Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 76, NWS Des Moines, IA

June 16, 1990Clarke County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 16, 1990, 6:16 PM CDT for Clarke County, Iowa. It was in force for 29 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 16, 1990, 6:16 PM CDT (23:16 UTC)
Expired
Jun 16, 1990, 6:45 PM CDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Clarke 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, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 219 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 162317
SVRDSM
IAC039-162345-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
616 PM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 645 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTY

   IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL PART OF IOWA
      NORTHEAST CLARKE

AT 615 PM RADAR INDICATED A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN EXTREME
NORTH CENTRL CLARKE COUNTY OF SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA MOVING EAST
AROUND 15 TO 20 MILES AN HOUR.  THIS IS ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTH OF
DES MOINES.

PERSONS ALONG INTERSTATE 35 HIGHWAY IN THIS AREA AND THOSE IN
RURAL AREAS OF NORTHEAST CLARKE COUNTY SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR
POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER.

REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES
AN HOUR...LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...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.

ADAMS/BARLOW

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, 4:20 PM CDT, 1 hour 56 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, 1 hour 28 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
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 4:53 PM CDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before
IAZALL-162230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
453 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 EA3ST NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN
HOUR.

JM/BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 5:26 PM CDT, 50 minutes before
IAZALL-162320-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
525 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 520 PM...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP RAPIDLY
OVER CENTRAL AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST IOWA.  ONE STORM WAS LOCATED
NEAR WINTERSET OR 20 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES.  THIS STORM IS EXPECTED
TO MOVE INTO INDIANOLA AND RED ROCK RECREATION AREA AROUND 600 PM.

ANOTHER STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR KEOKUK OVER THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST CORNER
OF THE STATE.

VERY HEAVY RAINS...HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS
WILL BE ASSdOCIATED WITH THESE STRONG STORMS.
/
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER CENTRAL...
EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA.

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

JM/BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 5:48 PM CDT, 28 minutes before
IAZALL-172345-

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

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF IOWA TONIGHT...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 7PM...

AT 535 PM...A VERY INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR WINTERSET
OR 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES.  LARGE HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS ARE LIKELY WITH THIS
STORM.  THE STORM APPEARS TO HAD DECELERATED.

OTHER INTENSE STORMS WERE ALONG THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE
STATE ALONG THE IOWA/ILLINOIS BORDER.  THE BRUNT OF THESE STORMS WERE
IN EXTREME WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS OR 25 MILES SOUTH OF BURLINGTON.

WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER PARTS OF
CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA.
/
THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AROUND 20 MILES AN HOUR.

JM/BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 5:55 PM CDT, 21 minutes before
IAZALL-172345-

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

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF IOWA TONIGHT...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 7PM...

AT 535 PM...A VERY INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR WINTERSET
OR 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES.  LARGE HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS ARE LIKELY WITH THIS
STORM.  THE STORM APPEARS TO HAD DECELERATED.

OTHER INTENSE STORMS WERE ALONG THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE
STATE ALONG THE IOWA/ILLINOIS BORDER.  THE BRUNT OF THESE STORMS WERE
IN EXTREME WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS OR 25 MILES SOUTH OF BURLINGTON.

WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER PARTS OF
CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA.
/
THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AROUND 20 MILES 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, 4:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdair39 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

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.