Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 22, NWS Des Moines, IA

April 30, 1986Adams County, Union County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 30, 1986, 1:02 AM CDT for Adams County, Union County, Iowa. It was in force for 53 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 30, 1986, 1:02 AM CDT (06:02 UTC)
Expired
Apr 30, 1986, 1:55 AM CDT
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Adams County, IA, Union County, IA

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 6.0 hours before the alert went out and 162 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Omaha, NE at 00:00Z on 1986-04-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Omaha, NE at 00:00Z on 1986-04-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 124 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
3583 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
124 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
206 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 300604
SVRDSM
IAC003-175-300655-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
102 AM CDT WED APR 30 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 155 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES OF

SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA...EASTERN ADAMS AND WESTERN UNION

AT 1255 AM CDT RADAR INDICATES A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM JUST EAST OF
CORNING IN NORTHWEST ADAMS COUNTY..ABOUT 60 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES
MOINES.

THIS STORM IS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL
AFFECT THE CITY OF CRESTON.

LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN ARE LIKELY WITH THIS STORM.  SUDDEN
DAMAGING WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.

REMEMBER..A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAN PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
OF 60 MPH..LARGE HAIL..DEADLY LIGHTNING..AND HEAVY RAINS THAT CAN
QUICKLY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS.

ELLINGSON

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 29, 10:10 PM CDT, 2 hours 52 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
1000 PM CDT TUE APR 29 1985

...VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHERN BLACK HAWK COUNTY...

AT 1000PM CDT WATERLOO RADAR SHOWED VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS
IN BLACK HAWK COUNTY MOVING TO THE EAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.
THESE STORMS WILL BE IN THE VICINITY OF LA PORTE CITY AND HUDSON
UNTIL 1030.

GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND POSSIBLE SOME SMALL HAIL AS WELL AS BRIEF
PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN ANaD DANGEROUS LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED FROM
THESE STORMS.
FRANCISCO
Special weather statement, Apr 29, 10:55 PM CDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1035PM CDT TUE APR 29 1986

AT 1030PM...VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP IN CENTRAL
IOWA NEAR GRINNELL.  VERY HEAVY RAIN...DAMAGING SURFACE WINDS AND HAIL
CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS.

A FEW INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS HAD ALSO DEVELOPED IN SOUTHWEST IOWA JUST
WEST OF CORNING.  STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND HAIL CAN ALSO BE
EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERFSTORMS.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO LOCATED IN MOST OF THE REMAINDER
OD WAST CENTRAL IOWA...HOWEVER THESE STORMS WERE OF LESSER INTENSITY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

SCOT~T
Special weather statement, Apr 29, 11:13 PM CDT, 1 hour 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY  ...CORRECTION...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1035PM CDT TUE APR 29 1986

AT 1030PM...VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP IN CENTRAL
IOWA NEAR GRINNELL.  VERY HEAVY RAIN...DAMAGING SURFACE WINDS AND HAIL
CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS.

A FEW INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS HAD ALSO DEVELOPED IN SOUTHWEST IOWA JUST
WEST OF CORNING.  STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND HAIL CAN ALSO BE
EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERFSTORMS.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO LOCATED IN MOST OF THE REMAINDER
OF EAST CENTRAL IOWA...HOWEVER THESE STORMS WERE OF LESSER INTENSITY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

SCOTT
Special weather statement, Apr 29, 11:48 PM CDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1140 PM CDT TUE APR 29 1986

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE SOUTHERN HALF OF IOWA TIL 5 AM...

THERE WAS NO SEVERE WEATHER REPORTED IN IOWA FROM 1030 TO 1130 PM.

AT 1135 PM..
THERE WERE 2 AREAS OF THUNDERSTORMS IN IOWA.  THE FIRST WAS A CLUSTER OF
STORMS IN THE EAST CENTRAL COUNTIES...AROUND CEDAR RAPIDS..IOWA CITY..
MARSHALLTOWN..AND BELLE PLAINE.  THESE STORMS WERE LIKELY DUMPING SOME
HEAVY RAINS AND OCCASIONAL SMALL HAIL..BUT THE DURATION WAS SHORT DUE TO
THE RAPID MOVEMENT.

THE SECOND AREA OF STORMS WAS IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF IOWA....AND WAS
SMALLER IN SIZE.  THESE STORMS WERE AROUND CORNING AND RED OAK.  THEY
HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING SOME PEA TO MARBLE SIZED HAIL.

THE STORMS IN BOTH EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN IOWA WERE MOVING EAST
AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

POTTS
Special weather statement, Apr 30, 12:40 AM CDT, 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1240 AM CDT WED APR 30 1986

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE SOUTHERN HALF OF IOWA TIL 5 AM...

THERE WAS NO SEVERE WEATHER REPORTED IN IOWA FROM 1130 PM TO 1230 AM.

AT 1235 AM..
THERE WERE STILL 2 AREAS OF THUNDERSTORMS IN IOWA.  THE FIRST WAS IN THE
EAST CENTRAL COUNTIES...AROUND CEDAR RAPIDS..IOWA CITY AND BELLE PLAINE.

THE SECOND AREA OF STORMS WAS IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF THE STATE..AROUND
CRESTON..CORNING..AND CUMBERLAND.  THESE STORMS WERE MORE INTENSE AND
WERE DROPPING SOME VERY HEAVY RAINS AND A LITTLE SMALL HAIL AS WELL.
THESE STORMS WERE HEADED FOR CENTRAL IOWA....WITH THE DES MOINES METRO
AREA IN THEIR SIGHT...AND ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL WOULD BE ABOUT 130
OR 2 AM.

ALL THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

POTTS
Special weather statement, Apr 30, 12:55 AM CDT, 7 minutes before
<PQ<
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1255 AM CDT WED APR 30 1986

THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS HAVE BEEN MOVING ACROSS TAMA..
BENTON..AND IOWA COUNTIES SINCE AROUND 11PM LAST EVENING.  THESE
COUNTIES ARE LOCATED IN EAST CENTRAL IOWA JUST TO THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST
OF CEDAR RAPIDS.

WATER HAS BEEN REPORTED OVER SEVERAL COUNTY HIGHWAYS.  AT 1245 AM THIS
MORNING HIGHWAY 82..LOCATED IN SOUTH CENTRAL BENTON COUNTY..REPORTED
AROUND 5 INCHES OF RAIN OVER THE HIGHWAY.

IN SOUTHWEST IOWA VERY HEAVY RAINS HAVE ALSO BEEN FALLING OVER ADAMS
AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY.  PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT
FOR WATER FLOWING ACROSS SOME HIGHWAYS.

IN BOTH OF THE ABOVE AREAS MANY SMALL CREEKS WILL ALSO BE BANKFULL OR
OVER SO PERSONS AFFECTED BY ANY SMALL STREAM OR CREEK SHOULD BE ON THE
LOOKOUT FOR FLOODING.

ADAMS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 29, 10:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXIowa, Poweshiek44 min
Apr 30, 8:03 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXGuthrie27 min
Apr 30, 8:20 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXGuthrie40 min
Apr 30, 8:20 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAudubon, Carroll20 min
Apr 30, 9:03 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDallas24 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 1986Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1986

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.