Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1992

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS Sioux Falls, SD

May 16, 1992Plymouth County, Iowa

NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 16, 1992, 7:38 PM CDT for Plymouth County, Iowa. It was in force for 37 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 16, 1992, 7:38 PM CDT (00:38 UTC)
Expired
May 16, 1992, 8:15 PM CDT
In force
37 min
Issued by
NWS Sioux Falls, SD
Area
Whole counties

County Plymouth County, IA

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOVN), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 158 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 1992-05-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 544 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 1992-05-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 113 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
544 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-63 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1809 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
113 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
165 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSUX 170042
SVRSUX
IAC149-170115-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX CITY IA
738 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SIOUX CITY HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  815 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTHWEST IOWA
 
   ...SOUTHWESTERN PLYMOUTH COUNTY
 
AT 735 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES NORTH OF
SIOUX CITY ENTERING PLYMOUTH COUNTY. PERSONS IN THE TOWNS OF JAMES AND
HINTON IOWA SHOULD BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR THIS STORM AS IT MAY PRODUCE
LARGE HAIL AND DAMANING WINDS. THIS STORM IS MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES
AN HOUR AND SHOULD ENTER THESE TOWNS BY 740 PM.
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER...
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH
LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING...SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT. IF A TORNADO IS
SIGHTED GO TO A BASEMENT SHELTER OR INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING.
 
REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
OF 60 MPH...LARGE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAINS THAT CAN
QUICKLY FLOOD LOW LYIN+G AREAS. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM
TAKE SHELTER IN A REINFORCED BUILDING IMMEDIATELY.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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, May 16, 3:49 PM CDT, 3 hours 49 minutes before
SDZ001-002-006-008-009-013-014-162055-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
355 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992

...A FROST ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE WEST 1/3 OF SOUTH DAKOTA
   FOR TONIGHT...

A COLD FRONT WILL BRING COLD TEMPERATURES TO THE WEST 1/3 OF SOUTH
DAKOTA TONIGHT. WIDESPREAD FROST CAN BE EXPECTED SO A FROST ADVISORY
HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR TONIGHT. SOME LOW LYING AREAS MAY SEE TEMPERATURES
BELOW FREEZING BY SUNRISE SUNDAY.

PEOPLE WITH GARDENS SHOULD CONSIDER PROTECTING ANY PLANTS THAT CAN NOT
WITHSTAND TEMPERATURES AROUND FREEZING. OUTDOOR POTTED PLANTS CAN BE
BROUGHT IN FOR THE NIGHT.

A GOOD WARMUP WILL BEGIN SUNDAY AND CONTINUE INTO MONDAY.

KOSCIELSKI
Special weather statement, May 16, 4:07 PM CDT, 3 hours 31 minutes before
IAZ001-004-005-162215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX CITY IA
406 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR A PORTION OF THE SIOUXLAND AREA
UNTIL 10 PM CDT...

AT 400 PM CDT...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING
ACROSS THE SIOUXLAND AREA AND WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN
HOUR.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE SIOUXLAND AREA
THIS EVENING. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD
BECOME SEVERE AND A TORNADO
IS POSSIBLE.

STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO STATIONS
FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. IF THREATENING WEATHER SHOULD APPROACH YOU...
TAKE COVER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING.

S QUINN
Special weather statement, May 16, 5:12 PM CDT, 2 hours 26 minutes before
IAZ001-004-005-162315-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX CITY IA
510 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR A PORTION OF THE SIOUXLAND AREA
UNTIL 10 PM CDT...

AT 503 PM CDT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE SOUTH OF A LINE FROM
CHEROKEE IOWA...50 MILES NORTHEAST OF SIOUX CITY TO PENDER NEBRASKA...
30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SIOUX CITY.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE NEAR BLENCOE AND CLIMBING HILL...45 TO 20
MILES SOUTHEAST OF SIOUX CITY. OTHER STRONGER STORMS WERE NEAR CHEROKEE
AND CORRECTIONVILLE. THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCE PEA SIZE HAIL...HEAVY
RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES
AN HOUR.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS OR SEE THREATENING WEATHER...
TAKE SHELTER IN A REINFORCED BUILDING UNTIL THE STORMS HAVE PASSED.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THIS EVENING...AND SOME OF
THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO AND
LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO STATIONS FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

S QUINN
Special weather statement, May 16, 6:20 PM CDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before
SDZ020-170115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
619 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO EXTREME SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA...
AT 610 PM CDT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO EXTREME SOUTHEAST
SOUTH DAKOTA ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER. THESE THUDERSTORMS WERE 15 MILES
WEST OF YANKTON SOUTH DAKOTA OVER THE LEWIS AND CLARK LAKE. THESE
THUDNERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THESE THUNDERSTORMS. PEOPLE IN EXTREME SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA...
ESPECAILY ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER AND IN THE TOWNS OF YANKTON...VOLIN
AND VERMILLION SHOULD BE ALERT UNTIL 730 PM CDT.

BEHREND7
Local storm report, May 16, 7:35 PM CDT, 3 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX CITY IA
1934 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992

TIME             EVENT

1845 PM          DIXON COUNTY...NEAR CONCORD...2 LARGE COMMERICIAL
                 CHICKEN HOUSES DESTROYED

J. QUINN

The office that day

Everything else NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 16, 7:13 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDWoodbury47 min
May 16, 8:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDMonona49 min
May 16, 8:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDCherokee53 min
May 16, 8:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDIda47 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 1992Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.