Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1992

Tornado Warning 18, NWS Des Moines, IA

July 15, 1992Cass County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Jul 15, 1992, 6:45 PM CDT for Cass County, Iowa. It was in force for 45 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 15, 1992, 6:45 PM CDT (23:45 UTC)
Expired
Jul 15, 1992, 7:30 PM CDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Cass County, IA

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOVN), launched 12:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 120 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 1992-07-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 190 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 1992-07-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 208 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
190 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-258 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1188 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
208 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
254 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 152351
TORDSM
IAC029-160030-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
645 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  730 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHWEST IOWA
 
   ...SOUTHERN CASS COUNTY
 
AT 641 PM CDT...CASS COUNTY OFFICIALS REPORTED A BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN
NEAR LEWIS...OR 45 MILES EAST OF OMAHA. THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST
AT 30 MPH.
 
TOWNS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE GRISWOLD...LYMAN AND MASSENA.
 
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.
 
KALLMAN

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, Jul 15, 5:42 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
538 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992

AT 545 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BANCROFT
IOWA...50 MILES EAST OF FOREST CITY. THIS STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 35
MILES AN HOUR AND WILL AFFECT BUFFALO CENTER AND BRITT IOWA IN THE NEXT
HOUR. THIS STORM WILL LIKELY PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS...DEADLY
LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL...AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS AS IT MOVES THROUGH
THESE AR~EAS.
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 5:46 PM CDT, 59 minutes before
IAZALL-152340-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
545 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992

...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM CDT...

AT 530 PM CDT...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER
THE WEST HALF OF IOWA.  THE STORMS WERE WEST OF A LINE EXTENDING FROM
THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDER NORTH OF MASON CITY...TO 20 MILES WEST OF
DES MOINES AT ADEL...TO LAMONI.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED
15 MILES SOUTHWES OF SHENANDOAH...55 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES...
15 MILES SOUTH OF HARLAN IN SHELBY COUNTY...AND BETWEEN SPIRIT LAKE AND
POCAHONTAS.  PEA TO MARBLE SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

RICHTER/FILLBACH
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 6:03 PM CDT, 42 minutes before
IAC081-191-160000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
600 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992

AT 6 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 20 MILES EAST OF
FOREST CITY. THIS STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL
AFFECT THE FOREST CITY AREA IN THE NEXT HOUR. THIS STORM WILL LIKELY
PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS...DEADLY LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL... AND STRONG
GUSTY WINDS AS IT MOVES THROGH THIS AREA.
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 6:13 PM CDT, 32 minutes before
IAZALL-150015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
611 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992

...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM CDT...

AT 6 PM CDT...SCATTERED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER
THE WEST HALF OF IOWA.  THE STORMS WERE LOCATED 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF
POCAHONTAS...AND WITHIN A 15 MILE WIDE AREA THAT WAS CENTERED FROM
40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES NEAR GREENFIELD TO 25 MILES EAST OF
COUNCIL BLUFFS/OMAHA.  IN ADDITION...AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED
35 MILES WEST OF LAMONI NEAR BEDFORD.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN...
DEADLY LIGHTNING...PEA TO DIME SIZED HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS.

WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR...THE ISOLATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS LEADING EDGE
WILL BE LOCATED AT A LINE EXTENDING FROM 40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MASON CITY
...TO 25 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES...TO LAMONI.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

RICHTER
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 6:25 PM CDT, 20 minutes before
IAZ006>011-016>019-026>029-038>040-160200-

WEATHER UPDATE FOR NORTHEAST IOWA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
620 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...

AT 610 PM SHOWERS AND SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING
INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN THE
FOREST CITY AREA SOME 20 NORTHWEST OF MASON CITY.

THESE THUNDESTORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...
S
TRONG GUSTY WINDS AND DEADLY LIGHTNING.

THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO THE MASON CITY AND
MANLY AREA BY 7 PM CDT AND WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MILES
AN HOUR.

MG
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 6:26 PM CDT, 19 minutes before
IAZ006>011-016>019-026>029-038>040-160200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND WEATHER UPDATE FOR NORTHEAST IOWA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
620 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...

AT 610 PM SHOWERS AND SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING
INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN THE
FOREST CITY AREA SOME 20 NORTHWEST OF MASON CITY.

THESE THUNDESTORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...
STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND DEADLY LIGHTNING.

THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO THE MASON CITY AND
MANLY AREA BY 7 PM CDT AND WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MILES
AN HOUR.

MG

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 15, 5:52 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXAudubon, Cass53 min
Jul 15, 6:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdair, Union40 min
Jul 15, 6:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXTaylor41 min
Jul 15, 6:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXRinggold51 min
Jul 15, 6:56 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXUnion34 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 1992Every tornado warning in 1992Tornadoes in 1992

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.