tornado caused tree damage in the Iowa River Valley before dissipating just shy of US 30 near P Avenue. The 8.54 mile, 200 yards wide Tama tornado was part of a series of tornados that tracked across central Iowa on March 5 including an EF1 tornado that formed southwest of Garrison in neighboring Benton County.