Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1992

Tornado Warning 20, NWS Des Moines, IA

July 15, 1992Webster County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Jul 15, 1992, 7:05 PM CDT for Webster County, Iowa. It was in force for 40 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 15, 1992, 7:05 PM CDT (00:05 UTC)
Expired
Jul 15, 1992, 7:45 PM CDT
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Webster County, IA

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOVN), launched 00:00Z, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 219 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 00:00Z on 1992-07-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1427 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 00:00Z on 1992-07-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 66 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1427 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-91 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
684 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
66 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
124 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
4.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 160005
TORDSM
IAC187-160045-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
705 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  745 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN CENTRAL IOWA
 
   ...WEBSTER COUNTY
 
AT 700 PM CDT...A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS SIGHTED JUST SOUTH OF THE FORT DODGE
AIRPORT. IT WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. PEOPLE FORT
DODGE...COALVILLE...AND OTHO ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM.
 
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 ROOXM
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, Jul 15, 6:03 PM CDT, 1 hour 2 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, 52 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, 40 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, 39 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
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 6:47 PM CDT, 18 minutes before
IAZALL-160040-

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

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

AT 630 PM CDT...A LINE OF SCATTERED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED
OVER THE WEST HALF OF IOWA.  THE LINE OF STORMS WAS 60 MILES WIDE AND WAS
CENTERED FROM THE IOWA/MINNESOTA BORDER 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF MASON CITY
...TO 45 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES NEAR GUTHRIE CENTER...TO 45 MILES WEST
OF LAMONI.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS OCCURRING 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES
MOINES NEAR GREENFIELD.  PEA TO DIME SIZED HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 70
MILES AN HOUR WERE REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

RICHTER/FILLBACH
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 6:50 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
IAZALL-160045-

SPECIAL WEATHER
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
650 PM CDT WED JUL 15 1992

A SMALL PART OF THE TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHWEST IOWA HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES HAVE BEEN CLEARED FROM THE WATCH...

HARRISON...POTTAWATTAMIE...AND MILLS.

THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN THE EAST PART OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY...BUT
THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER HAS SHIFTED TO EAST.

THE REMAINDER OF THE TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM
THIS EVENING.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 15, 7:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHamilton, Wright26 min
Jul 15, 7:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHamilton46 min
Jul 15, 8:30 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXDecatur, Ringgold, Taylor, Union2 hr
Jul 15, 9:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAppanoose, Wayne40 min
Jul 15, 9:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXPolk, Story49 min
Jul 15, 9:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXLucas, Monroe46 min
Jul 15, 9:15 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXBoone2 hr
Jul 15, 9:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDavis, Van Buren49 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.