Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS Des Moines, IA

March 13, 1990Black Hawk County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 13, 1990, 2:31 PM CST for Black Hawk County, Iowa. It was in force for 49 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 13, 1990, 2:31 PM CST (20:31 UTC)
Expired
Mar 13, 1990, 3:20 PM CST
In force
49 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Black Hawk 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 12:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 284 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 1990-03-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 1990-03-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 53 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1580 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
60 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
53 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
343 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 KALO 132031
SVRALO
IAC013-132130-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
231 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 330 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTY

   IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF IOWA
      BLACK HAWK

AT T225 PM CST WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
20 MILES SOUTH OF WATERLOO NEAR THE TOWN OF TRAER.
THE STORM WAS MOVING NORTH AT 40 MPH AND WILL BE EFFECTING
THE TOWNS OF HUDSON AND WATERLOO.

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

JOHNSON

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, Mar 13, 12:54 PM CST, 1 hour 37 minutes before
IAZALL-131930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1253 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...TORNADO WATCH FOR A LARGE PART OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN IOWA UNTIL
6 PM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE SOUTH HALF OF IOWA TODAY...

AT 1235 AM...A INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 70 MILES NORTH OF
DES MOINES OR JUST NORTHWEST OF CLARION. LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY
RAIN AND 35 TO 45 MILE AN HOURS WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

THIS STORM WAS PART OF A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS MOVING FROM
NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE AREA WAS 70 MILES
WIDE AND IT EXTENDED FROM AMES...25 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES NORTH
TO THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDER...40 MILES NKORTHWEST OF MASON CITY.

ELSEWHERE SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE BECOMING MORE NUMEROUS
OVER PARTS OF SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST
IOWA.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR...
AS AREAL COVERAGE OVER IOWA WAS INCREASING RAPIDLY.

CAB/KS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 12:58 PM CST, 1 hour 33 minutes before
IAZALL-131930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1253 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...TORNADO WATCH FOR A LARGE PART OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN IOWA UNTIL
6 PM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE SOUTH HALF OF IOWA TODAY...

AT 1235 PM...A INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 70 MILES NORTH OF
DES MOINES OR JUST NORTHWEST OF CLARION. LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY
RAIN AND 35 TO 45 MILE AN HOURS WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

THIS STORM WAS PART OF A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS MOVING FROM
NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE AREA WAS 70 MILES
WIDE AND IT EXTENDED FROM AMES...25 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES NORTH
TO THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDER...40 MILES NORTHWEST OF MASON CITY.

ELSEWHERE SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE BECOMING MORE NUMEROUS
OVER PARTS OF SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST
IOWA.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR...
AS AREAL COVERAGE OVER IOWA WAS INCREASING RAPIDLY.

CAB/KS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 1:15 PM CST, 1 hour 16 minutes before
IAZALL-132000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
112 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...TORNADO WATCH FOR A LARGE PART OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN IOWA UNTIL
6 PM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE SOUTH HALF OF IOWA TODAY...

AT 105 PM...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER ALL
BUT THE FAR NORTHWEST...FAR NORTHEAST AND FAR SOUTHEAST COUNTIES OF
IOWA.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED JUST NORTH OF ELDORA AND
BETWEEN IOWA FALLS AND CLARION. ELDORA IS ABOUT 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
WATERLOO...WHILE CLARION AND IOWA FALLS ARE SOME 35 TO 40 MILES
SOUTHWEST THROUGH SOUTH OF MASON CITY. BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN...SMALL
HAIL AND 30 TO 40 MILE AN HOURS WINDS I.S LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR...WITH
A CONTINUED INCREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE OVER IOWA.

CAB/KS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 1:35 PM CST, 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
135 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

VERY INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE CONTINUED TO DEVELOP OVER PARTS OF EAST
CENTRAL IOWA.  AT 130 PM RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING ACROSS NORTHERN IOWA INTO NORTHERN JOHNSON COUNTIES OF EAST
CENTRAL IOWA.  THIS IS FROM ABOUT 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CEDAR RAPIDS
TO THE CORALVILLE RESERVOIR AREA...WHICH IS ABOUT 10 TO 15 MILES SOUTH
OF CEDAR RAPIDS.

THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE 1/2 TO 3/4 INCH HAIL AND
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS.  THESE STORMS HAVE BEEN MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST
AROUND 40 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL ENTER THE SOUTHERN PARTS OF BENTON
AND LINN COUNTIES DURING THE NEXBT 1/2 HOUR.

ADAMS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 1:55 PM CST, 36 minutes before
IAZALL-132030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
153 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...TORNADO WATCH FOR A LARGE PART OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN IOWA UNTIL
6 PM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE SOUTH HALF OF IOWA TODAY...

AT 135 PM...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER WEST CENTRAL...
CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE STORMS WERE LOCATED
NEAR MANILLA...35 MILES NORTHEAST OF OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS...20 MILES
SOUTH OF MASON CITY OR JUST WEST OF BELMOND...55 MILES NORTHEAST OF
DES MOINES OR JUST WEST OF TAMA/TOLEDO AND ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF
CEDAR RAPIDS.

LARGE HAIL...EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN AND WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR
IS LIKELY WITH ANY OF THESE STORMS.

THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE AREA OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND WIDELY
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED OVER ALL BUT THE FAR NORTHWEST...
FAR NORTHEAST AND FAR SOUTHEAST COUNTIES OF IOWA.

THESE STORMS HAVE SHOWN A TENuDENCY TO DEVELOP RAPIDLY...PRODUCE LARGE
HAIL AND THEN DECREASE RAPIDLY IN INTENSITY.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

CAB/KS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 2:19 PM CST, 12 minutes before
IAZALL-132100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
215 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...TORNADO WATCH FOR A LARGE PART OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN IOWA UNTIL
6 PM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE SOUTH HALF OF IOWA TODAY...

AT 205 PM...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER WEST CENTRAL AND
EAST CENTRAL IOWA. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED 70 MILES WEST NORTHWEST
OF DES MOINES...NEAR CARROLL AND NEAR DINSDALE IN NORTHERN TAMA
COUNTY ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WATERLOO.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...EXTREMELY HEAVY
RAIN AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR.

THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE AREA OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND WIDELY
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED OVER ALL BUT THE FAR NORTHWEST...FAR
NORTHEAST AND FAR SOUTHEAST COUNTIES OF IOWA.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

CAB/KS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 12, 8:55 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMadison, Polk50 min
Mar 12, 11:17 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAppanoose, Monroe33 min
Mar 12, 11:28 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXLucas, Wayne20 min
Mar 12, 11:53 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXClarke, Decatur, Lucas52 min
Mar 13, 12:38 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWright17 min
Mar 13, 1:33 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXPoweshiek27 min
Mar 13, 1:51 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXTama39 min
Mar 13, 1:55 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCarroll35 min
Mar 13, 2:28 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCalhoun42 min
Mar 13, 3:24 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDavis36 min
Mar 13, 3:42 PM CSTTornado WarningDMXDavis18 min
Mar 13, 3:57 PM CSTTornado WarningDMXJefferson, Van Buren33 min
Mar 13, 4:18 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBremer22 min
Mar 13, 4:18 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXChickasaw47 min
Mar 13, 5:11 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWashington49 min
Mar 13, 5:16 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJohnson29 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.