Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 9, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 13, 1990, 1:33 PM CST for Poweshiek County, Iowa. It was in force for 27 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Mar 13, 1990, 1:33 PM CST (19:33 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 13, 1990, 2:00 PM CST
- In force
- 27 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Poweshiek 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, 7.6 hours before the alert went out and 322 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
- 3580 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 59 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 361 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 336 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 131932
SVRDSM
IAC157-132000-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
133 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 200 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN CENTRAL IOWA
...NORTHWESTERN POWESHIEK
AT 130 PM...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER WEST
CENTRAL POWESHIEK COUNTY JUST SOUTH OF GRINNELL...OR ABOUT 50 MILES
EAST OF DES MOINES.
THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR...AND WILL BE
AFFECTING THE CITY OF GRINNELL...AND AREAS EAST OF GRINNELL.
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 COVERS TH?E 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, Mar 13, 11:26 AM CST, 2 hours 7 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, 1 hour 46 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, 1 hour 20 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
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 12:54 PM CST, 39 minutes before
IAZALL-131930- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1253 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 1235 AM...A INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 70 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES OR JUST NORTHWEST OF CLARION. LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND 35 TO 45 MILE AN HOURS WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WAS PART OF A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS MOVING FROM NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE AREA WAS 70 MILES WIDE AND IT EXTENDED FROM AMES...25 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES NORTH TO THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDER...40 MILES NKORTHWEST OF MASON CITY. ELSEWHERE SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE BECOMING MORE NUMEROUS OVER PARTS OF SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR... AS AREAL COVERAGE OVER IOWA WAS INCREASING RAPIDLY. CAB/KS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 12:58 PM CST, 35 minutes before
IAZALL-131930- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1253 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 1235 PM...A INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 70 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES OR JUST NORTHWEST OF CLARION. LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND 35 TO 45 MILE AN HOURS WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WAS PART OF A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS MOVING FROM NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE AREA WAS 70 MILES WIDE AND IT EXTENDED FROM AMES...25 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES NORTH TO THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDER...40 MILES NORTHWEST OF MASON CITY. ELSEWHERE SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE BECOMING MORE NUMEROUS OVER PARTS OF SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR... AS AREAL COVERAGE OVER IOWA WAS INCREASING RAPIDLY. CAB/KS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 1:15 PM CST, 18 minutes before
IAZALL-132000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 112 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 105 PM...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER ALL BUT THE FAR NORTHWEST...FAR NORTHEAST AND FAR SOUTHEAST COUNTIES OF IOWA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED JUST NORTH OF ELDORA AND BETWEEN IOWA FALLS AND CLARION. ELDORA IS ABOUT 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WATERLOO...WHILE CLARION AND IOWA FALLS ARE SOME 35 TO 40 MILES SOUTHWEST THROUGH SOUTH OF MASON CITY. BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL AND 30 TO 40 MILE AN HOURS WINDS I.S LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR...WITH A CONTINUED INCREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE OVER IOWA. CAB/KS
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, 12:38 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Wright | 17 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.