Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 72, NWS Des Moines, IA

June 16, 1990Adair County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 16, 1990, 4:51 PM CDT for Adair County, Iowa. It was in force for 39 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 16, 1990, 4:51 PM CDT (21:51 UTC)
Expired
Jun 16, 1990, 5:30 PM CDT
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Adair 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, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 159 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 1990-06-16Temperature 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 1990-06-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 241 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
3656 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
241 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
237 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 162150
SVRDSM
IAC001-162230-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
451 PM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  530 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTHWEST IOWA
          ...EASTERN ADAIR
 
AT 445 PM CDT...WEATHER RADAR IN DES MOINES INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM JUST SOUTH OF GREENFIELD...ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
DES MOINES.
 
THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR...AND WILL AFFECT THE
CITIES OF ORIENT AND GREENFIELD...AS WELL AS RURAL AREAS OF EASTERN
ADAIR COUNTY.
 
 
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 CO(VERS THE ROAD.

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 16, 2:19 PM CDT, 2 hours 32 minutes before
IAZALL-162000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
220 PM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
   IOWA UNTIL 7PM TONIGHT...
...FLASH FLOOD AND FLOOD WATCH FOR MUCH OF IOWA FOR THE REST OF
   AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

AT 215 PM...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER SOUTH CENTRAL
AND EAST CENTRAL IOWA.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED IN A 15 MILE WIDE BAND
THAT EXTENDED FROM MARENGO OR 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CEDAR RAPIDS TO
BLOOMFIELD OR 25 MILES SOUTH OF OTTUMWA.

VERY HEAVY RAINS...SMALL HAIL...AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE LIKELY WITH
THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS.  THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO
T"HE CEDAR RAPIDS...FAIRFIELD AND THE EASTERN COMMUNITIES OF OTTUMWA
/
THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

JM/SCOTT
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 2:46 PM CDT, 2 hours 5 minutes before
IAZALL-162045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
245 PM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
   IOWA UNTIL 7PM TONIGHT...
...FLASH FLOOD AND FLOOD WATCH FOR MUCH OF IOWA FOR THE REST OF
   AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

AT 230 PM...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER SOUTHEAST AND
EAST CENTRAL IOWA.  ONE AREA OF STORMS WERE LOCATED 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
OTTUMWA OR 30 MILES WEST OF BURLINGTON.   ANOTHER STRONG STORM WAS
LOCATED NEAR IOWA CITY OR 55 MILES WEST OF THE QUAD CITIES.

VERY HEAVY RAINS...HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
ARE LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER THE NORTHEAST TWO THIRDS OF THE
STATE.   DURING THE PAST HOUR...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAD
REDEVELOPED OVER PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL IOWA.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

JM/SCOTT
Y
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 3:31 PM CDT, 1 hour 20 minutes before
IAZALL-162130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
330 PM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990

AT 325 PM...WEATHER RADAR IN DES MOINES CONTINUED TO SHOW VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS OVER EXTREME EASTERN IOWA.  THE STORMS WERE LOCATED WITHIN
A 30 MILE WIDE BAND THAT EXTENDED FORM ANAMOSA OR 20 MILES EAST OF CEDAR
RAPIDS TO FARMINGTON OR 20 MILES WEST OF BURLINGTON.

IN ADDITION...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTHEAST TWO THIRDS
OF THE STATE.  AREAL COVERAGE HAD INCREASE OVER PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL
AND SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA SINCE 230 PM.

JM
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 3:46 PM CDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before
IAZALL-162145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
345 PM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR MUCH IOWA FOR THE REST OF AFTERNOON AND
   TONIGHT...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
   IOWA UNTIL 7PM TONIGHT...

AT 335 PM...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER EXTREME EAST
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA.  THE STORMS WERE LOCATED WITHIN A 30 MILE
WIDE BAND THAT EXTENDED FROM ANAMOSA OR 20 MILES EAST OF CEDAR RAPIDS
TO FARMINGTON OR 20 MILES WEST OF BURLINGTON.

IN ADDITION...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTHEAST TWO THIRDS
OF THE STATE.   SCATTERED SHOWERS AND AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM WERE
OCCURRING OVER NORTHWEST...WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

JM/SCOTT
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 4:20 PM CDT, 31 minutes before
IAZALL-162200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
420 PM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990

...FLASH FLOOD/FLOOD WATCH FOR MUCH OF IOWA TONIGHT...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
   IOWA UNTIL 7PM TONIGHT...

AT 410 PM...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER THE EXTREME
SOUTHEAST CORNER OF IOWA...BETWEEN KEOKUK AND FARMINGTON...OR ABOUT
25 MILES WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF BURLINGTON. VERY HEAVY RAINS...AND
FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE AREA OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND WIDELY
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WESTERN THIRD OF IOWA. MOST OF THE
SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE EAST OF LINE FROM WATERLOO SOUTH TO OTTUMWA.

WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER
THE NORTH CENTRAL...CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL COUNTIES...WITH ISOLATED
LOCATED OVER NORTHWEST IOWA ALONG THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDER NORTH
OF SPENCER.

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

BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 4:48 PM CDT, 3 minutes before
IAZALL-162230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
445 PM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990

...FLASH FLOOD/FLOOD WATCH FOR MUCH OF IOWA TONIGHT...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
   IOWA UNTIL 7PM TONIGHT...

AT 435 PM...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER THE FAR SOUTHEAST
COUNTIES AND ALSO OVER PARTS OF CENTRAL IOWA.   THE THUNDERSTORMS
THAT WERE OVER EXTREME SOUTHEAST IOWA WERE LOCATED BETWEEN KEOKUK
AND BURLINGTON.  THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO WESTERN
ILLINOIS AROUND 515 PM.

A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS ALSO LOCATED OVER CENTRAL IOWA OR ABOUT
25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES.

VERY HEAVY RAINS...HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE LIKELY
WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTH CENTRAL
CENTRAL AND THE EASTERN ONE THIRD OF THE STATE.

THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 35 MIL#ES AN
HOUR.

JM/BARLOW

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 16, 6:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDallas, Polk62 min
Jun 16, 6:17 AM CDTTornado WarningDMXPolk43 min
Jun 16, 6:41 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXPolk3 hr
Jun 16, 7:12 AM CDTTornado WarningDMXJasper33 min
Jun 16, 7:22 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXDallas4 hr
Jun 16, 9:16 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXMarion, Warren3 hr
Jun 16, 9:48 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXJohnson3 hr
Jun 16, 1:36 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXUnion114 min
Jun 16, 1:36 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXMahaska54 min
Jun 16, 1:36 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXKeokuk, Wapello44 min
Jun 16, 2:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDavis, Jefferson, Van Buren44 min
Jun 16, 5:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMadison, Union30 min
Jun 16, 5:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWapello26 min
Jun 16, 5:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMadison26 min
Jun 16, 6:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXClarke29 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.