Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 16, NWS Des Moines, IA

March 13, 1990Chickasaw County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 13, 1990, 4:18 PM CST for Chickasaw County, Iowa. It was in force for 47 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
Mar 13, 1990, 4:18 PM CST (22:18 UTC)
Expired
Mar 13, 1990, 5:05 PM CST
In force
47 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Chickasaw 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
Mar 13, 4:40 PM CSTHail 0.75Chickasaw, 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, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 224 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°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 1990-03-13The 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 132218
SVRALO
IAC037-017-132315-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 515 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF IOWA
      CHICKASAW...NORTHERN BREMER

AT 413 PM CST WATERLOO RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 15
MILES NORTH OF WATERLOO JUST NORTH OF WAVERLY IOWA. THIS STORM
IS MOVING NORTH AT 40 MPH AND IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 3/4 IN HAIL
AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE COVER.

YOU SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A REINFORCED BUILDING.  STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOW_S. DO NOT USE TELEPHONES OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNTIL
AFTER THE STORM PASSES.

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

 THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS STORM 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, Mar 13, 2:19 PM CST, 1 hour 59 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
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 2:51 PM CST, 1 hour 27 minutes before
IAZALL-132130-

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

...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN HALF UNTIL 6PM...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH FOR EASTERN HALF UNTIL 8PM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE SOUTH HALF OF IOWA TODAY...

AT 235 PM...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER NORTHWEST AND
NORTHEAST IOWA. OVER NORTHWEST IOWA AN INTENSE STORM WAS LOCATED
ABOUT 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FORT DODGE...NEAR LAKE CITY. OVER NORTHEAST
IOWA AN INTENSE STORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 12 MILES SOUTH OF WATERLOO.

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

THE STORM OVER NORTHWEST IOWA WAS PART OF AN AREA OF SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THAT EXTENDED FROM 25 MILES NORTHEAST
OF OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS NORTHEAST TO MASON CITY...THIS AREA WAS 30 TO 50
MILES WIDE.

THE STORM OVER NORTHEAST IOWA WAS PART OF A LARGE AREA OF SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND STORMS STORMS THAT EXTENDED FROM 55 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
DES MOINES NEAR CENTERVILLE NORTH THROUGH EAST CENTRAL INTO NORTHEAST
IOWA...JUST NORTH OF WATERLOO.

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

CAB/KS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 3:27 PM CST, 51 minutes before
IAZALL-132130-

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

...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN HALF UNTIL 6PM...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH FOR EASTERN HALF UNTIL 8PM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE SOUTH HALF OF IOWA TODAY...

AT 310 PM...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN NORTHWEST AND
NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...IN THE FORT DODGE...HUMBOLDT AND LUVERNE AREA
OR 40 TO 50 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MASON CITY.

ALSO IN NORTHEAST IOWA IN THE MANCHESTER AREA OR 40 MILES WEST OF
DUBUQUE.

ANOTHER INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WAS IN SOUTHEAST IOWA IN SOUTHERN DAVIS
COUNTY...10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BLOOMFIELD.

LARGE HAIL...EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN AND WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR
CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

NO SEVERE WEATHER HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH STORMS AS OF 315 PM CST.

THE INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS ARE PART OF A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTHEAST HALF OF IOWA.

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

MG/KS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 3:36 PM CST, 42 minutes before
IAZ002-132200-

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

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM OCCURRING OVER KOSSUTH COUNTY...

AT 332 PM...WEATHER RADAR IN DES MOINES INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
OVER SOUTHERN KOSSUTH COUNTY NEAR ALGONA...OR ABOUT 50 MILES WEST OF
MASON CITY.

THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINS IN A SHORT PERIOD OF
TIME...ALONG WITH SOME SMALL HAIL AND WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MILES AN
HOUR...AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR...INTO THE NORTHERN
PART OF KOSSUTH COUNTY.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH CENTRAL IOWA
UNTIL 6 PM.

KS/TRUETT
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 3:47 PM CST, 31 minutes before
IA007-132215

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
345 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

   ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO SOUTHERN BLACK HAWK COUNTY...

AT 240 PM CST WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM AT HUDSON IOWA...
15 MILES SOUTH OF THE CITY OF WATERLOO.
THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING NORTH AT 40 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL
PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL AS IT PASSES THROUGH
BLACK HAWK COUNTY.

THE THU!NDERSTORM SHOULD BE EXIT BLACK HAWK COUNTY BY 415 PM THIS
AFTERNOON.
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 3:57 PM CST, 21 minutes before
IAZALL-132130-

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

...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN HALF UNTIL 6PM...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH FOR EASTERN HALF UNTIL 8PM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE SOUTH HALF OF IOWA TODAY...

AT 333 PM...AN VERY INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS JUST EAST OF BLOOMFIELD
IN DAVIS COUNTY OF SOUTHEAST IOWA.

ANOTHER VERY INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR ALGONA IN SOUTHERN KOSSUTH
COUNTY OF NORTH CENTRAL IOWA.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE 30 TO 40 MILES WEST OF CEDAR RAPIDS OF
EAST CENTRAL IOWA...AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE 20 MILES SOUTHWEST
AND ALSO 35 MILES NORTH OF WATERLOO OF NORTHEAST IOWA.

THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND VERY HEAVY
RAINS.

THESE INTENSE AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE PART OF A LARGER AREA
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE STATE
...FROM THE NOTHWEST CORNER OF IOWA TO THAE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER
SOUTH OF OTTUMWA.

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

MG/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, 2:31 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBlack Hawk49 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, 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.