Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1990
Tornado Warning 6, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Mar 13, 1990, 8:30 PM CST for Story County, Iowa. It was in force for 35 min. 2 reports 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
- Mar 13, 1990, 8:30 PM CST (02:30 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 13, 1990, 9:05 PM CST
- In force
- 35 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Story 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 8:36 PM CST | Tornado F3 | Story, IA | |
| Mar 13, 8:48 PM CST | Thunderstorm Wind 50 | Story, 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
Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 2.5 hours before the alert went out and 254 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
- 3595 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 87 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 98 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 140231
TORDSM
IAC169-140315-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
830 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 915 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN CENTRAL IOWA
...EASTERN STORY
AT 824 PM...A POLK COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY OBSERVED A TORNADO ON THE
GROUND IN THE VICINITY OF ELKHART IN NORTHERN POLK. NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THIS STORM CONTINUED TO MOVE NORTHEAST AT 40
MILES AN HOUR...AND WAS LOCATED 20 TO 25 MILES NORTH OF THE CITY OF
DES MOINES AT 825 PM.
THIS STORM WILL AFFECT THE TOWNS AND CITIES OF MAXWELL...CAMBRIDGE...
IOWA CENTER...AND NEVADA.
IF YOU LIVE IN A HOME OR APARTMENT...SEEK SHELTER IN THE
INNERMOST PORTION OF THE BUILDING ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. GET TO
A BASEMENT IF ONE IS AVAILABLE. AVOID WINDOWS AND PROTECT YOUR
BODY FROM FLYING DEBRIS WITH CUSHIONS...BLANKETS...OR PILLOWS.
DOWDThe office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 6:09 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Boone, Dallas, Polk | 46 min |
| Mar 13, 7:40 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Hamilton | 35 min |
| Mar 13, 7:48 PM CST | Tornado Warning | DMX | Hamilton | 52 min |
| Mar 13, 8:12 PM CST | Tornado Warning | DMX | Polk | 25 min |
| Mar 13, 9:04 PM CST | Tornado Warning | DMX | Hardin | 26 min |
| Mar 13, 11:02 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Crawford | 28 min |
| Mar 13, 11:44 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Buena Vista, Clay | 31 min |
| Mar 14, 12:20 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Cass, Greene, Guthrie | 25 min |
| Mar 14, 12:45 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Greene | 35 min |
| Mar 14, 12:45 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Cass | 35 min |
| Mar 14, 12:45 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Guthrie | 40 min |
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.