Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 4, 1994, 3:57 PM CDT for Buena Vista County, Iowa. It was in force for 48 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 4, 1994, 3:57 PM CDT (20:57 UTC)
- Expired
- May 4, 1994, 4:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 48 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Buena Vista County, IA
The nearest sounding before it
Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 9.0 hours before the alert went out and 187 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
- 962 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 36 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 105 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 107 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WUUS1 KDSM 042058 SVRDMX IAC021-042145- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 357 PM CDT WED MAY 4 1994 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 445 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN NORTHWEST IOWA ...EASTERN BUENA-VISTA COUNTY AT 357 PM...DOPPLER RADAR IN DES MOINES SHOWED A SEVERE STORM ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTH OF SPENCER. THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL AFFECTING THE CITIES OF ALBERT CITY AND NEWELL. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. JM
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 4, 3:33 PM CDT, 24 minutes before
IAZ006-007-016-017-042135-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED LOCATION OF TORNADO REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
333 PM CDT WED MAY 4 1994
....SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND EMMET AND
CLAY COUNTIES IN IOWA...
A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
OR 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF MASON CITY AND NEAR ARMSTRONG IOWA OR 50 MILES
WEST NORTHWEST OF MASON CITY. TORNADOES HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE
STORMS IN MINNESOTA. LARGE HAIL HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED WITH THE STORM
NEAR ARMSTRONG.
THESE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES AN HOUR AND
WILL AFFECT THE FOREST CITY...BRITT...GARNER...LAKE MILLS AND BUFFALO
CENTER BETWEEN 4 AND 430 PM.
IF YOU PLAN TO BE OUTDOORS THIS EVENING...CHECK THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION AND KEEP A WEATHER EYE ON THE SKY. SEVERE WEATHER TORNADOES
AND HAIL HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS. BE PREPARED TO SEEK
SHELTER SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER OCCUR.
PABSTSpecial weather statement, May 4, 3:35 PM CDT, 22 minutes before
IAZ006-007-016-017-042135-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
333 PM CDT WED MAY 4 1994
....SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND EMMET AND
CLAY COUNTIES IN IOWA...
A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
OR 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF MASON CITY AND NEAR ARMSTRONG IOWA OR 50 MILES
WEST NORTHWEST OF MASON CITY. TORNADOES HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE
STORMS IN MASON CITY. LARGE HAIL HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED WITH THE STORM
NEAR ARMSTRONG.
THESE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES AN HOUR AND
WILL AFFECT THE FOREST CITY...BRITT...GARNER...LAKE MILLS AND BUFFALO
CENTER BETWEEN 4 AND 430 PM.
IF YOU PLATN TO BE OUTDOORS THIS EVENING...CHECK THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION AND KEEP A WEATHER EYE ON THE SKY. SEVERE WEATHER TORNADOES
AND HAIL HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS. BE PREPARED TO SEEK
SHELTER SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER OCCUR.Special weather statement, May 4, 3:37 PM CDT, 20 minutes before
IAZ006-007-016-017-042135-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED LOCATION OF TORNADO REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
333 PM CDT WED MAY 4 1994
....SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND EMMET AND
CLAY COUNTIES IN IOWA...
A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
OR 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF MASON CITY AND NEAR ARMSTRONG IOWA OR 50 MILES
WEST NORTHWEST OF MASON CITY. TORNADOES HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE
STORMS IN MINNESOTA. LARGE HAIL HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED WITH THE STORM
NEAR ARMSTRONG.
THESE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES AN HOUR AND
WILL AFFECT THE FOREST CITY...BRITT...GARNER...LAKE MILLS AND BUFFALO
CENTER BETWEEN 4 AND 430 PM.
IF YOU PLAN TO BE OUTDOORS THIS EVENING...CHECK THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION AND KEEP A WEATHER EYE ON THE SKY. SEVERE WEATHER TORNADOES
AND HAIL HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS. BE PREPARED TO SEEK
SHELTER SHOXULD THREATENING WEATHER OCCUR.
PABSTSpecial weather statement, May 4, 3:42 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
IAZALL-042140- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IOWA 342 PM CDT WED MAY 4 1994 AT 330 PM CDT...ISOLATED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER NORTHWEST IOWA. THE STORMS WERE LOCATED IN A 25 MILE WIDE BAND THAT WAS NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM 20 MILES EAST OF ESTHERVILLE TO NEAR POCAHONTAS ...OR FROM 30 MILES NORTHEAST TO 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SPENCER. THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HAIL. OTHER SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER SOUTHERN AND EASTERN IOWA...GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM AVOCA...TO INDIANOLA ...TO NEAR CEDAR RAPIDS. AVOCA IS 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF COUNCIL BLUFFS AND INDIANOLA IS 15 MILES SOUTH OF DES MOINES. THE STORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. KALLMAN/KAS WWUS35KSUX -
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 3:13 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Emmet | 32 min |
| May 4, 3:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Clay | 39 min |
| May 4, 3:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Pocahontas | 36 min |
| May 4, 5:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Calhoun | 33 min |
| May 4, 6:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Guthrie | 29 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 1994Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1994
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.