Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 3, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at May 8, 1988, 12:15 PM CDT for Jasper County, Iowa. It was in force for 45 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
- May 8, 1988, 12:15 PM CDT (17:15 UTC)
- Expired
- May 8, 1988, 1:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 45 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Jasper 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 12:23 PM CDT | Hail 2 | Jasper, 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 12:00Z, 5.3 hours before the alert went out and 279 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
- 3576 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 51 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 30 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 106 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 081718
TORDSM
IAC099-081800-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1215 PM CDT SUN MAY 8 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 100 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN CENTRAL IOWA
...NORTHERN JASPER
AT 1213 PM...DES MOINES RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 15 MILES EAST DES
MOINES NEAR PRAIRE CITY. MOVEMENT OF THE STRM IS TO THE NORTHEAST AT
45 MILES AN HOUR.
THIS STORM WILL AFFECT THE TOWNS OF NEWTON...COLFAX...BAXTER...KELLOG
AND ROCK CREEK STATE PARK. THE STORM SHOULD ARRIVE IN THE NEWTON AREA
BY 1230. LARGE HAIL AND WINDS OVER 60 MILES AN HOUR ARE ALSO LIKELY
WITH THIS STORM.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. US(E BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.
MYERSWhat 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
Local storm report, May 8, 6:50 AM CDT, 5 hours 25 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
650 AM CDT SUN MAY 8 1988
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE STORM REPORTS RECEIVED FROM THE LATE MORNING OF
THE 7TH THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING OF THE 8TH.
... MAY 7TH ...
TIME EVENT
1049 AM CDT BEE BEE SIZE HAIL IN WEST DES MOINES. /POLK COUNTY/
1050 AM CDT PEA SIZE HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN IN WINDSOR HGTS. /POLK
COUNTY/
1115 AM CDT PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL IN ANKENY. /POLK COUNTY/
1129 AM CDT PEA SIZE HAIL AT HIGHLAND PARK. /POLK COUNTY/
1135 AM CDT 1/2 TO 3/4 INCH DIAMETER 3S OF ANKENY. /POLK COUNTY/
742 PM CDT 1 TO 2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL AT VAIL. /CRAWFORD COUNTY/
808 PM CDT MARBLE SIZE HAIL JUST EAST OF DENISON. /CRAWFORD COUNTY/
826 PM CDT HAIL (SIZE UNKNOWN) JUST SOUTH OF ULMER. /SAC COUNTY/
843 PM CDT TORNADO ON THE GROUND JUST SOUTH OF CHARTER OAK SPOTTED
BY AN OFFICER. TORNADO WENT BACK INTO THE CLOUDS AT
848 PM. /CRAWFORD COUNTY/
903 PM CDT PEA SIZE HAIL AT PALMER. /POCAHONTAS COUNTY/
920 PM CDT MARBLE SIZE HAIL ALONG THE CLAY/PALO ALTO COUNTY LINE
JUST SOUTH OF AYRSHIRE.
925 PM CDT PEA TO PING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL AT MAPLE HILL.
/EMMET COUNTY/
925 PM CDT ICE CUBE SIZE HAIL AT ARMSTRONG. /EMMET COUNTY/
930 PM CDT GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL AT VAIL. /CRAWFORD COUNTY/
1113 PM CDT MARBLE SIZE HAIL AT LAURENS. /POCAHONTAS COUNTY/
1159 PM CDT ONE INCH DIAMETER HAIL AT MANILLA. /CRAWFORD COUNTY/
... MAY 8TH ...
1220 AM CDT HAIL LARGER THAN MARBLE AT MANILLA. /CRAWFORD COUNTY/
305 AM CDT HAIL (SIZE UNKNOWN) AT EARLY. /SAC COUNTY/
421 AM CDT MARBLE SIZE HAIL AT FORT DODGE AIRPORT. /WEBSTER COUNTY/
430 AM CDT ONE INCH TO GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL AT BADGER...5 NORTH OF
FORT DODGE. /WEBSTER COUNTY/
445 AM CDT MARBLE SIZE HAIL FOR 3 MINUTES AT ROCKWEJLL CITY.
/CALHOUN COUNTY/
SCHUMACHERSpecial weather statement, May 8, 7:33 AM CDT, 4 hours 42 minutes before
<PQ< SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 735 AM CST SUN MAY 8 1988 AT 730 AM CDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 30 MILES WIDE FROM AMES TO MARSHALLTOWN TO NEAR WATERLOO. HEAVIEST STORM WES NEARING WATERLOO AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL...STRONG SURFACE WINDS...AND HEAVY RAINS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OFF THESE STORMS. JOHNSON
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 7:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Crawford, Sac | 30 min |
| May 7, 8:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Calhoun, Sac | 25 min |
| May 7, 8:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Crawford | 40 min |
| May 7, 8:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Calhoun, Pocahontas | 40 min |
| May 7, 9:05 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Humboldt | 35 min |
| May 7, 9:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Emmet | 20 min |
| May 7, 9:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Crawford, Sac | 44 min |
| May 8, 12:02 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Crawford | 43 min |
| May 8, 4:38 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Humboldt | 37 min |
| May 8, 9:42 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Ringgold, Taylor | 33 min |
| May 8, 10:26 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Ringgold, Taylor | 34 min |
| May 8, 11:08 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Madison | 52 min |
| May 8, 11:20 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Clarke, Warren | 70 min |
| May 8, 11:41 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Polk | 49 min |
| May 8, 11:44 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Franklin | 61 min |
| May 8, 12:01 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Jasper | 29 min |
| May 8, 12:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Cerro Gordo | 65 min |
| May 8, 12:34 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Marshall | 41 min |
| May 8, 12:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Clarke | 32 min |
| May 8, 12:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Tama | 50 min |
| May 8, 12:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Lucas, Marion, Warren | 47 min |
| May 8, 1:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Black Hawk | 36 min |
| May 8, 1:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Marion | 35 min |
| May 8, 1:33 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Poweshiek | 27 min |
| May 8, 1:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Bremer | 50 min |
| May 8, 2:01 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Iowa, Poweshiek | 29 min |
| May 8, 2:11 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Keokuk, Mahaska | 49 min |
| May 8, 2:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Buchanan, Fayette | 42 min |
| May 8, 2:35 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Iowa | 30 min |
| May 8, 2:35 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Johnson | 40 min |
| May 8, 3:00 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Washington | 30 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 1988Every tornado warning in 1988Tornadoes 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.