Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1991
Tornado Warning 3, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Mar 22, 1991, 4:34 PM CST for Story County, Iowa. It was in force for 26 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
- Mar 22, 1991, 4:34 PM CST (22:34 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 22, 1991, 5:00 PM CST
- In force
- 26 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Story County, IA
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 22, 4:42 PM CST | Tornado F0 | 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 (KOVN), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 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
- 1611 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 84 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 362 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 392 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 222233 TORDSM IAC169-222300- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 434 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 500 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN CENTRAL IOWA ...STORY COUNTY AT 430 PM CST REPORTS INDICATED A TORNADO IN SOUTHERN STORY COUNTY AROUND HIGHWAY 210 CLOSE TO HUXLEY IOWA...SOME 20 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES. THE STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES AN HOUR. THESE TORNADOES WERE CONTINUING TO TOUCHDOWN AND GO BACK UP IN THE CLOUDS RATHER RAPIDLY. THIS WARNING REPLACES THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR STORY COUNTY. FORSTER THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION. ACT QUICKLY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF AVAILABLE. OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE. AVOID WINDOWS. ABANDON CARS AN!D MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado 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 22, 2:22 PM CST, 2 hours 12 minutes before
IAZALL-222130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER UPDATE FOR IOWA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 220 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL ... AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 7 PM... AT 2 PM...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER PARTS OF SOUTHWEST IOWA SOUTH OF ATLANTIC. THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN... SMALL HAIL AND STRONG WINDS. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO OCCURRING NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM CORNING TO NORTHWEST OF WATERLOO. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NORTHWEST HALF OF IOWA THROUGH 3 PM. JAK
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 2:49 PM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes before
IAZALL-222145- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 245 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL ... AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 7 PM... AT 234 PM...A TEN MILE WIDE BAND OF WIDELY SCATTERED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL IOWA. THE STORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR CUMBERLAND...60 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES...TO 50 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES NEAR WEBSTER CITY. VERY HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL AND STRONG WINDS WERE REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO LOCATED OVER MUCH OF THE NORTHWEST TWO THIRDS OF IOWA...NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM OTTUMWA TO CEDAR RAPIDS. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. JAK
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 3:14 PM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
IAZALL-222210- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 312 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL ... AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 7 PM... AT 3 PM...A 15 MILE WIDE BAND OF SCATTERED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM SOUTHWEST INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE STORMS EXTENDED FROM 50 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES NEAR ANITA...TO 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MASON CITY NEAR EAGLE GROVE. THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING. THE STORMS WERE PART OF AN AREA OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER MUCH OF IOWA...GENERALLY WEST OF A LINE FROM BURLINGTON TO DECORAH. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. JAK
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 3:40 PM CST, 54 minutes before
IAZALL-222240- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 340 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL ... AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 7 PM... AT 329 PM...A 15 MILE WIDE BAND OF SCATTERED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM CENTRAL INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE STORMS EXTENDED FROM ADAIR...45 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES...TO JUST NORTH OF FORT DODGE. THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING. THE STORMS WERE PART OF AN AREA OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER MUCH OF IOWA. MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS LOCATED WEST OF A LINE FROM OTTUMWA TO WATERLOO. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. JAK
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 4:25 PM CST, 9 minutes before
IAZALL-222320- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER UPDATE FOR IOWA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 425 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 9 PM... AT 415 PM...A 15 MILE WIDE LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM SOUTH CENTRAL INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE STORMS EXTENDED FROM LAMONI TO 40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MASON CITY NEAR EAGLE GROVE. SEVERAL OF THESE STORMS HAVE BEEN PRODUCING PEA TO MARBLE SIZE AND LARGER HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING. THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER MUCH OF IOWA. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. JAK
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 4:33 PM CST, 1 minute before
IAZ002-003-007-221600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 433 PM CST TUE MAR 19 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 CST FOR CENTRAL IOWA... AT 4 PM NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED IN NORTHEAST IOWA. A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATE 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF HAMPTON OR 30 MILES NORTH OF WATERLOO. THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR AND MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. THIS STORM WAS PART OF A LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS AN THUNDERSTORMS WEST OF A LINE FROM DECORAH TO HAMPTON TO ELDORA AND TO THE IOWA-MISSOURI BORDER SOUTH OF SEYMOUR. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. TS
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 22, 2:08 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Cass | 67 min |
| Mar 22, 3:10 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Guthrie | 50 min |
| Mar 22, 3:58 PM CST | Tornado Warning | DMX | Boone | 32 min |
| Mar 22, 4:14 PM CST | Tornado Warning | DMX | Boone | 29 min |
| Mar 22, 4:24 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Story | 36 min |
| Mar 22, 5:02 PM CST | Tornado Warning | DMX | Hardin | 28 min |
| Mar 22, 5:15 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Appanoose, Davis | 27 min |
| Mar 22, 5:28 PM CST | Tornado Warning | DMX | Grundy | 47 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 1991Every tornado warning in 1991Tornadoes 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.