Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 7, NWS Des Moines, IA

April 24, 1986Marion County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 24, 1986, 11:39 PM CST for Marion County, Iowa. It was in force for 36 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Apr 24, 1986, 11:39 PM CST (05:39 UTC)
Expired
Apr 25, 1986, 12:15 AM CST
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Marion County, IA

The radar

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

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 24, 11:56 PM CSTHail 1.75Marion, IA

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 5.7 hours before the alert went out and 273 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 1986-04-25Temperature 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 1986-04-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 78 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
3542 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
78 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
229 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 250540
SVRDSM
IAC125-250615-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1139 PM CST THU APR 24 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1215 AM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTY OF

SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA...SOUTHERN MARION

THIS WARNING INCLUDES THE CITIES OF MELCHER..COLUMBIA..AND
ATTICA..AROUND 35 MILES TO THE SOUTHEAST OF DES MOINES.

AT 1136 PM RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE STORM IN SOUTHEAST WARREN
COUNTY MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

THE STORM WILL MOVE INO THE MELCHER AREA BY 1150 PM AND AROUND
ATTICA BY SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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

WEINBRECHT/BARLOW

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 24, 8:33 PM CST, 3 hours 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
825 PM CST THU APR 24 1986

AT 825 PM..
A THUNDERSTORM..PRODUCING SOME VERY HEAVY RAIN..WAS LOCATED 25 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES IN SOUTHERN MADISON COUNTY.  THIS STORM WAS
SOME 10 MILES SOUTH OF WINTERSET.  IT WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES
AN HOUR...AND WILL STAY SOUTH OF THE DES MOINES METRO AREA.  IT SHOULD
MOVE INTO WARREN COUNTY BY 9 PM..AROUND ST MARYS.  NO SEVERE WEATHER
WAS EXPECTED..ALTHOUGH BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND SOME HAIL PROBABLY WILL
OCCUR.

POTTS
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 8:48 PM CST, 2 hours 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
847 PM CST THU APR 24 1986

AT 835 PM..
A SMALL CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS..WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY
SOME SMALL HAIL..WAS LOCATED ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES
NEAR WINTERSET.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR AND SHOULD BE
MOVING INTO THE DES MOINES AND INDIANOLA AREAS BY 930 PM.

THERE HAS BEEN NO SEVERE WESTHER REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS.

BARLOW
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 8:50 PM CST, 2 hours 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
847 PM CST THU APR 24 1986

AT 835 PM..
A SMALL CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS..WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY
SOME SMALL HAIL..WAS LOCATED ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES
NEAR WINTERSET.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR AND SHOULD BE
MOVING INTO THE DES MOINES AND INDIANOLA AREAS BY 930 PM.

THERE HAS BEEN NO SEVERE WEATHER REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS.

BARLOW
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 9:43 PM CST, 1 hour 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
940 PM CST THU APR 24 1986

AT 915 PM..MARBLE SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED AT WINTERSET.
AT 920 PM..SMALL HAIL WAS REPORTED JUST SOUTHEAST OF INDIANOLA.

AT 935 PM..
A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL WAS LOCATED 20
MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES NEAR WINTERSET.  ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM
WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL WAS LOCATED 20 MILES SOUTHEAST
O"F DES MOINES BETWEEN INDIANOLA AND MELCHER.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.AND SHOULD BE MOVING
INTO THE KNOXVILLE AREA BY 1015 PM.

THERE HAS BEEN NO SEVERE WEATHER REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS.

BARLOW/MCQUIRTER
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 11:10 PM CST, 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
1110 PM CST THU MAR 24 1986

..THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP RAPIDLY ACROSS NORTHCENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA..

AT 1100 PM..WATERLOO RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING RAPIDLY ACROSS NORTHEAST AND NORTHCENTRAL IOWA.  THE BAND
EXTENDED FROM NEW HAMPTON..35 NORTH OF WATERLOO..TO FORT DODGE.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN WRIGHT AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES..
BETWEEN SHEFFIELD..20 MILES SOUTH OF MASON CITY..TO EAGLE GROVE WHICH
IS 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF FORT DODGE.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE
BRIEF PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND SOME SMALL HAIL AS THEY MOVE THROUGH
SOUTH CERRO GORDO..NORTH FRANKLIN AND FLOYD COUNTIEbS BETWEEN 1100 PM
AND MIDNIGHT.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.
HAMILTON
Local storm report, Apr 24, 11:18 PM CST, 21 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1120 PM CST THU APR 24 1986

TIME             REPORT

1018 PM CST      1 INCH DIAMETER HAIL REPORTED BY NWS EMPLOYEE
                 IN INdDIANOLA.  HAIL LASTED 2 MINUTES.

1110 PM CST      DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED AT NEW VIRGINIA.

SCHUMACHER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 24, 10:37 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMadison, Warren33 min
Apr 24, 11:07 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWarren38 min
Apr 25, 1:17 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXKeokuk, Mahaska, Wapello58 min
Apr 25, 4:24 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXFloyd41 min
Apr 25, 4:42 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAllamakee53 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.