Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 20, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 13, 1990, 7:40 PM CST for Hamilton County, Iowa. It was in force for 35 min. 2 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
- Mar 13, 1990, 7:40 PM CST (01:40 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 13, 1990, 8:15 PM CST
- In force
- 35 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Hamilton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 7:50 PM CST | Tornado F2 | Hamilton, IA | |
| Mar 13, 8:10 PM CST | Thunderstorm Wind 61 | Hamilton, 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 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 250 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
- 3595 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 87 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 98 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 140140
SVRDSM
IAC079-140215-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
740 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 815 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN CENTRAL IOWA
...HAMILTON
AT 738 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AT SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM OVER HAMILTON COUNTY...IN THE VICINITY OF WEBSTER CITY...
LOCATED ABOUT 50 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES.
THIS STORM WILL AFFECT THE CITIES OF JEWELL...ELLSWORTH...WEBSTER CITY
...AND WILLIAMS.
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM THE WEATHER IN ASTRONG BUILDING. DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...
AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
STAY INSIDE AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.
DOWDWhat 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, 5:25 PM CST, 2 hours 15 minutes before
IAZALL-140000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED TIME NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 520 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 ALL BUT FAR NORTHWEST IOWA TONIGHT... AT 505 PM...ISOLATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER THE EASTERN THIRD OF IOWAS COUNTIES AS WELL AS OVER PARTS OF SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL IOWA. AN INTENSE STORM WAS LOCATED ALONG THE WASHINGTON AND JOHNSON COUNTY LINES...25 MILES SOUTH OF CEDAR RAPIDS. ANOTHER INTENSE STORM WAS LOCATED 20 MILES WEST OF DUBUQUE...NORTH OF MONTICELLO. OVER SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL IOWA VERY STRONG STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR GUTHRIE CENTER...ABOUT 40 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES AND JUST WEST OF GREENFIELD AND CRESTON OR ABOUT 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES. HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND 30 TO 40 MILE AN HOUR WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS. THE STORMS OVER EASTERN IOWA WERE PART OF AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS LOCATED EAST OF A LINE FROM BRIGHTON...35 MILES NORTHWEST OF BURLINGTON NORTH TO WATERLOO THEN NORTH NORTHEAST TO CRESCO. THE SECOND AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS WAS ABOUT 60 MILES WIDE AND THE LEADING EDGE OF THE AREA EXTENDED FROM FORT DODGE SOUTH TO NEAR MOUNT AYR...55 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR. CAB/MG
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 5:51 PM CST, 1 hour 49 minutes before
IAZALL-140030- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 545 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN HALF UNTIL MIDNIGHT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR EASTERN HALF UNTIL 8PM... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL BUT FAR NORTHWEST IOWA TONIGHT... AT 535 PM...ISOLATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA...WHILE A 25 MILE WIDE BAND OF SCATTERED VERY STRONG STORMS WAS LOCATED FROM SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL IOWA. OVER EAST CENTRAL IOWA AN INTENSE STORM WAS LOCATED 25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CEDAR RAPIDS NEAR WEST LIBERTY...OVER NORTHEAST IOWA AN INTENSE STORM WAS LOCATED 40 MILES EAST OF WATERLOO...NEAR MANCHESTER. OVER SOUTHWEST AND AND CENTRAL IOWA THE 25 MILE WIDE BAND OF VERY STRONG STORMS EXTENDED FROM 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES OR 5 MILES NORTH OF GUTHRIE CENTER SOUTH TO JUST WEST OF CRESTON TO BEDFORD...70 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES. THE STORMS OVER THE EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST COUNTIES OF THE STATE WERE PART OF AN AREA OF WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED STORMS OVER THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF IOWAS COUNTIES. THE STORMS OVER SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL IOWA WERE PART OF AN EXPANDING AREA OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STORMS...IN AN AREA BOUNDED BY THE CITIES OF OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS NORTHEAST TO POCOHONTAS...OR 35 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SPENCER SOUTHEAST TO NEAR BOONE...35 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES THEN SOUTH TO AROUND MOUNT AYR...55 MIL-ES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR...AS AREAL COVERAGE OVER THE EASTERN COUNTIES WAS DECREASING. CAB/MG
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 6:15 PM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes before
