Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1993

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 27, 1993Marshall County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at May 27, 1993, 7:53 PM CDT for Marshall County, Iowa. It was in force for 27 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 27, 1993, 7:53 PM CDT (00:53 UTC)
Expired
May 27, 1993, 8:20 PM CDT
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Marshall County, IA

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 291 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 1993-05-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1369 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 1993-05-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 12 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
1369 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-96 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1893 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
12 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
184 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
7.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 280054
TORDSM
IAC127-280120-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
753 PM CDT THU MAY 27 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  820 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION(S)...
 
IN CENTRAL IOWA
 
   ...WESTERN MARSHALL COUNTY
 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO ALONG THE
STORY...MARSHALL COUNTY BORDER...30 MILES NORTHEAST OF DES MOINES...
ALONG HIGHWAY 30.
 
ALSO...THERE HAS BEEN A REPORT OF A FUNNEL CLOUD AND GOLF BALL SIZE
HAIL NEAR COLO IN STORY COUNTY.  THIS SEVERE STORM WAS MOVING INTO
WEST MARSHALL COUNTY AND WILL MOVE CLOSE TO THE COMMUNITIES OF STATE
CENTER...ST. ANTHONY...AND RHODES BETWEEN 750 AND 815 PM.
 
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.
 
FELDT

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, May 27, 7:20 PM CDT, 33 minutes before
IAZ060-280115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
720 PM CDT THU MAY 27 1993

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS COULD PUSH ACROSS THE DES MOINES AREA BETWEEN
730 AND 815 PM THIS EVENING...

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED ABOUT 25 MILES NORTH OF DES MOINES
AS OF 715 PM.  ALTHOUGH THE INDIVIDUAL STORMS WERE MOVING EAST...THE
LINE WAS TENDING TO SAG SOUTH.

IT IS LIKELY THAT THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD REACH NORTH PARTS OF THE DES
MOINES METRO AREA BETWEEN 730 AND 815 PM.  ALTHOUGH MORE LIKELY ACROSS
NORTH SECTIONS...IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE STORMS COULD MOVE NEAR THE
DOWNTOWN AREA...INCLUDING SEC TAYLOR STADIUM...BETWEEN 815 AND 830 PM.

A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND PERHAPS
SOME HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

FELDT
Special weather statement, May 27, 7:25 PM CDT, 28 minutes before
IAZ006>011-016>019-026>029-038>040-280130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
725 PM CDT THU MAY 27 1993

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO GRUNDY COUNTY...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH
CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM TO THE EAST OF HIGHWAY 65. THE WATCH ALSO DOES
NOT INCLUDE BUCHANAN COUNTY. AT 715 PM RADAR INDICATED STRONG
THUNDERSTORM IN SOUTHEAST GRUNDY COUNTY BETWEEN WHITTEN AND
GRUNDY CENTER. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT THE GRUNDY CENTER AREA BY 730 PM
AND DIKE BY 745 PM. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE BRIEF DOWNPOURS...
STRONG WINDS AND SMALL HAIL.

ANOTHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS JUST WEST OF WATERLOO AND WILL AFFECT
THE WATERLOO AND WAVERLY AREAS THROUGH 8 PM. THESE STORMS WERE WEAKENING
BUT STILL WILL PRODUCE BRIEF STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS.

DP
Special weather statement, May 27, 7:27 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
IAZ006>011-016>019-026>029-038>040-280130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
725 PM CDT THU MAY 27 1993

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO GRUNDY COUNTY...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH
CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM TO THE EAST OF HIGHWAY 65. THE WATCH ALSO DOES
NOT INCLUDE BUCHANAN COUNTY. AT 715 PM RADAR INDICATED STRONG
THUNDERSTORM IN SOUTHEAST GRUNDY COUNTY BETWEEN WHITTEN AND
GRUNDY CENTER. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT THE GRUNDY CENTER AREA BY 730 PM
AND DIKE BY 745 PM. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE BRIEF DOWNPOURS...
STRONG WINDS AND SMALL HAIL.

ANOTHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS JUST WEST OF WATERLOO AND WILL AFFECT
THE WATERLOO AND WAVERLY AREAS THROUGH 8 PM. THESE STORMS WERE WEAKENING
BUT STILL WILL PRODUCE BRIEF STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS.

DP
Special weather statement, May 27, 7:34 PM CDT, 19 minutes before
IAZ006>011-016>019-026>029-038>040-280130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
725 PM CDT THU MAY 27 1993

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO GRUNDY COUNTY...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH
CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM TO THE EAST OF HIGHWAY 65. THE WATCH ALSO DOES
NOT INCLUDE BUCHANAN COUNTY. AT 715 PM RADAR INDICATED STRONG
THUNDERSTORM IN SOUTHEAST GRUNDY COUNTY BETWEEN WHITTEN AND
GRUNDY CENTER. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT THE GRUNDY CENTER AREA BY 730 PM
AND DIKE BY 745 PM. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE BRIEF DOWNPOURS...
STRONG WINDS AND SMALL HAIL.

ANOTHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS JUST WEST OF WATERLOO AND WILL AFFECT
THE WATERLOO AND WAVERLY AREAS THROUGH 8 PM. THESE STORMS WERE WEAKENING
BUT STILL WILL PRODUCE BRIEF STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS.
DP
Special weather statement, May 27, 7:45 PM CDT, 8 minutes before
IAZ060-280145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
745 PM CDT THU MAY 27 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH CENTRAL INTO
SOUTHWEST IOWA UNTIL 10 PM CDT...

AT 733 PM CDT...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER CENTRAL INTO
NORTHEAST IOWA.  THE STORMS WERE LOCATED IN A 15 MILE WIDE BAND CENTERED
FROM 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES...NEAR PERRY TO 10 MILES WEST OF
WATERLOO.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS 35 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF DES
MOINES...NEAR NEVADA.  THE STORM WAS PRODUCING FREQUENT DEADLY
LIGHTNING...PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN.
THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS THAT
EXTENDED FROM CENTRAL INTO NORTHEAST IOWA.  THE STORMS WERE IN A 40 MILE
WIDE AREA THAT EXTENDED FROM 40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES...NEAR
GREENFIELD TO 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF WATERLOO.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.
FILLBACH
Special weather statement, May 27, 7:51 PM CDT, 2 minutes before
IAZ060-280145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
745 PM CDT THU MAY 27 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH CENTRAL INTO
SOUTHWEST IOWA UNTIL 10 PM CDT...

AT 733 PM CDT...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER CENTRAL INTO
NORTHEAST IOWA.  THE STORMS WERE LOCATED IN A 15 MILE WIDE BAND CENTERED
FROM 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES...NEAR PERRY TO 10 MILES WEST OF
WATERLOO.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS 35 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF DES
MOINES...NEAR NEVADA.  THE STORM WAS PRODUCING FREQUENT DEADLY
LIGHTNING...PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN.
THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS THAT
EXTENDED FROM CENTRAL INTO NORTHEAST IOWA.  THE STORMS WERE IN A 40 MILE
WIDE AREA THAT EXTENDED FROM 40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES...NEAR
GREENFIELD TO 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF WATERLOO.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.
FILLBACH

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 27, 7:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXStory38 min
May 27, 7:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMarshall, Story25 min
May 27, 8:12 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXBlack Hawk33 min
May 27, 8:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBuchanan50 min
May 27, 8:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBlack Hawk34 min
May 27, 11:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdair, Madison23 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 1993Every tornado warning in 1993Tornadoes in 1993

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.