Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 111, NWS Des Moines, IA

June 27, 1990Bremer County, Butler County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 27, 1990, 3:44 PM CDT for Bremer County, Butler County, Iowa. It was in force for 61 min. 3 reports 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
Jun 27, 1990, 3:44 PM CDT (20:44 UTC)
Expired
Jun 27, 1990, 4:45 PM CDT
In force
61 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Bremer County, IA, Butler 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
Jun 27, 4:00 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 50Butler, IA
Jun 27, 4:15 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Bremer, IA
Jun 27, 4:30 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 65Bremer, 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

Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 12:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 248 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 12:00Z on 1990-06-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2 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 12:00Z on 1990-06-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 135 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
2 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-429 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1514 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
135 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
210 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KALO 272044
SVRALO
IAC017-023-272145-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
344 PM CDT WED JUN 27 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 445 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF IOWA
      BREMER...

   IN THE NORTH CENTRAL PART OF IOWA
      BUTLER...

AT 335 PM CDT WATERLOO RADAR INDICATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
20 MILES NORTHWEST AND 20 MILES NORTH OF WATERLOO IN BUTLER AND
BREMER COUNTIES.  THESE STORMS ARE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN
HOUR AND ARE PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.  THE SEVERE
STORMS WILL AFFECT NASHUA...SHELL ROCK...WAVERLY AND DENVER AREAS.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.

 THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS STORM COMPLEX. TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.
 I REPEAT TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.

ROBB

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 27, 1:39 PM CDT, 2 hours 5 minutes before
IAZALL-271930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IOWA
140 PM CDT WED JUN 27 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF NORTH
CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

AT 130 PM...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM HAD MOVED INTO THE MINNESOTA/IOWA
BORDER AREA 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF MASON CITY.  THIS STORM IS CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL...SMALL HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MILES
AN HOUR.

THIS STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

DM
Special weather statement, Jun 27, 2:15 PM CDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before
IAZ002-003-007-272000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
210 PM CDT WED JUN 27 1990

AT 210 PM CDT...SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO
IOWA ALONG THE MINNESOTA BORDER...JUST NORTH OF MASON CITY...THEN
EAST TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. ELSEWHERE IT WAS HOT AND HUMID
FROM DECORAH TO MASON CITY TO HAMPTON TO THE WATERLOO AREA.  THE
TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE LOWER 90S UNDER A CLOUD/SUN MIX. THE WINDS
WERE SOUTHERLY AROUND 10 MILES AN HOUR.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 30
MILES AN HOUR AND SHOULD AFFECT THE OSAGE AND CRESCO AREAS BY 310 PM.
AS THESE STORMS MOVE SOUTH THE TEMPERATURES ASSOCIATED WITH THE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL DROP RAPIDLY ABOUT 15 TO 20 DEGREES.  SOUTH OF
HIGHWAY 18 WE WILL HAVE A CLOUD/SUN WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 90S
AND SOUTHERLY WINDS 5 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jun 27, 2:15 PM CDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before
IAZALL-272000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER UPDATE FOR IOWA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IOWA
215 PM CDT WED JUN 27 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF NORTH
CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

AT 205 PM...A COUPLE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAD MOVED INTO EXTREME
NORTHEAST IOWA ALONG THE MINNESOTA BORDER.  THE STORMS WERE LOCATED 15
TO 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF MASON CITY NEAR THE COMMUNITIES OF NORTHWOOD
AND OSAGE.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL...SMALL HAIL...AND
GUSTY WIND TO 40 MILES AN HOUR.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

THE REMAINDER OF THE STATE WAS GENERALLY PARTLY SUNNY WITH TEMPERATURES
IN THE 90S OVER MUCH OF THE STATE.
/
THE ONE TO TWO HOUR OUTLOOK IS FOR THE STORMS NORTHEAST OF MASON CITY
TO CONTINUE MOVING SOUTHEAST INTO FAR NORTHEAST IOWA.

DM
Special weather statement, Jun 27, 2:42 PM CDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
IAZALL-272030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IOWA
242 PM CDT WED JUN 27 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF NORTH
CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

AT 232 PM...SCATTERED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER THE
FAR NORTHEAST COUNTIES OF IOWA.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED 20
TO 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF MASON CITY...APPROACHING THE COMMUNITY OF
OSAGE.  THE STORMS AND SHOWERS SPREAD NORTH INTO MINNESOTA.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...SMALL HAIL
...AND GUSTY WIND TO 40 MILES AN HOUR.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

IN3 ADDITION...AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM HAD DEVELOPED OVER EAST CENTRAL
IOWA...JUST A FEW MILES NORTH OF CEDAR RAPIDS.
/
DM
Special weather statement, Jun 27, 3:13 PM CDT, 31 minutes before
IAZALL-272100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IOWA
310 PM CDT WED JUN 27 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF NORTH
CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

AT 308 PM...VERY INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING AND DEVELOPING
RAPIDLY OVER PARTS OF NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL IOWA.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...HAIL...
AND GUSTY WINDS OiVER 50 MILES AN HOUR.

THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED IN THE CHARLES CITY...WAVERLY...AND CEDAR
RAPIDS VICINITIES.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

JM
/
DM
Special weather statement, Jun 27, 3:43 PM CDT, 1 minute before
IAZALL-272130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IOWA
340 PM CDT WED JUN 27 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF NORTH
CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING...
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF SOUTH
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING...

AT 315 PM CDT...GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL AND 4 TREES BLOWN DOWN IN NORTHEAST
CEDAR RAPIDS.

AT 334 PM CDT...GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN THE PALO AREA...
NORTHWEST OF CEDAR RAPIDS

AT 328 PM CDT...INSTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTHEAST IOWA.

THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH VERY LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL...FREQUENT
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HAVE ALSO PRODUCED STRONG DAMAGING WIND AND GOLF
BALL SIZE HAIL AS THEY MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 10 MILES
AN HOUR.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR CEDAR RAPIDS...NEAR WATERLOO...
AND BETWEEN CHARLES CITY AND MASON CITY...CHARLES CITY IS 35 MILES
EAST SOUTHEAST OF MASON CITY.

PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER
IMMEDIATELY SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH.

WPM/DM

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 26, 7:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDallas, Guthrie30 min
Jun 26, 8:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdair27 min
Jun 26, 8:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdair, Adams, Union27 min
Jun 26, 9:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXButler, Grundy35 min
Jun 27, 2:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMitchell53 min
Jun 27, 2:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXFloyd68 min
Jun 27, 3:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJohnson, Linn36 min
Jun 27, 3:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJohnson, Linn32 min
Jun 27, 4:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBlack Hawk66 min
Jun 27, 5:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBenton, Tama52 min
Jun 27, 5:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBenton30 min
Jun 27, 6:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJohnson, Linn33 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1990

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.