Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 78, NWS Des Moines, IA

June 16, 1990Humboldt County, Kossuth County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 16, 1990, 9:50 PM CDT for Humboldt County, Kossuth County, Iowa. It was in force for 40 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 16, 1990, 9:50 PM CDT (02:50 UTC)
Expired
Jun 16, 1990, 10:30 PM CDT
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Humboldt County, IA, Kossuth 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 00:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 212 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 00:00Z on 1990-06-17Temperature 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 00:00Z on 1990-06-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 98 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
NaN m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
98 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
185 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 170248
SVRDSM
IAC091-109-170330-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
950 PM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1030 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA
          ...HUMBOLDT...SOUTHERN KOSSUTH
 
AT 950 PM...WEATHER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A LINE OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM EASTERN PALO-ALTO COUNTY TO EASTERN
POCAHONTAS COUNTY...OR FROM 30 MILES EAST OF SPENCER TO 25 MILES
NORTHWEST OF FORT DODGE.
 
THIS LINE OF STORMS WAS MOVING EAST AT 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR...AND
WILL BE AFFECTING THE CITIES OF ALGONA...OTTOSEN...BRADGATE...
AND HUMBOLDT.  SIGNIFICANT WIND DAMAGE IS VERY POSSIBLE WITH THE
PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS.  REMEMBER...STRAIGHT LINE WINDS FROM A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM CAN PRODUCE DAMAGE SIMILAR TO THAT OF A TORNADO.
 
WINDS OF OVER 70 MILES AN HOUR WERE REPORTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF
THESE STORMS IN THE SPENCER AREA.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
 
TRUETT

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, 8:17 PM CDT, 1 hour 33 minutes before
IAZALL-170145-

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

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF IOWA TONIGHT...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 7PM...
...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN IOWA UNTIL 100 AM SUNDAY MORNING...
...TORNADO WATCH FOR EXTREME NORTHWEST IOWA UNTIL 11 PM TONIGHT...

AT 810 PM...AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTHWEST
IOWA.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED FROM SIOUX CITY...NORTHEAST TO IOWA
GREAT LAKES NEAR SPRIT LAKE.  VERY HEAVY RAINS...SMALL HAIL AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

ANOTHER AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA.
THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED BETWEEN EDDYVILLE...OTTUMWA AND SOUTH TO
CENTERVILLE.  THE STORM NEAR ALBIA HAD DECREASE IN INTENISITY SINCE 745 PM.

THE STORMS OVER NORTHWEST IOWA WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR...
WHILE STORMS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL IOWPA WERE MOVING EAST AT 15 TO
20 MILES AN HOUR.

JM/BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 8:31 PM CDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
IAZALL-170145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION TO 2ND LINE OF HEADLINES
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
830 PM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF IOWA TONIGHT...
...TORNADO WATCH FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 1 AM SUNDAY MORNING...
...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN IOWA UNTIL 100 AM SUNDAY MORNING...
...TORNADO WATCH FOR EXTREME NORTHWEST IOWA UNTIL 11 PM TONIGHT...

AT 810 PM...AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTHWEST
IOWA.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED FROM SIOUX CITY...NORTHEAST TO IOWA
GREAT LAKES NEAR SPRIT LAKE.  VERY HEAVY RAINS...SMALL HAIL AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

ANOTHER AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA.
THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED BETWEEN EDDYVILLE...OTTUMWA AND SOUTH TO
CENTERVILLE.  THE STORM NEAR ALBIA HAD DECREASE IN INTENISITY SINCE 745 PM.

THE STORMS OVER NORTHWEST IOWA WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES ApN HOUR...
WHILE STORMS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA WERE MOVING EAST AT 15 TO
20 MILES AN HOUR.

JM/BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 8:52 PM CDT, 58 minutes before
IAZALL-170245-

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

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF IOWA TONIGHT...
...TORNADO WATCH FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 1 AM SUNDAY MORNING...
...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN IOWA UNTIL 100 AM SUNDAY MORNING...
...TORNADO WATCH FOR EXTREME NORTHWEST IOWA UNTIL 11 PM TONIGHT...

AT 835 PM...AN AREA OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS...WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS
WERE OVER NORTHWEST IOWA.  THESE STORMS EXTENDED FROM SIOUX CITY AND SOUTH
TO ONAWA OR 50 MILES NORTH OF COUNCIL BLUFFS.  SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
WERE ALSO OCCURRING BETWEEN ORANGE CITY AND SPRIT LAKE JUST WEST OF SPENCER.

