Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1991
Tornado Warning 4, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Mar 22, 1991, 5:02 PM CST for Hardin County, Iowa. It was in force for 28 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 22, 1991, 5:02 PM CST (23:02 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 22, 1991, 5:30 PM CST
- In force
- 28 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Hardin County, IA
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 22, 5:25 PM CST | Tornado F2 | Hardin, IA | |
| Mar 22, 5:30 PM CST | Tornado F1 | Hardin, 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, 11.0 hours before the alert went out and 276 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
- 543 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 25 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 57 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 108 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 222304 TORDSM IAC083-222330- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 502 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 530 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN CENTRAL IOWA ...SOUTHERN HARDIN COUNTY... AT 500 PM CST A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING INTO HARDIN THE STORM HAS PRODUCED BRIEF TOUCHDOWNS OF TORNADOES. THE STORM WAS ENTERING SOUTHWESTERN HARDIN COUNTY. CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WARNING WERE GARDEN CITY...HUBBARD...RADCLIFFE AND NEW PROVIDENCE...ALL SOME 40 TO 50 MILES NORTHEAST OF DES MOINES. THE TORNADO WARNING FOR STORY COUNTY HAS EXPIRED...AND NO WARNINGS ARE EFFECT FOR STORY COUNTY AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER THE TORNADO WATCH FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CST. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION. ACT QUICKLY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIPS 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 AND 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, 2:49 PM CST, 2 hours 13 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 48 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, 1 hour 22 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, 37 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, 29 minutes 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
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 4:45 PM CST, 17 minutes before
IAZALL-222340- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 344 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST IOWA UNTIL 9 PM... AT 432 PM...A 20 MILE WIDE BAND OF SCATTERED VERY INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM SOUTH CENTRAL INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE STORMS WERE LOCATED FROM 30 MILES EAST OF LAMONI...TO 40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MASON CITY NEAR EAGLE GROVE. THESE STORMS HAVE BEEN PRODUCING PEA TO MARBLE SIZE AND LARGER HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING. THE STORMS WERE PART OF AN AREA OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WEST TWO THIRDS OF IOWA...GENERALLY WEST OF A LINE F2ROM OTTUMWA TO WATERLOO. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. JAK
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, 4:34 PM CST | Tornado Warning | DMX | Story | 26 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.