Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 41, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 4, 1994, 6:31 PM CDT for Guthrie County, Iowa. It was in force for 29 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 4, 1994, 6:31 PM CDT (23:31 UTC)
- Expired
- May 4, 1994, 7:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 29 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Guthrie County, IA
The nearest sounding before it
Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 161 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 042332 SVRDMX IAC077-050000- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 631 PM CDT WED MAY 4 1994 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 700 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA ...GUTHRIE COUNTY AT 630 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING NORTHEAST THROUGH SOUTHWEST IN GUTHRIE COUNTY...OR ABOUT 50 MILES WEST OF DES MOINES. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH AND WILL BE AFFECTING THE TOWNS OF GUTHRIE CENTER AND PANORA BETWEEN 635 AND 7 PM CDT THIS WEDNESDAY EVENING. 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. SMITH
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, 5:14 PM CDT, 1 hour 17 minutes before
IAC003-025-073-173-187-042315- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 513 PM CDT WED MAY 4 1994 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST IOWA THIS EVENING... AT 507 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS 35 MILES WEST OF FORT DODGE...NEAR THE TOWN OF POMEROY AND JOLLEY. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH AND WILL BE AFFECTING THE TOWNS OF ROCKWELL CITY BY 530 PM AND FARNHAMVILLE BY 6 PM. THE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AS THEY MOVE ACROSS CALHOUN COUNTY DURING THE NEXT HOUR. IN ADDITION...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER SOUTHWEST IOWA JUST SOUTH OF THE TOWN OF MOUNT ETNA IN NORTHERN ADAMS COUNTY...OR ABOUT 65 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES. HEAVY RAINS AND HAIL ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM AS IT TRACKS SOUTHEAST TOWARDS THE TOWNS OF PRESCOT BY 530 PM AND CORNING BY 545 PM CDT THI.S WEDNESDAY EVENING. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST IOWA UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING. SMITH
Special weather statement, May 4, 5:29 PM CDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
IAZ007>011-016>019-026>029-038>040-042330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 529 PM CDT WED MAY 4 1994 ...SHOWERS AND STORMS TO SPREAD FROM MASON CITY TO WATERLOO... THROUGH 7 PM AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS MAINLY WEST OF HIGHWAY 218. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND LIGHTNING AS THEY TREK SOUTHEAST. CITIES TO BE AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS WILL BE MASON CITY...ROCKFORD...MARBLEN ROCK...SHEFFIELD AND HAMPTON. NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER HAVE BEEN RECEIVED WITH THESE STORMS. FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED IF THESE STORMS INTENSIFY. COLLAR
Special weather statement, May 4, 5:29 PM CDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
IAZ007>011-016>019-026>029-038>040-042330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 529 PM CDT WED MAY 4 1994 ...SHOWERS AND STORMS TO SPREAD FROM MASON CITY TO WATERLOO... THROUGH 7 PM AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS MAINLY WEST OF HIGHWAY 218. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND LIGHTNING AS THEY TREK SOUTHEAST. CITIES TO BE AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS WILL BE MASON CITY...ROCKFORD...MARBLE ROCK...SHEFFIELD AND HAMPTON. NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER HAVE BEEN RECEIVED WITH THESE STORMS. FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED IF THESE STORMS INTENSIFY. COLLAR
Special weather statement, May 4, 5:37 PM CDT, 54 minutes before
IAZALL-042340- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...CORRECTED FOR HEADLINE... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IOWA 537 PM CDT WED MAY 4 1994 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ABOUT THE SOUTHWEST QUADRANT OF IOWA UNTIL 10 PM... AT 527 PM CDT...A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FT DODGE...NEAR ROCKWELL CITY. THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS. THIS STORM WAS PART OF A LARGER BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS EXTENDING FROM WEST CENTRAL INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THIS BAND WAS CENTERED FROM 50 MILES NORTHEAST OF COUNCIL BLUFFS...NEAR MANILLA TO NEAR MASON CITY. ALSO...AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER SOUTHWEST IOWA...40 MILES NORTHWEST OF LAMONI...NEAR LENOX. THE STORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES AN HOUR. FILLBACH
Special weather statement, May 4, 6:11 PM CDT, 20 minutes before
IAC015-049-073-187-050015- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 611 PM CDT WED MAY 4 1994 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS PARTS OF CENTRAL IOWA THIS EVENING... AT 608 PM...DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO SHOW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 50 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES...NEAR THE TOWN OF JEFFERSON IN CENTRAL GREENE COUNTY. PEA TO MARBLE SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED BY THE GREENE COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT AT 605 PM CDT JUST TO THE WEST OF THE TOWN OF JEFFERSON. IN ADDITION...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DETECTED OVER CENTRAL THROUGH NORTHERN IOWA FROM JUST WEST OF FORT DODGE TO MASON CITY. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 TO 25 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WINDS... DMARBLE SIZE HAIL AS THEY TRACK SOUTHEAST ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA. SMITH
Special weather statement, May 4, 6:12 PM CDT, 19 minutes before
IAC015-049-073-187-050015- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 611 PM CDT WED MAY 4 1994 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS PARTS OF CENTRAL IOWA THIS EVENING... AT 608 PM...DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO SHOW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 50 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES MOINES...NEAR THE TOWN OF JEFFERSON IN CENTRAL GREENE COUNTY. PEA TO MARBLE SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED BY THE GREENE COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT AT 605 PM CDT JUST TO THE WEST OF THE TOWN OF JEFFERSON. IN ADDITION...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DETECTED OVER CENTRAL THROUGH NORTHERN IOWA FROM JUST WEST OF FORT DODGE TO MASON CITY. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 TO 25 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WINDS... DMARBLE SIZE HAIL AS THEY TRACK SOUTHEAST ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA. SMITH
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, 3:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Buena Vista | 48 min |
| May 4, 5:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Calhoun | 33 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.