Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 7, 1988Emmet County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 7, 1988, 9:30 PM CDT for Emmet County, Iowa. It was in force for 20 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 7, 1988, 9:30 PM CDT (02:30 UTC)
Expired
May 7, 1988, 9:50 PM CDT
In force
20 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Emmet 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

Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 00:00Z, 2.5 hours before the alert went out and 185 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 1988-05-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 910 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 1988-05-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 236 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
910 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-39 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1889 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
80 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
236 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
232 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
12.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 080230
SVRDSM
IAC063-080300-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
930 PM CDT SAT MAY 7 1988

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTY

   IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF IOWA
      NORTHEAST EMMET

AT 925 PM...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS OCCURRING OVER NORTHEAST
EMMET COUNTY...ABOUT 15 MILES EAST OF ESTHERVILLE.

HAIL UP TO PING-PONG BALL SIZE WAS REPORTED IN THE MAPLE HILL
AND ARMSTRONG AREAS.

THE STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR...AND
WILL BE AFFECTING THE CITIES OF MAPLE HILL...ARMSTRONG...AND
DOLLIVER.

REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES
AN HOUR...LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAINS.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOU HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUIMCKLY SO DO NOT
DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

TRUETT

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, May 7, 3:46 PM CDT, 5 hours 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
340 PM CDT SAT MAY 7 1988

...TORNADO WATCH FOR EXTREME NORTHWEST IOWA UNTIL 7 PM...

AT 330 PM CDT...
AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER CENTRAL IOWA...10 MILES NORTH/
EAST OF NEWTON.   HAIL...HIGH WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY ARE POSSIBILE FROM
THIS STORM AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST AT 50 MILES AN HOUR.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING FROM SOUTH CENTRAL INTO CENTRAL
IOWA.   THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED FROM JUST NORTHEAST OF LAMONI NEAR
HUMESTON TO SOUTHEAST OF NEWTON.

ALL OF THE STORMS IN THIS AREA ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY
RAINS AND SOME SMALL HAIL AS THEY MOVE NORTHEAST AT AROUND 50 MILES
AN HOUR.

FERRY
Special weather statement, May 7, 4:14 PM CDT, 5 hours 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
410 PM CDT SAT MAY 7 1988

...TORNADO WATCH FOR EXTREME NORTHWEST IOWA UNTIL 7 PM...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING FROM SOUTH CENTRAL INTO NORTHEAST
IOWA.  AT 400 PM THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED FROM 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
DES MOINES NEAR MELCHER TO WATERLOO.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED OVER WATERLOO AND 20 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF MARSHALLTOWN NEAR TOLEDO.   THESE STORMS HAVE BEEN PRODUCING SOME PEA
SIZE HAIL.  STRONG WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE FROM
THE STORMS.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MILES AN HOUR.

FERRY
Special weather statement, May 7, 5:13 PM CDT, 4 hours 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
515 PM CDT SAT MAY 7 1988

THE TORNADO WATCH FOR EXTREME NORTHWEST IOWA HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
THUNDERSTORMS HAVED MOVED NORTH OUT OF IOWA INTO MINNESOTA.  A
NEW TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND
WESTERN MINNESOTA TIL 11PM CDT.

THE TORNADO WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST MISSOURI HAS
ALSO BEEN CANCELLED.

ADAMS
Special weather statement, May 7, 5:15 PM CDT, 4 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
515 PM CDT SAT MAY 7 1988

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER NORTH CENTRAL IOWA.  AT 500 PM
THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED OVER EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL IOWA FROM JUST
WEST OF MASON CITY NEAR BRITT TO THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDER NORTH OF
BUFFALO CENTER.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED SOME MARBLE SIZE HAIL AROUND 450 PM AT
BRITT.  BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE
FROM THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE NORTHEAST AT 50 MILES AN HOUR.

THE PRECIPITATION OVER EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA HAS DECREASED
CONSIDERABLY IN INTENSITY.  NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDER/
SHOWERS WERE OCCURRING FROM JUST SOUTH OF CEDAR RAPIDS NORTHEAST TO
NEAR DECORAH.   THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS WERE ALSO MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 50 MILES AN HOUR.

FERRY
Special weather statement, May 7, 9:07 PM CDT, 23 minutes before
RADAR SUMMARY...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
905 PM CDT SAT MAY 7 1988

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A LARGE PART OF NORTH CENTRAL AND
WESTERN IOWA UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT THIS SATURDAY EVENING.

INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST
IOWA.  AT 9 PM THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING FROM DENNISON
TO 20 MILES WEST OF FORT DODGE.  THE HEAVIEST OF THESE STORMS WERE
LOCATED JUST WEST OF DENNISON...5 MILES SOUTH OF IDA GROVE...NEAR
SAC CITY AND 20 MILES WEST OF FORT DODGE NEAR GILMORE CITY.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.  THEY
ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND STRONG WINDS.

BRUCE/FERRY4

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 7, 7:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCrawford, Sac30 min
May 7, 8:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCalhoun, Sac25 min
May 7, 8:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCrawford40 min
May 7, 8:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCalhoun, Pocahontas40 min
May 7, 9:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHumboldt35 min
May 7, 9:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCrawford, Sac44 min
May 8, 12:02 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCrawford43 min
May 8, 4:38 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHumboldt37 min
May 8, 9:42 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXRinggold, Taylor33 min
May 8, 10:26 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXRinggold, Taylor34 min
May 8, 11:08 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMadison52 min
May 8, 11:20 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXClarke, Warren70 min
May 8, 11:41 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXPolk49 min
May 8, 11:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXFranklin61 min
May 8, 12:01 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXJasper29 min
May 8, 12:15 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXJasper45 min
May 8, 12:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCerro Gordo65 min
May 8, 12:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMarshall41 min
May 8, 12:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXClarke32 min
May 8, 12:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXTama50 min
May 8, 12:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXLucas, Marion, Warren47 min
May 8, 1:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBlack Hawk36 min
May 8, 1:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMarion35 min
May 8, 1:33 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXPoweshiek27 min
May 8, 1:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBremer50 min
May 8, 2:01 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXIowa, Poweshiek29 min
May 8, 2:11 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXKeokuk, Mahaska49 min
May 8, 2:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBuchanan, Fayette42 min
May 8, 2:35 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXIowa30 min
May 8, 2:35 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXJohnson40 min
May 8, 3:00 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXWashington30 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 1988Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1988

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.