Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1991
Tornado Warning 7, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Apr 26, 1991, 8:19 PM CDT for Sac County, Iowa. It was in force for 56 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
- Apr 26, 1991, 8:19 PM CDT (01:19 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 26, 1991, 9:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 56 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Sac County, IA
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26, 8:20 PM CDT | Hail 1.75 | Sac, IA | |
| Apr 26, 8:30 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 70 | Sac, 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 00:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 300 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
- 1609 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 24 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 212 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 433 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 270120 TORDSM IAC161-270145- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 819 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 845 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA ...SOUTHEASTERN SAC COUNTY A POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND NEAR LAKE VIEW WHICH IS 75 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES INJ WEST CENTRAL IOWA. THE TORNADO WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. PEOPLE IN THE TOWNS OF WALL LAKE...LAKE VIEW...CARNARVON AND SAC CITY ARE IN THE DIRECT PATH OF THIS TORNADO. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A BASEMENT. GET[ UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS... OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.
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, Apr 26, 5:07 PM CDT, 3 hours 12 minutes before
IAZALL-262235- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND IOWA WEATHER UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 508 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN IOWA UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS FRIDAY EVENING. WIDELY SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS CONTINUED TO SPREAD INTO SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL IOWA. THESE SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. THE OUTLOOK THROUGH 6PM...THE SKY WILL REMAIN CLOUDY TO MOSTLYn CLOUDY STATEWIDE. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD INTO SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL IOWA. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE SOME SMALL HAIL AND BRIEF STRONG GUSTY WIND...AS WELL AS FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. JAK/WPM
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 5:34 PM CDT, 2 hours 45 minutes before
IAZALL-262335- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 534 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN IOWA UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS FRIDAY EVENING. AT 527 PM CDT...SCATTERED SHOWERS CONTINUED OVER EXTREME WEST CENTRAL IOWA...BETWEEN COUNCIL BLUFFS/OMAHA AND SIOUX CITY. THESE SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. JAK/WPM
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 6:06 PM CDT, 2 hours 13 minutes before
IAZALL-270035- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND IOWA WEATHER UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 605 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF WESTERN IOWA UNTIL MIDNIGHT THIS FRIDAY EVENING. NUMEROUS SHOWERS CONTINUED OVER WEST CENTRAL IOWA...IN A 45 MILE WIDE AREA...CENTERED FROM 40 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SIOUX CITY... TO 15 MILES NORTH OF COUNCIL BLUFFS. THESE SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. THE OUTLOOK THROUGH 7 PM...IS FOR CONTINUED INCREASING COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER ABOUT THE WEST ONE-THIRD OF IOWA. THE SKY WILL REMAIN MOSTLY CLOUDY STATEWIDE. JAK/WPM
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 6:42 PM CDT, 1 hour 37 minutes before
IAZALL-270135- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 740 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF WESTERN IOWA UNTIL MIDNIGHT THIS FRIDAY EVENING. AT 727 PM CDT...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED RAPIDLY OVER WEST CENTRAL IOWA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED IN ABOUT A 20 MILE WIDE AREA...CENTERED FROM NEAR ADAIR...OR 50 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES...TO NEAR MANILLA...OR 50 MILES NORTHEAST OF COUNCIL BLUFFS...TO JUST NORTH OF COUNCIL BLUFFS. THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...HAVE BEEN PRODUCING SOME LARGE HAIL...FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND COULD ALSO PRODUCE BRIEF STRONG GUSTY WIND. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. . PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. JAK/WPM
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 7:51 PM CDT, 28 minutes before
IAZALL-270135- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 750 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF WESTERN IOWA UNTIL MIDNIGHT THIS FRIDAY EVENING. AT 727 PM CDT...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER EXTREME WEST CENTRAL IOWA...IN A 10 MILE WIDE AREA...FROM NEAR MAPLETON...30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SIOUX CITY...TO JUST NORTH OF COUNCIL BLUFFS. THESE INTENSE STORMS...WERE PRODUCING BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN... FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND COULD ALSO PRODUCE SOME LARGE HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WIND. OVER THE REMAINDER OF ABOUT THE WEST HALF OF IOWA...NUMEROUST SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THESE NUMEROUS STRONG THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING CONDITIONS...AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APP.ROACH. JAK/WPM
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 8:05 PM CDT, 14 minutes before
IAZALL-270200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND IOWA WEAHTER UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 805 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE WEST HALF OF IOWA UNTIL 2 AM SATURDAY MORNING...AND FOR EXTREME NORTHWEST IOWA UNTIL MIDNIGHT THIS FRIDAY EVENING... WIDELY SCATTERED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST IOWA. IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA...THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED IN ABOUT A 20 MILE WIDE AREA...FROM NEAR DENNISON...OR 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SIOUX CITY...TO NEAR SAC CITY...OR 45 MILES WEST OF FORT DODGE. IN SOUTHWEST IOWA...THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED IN ABOUT A 10 MILE WIDE BAND...CENTERED FROM JUST NORTHEAST OF VALISCA ...60 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COUNCIL BLUFFS...SOUTH TO THE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER. OVER THE REMAINDER OF ABOUT THE WEST HALF OF IOWA...NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THESE NUMEROUS STRONG THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING CONDITIONS...AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH. THE OUTLOOK THROUGH 9 CPM IS FOR CONTINUED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUED OVER ABOUT THE WEST HALF OF IOWA...WITH A MOSTLY CLOUDY SKY ELSEWHERE. JAK/WPM
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26, 7:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Crawford | 32 min |
| Apr 26, 7:49 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Crawford | 26 min |
| Apr 26, 8:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Buena Vista | 29 min |
| Apr 26, 8:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Ringgold | 30 min |
| Apr 26, 9:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Decatur | 35 min |
| Apr 26, 9:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Clarke | 41 min |
| Apr 26, 9:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Polk, Warren | 44 min |
| Apr 26, 10:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Lucas, Wayne | 31 min |
| Apr 26, 11:18 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Wayne | 27 min |
| Apr 26, 11:23 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Lucas | 37 min |
| Apr 27, 12:02 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Mahaska, Marion, Monroe | 28 min |
| Apr 27, 1:30 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Mahaska | 45 min |
| Apr 27, 2:04 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Iowa | 41 min |
| Apr 27, 2:04 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Keokuk | 15 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.