Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Des Moines, IA

June 5, 1990Butler County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 5, 1990, 9:00 AM CDT for Butler County, Iowa. It was in force for 45 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 5, 1990, 9:00 AM CDT (14:00 UTC)
Expired
Jun 5, 1990, 9:45 AM CDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Butler 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, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 244 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 1990-06-05Temperature 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, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 1990-06-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 243 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
620 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
67 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
243 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
126 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 051400
SVRALO
IAC023-069-051445-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
900 AM CDT TUE JUN 5 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WATERLOO HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  945 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA
          ...BUTLER...EASTERN FRANKLIN
 
AT 900 AM CDT WATERLOO RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 30 MILES
NORTHWEST OF WATERLOO. THIS STORM SHOULD PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND WINDS
AROUND 60 MILES AN HOUR. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 40
MILES AN HOUR AND SHOULD AFFECT THE PARKERSBURG AND APPLINGTON AREAS.
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...MOVE INSIDE A dREINFORCED
BUILDING.  STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.  DON'T USE ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES
OR TELEPHONES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

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, 6:43 AM CDT, 2 hours 17 minutes before
IAZALL-051235-

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

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF IOWA
UNTIL 10 AM...

AT 625 AM CDT...AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED OVER NORTHWEST
IOWA...25 MILES NORTHWEST OF FORT DODGE OR JUST NORTHWEST OF MANSON.
THIS STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR AND SHOULD BE
LOCATED NEAR FORT DODGE BY 730 AM.  IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS
STORM YOU CAN EXPECT HIGH WINDS AND EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINFALL.

A LINE OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM
WEST CENTRAL INTO NORTHEAST IOWA.  THE LARGEST STORMS WERE OVER THE
WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST COUNTIES FROM SOUTHEAST OF SIOUX CITY NEAR
MAPLETON TO NORTH OF FORT DODGE NEAR HUMBOLT.

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO IN SOUTHWEST IOWA...IN THE COUNCIL
BLUFFS AREA.

ALL OF THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

eDLF
Special weather statement, Jun 5, 7:06 AM CDT, 1 hour 54 minutes before
IA002-003-007-051300

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

AT 650 AM CDT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE COVERING MOST OF NORTHEAST
IOWA.  A 55 MILE WIDE BAND WAS OCCURRING BETWEEN DECORAH AND WATERLOO.
THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST/SOUTHEAST AT 40 MILES
AN HOUR. THE TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE 50S OVER THE AREA WITH GUSTY
SOUTH WINDS OF 10 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR.

BY 740 AM CDT THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE
AREA WHILE TEMPERATURES HOLD IN THE 50S. THE WINDS WILL CONTINUE
FROM THE SOUTH AT 10 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS POSSIBLE
IN THUNDERSTORMS.

ROBB/COLLAR
Special weather statement, Jun 5, 7:48 AM CDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before
IAZALL-051335-

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

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SOUTHWEST
THROUGH CENTRAL TO NORTHEAST IOWA UNTIL NOON THIS TUESDAY...

AT 727 AM CDT...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTH
CENTRAL AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST IOWA....WHILE OVER THE REMAINDER OF NORTH
CENTRAL...NORTHEAST...WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST IOWA...NUMEROUS
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP.

THE STRONG STORMS OVER NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST IOWA WERE PRODUCING
LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAIN...FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND COULD
PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WIND AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL.

SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH...BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER.

THE STRONGEST STORMS IN IOWA WERE NEAR COUNCIL BLUFFS...AND BETWEEN
BELMOND AND JEWELL...OR FROM ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTH OF MASON CITY
TO 50 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES.

ALL OF THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

WPM
Special weather statement, Jun 5, 8:01 AM CDT, 59 minutes before
IA002-003-007-051400

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

AT 755 AM CDT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE COVERING MOST OF NORTHEAST
AND NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...THE MOST INTENSE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG I35
JUST WEST OF HAMPTON.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 40
MILES AN HOUR.  THE SKIES WERE MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH TEMPERATURES IN
THE 50S AND THE WINDS WERE SOUTH 10 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR AND GUSTY
FROM MASON CITY AND DECORAH TO THE WATERLOO/CEDAR FALLS AREAS.

BY 855 AM CDT THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE
AREA WITH THE INTENSE STORMS ALONG I35 MOVING INTO THE HAMPTON
...DUMONT...CLARKSVILLE AND PARKERSBURG AREAS.  THE TEMPERATURES WILL
RISE LITTLE AND THE WINDS WILL CONTINUE AT 10 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR
FROM THE MINNESOTA BORDER TO THE HIGHWAY 20 AREA.

ROBB
Special weather statement, Jun 5, 8:39 AM CDT, 21 minutes before
IAZ006-051430-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
835 AM CDT TUE JUN 5 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELLED FOR PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL
IOWA...

COUNTIES NO LONGER INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE...HUMDOLDT...WRIGHT...
FRANKLIN...WEBSTER...HAMILTON......AND HARDIN.

THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE PRETTY MUCH MOVED TO THE EAST OF THESE COUNTIES
...BUT THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL EXIST
DURING THE A?FTERNOON HOURS.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 395 DOES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR PARTS
OF SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA TIL NOON.

ADAMS
Special weather statement, Jun 5, 8:46 AM CDT, 14 minutes before
IAZALL-051435-

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

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SOUTHWEST
THROUGH CENTRAL TO NORTHEAST IOWA UNTIL NOON...

AT 827 AM CDT...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED OVER THE
NORTHEAST THIRD OF IOWA...NORTHEAST OF A LINE FROM FORT DODGE TO
DAVENPORT.  THE LARGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED NORTHEAST OF DES MOINES
NEAR MARSHALLTOWN AND SOUTH OF MASON CITY NEAR IOWA FALLS.

SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO OVER SOUTHWEST IOWA.  THESE
STORMS WERE IN 30 MILE WIDE BAND EXTENDING FROM JUST EAST OF COUNCIL
BLUFFS...SOUTH TO THE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER.

THE THUNDERHSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

DLF

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, 6:27 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCalhoun, Webster63 min
Jun 5, 8:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHardin43 min
Jun 5, 9:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXFranklin25 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.