Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1991

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 49, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 14, 1991Grundy County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 14, 1991, 10:36 AM CDT for Grundy County, Iowa. It was in force for 69 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
May 14, 1991, 10:36 AM CDT (15:36 UTC)
Expired
May 14, 1991, 11:45 AM CDT
In force
69 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Grundy County, IA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 14, 10:38 AM CDTHail 1.5Grundy, IA
May 14, 11:12 AM CDTHail 0.75Grundy, 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

Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 12:00Z, 3.6 hours before the alert went out and 280 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 12:00Z on 1991-05-14Temperature 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 12:00Z on 1991-05-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 120 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
3158 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
120 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
111 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 KALO 141540
SVRALO
IAC075-141645-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
1036 AM CDT TUE MAY 14 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WATERLOO HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1145 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN CENTRAL IOWA
 
   ...GRUNDY COUNTY
 
AT 1033 AM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM JUST ENTERING GRUNDY COUNTY...30 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF WATERLOO. THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING SLOWLY NORTH AT 10
MILES AN HOUR.
 
THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL PRODUCE 3/4 INCH HAIL OR LARGER AND
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES AN HOUR...INTENSE LIGHTNING AND
VERY HEAVY RAIN.  PEOPLE IN GRUNDY CENTER...WELLSBURG AND
CONRAD SHOULD BE READY TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO PROTECT
YOURSELF.
 
 
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A REINFORCED BUILDING.
STAY INSIDE AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.
DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
 
ROBB

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, May 14, 9:02 AM CDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
IAZALL-140540-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
8 55 AM CDT TUE MAY 14 1991

AT 8 45 AM...A NUMBER OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN CENTRAL
AND SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
ABOUT 15 MILES WIDE AND EXTENDING FROM JUST SOUTH OF BOONE...TO 10 MILES
SOUTH OF NEVADA...OR 30 MILES NORTHWEST THROUGH 20 MILES NORTH OF
DES MOINES. THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...AND HAIL.

THE THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA WERE LOCATED JUST WEST OF CHARITON
...OR ABOUT 35 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DES MOINES.  VERY HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL
WAS ALSO REPORTED NEAR LUCAS.

THE PRECIPITATcION WAS MOVING EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

SCOTT
Special weather statement, May 14, 9:57 AM CDT, 39 minutes before
IAZALL-140540-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
9 45 AM CDT TUE MAY 14 1991

AT 9 30 AM...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS AND HAIL WERE
LOCATED IN CENTRAL IOWA BETWEEN OGDEN AND NEWTON...OR 40 MILE NORTH
THROUGH 30 MILES EAST OF DES MOINES.  THIS AREA INCLUDED THE CITIES OF
BOONE...AMES...NEVADA...AND OGDEN.  IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAINS AND HAIL
...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MILES AN HOUR CAN BE
EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS AND HAIL WERE ALSO LOCATED IN SOUTH
CENTRAL IOWA BETWEEN CHARITON AND HUMESTON...ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTH OF
DES MOINES.

THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.
SCOTT
Special weather statement, May 14, 10:24 AM CDT, 12 minutes before
IAZALL-140540-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1020 AM CDT TUE MAY 14 1991

AT 10 15 AM...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS AND HAIL WERE
LOCATED IN CENTRAL IOWA IN A LARGE AREA MIDWAY BETWEEN DES MOINES AND
WATERLOO.  THE MOST INTENSE STORMS WERE LOCATED ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF
MARSHALLTOWN...OR MILES SOUTHWEST OF WATERLOO.  VERY HEAVY RAINS...HAIL
...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MILES AN HOUR CAN BE
EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS AND HAIL CONTINUED IN SOUTH CENTRAL
IOWA.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR CORYDON AND ALLERTON...ABOUT 50
MILES SOUTH OF DES MOINES.

THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.
SCOTT
Special weather statement, May 14, 10:29 AM CDT, 7 minutes before
IAZALL-140540-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1020 AM CDT TUE MAY 14 1991

AT 10 15 AM...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS AND HAIL WERE
LOCATED IN CENTRAL IOWA IN A LARGE AREA MIDWAY BETWEEN DES MOINES AND
WATERLOO.  THE MOST INTENSE STORMS WERE LOCATED ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF
MARSHALLTOWN...OR 40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WATERLOO.  VERY HEAVY RAINS...
HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MILES AN HOUR CAN
BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS AND HAIL CONTINUED IN SOUTH CENTRAL
IOWA.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR CORYDON AND ALLERTON...ABOUT 50
MILES SOUTH OF DES MOINES.

THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.
SCOTT

The office that day

Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 14, 8:33 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXLucas42 min
May 14, 8:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper, Polk, Story46 min
May 14, 9:03 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBoone42 min
May 14, 9:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXLucas45 min
May 14, 9:43 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMarshall47 min
May 14, 10:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWayne45 min
May 14, 10:50 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWayne40 min
May 14, 11:05 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAppanoose40 min
May 14, 11:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBuchanan58 min
May 14, 11:26 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBlack Hawk64 min
May 14, 12:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXFayette38 min
May 14, 12:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBlack Hawk41 min
May 14, 12:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBenton47 min
May 14, 1:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXLinn44 min
May 14, 1:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBuchanan33 min
May 14, 1:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXLinn45 min
May 14, 1:40 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXLinn35 min
May 14, 1:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBenton21 min
May 14, 2:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBenton66 min
May 14, 5:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWright40 min
May 14, 5:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCerro Gordo, Hancock68 min
May 14, 5:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWright41 min
May 14, 6:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXPolk, Warren63 min
May 14, 6:56 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXPolk34 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 1991Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1991

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.