Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 8, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 13, 1990, 12:38 PM CST for Wright County, Iowa. It was in force for 17 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Mar 13, 1990, 12:38 PM CST (18:38 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 13, 1990, 12:55 PM CST
- In force
- 17 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Wright 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, 6.6 hours before the alert went out and 236 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1580 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 60 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 53 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 343 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KDSM 131839
SVRDSM
IAC197-131915-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1238 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 115 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA
...NORTHWESTERN WRIGHT
AT 1230 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
ALONG THE WRIGHT...HUMBOLDT COUNTY LINE NEAR GOLDFIELD...SOME 20 MILES
NORTHEAST OF FORT DODGE.
THE STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR...AND WILL AFFECT
THE CITIES OF HOLMES...BELMOND...AND CLARION.
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING. REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM THE WEATHER IN }A
STRONG BUILDING. DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...
AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
STAY INSIDE AWAY FROM WINDOWS 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, Mar 13, 10:12 AM CST, 2 hours 26 minutes before
IAZALL-131700- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1010 AM CST TUE MAR 13 1990 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE SOUTH HALF OF IOWA TODAY... AT 1005 AM...AN ISOLATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORM HAD ENTERED EXTREME WEST CENTRAL IOWA FROM NEBRASKA. THE STORM WAS JUST SOUTH OF ONAWA... ABOUT MIDWAY BETWEEN SIOUX CITY AND OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS. IN ADDITION TO THE EXTREME RAINS...THIS STORM WAS PRODUCING MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUST OF 40 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR. ALSO...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM WEST CENTRAL INTO NORTHEAST IOWA. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. THE INTENSE STORM SHOULD MOVE INTO THE MAPLETON AREA BY 11AM. AND SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER ACROSS THE NORTHWEST HALF OF IOWA. KS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 10:58 AM CST, 1 hour 40 minutes before
IAZALL-131800- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1055 AM CST TUE MAR 13 1990 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE SOUTH HALF OF IOWA TODAY... AT 1035 AM...ISOLATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST IOWA. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR MONDAMIN ...25 MILES NORTH OF OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS AND 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MAPLETON...OR 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SIOUX CITY. THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCING WINDS OF 50 MILES AN HOUR...SMALL HAIL AND COPIUS AMOUNTS OF RAIN. THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS THAT EXTENDED FROM 15 MILES NORTH OF OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS NEAR MISSOURI VALLEY NORTHEAST TO MANSON OR ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF FORT DODGE. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. PEOPLE LIVING IN THE DENISON...MAPLETON AND IDA GROVE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THESE STORMS AS THEY WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINS WHICH COULD CREATE FLOODING IN LOWLYING AREAS...VERY QUICKLY. CAB/KS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 11:01 AM CST, 1 hour 37 minutes before
IAZALL-131800- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1055 AM CST TUE MAR 13 1990 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE SOUTH HALF OF IOWA TODAY... AT 1035 AM...ISOLATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST IOWA. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR MONDAMIN ...25 MILES NORTH OF OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS AND 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MAPLETON...OR 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SIOUX CITY. THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCING WINDS OF 50 MILES AN HOUR...SMALL HAIL AND COPIUS AMOUNTS OF RAIN. THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS THAT EXTENDED FROM 15 MILES NORTH OF OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS NEAR MISSOURI VALLEY NORTHEAST TO MANSON OR ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF FORT DODGE. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. PEOPLE LIVING IN THE DENISON...MAPLETON AND IDA GROVE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THESE STORMS AS THEY WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINS WHICH COULD CREATE FLOODING IN LOWLYING AREAS...VERY QUICKLY. CAB/KS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 11:26 AM CST, 1 hour 12 minutes before
