Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1986

Tornado Warning 31, NWS Des Moines, IA

September 28, 1986Webster County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Sep 28, 1986, 7:15 PM CDT for Webster County, Iowa. It was in force for 30 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
Sep 28, 1986, 7:15 PM CDT (00:15 UTC)
Expired
Sep 28, 1986, 7:45 PM CDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Webster 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
Sep 28, 7:35 PM CDTTornado F0Webster, 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, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 219 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 1986-09-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 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 1986-09-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 0 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 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
3596 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
0 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
0 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
0 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 290015
TORDSM
IAC187-290045-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 745 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF

CENTRAL IOWA...EASTERN WEBSTER

AT 710 PM...A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED JUST SOUTH OF FORT DODGE.
THE STORM WAS MOVIG NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR...AND WILL BE
AFFECTING THE CITIES FORT DODGE...GYPSUM...OTHO...AND INDUSTRY.

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.
<
TRUETT

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, 3:44 PM CDT, 3 hours 31 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, 2 hours 34 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, 2 hours 22 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, 1 hour 48 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, 1 hour 44 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
Special weather statement, Sep 28, 6:40 PM CDT, 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
645 PM CDT SUN SEP 28 1986

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING OVER NORTHWEST IOWA...

AT 645 PM...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER NORTHWEST
IOWA...ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF SPENCER.   THE STORM WAS MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.  SMALL HAIL...BRIEF VERY HEAVY
RAINS...AND WINDS OF UP TO 50 MILES AN HOUR HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH
THIS STORM.

THIS STORM WILL MOVE THROUGH NORTHWEST CLAY AND DICKINSON
COUNTIES...AND THE SPIRIT LAKE AREA...BETWEEN 645 PM AND 745 PM THIS
EVENING.  A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA UNTIL 11 PM
THIS EVENING...AND PEOPLE SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SEVERE
WEATHER.

TRUETT

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 28, 7:12 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXClay33 min
Sep 28, 7:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBenton34 min
Sep 28, 8:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDallas, Polk26 min
Sep 28, 8:51 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXPolk29 min
Sep 28, 9:17 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXJasper33 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.