IAZALL-140100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 616 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN HALF UNTIL MIDNIGHT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR EASTERN HALF UNTIL 8PM... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL BUT FAR NORTHWEST IOWA TONIGHT... AT 605 PM...ISOLATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST IOWA...WHILE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER THE FAR EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST COUNTIES. THE STRONGEST STORMS OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST IOWA...WHERE LOCATED 15 TO 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES...BETWEEN DALLAS CENTER AND PERRY. OVER SOUTHWEST IOWA THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED WITHIN A 5 TO 10 MILE RADIUS OF CRESTON...35 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES. HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY STRONG GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR IS POSSIBLE WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS. THE STORMS OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST IOWA WERE PART OF AN EXPANDING AREA OF SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 40 MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM ALGONA...35 MILES WEST OF MASON CITY SOUTH TO MOUNT AYR...55 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. fCAB/MG
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 6:43 PM CST, 57 minutes before
IAZALL-140130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 643 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN HALF UNTIL MIDNIGHT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR EASTERN HALF UNTIL 8PM... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL BUT FAR NORTHWEST IOWA TONIGHT... AT 635 PM...ISOLATED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER CENTRAL INTO SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED IN A 20 MILE WIDE AREA. THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS AREA EXTENDED FROM BOONE OR ABOUT 30 TO 35 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES SOUTH THROUGH WEST DES MOINES THEN SOUTHWEST TO DIAGONAL...55 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES. VERY HEAVY AND SMALL HAIL ALONG WITH BRIEF GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS. THES STORMS WERE PART OF A 40 TO 70 MILE WIDE AREA...THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS AREA EXTENDED FROM MASON CITY SOUTH THROUGH DES MOINES TO LAMONI...LAMONI IS 60 MIL2ES SOUTH OF DES MOINES. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR ...WHILE THE ENTIRE AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR. CAB/MG
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 6:48 PM CST, 52 minutes before
IAZALL-140130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 643 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN HALF UNTIL MIDNIGHT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR EASTERN HALF UNTIL 8PM... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL BUT FAR NORTHWEST IOWA TONIGHT... AT 635 PM...ISOLATED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER CENTRAL INTO SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED IN A 20 MILE WIDE AREA. THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS AREA EXTENDED FROM BOONE OR ABOUT 30 TO 35 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES SOUTH THROUGH WEST DES MOINES THEN SOUTHWEST TO DIAGONAL...55 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES. VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL ALONG WITH BRIEF GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS. THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A 40 TO 70 MILE WIDE AREA...THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS AREA EXTENDED FROM MASON CITY SOUTH THROUGH DES MOINES TO LAM6ONI...LAMONI IS 60 MILES SOUTH OF DES MOINES. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR ...WHILE THE ENTIRE AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR. CAB/MG
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 7:16 PM CST, 24 minutes before
IAZALL-140130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 715 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN HALF UNTIL MIDNIGHT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR EASTERN HALF UNTIL 8PM... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL BUT FAR NORTHWEST IOWA TONIGHT... AT 700 PM...ISOLATED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES NEAR WINTERSET. OTHER VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN THE OGDEN...WEBSTER CITY AREA...AND ALSO IN THE NEVADA...STORY CITY...JEWELL AREA SOME 30 TO 55 MILES NORTHWEST AND 25 TO 50 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES. VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL ALONG WITH BRIEF GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS. THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A 40 TO 70 MILE WIDE AREA...THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS AREA EXTENDED FROM 20 MILES EAST OF MASON CITY...TO 20 MILES EAST OF DES M_OINES...TO THE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER SOUTH OF DES MOINES NEAR SEYMOUR. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR...WHILE THE AREA OF SHOWER AND STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR. MG
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 6:09 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Boone, Dallas, Polk | 46 min |
| Mar 13, 7:48 PM CST | Tornado Warning | DMX | Hamilton | 52 min |
| Mar 13, 8:12 PM CST | Tornado Warning | DMX | Polk | 25 min |
| Mar 13, 8:30 PM CST | Tornado Warning | DMX | Story | 35 min |
| Mar 13, 9:04 PM CST | Tornado Warning | DMX | Hardin | 26 min |
| Mar 13, 11:02 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Crawford | 28 min |
| Mar 13, 11:44 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Buena Vista, Clay | 31 min |
| Mar 14, 12:20 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Cass, Greene, Guthrie | 25 min |
| Mar 14, 12:45 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Greene | 35 min |
| Mar 14, 12:45 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Cass | 35 min |
| Mar 14, 12:45 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Guthrie | 40 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.