IAZALL-131800- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1120 AM CST TUE MAR 13 1990 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE SOUTH HALF OF IOWA TODAY... AT 1110 AM...ISOLATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST IOWA. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED 65 TO 80 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES. THEY WERE LOCATED WITHIN A 10 MILE RADIUS OF DENISON...ANOTHER WAS 3 MILES WEST OF SAC CITY AND STILL ANOTHER WAS LOCATED 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CARROLL. THESE STORMS HAVE BEEN PRODUCING WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR... SMALL HAIL AND EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS. THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS THAT EXTENDED FROM 55 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES...NEAR EXIRA NORTH TO AROUND ALGONA...OR ABOUT 35 MILES WEST OF MASON CITY. ISOLATED SHOWERS HAD DEVELOPED OVER CENTRAL IOWA AROUND THE AMES AND MARSHALLTOWN AREAS. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. PEOPLE LIVING IN AN AREA BOUNDED BY THE CITIES OF FORT DODGE... STORM LAKE AND DENSISON SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER...AS THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINS AND QUICKLY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS. CAB/KS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 11:47 AM CST, 51 minutes before
IAZALL-131830- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1145 AM CST TUE MAR 13 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR A LARGE PART OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN IOWA UNTIL 6 PM... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE SOUTH HALF OF IOWA TODAY... AT 1135 AM...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED OVER WEST CENTRAL INTO NORTHWEST IOWA. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED IN AN AREA BOUNDED BY THE CITIES OF STORM LAKE...MANILLA AND JEFFERSON. STORM LAKE IS 30 MILES SOUTH OF SPENCER...MANILLA IS 70 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES...WHILE JEFFERSON IS LOCATED 45 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE DES MOINES AREA. ALTHOUGH THESE STORMS HAVE WEAKENED SINCE 11 AM THEY ARE STILL CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL AND WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR. ELSEWHERE WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS WERE OCCURRING BETWEEN AMES... WEBSTER CITY AND MARSHALLTOWN...ALL SOME 25 TO 50 MILES NORTH AND NORTHEAST OF DES MOINES. THE SHOWERS AND STOR MS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. SOME FLOODING IS POSSIBLE WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS ...PARTICULALRLY IN LOW LYING AREAS AROUND CARROLL...LAKE CITY AND STORM LAKE. CAB/KS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 12:13 PM CST, 25 minutes before
IAZALL-131900- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1210 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR A LARGE PART OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN IOWA UNTIL 6 PM... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE SOUTH HALF OF IOWA TODAY... AT 1205 PM...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED FROM WEST CENTRAL INTO NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED PRIMARILY BETWEEN STORM LAKE...LAKE CITY...WEBSTER CITY AND HUMBOLDT...OR WITHIN A 45 MILE RADIUS OF FORT DODGE. THESE STORMS HAVE WEAKENED CONSIDERABLY SINCE 1130 AM...HOWEVER BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL AND 30 TO 40 MILE AN HOUR WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS. THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS IN AN AREA BOUNDED BY THE CITIES OF OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS NORTHEAST TO SPENCER THEN SOUTHWEST TO IOWA FALLS. IOWA FALLS OR ABOUT 35 TO 40 MILES WEST OF WATERLOO. ISOLATED SHOWERS WERE LOCATED OVER SOUTHWESPT IOWA...NEAR BEDFORD... 70 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WEERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. CAB/KAS
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 8:55 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Madison, Polk | 50 min |
| Mar 12, 11:17 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Appanoose, Monroe | 33 min |
| Mar 12, 11:28 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Lucas, Wayne | 20 min |
| Mar 12, 11:53 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Clarke, Decatur, Lucas | 52 min |
| Mar 13, 1:33 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Poweshiek | 27 min |
| Mar 13, 1:51 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Tama | 39 min |
| Mar 13, 1:55 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Carroll | 35 min |
| Mar 13, 2:28 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Calhoun | 42 min |
| Mar 13, 2:31 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Black Hawk | 49 min |
| Mar 13, 3:24 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Davis | 36 min |
| Mar 13, 3:42 PM CST | Tornado Warning | DMX | Davis | 18 min |
| Mar 13, 3:57 PM CST | Tornado Warning | DMX | Jefferson, Van Buren | 33 min |
| Mar 13, 4:18 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Bremer | 22 min |
| Mar 13, 4:18 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Chickasaw | 47 min |
| Mar 13, 5:11 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Washington | 49 min |
| Mar 13, 5:16 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Johnson | 29 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.