Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 52, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 17, 1987, 12:31 PM CDT for Decatur County, Iowa. It was in force for 44 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jun 17, 1987, 12:31 PM CDT (17:31 UTC)
- Expired
- Jun 17, 1987, 1:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 44 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Decatur 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, 5.5 hours before the alert went out and 226 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 3629 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 13 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -101 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -76 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KDSM 171731 RRA SVRDSM IAC053-171815- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1231 PM CDT WED JUN 17 1987 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 115 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA... DECATUR AT 1225 PM CDT...WEATHER RADAR IN DES MOINES INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTHWEST DECATUR COUNTY NEAR LAMONI. THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 20 TO 25 MPH...AND WILL MOVE INTO THE LEON AREA BETWEEN 1245 AND 100 PM THIS AFTERNOON. 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. PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IMMEDIATELY. SCHUMACHER/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, Jun 17, 8:46 AM CDT, 3 hours 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 845 AM CDT WED JUN 17 1987 AT 835 AM...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAD RAPIDLY DEVELOPED OVER A SMALL PART OF NORTHWEST IOWA. THIS CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED IN AND AROUND THE SPENCER...EMMETSBURG AND SPIRIT LAKE AREAS. PEOPLE ON AREA LAKES IN NORTHWEST IOWA...SHOULD BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY DEVELOPING THEN DISSIPATING STORMS. THIS RAPID DEVELOPMENT COULzD CAUSE STRONG GUSTY WINDS. ELSEWHERE AN AREA OF LIGHTER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS WERE MOVING INTO EXTREME NORTHWEST IOWA NORTH OF THE SIOUX CITY AREA. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES AN HOUR. BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 9:48 AM CDT, 2 hours 43 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 945 AM CDT WED JUN 17 1987 AT 935 AM...A 35 MILE WIDE BAND OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF ESTHERVILLE...ALONG THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDER SOUTH TO 50 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES NEAR COON RAPIDS. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR ALGONA...FORT DODGE AND JEFFERSON...45 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND SOME SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR... WITH AN INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY. BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 10:47 AM CDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1045 AM CDT WED JUN 17 1987 AT 1035 AM...A 35 MILE WIDE BAND OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM CENTRAL IOWA...35 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES...NEAR BOONE NORTH TO BUFFALO CENTER...25 MILES NORTHWEST OF MASON CITY...ALONG THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDERS. ANOTHER AREA OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS HAD 30 TO 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES...NEAR THE CITIES OF GREENFIELD... CRESTON AND ADAIR. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS HAD ALSO DEVELOPED IN NORTHEAST IOWA...20 TO 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF MASON CITY...NEAR OSAGE. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVIN$G NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 10:51 AM CDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1045 AM CDT WED JUN 17 1987 AT 1035 AM...A 35 MILE WIDE BAND OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM CENTRAL IOWA...35 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES...NEAR BOONE NORTH TO BUFFALO CENTER...25 MILES NORTHWEST OF MASON CITY...ALONG THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDERS. ANOTHER AREA OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED HAD 30 TO 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES...NEAR THE CITIES OF GREENFIELD.... CRESTON AND ADAIR. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS HAD ALSO DEVELOPED IN NORTHEAST IOWA...20 TO 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF MASON CITY...NEAR OSAGE. THE SHOWERS AND T*HUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 11:50 AM CDT, 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1148 AM CDT WED JUN 17 1987 AT 1135 AM...TWO AREAS OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PERSISTED OVER IOWA. THE FIRST AREA WAS LOCATED OVER NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...WITH MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION OCCURRING BETWEEN THE ALGONA AND THE MASON CITY AREAS. THE STRONGEST STORMS IN THAT AREA WERE LOCATED JUST NORTHEAST OF MASON CITY. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. THE SECOND AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS WAS LOCATED IN A 25 MILE WIDE BAND FROM JUST WEST OF DES MOINES SOUTH TO LAMONI. THE STORMS IN THIS AREA WERE MORE NUMEROUS AND WERE PRODUCING SMALL HAIvL ALONG WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR...AND THERE HAS BEEN A DECREASE IN OVERALL COVERAGE. BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 12:13 PM CDT, 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 1215 PM CDT WED JUN 17 1987 ...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA... AT 1210 PM CDT WATERLOO RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN EASTERN CERRO GORDO..AND EASTERN WORTH COUNTIES OF IOWA...FROM 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF MASON CITY TO 25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MASON CITY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS YOU SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS. JOHNSON
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 12:05 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Polk | 35 min |
| Jun 17, 12:22 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Floyd, Mitchell | 68 min |
| Jun 17, 12:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Jasper | 35 min |
| Jun 17, 1:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Marshall | 34 min |
| Jun 17, 2:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Butler, Franklin | 60 min |
| Jun 17, 3:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Fayette | 65 min |
| Jun 17, 3:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Buchanan | 61 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 1987Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1987
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.