Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 182, NWS Des Moines, IA

August 29, 1990Mahaska County, Wapello County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 29, 1990, 5:00 PM CDT for Mahaska County, Wapello County, Iowa. It was in force for 45 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 29, 1990, 5:00 PM CDT (22:00 UTC)
Expired
Aug 29, 1990, 5:45 PM CDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Mahaska County, IA, Wapello 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

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 322 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 1990-08-29Temperature 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 1990-08-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -33 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
3599 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-33 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
30 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 KDSM 292202
SVRDSM
IAC123-179-292245-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
500 PM CDT WED AUG 29 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  545 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA
          ...SOUTHERN MAHASKA
IN SOUTHEAST IOWA
          ...WAPELLO
 
AT 459 PM...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN THE
VICINITY OF OSKALOOSA OR ABOUT 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF OTTUMWA.
 
THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.  IT WILL AFFECT
THE FOLLOWING COMMUNITIES OF OSKALOOSA...EDDYVILLE...HIGHLAND
CENTER...OTTUMWA...AGENCY AND FARSON.
 
THIS STORM HAS PRODUCED TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE IN THE PELLA
VICINITY.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 60
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
 
MYERS

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, Aug 29, 3:43 PM CDT, 1 hour 17 minutes before
IAZ011-292120

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
343 PM CDT WED AUG 29 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE APPROACHING IOWA CITY...

AT 340 PM...RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING IOWA
CITY.  THESE STORMS WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE CITY BETWEEN 345 PM
AND 415 PM.

HEAVY RAINS...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND WINDS TO 50 MILES CAN BE EXPECTED
WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS.

AT 330 PM...WINDS TO 50 MILES OCCURRCED AT CEDAR RAPIDS.

WEINBRECHT
Special weather statement, Aug 29, 3:47 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
IAZ011-292120

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
343 PM CDT WED AUG 29 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE APPROACHING IOWA CITY...

AT 340 PM...RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING IOWA
CITY.  THESE STORMS WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE CITY BETWEEN 345 PM
AND 415 PM.

HEAVY RAINS...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND WINDS TO 50 MILES AN HOUR CAN BE
EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS.

AT 330 PHM...WINDS TO 50 MILES AN HOUR OCCURRED AT CEDAR RAPIDS.

WEINBRECHT
Special weather statement, Aug 29, 3:48 PM CDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before
IAZ009-292150

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
343 PM CDT WED AUG 29 1990

AT 331 PM...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED OVER CENTRAL AND
EAST CENTRAL IOWA.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED 25 MILES NORTHEAST
OF DES MOINES...BETWEEN NEVADA AND NEWTON...JUST EAST OF SAYLORVILLE
RESERVOIR...AND NEAR MADRID...25 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES...AND NEAR
CEDAR RAPIDS.  THESE STORMS ARE LIKELY TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN...WIND
GUSTING TO 50 MILES AN HOUR...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY SMALL
HAIL.

THE STORM NEAR CEDAR RAPIDS HAD WINDS REPORTED UP TO 50 MILES AN HOUR
AND SHOULD APPROACH THE IOWA CITY AREA BY 4 PM.  OTHER STRONG STORMS WERKE
LOCATED NEAR JEFFERSON...45 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

DM
Special weather statement, Aug 29, 4:12 PM CDT, 48 minutes before
IAZ009-292220

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
410 PM CDT WED AUG 29 1990

AT 400 PM...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED OVER CENTRAL IOWA.
THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED IN A 10 MILE WIDE BAND THAT EXTENDED
FROM NEAR LAKE CITY...60 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES...TO JUST SOUTH
OF NEWTON...30 MILES EAST OF DES MOINES.  THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...WIND GUSTING TO 45 MILES AN HOUR...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL.  OTHER STRONG STORMS WERE LOCATED
WITHIN A 25 MILE RADIUS OF CEDAR RAPIDS.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

THE ONE TO TWO HOUR OUTLOOK IS FOR THESE STORMS wTO CONTINUE OVER CENTRAL
IOWA AND MOVE INTO ADJACENT AREAS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA.

DM
Special weather statement, Aug 29, 4:46 PM CDT, 14 minutes before
IAZ009-292250

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
445 PM CDT WED AUG 29 1990

AT 433 PM...VERY STRONG AND INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED OVER
WEST CENTRAL...CENTRAL...AND SOUTHEAST IOWA.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE
IN A 10 TO 15 MILE WIDE BAND THAT EXTENDED FROM 5 MILES WEST OF CARROLL
...OR 65 MILES NORTHEAST OF COUNCIL BLUFFS...TO 5 MILES NORTH OF DES
MOINES...TO THE PELLA VICINITY...40 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DES MOINES.
THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...WIND GUSTING TO
NEAR 50 MILES AN HOUR...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WERE NORTH OF AN OTTUMWA TO DAVENPORT
LINE AND INCLUDED THE CEDAR RAPIDS AREA.  IN ADDITION...A FEW SHOWERS
HAD DEVELOPED NEAR MASON CITY.

THE STORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

DM
Special weather statement, Aug 29, 4:53 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
IAZ010-292300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
455 AM CDT MON AUG 27 1990

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING THROUGH THE DES MOINES METRO AREA
LATE THIS AFTERNOON.  INTENSE RAINFALL...WIND GUSTS TO 45 MILES AN
HOUR AND PEA TO MARBLE-SIZED HAIL ARE LIKELY UNTIL 6 PM.

THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHWARD INTO THE SOUTHERN
THIRD OF THE STATE...WITH A GROWING THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER
PRODUCTION.  PEOPLE IN THIS PART OF THE STATE SHOULD STAY TUNED TO THE
LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

MYERS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 29, 12:04 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMahaska26 min
Aug 29, 12:20 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMahaska, Marion40 min
Aug 29, 12:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWapello51 min
Aug 29, 12:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJefferson52 min
Aug 29, 12:57 AM CDTTornado WarningDMXMahaska, Wapello48 min
Aug 29, 1:11 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXVan Buren49 min
Aug 29, 1:18 AM CDTTornado WarningDMXWapello42 min
Aug 29, 1:42 AM CDTTornado WarningDMXDavis, Van Buren48 min
Aug 29, 1:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHardin23 min
Aug 29, 5:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMarion47 min
Aug 29, 5:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdair, Guthrie50 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.