Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 89, NWS Des Moines, IA

July 24, 1986Iowa County, Johnson County, Linn County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 24, 1986, 11:42 PM CDT for Iowa County, Johnson County, Linn County, Iowa. It was in force for 33 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
Jul 24, 1986, 11:42 PM CDT (04:42 UTC)
Expired
Jul 25, 1986, 12:15 AM CDT
In force
33 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Iowa County, IA, Johnson County, IA, Linn 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
Jul 25, 12:00 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 50Johnson, 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

Peoria Regional, IL (KPIA), launched 00:00Z, 4.7 hours before the alert went out and 220 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, Peoria Regional, IL at 00:00Z on 1986-07-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1392 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Peoria Regional, IL at 00:00Z on 1986-07-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 86 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
1392 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-81 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1142 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
86 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
277 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
7.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 250444
SVRDSM
IAC095-103-113-250515-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1142 PM CDT THU JUL 24 1986

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

EAST CENTRAL IOWA...IOWA...JOHNSON AND LINN

AT 1140 PM CDT SURFACE REPORTS INDICATED STRONG OUTFLOW WINDS IN
VINTON IOWA IN BENTON COUNTY 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF CEDAR RAPIDS.
TREE DAMAGE WAS REPORTED AROUND THE CITY.

THE LINE OF STORMS WAS LOCATED FROM EASTERN BENTON COUNTY TO NORTHERN
IOWA COUNTY MOVING EASTERLY AT 35 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR.  CITIES IN THE
WARNING ARE CEDA RAPIDS..MARENGO AND IOWA CITY.
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.

THESE STORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE
OR NO ADVANCE WARNING..SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE
TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF ONE IS SPOTTED.

FORSTER

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, Jul 24, 5:44 PM CDT, 5 hours 58 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
543 PM CDT THU JUL 24 1986

AT 535 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND
POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL HAD RAPIDLY DEVELOPED OVER EXTREME NORTH
CENTRAL IOWA..ABOUT 15 MILES NORTH OF MASON CITY.

THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A MUCH LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS AND
STORMS THAT EXTENDED INTO SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA..AND NORTHEAST
NEBRASKA.

RAPID THUNDERSTORM ~DEVELOPEMENT IS LIKELY OVER MUCH OF NORTHWEST
IOWA BY 630 PM.

PEOPLE LIVNG IN NORTHWEST IOWA..SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER OVER THE NEXT TWO TO THREE HOURS.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 8:16 PM CDT, 3 hours 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
815 PM CDT THU JUL 24 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PARTS OF NORTHERN..NORTH CENTRAL
AND NORTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 11 PM CDT...

AT 815 PM CDT WATERLOO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS SHOWING A LINE
OF THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA FROM GOLDFIELD, IOWA 25 MILES
NORTHEAST OF FORT DODGE.. TO 25 MILES SOUTH OF MASON CITY. THE STRONGER
THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR SHEFFIELD.  GENERAL THUNDERSTORMS WERE
LOCATED IN NORTH CENTRAL AND PARTS OF NORTHERN IOWA.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA HAVE PRODUCED PEA SIZE HAIL
AT WODEN, IOWA 35 MILES WEST OF MASON CITY..FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SOME
LOCALLY HEAVY RA=IN AS THEY MOVE EAST AROUND 30 MILES AN HOUR.

THE THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA HAVE NOT PRODUCED
ANY SEVERE WEATHER..HOWEVER SEVERE STORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE UNTIL 11PM.
ROBB
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 8:55 PM CDT, 2 hours 47 minutes before
<PQ<
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
845 PM CDT THU JUL 24 1986

A PORTION OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR NORTHERN IOWA HAS BEEN
CANCELLED.  THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES AND CITIES ARE NOT IN THE WATCH
ANY LONGER.

...NORTHWEST...
BUENA VISTA     CHEROKEE        CLAY            DICKINSON
EMMET           O'BRIEN         OSCEOLA         PALO ALTO
PLYMOUTH        POCHAHONTAS

...NORTH CENTRAL...
KOSSUTH

...WEST CENTRAL...
CALHOUN         IDA             MONONA          SAC
WOODBURY
\
CITIES NOT INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA NY LONGER...

ALGONA          CHEROKEE        ESTHERVILLE     LE MARS
SIOUX CITY      SPENCER         STORM LAKE

lSEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH DOES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF
NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 11 PM CDT.

FORSTER
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 8:59 PM CDT, 2 hours 43 minutes before
<PQ<
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
845 PM CDT THU JUL 24 1986

A PORTION OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR NORTHERN IOWA HAS BEEN
CANCELLED.  THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES AND CITIES ARE NOT IN THE WATCH
ANY LONGER.

...NORTHWEST...
BUENA VISTA     CHEROKEE        CLAY            DICKINSON
EMMET           O'BRIEN         OSCEOLA         PALO ALTO
PLYMOUTH        POCHAHONTAS

...NORTH CENTRAL...
KOSSUTH

...WEST CENTRAL...
CALHOUN         IDA             MONONA          SAC
WOODBURY
\
CITIES NOT INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA NY LONGER...

ALGONA          CHEROKEE        ESTHERVILLE     LE MARS
SIOUX CITY      SPENCER      p   STORM LAKE

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH DOES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF
NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA AND ADJACENT AREAS OF MINNESOTA AND
WISCONSIN UNTIL 11 PM CDT.

FORSTER
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 9:56 PM CDT, 1 hour 46 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
950 PM CDT THU JUL 24 1986

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL
   INTO NORTHEASTERN IOWA TIL 11 PM...

NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED IN IOWA FROM 830 TO 945 PM.

AT 930 PM...
THE BAND OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS THAT HAS BEEN IN NORTHWESTERN IOWA
THIS EVENING WAS MOVING INTO THE CENTRAL COUNTIES.  THIS BAND OF STORMS
STRETCHED FROM CHARLES CITY THROUGH CLARION AND JEFFERSON TO ATLANTIC.
THE STRONGER STORMS WERE DUMPING TORRENTIAL RAINS..AND SOME HAIL.  THEY
WERE ALSO ACCOMPANIED BY WINDS UP TO 50 MILES AN HOUR.  THIS BAND OF
INTENSE STORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO THE WATERLOO AND DES MOINES METRO
AREAS BY 11 PM.

THEY WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.
POTTS
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 11:13 PM CDT, 29 minutes before
<PQ<
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1105 PM CDT THU JUL 24 1986

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN IOWA HAS BEEN
EXPIRED AT 1100 PM CDT.

FORSTER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 24, 7:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXPocahontas26 min
Jul 24, 9:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDallas, Guthrie35 min
Jul 24, 10:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXPolk27 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.