ANOTHER AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA.
THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES EAST OF EDDYVILLE...SOUTHWEST TO
IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER NEAR CENTERVILLE.

THE STORMS OVER NORTHWEST IOWA WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR...

WHILE STORMS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA WERE MOVING EAST AT 15 TO
20 MILES AN HOUR.

JM/BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 9:15 PM CDT, 35 minutes before
IAZ001-005-009-170230-

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

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL IOWA...

AT 910 PM...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER
NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL IOWA.

THE LINE OF STORMS EXTENDED FROM THE SPIRIT LAKE...IOWA GREAT LAKES
AREA...TO JUST NORTH OF COUNCIL BLUFFS.

EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS...WINDS OF UP TO 50 MILES AN HOUR...AND SOME
SMALL HAIL HAS BEEN OCCURRING WITH THIS LINE OF STORMS.  SOME OF THESE
STORMS COULD POSSIBLY BECOME SEVERE AS WELL...WHICH MEANS WINDS OF
60 MILES AN HOUR AND GREATER...AND HAIL 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER OR
LARGER.

REMEMBER...TORNADO WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST IOWA UNTIL
11 PM...AND WESTERN IOWA UNTIL 1 AM.   PEOPLE IN NORTHWEST AND WEST
CENTRAL IOWA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT.

TRUETT
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 9:16 PM CDT, 34 minutes before
IAZALL-170245-

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

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF IOWA TONIGHT...
...TORNADO WATCH FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 1 AM SUNDAY MORNING...
...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN IOWA UNTIL 100 AM SUNDAY MORNING...
...TORNADO WATCH FOR EXTREME NORTHWEST IOWA UNTIL 11 PM TONIGHT...

AT 910 PM...A LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS...WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS
EXTENDED FROM THE IOWA GREAT LAKES NEAR SPENCER AND JUST EAST OF SIOUX CITY
IN NORTHWEST IOWA.   STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH...HAIL AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING IS LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS.

ANOTHER AREA OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA
...NEAR THE TOWNS OF CENTERVILLE...RATHBUN LAKE RECREATIONAL AREA AND
WEST OF BLOOMFIELD.  BOATERS AND CAMPERS ALONG THE RATHBUN LAKE AREA
SHOULD SEEK SAFE HARBOR OR SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.
/
THE STORMS OVER NORTHWEST IOWA WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST 30 TO 35
MPH...WHILE THE STORMS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA WERE MOVING EAST
SOUTHEAST AROUND 20 MILES AN HOUR.

JM/BARLOW
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 9:37 PM CDT, 13 minutes before
IAZALL-170300-

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

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF IOWA TONIGHT...
...TORNADO WATCH FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 1 AM SUNDAY MORNING...
...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN IOWA UNTIL 100 AM SUNDAY MORNING...
...TORNADO WATCH FOR EXTREME NORTHWEST IOWA UNTIL 11 PM TONIGHT...

AT 930 PM...A LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WAS OCCURRING OVER NORTH-
WEST IOWA.  THE STRONGEST OF THESE STORMS WAS NEAR STORM LAKE.  PEOPLE
IN THE CITIES LAURENS...POCAHONTAS...EMMETSBURG...AND SPENCER AREA SHOULD
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER.  SEVERAL REPORTS OF 60 TO 70 MPH
WINDS HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THE SPENCER AREA.

VERY HEAVY RAINS...HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH ARE LIKELY WITH
THESE STORMS.

JM
THE STORMS OVER NORTHWEST IOWA WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST 30 TO 35
MPH...WHILE THE STORMS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA WERE MOVING EAST
SOUTHEAST 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, 7:17 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXLucas18 min
Jun 16, 7:33 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXMonroe27 min
Jun 16, 9:03 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXAppanoose27 min
Jun 16, 9:29 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXBuena Vista31 min
Jun 16, 9:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXClay, Palo Alto, Pocahontas42 min
Jun 16, 9:45 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXAppanoose30 min
Jun 16, 9:57 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXVan Buren33 min
Jun 16, 9:57 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXMonroe33 min
Jun 16, 10:16 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXAppanoose, Davis, Monroe, Wapello29 min
Jun 16, 10:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXEmmet28 min
Jun 16, 10:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWebster, Wright45 min
Jun 16, 10:53 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXJones37 min
Jun 16, 10:53 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXJefferson, Van Buren37 min
Jun 16, 11:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHamilton49 min
Jun 16, 11:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJefferson, Van Buren26 min
Jun 16, 11:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAudubon28 min
Jun 17, 3:14 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXCrawford3 hr
Jun 17, 4:09 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXWashington3 hr

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.