Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 36, NWS Des Moines, IA

June 5, 1990Calhoun County, Webster County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 5, 1990, 6:27 AM CDT for Calhoun County, Webster County, Iowa. It was in force for 63 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
Jun 5, 1990, 6:27 AM CDT (11:27 UTC)
Expired
Jun 5, 1990, 7:30 AM CDT
In force
63 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Calhoun County, IA, Webster 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 5, 6:40 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 52Calhoun, 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, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 202 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 00:00Z on 1990-06-05Temperature 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 00:00Z on 1990-06-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 161 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
3602 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
161 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
492 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 051127
SVRDSM
IAC025-187-051230-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
627 AM CDT TUE JUN 5 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 730 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE WEST CENTRAL PART OF IOWA
      CALHOUN...

   IN THE CENTRAL PART OF IOWA
      WEBSTER...

AT 620 AM CDT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE ENTERING NORTHERN CALHOUN
 AND NORTHWEST WEBSTER COUNTIES.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTH
AT 30 TO 35 MILES AN HOUR.  HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY
SURFACE WINDS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS.

CITIES IN THE WARNING INCLUDE ROCKWELL CITY AND MANSON IN CALHOUN
COUNTY...ABOUT 20 TO 25 MILES WEST OF FORT DODGE...AND IN WEBSTER
COUNTY CITIES INCLUDED WERE FORT DODGE AND CLARE.

REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES
AN HOUR...LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING..Y.AND VERY HEAVY RAINS.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOU HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO NOT
DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

FORSTER

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 5, 2:36 AM CDT, 3 hours 51 minutes before
IAZALL-050835-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
235 AM CDT TUE JUN 5 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR A SMALL PORTION
OF EXTREME NORTHWEST IOWA UNTIL 7AM THIS TUESDAY MORNING...

AT 225 AM CDT...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO SPREAD ACROSS
NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL AND CENTRAL IOWA.

THE AREA OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS 60 MILES
WIDE...CENTERED FROM THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF IOWA...TO ABOUT 40
MILES WEST OF DES MOINES.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER THE EXTREME NORTHWEST AREAS
OF IOWA...AND WERE MOVING RAPIDLY EAST AT AROUND 45 MILES AN HOUR.{{}
SHOULD THREATENING STORMS APPROACH...BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER
IMMEDIATELY.{{}
WPM
Special weather statement, Jun 5, 3:33 AM CDT, 2 hours 54 minutes before
IAZALL-050935-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
333 AM CDT TUE JUN 5 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR A SMALL PORTION
OF EXTREME NORTHWEST IOWA UNTIL 7AM THIS TUESDAY MORNING...

AT 325 AM CDT...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
CONTINUED TO MOVE ACROSS NORTHWEST...INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA.

THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...
ALONG WITH BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAINS...COULD PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WIND
AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL AS THEY MOVE RAPIDLY EAST AT AROUND 45
MILES AN HOUR.

SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH...PEOPLE IN THEIR PATH SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

THE ENTIRE AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS WAS 90 MILES WIDE...CENTERED
FROM 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MASON CITY...TO NEAR JUST EAST OF SIOUX
CITY.

THE STRONGEST STORMS SHOULD BE IN THE MASON CITY...CLEAR LAKE AREA
BETWEEN 4 AND 430 AM.

WPM
Special weather statement, Jun 5, 4:36 AM CDT, 1 hour 51 minutes before
IAZALL-051035-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
435 AM CDT TUE JUN 5 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR A SMALL PORTION
OF EXTREME NORTHWEST IOWA UNTIL 7AM THIS TUESDAY MORNING...

AT 425 AM CDT...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
CONTINUED TO MOVE ACROSS THE NORTH HALF OF IOWA.

THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...
ALONG WITH BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAINS...COULD ALSO PRODUCE BRIEF STRONG
GUSTY WIND...AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL AS THEY MOVE RAPIDSLY EAST
AT AROUND 50 MILES AN HOUR.

SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH...PEOPLE IN THEIR PATH SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF MASON CITY...AND
NEAR SPIRIT LAKE THROUGH ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTH OF SPENCER...OR FROM
ABOUT 70 MILES NORTHEAST...THROUGH 100 MILES NORTHEAST OF SIOUX CITY.

WPM
Special weather statement, Jun 5, 4:43 AM CDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before
IA002-003-007-051100

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER UPDATE FOR NORTHEAST IOWA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
435 PM CDT TUE JUN 5 1990

AT 435 AM CDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY
RAINS...STRONG WINDS...AND SMALL HAIL MOVING INTO FLOYD AND
MITCHELL COUNTIES...25 MILES EAST OF MASON CITY. THE STORMS WERE
MOVING TO THE EAST AT 40 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR.

OTHER STORMS WERE OCCURING IN FRANKLIN COUNTY AND EXTREME NORTHWEST
BUTLER AND BLACK HAWK COUNTIES. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING
INTO THE INDEPENDENCE...WATERLOO...OELWEIN...AND WEST UNION AREAS
WITHIN THE HOUR. TEMPERATURES OVER THE AREA WERE IN THE 50S UNDER
PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES.

COLLAR/ROBB
Special weather statement, Jun 5, 5:40 AM CDT, 47 minutes before
IAZALL-051135-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
539 AM CDT TUE JUN 5 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHERN IOWA UNTIL 10 AM THIS TUESDAY
MORNING...

AT 525 AM CDT...AN ISOLATED LARGE VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS
LOCATED NEAR STORM LAKE...IN NORTHWEST IOWA...OR ABOUT 70 MILES
NORTHEAST OF SIOUX CITY.  THIS STORM...ALONG WITH FREQUENT DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN...COULD ALSO PRODUCE BRIEF
STRONG GUSTY WIND AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL.  THIS STORM WAS MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH...PEOPLE IN THEIR PATH SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE NORTH HALF OF IOWA...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED...WITH THE LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF SHOWERS
AND STORMS...LOCATED IN ABOUT A 60 MILE WIDE AREA...EXTENDING FROM
NEAR &SIOUX CITY...TO THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDER NORTHEAST OF MASON
CITY.  MOST OF THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

WPM
Special weather statement, Jun 5, 5:49 AM CDT, 38 minutes before
IA002-003-007-051200

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER UPDATE FOR NORTHEAST IOWA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
550 AM CDT TUE JUN 5 1990

AT 550 AM CDT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE COVERING SEVERAL AREAS
IN NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA.  ONE AREA WAS 50 MILES WIDE
AND WAS LOCATED FROM DECORAH TO INDEPENDENCE.  THE OTHER AREA WAS
MUCH LARGER AND WAS IN A 75 MILE WIDE BAND FROM THE MINNESOTA BORDER
NORTH OF MASON CITY...THEN SOUTHWEST TOWARD FORT DODGE.  THESE SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTH SOUTHEAST AT NEAR 40 MILES AN HOUR.
THE TEMPEATURES WERE IN THE 50S OVER THE AREA WITH GUSTY SOUTH WINDS
10 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR.

BY 630 AM CDT THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD MOVE INTO THE
MASON CITY...HAMPTON...CHARLES CITY AND OSAGE AREAS. TEMPERATURES WILL
REMAIN IN THE 50S UNDER PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES WITH SOUTH
WINDS 10 TO 20 MILES AN HOUR FROM THE MINNESOTA BORDER TO THE HIGHWAY
20 AREA.
ROBB/COLLAR+

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 5, 3:21 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXKossuth39 min
Jun 5, 4:24 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXClay, Dickinson36 min
Jun 5, 4:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBuena Vista37 min
Jun 5, 5:22 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCalhoun, Pocahontas, Sac53 min
Jun 5, 8:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHardin43 min
Jun 5, 9:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXFranklin25 min
Jun 5, 9:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXButler45 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.