Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1986

Tornado Warning 27, NWS Des Moines, IA

September 28, 1986Jasper County, Marshall County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Sep 28, 1986, 5:51 PM CDT for Jasper County, Marshall County, Iowa. It was in force for 24 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 28, 1986, 5:51 PM CDT (22:51 UTC)
Expired
Sep 28, 1986, 6:15 PM CDT
In force
24 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Jasper County, IA, Marshall 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 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 284 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 12:00Z on 1986-09-28Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 1986-09-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 150 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
3615 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
150 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
184 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 282252
TORDSM
IAC099-127-282315-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
551 PM CDT SUN SEP 28 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 615 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF

CENTRAL IOWA...EXTREME NORTHERN JASPER AND EXTREME SOUTHERN MARSHALL

AT 545 PM..A TORNADO WAS REPORTED BY THE MINGO FIRE DEPARTMENT
JUST NORTHEAST OF MINGO IN NORTHWEST JASPER COUNTY...ABOUT 20
MILES NORTHEAST OF DES MOINES.

THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR AND SHOULD
NEARLY PARALLEL THE MARSHALL AND JASPER COUNTY LINE.  THIS INCLUDES
THE TOWN OF BAXTER...MELBOURNE AND HAVERHILL.

THIS WARNING UPGRADES THE PREVIOUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING.
IF A TORNADO APPROACHES..TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.  A BASEMENT..
INTERIOR HALLWAY..OR A ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR IS THE SAFEST PLACE
IN MOST BUILDINGS.  IF YOU ARE IN A MOBILE HOME OR AN AUTOMOBILE..
LEAVE AT ONCE.  TAKE COVER IN A STORM SHELTER..OR LIE IN A NEARBY
DITCH OR DEPRESSION.

MYERS

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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, Sep 28, 2:49 PM CDT, 3 hours 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
248 PM CDT SUN SEP 28 1986

AT 235 PM CDT...
THUNDERSTORMS WERE INTENSIFYING OVER EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST
IOWA.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED JUST SOUTHEAST OF CEDAR
RAPIDS...BETWEEN MARSHALLTOWN AND WATERLOO AND NEAR MONTICELLO
30 MILES WEST OF DUBUQUE.

VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND SOME SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH
THESE STORMS.

ISOLATED SHOWERS WERE LOCATED IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA NEAR MASON CITY
AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHEAST IOWA
BETWEEN OTTUMWA AND BURLINGTON.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

BARLOW
Special weather statement, Sep 28, 3:44 PM CDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
340 PM CDT SUN SEP 28 1986

AT 330 PM CDT...
THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE OCCURING IN EAST CENTRAL IOWA IN
THE MUUSCATINE...CEDAR RAPIDS AND DUBUQUE AREAS...AND ALSO ALONG THE
MISSOURI BORDER SOUTH OF OTTUMWA.

VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND SOME SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH
THESE STORMS.

ISOLATED SHOWERS WERE LOCATED IN NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTH EAST IOWA.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

SCOTT
Special weather statement, Sep 28, 4:41 PM CDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
440 PM CDT SUN SEP 28 1986

...TORNADO WATCH FOR MUCH OF NORTH AND WEST CENTRAL IOWA TIL 11 PM...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE SOUTHWEST TIL 11 PM...

AT 430 PM  ...NO SEVERE WEATHER REPORTED BETWEEN 415 PM AND 430 PM...
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED IN EAST CENTRAL
AND SOUTHEAST IOWA. THE HEAVIEST WERE LOCATED 20 MILES NORTHWEST OFC
THE QUAD CITIES AND 25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF OTTUMWA.

ISOLATED THUNDERSHOWERS WERE OCCURRING IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
PARTS OF THE STATE.

THE STORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

OBRIEN
Special weather statement, Sep 28, 4:53 PM CDT, 58 minutes before
<PQ<

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
450 PM CDT SUN SEP 28 1986

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN CENTRAL IOWA...

AT 445 PM...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OCCURRING IN CENTRAL IOWA
OVER NORTHWEST POLK COUNTY NEAR SAYLORVILLE LAKE...JUST NORTHWEST OF
DES MOINES.

THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR...AND WILL MOVE
THROUGH NORTHERN POLK...SOUTHEAST STORY...AND WESTERN MARSHALL
COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF HUXLEY...CAMBRIDGE...IOWA CENTER...
COLO...AND STATE CENTER...BETWEEN 450 PM AND 550 PM THIS EVENING.
EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS...WINDS OF UP TO 50 MILES AN HOUR...AND PEA TO
MARBLE SIZED HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE STORMS PASSRAGE.

TRUETT
Special weather statement, Sep 28, 5:27 PM CDT, 24 minutes before
<PQ<

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
525 PM CDT SUN SEP 28 1986

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CONTINUES IN CENTRAL IOWA...

AT 522 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORM IN CENTRAL IOWA...ALONG THE POLK-STORY COUNTY LINE 20 MILES
NORTHEAST OF DES MOINES.  WINDS OF UP TO 30 MILES AN HOUR HAVE OCCURRED
WITH THIS STORM ALONG WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAINS...BUT NO DAMAGE HAS BEEN
REPORTED.

THE STORM CONTINUED MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR...AND WILL MOVE
THROUGH SOUTHEAST STORY A D THE NORTHWEST HALF OF MARSHALL COUNTY
...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF IOWA CENTER...STATE CENTER...AND RHODES...
BETWEEN 520 PM AND 6 PM THIS EVE|ING.  EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS...WINDS OF
UP TO 50 MILES AN HOUR...AND PEA TO MARBLE SIZED HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED
WITH THE STORM.
<
TRUETT
Special weather statement, Sep 28, 5:31 PM CDT, 20 minutes before
<PQ<

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION TO 2ND PARAGRAPH...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
525 PM CDT SUN SEP 28 1986

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CONTINUES IN CENTRAL IOWA...

AT 522 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORM IN CENTRAL IOWA...ALONG THE POLK-STORY COUNTY LINE 20 MILES
NORTH OF DES MOINES.  WINDS OF UP TO 30 MILES AN HOUR HAVE OCCURRED WITH
THIS STORM ALONG WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAINS...BUT NO DAMAGE HAS BEEN
REPORTED.

THE STORM CONTINUED MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR...AND WILL MOVE
THROUGH SOUTHEAST STORY AND THE NORTHWEST HALF OF MARSHALL COUNTY
...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF HUXLEY...CAMBRIDGE...IOWA CENTER...
NEVADA...STATE CENTER...AND CLEMMONS...BETWEEN 525 PM AND 6 PM THIS
EVENING.  EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS...WINDS OF UP TO 50 MILES AN HOUR...
AND PEA TO MARBLE SIZED HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE STORM.
<
TRUETT

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 28, 5:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper, Marshall30 min
Sep 28, 6:18 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXJasper22 min
Sep 28, 6:56 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXTama34 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 1986Every tornado warning in 1986Tornadoes 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.