Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 29, NWS Des Moines, IA

June 16, 19904 counties in Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Jun 16, 1990, 10:16 PM CDT for 4 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 29 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jun 16, 1990, 10:16 PM CDT (03:16 UTC)
Expired
Jun 16, 1990, 10:45 PM CDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Appanoose County, IA, Davis County, IA, Monroe County, IA, Wapello County, IA

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jun 16, 10:40 PM CDTTornado F0Wapello, IA

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 3.3 hours before the alert went out and 331 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, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 1990-06-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3235 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 1990-06-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 54 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
3235 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1012 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
54 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
260 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.2
Supercell composite
14.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 170326 COR
TORDSM
IAC007-179-051-135-170345-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING...CORRECTION TO CHANGE TO NORTHWEST DAVIS COUNTY...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1016 PM CDT SAT JUN 16 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1045 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES

   IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL PART OF IOWA
      NORTHEAST APPANOOSE...SOUTHEAST MONROE...

   IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF IOWA
      SOUTHWEST WAPELLO...NORTHWEST DAVIS...

RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF CELLS ROTATING AROUND IN THE AREA
OF SOUTHEAST MONROE...SOUTHWEST WAPELLO...NORTHWEST APPANOOSE
AND NORTHWEST DAVIS COUNTIES.  THE AREA OF THE STORMS WAS
SHOWING LITTLE MOVEMENT.  AT 1000 PM A POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS
REPORTED 5 MILES EAST OF ALBIA...ABOUT 15 MILES EAST OF OTTUMWA.
THIS CLUSTER OF STORMS HAS ALREADY PRODUCED NUMEROUS REPORTS
OF FUNNEL CLOUDS AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS IN A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.  IF
NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE
LOWEST FLOOR.  IF YOU ARE IN A VEHICLE OR MOBILE HOME...LEAVE IT AT
ONCE AND TAKE SHELTER IN A REINFORCED BUILDING OR IN A DITCH.

ELLIS

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, 9:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHumboldt, Kossuth40 min
Jun 16, 9:57 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXVan Buren33 min
Jun 16, 9:57 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXMonroe33 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

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 1990Every tornado warning in 1990Tornadoes 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.