Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1994
Tornado Warning 26, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Jul 31, 1994, 6:33 PM CDT for Mitchell County, Iowa. It was in force for 27 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 31, 1994, 6:33 PM CDT (23:33 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 31, 1994, 7:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 27 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Mitchell County, IA
The nearest sounding before it
Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 12:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 178 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
- 4 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -306 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1222 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 32 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 87 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 153 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 2.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KALO 312335 COR TORALO IAC131-010000- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA 633 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 1994 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WATERLOO HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 700 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA ...NORTHERN MITCHELL COUNTY AT 630 PM CDT...A TORNADO WAS REPORTED ON THE GROUND JUST WEST OF STACYVILLE. THE TORNADO HAD DESTROYED SOME FARM BUILDINGS...AND LIFTED BACK INTO THE SKY. THIS TORNADO WAS LIKELY MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR. PERSONS IN STACYVILLE SHOULD TAKE COVER NOW. DURING A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDtY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. AVOID WINDOWS. DEWALD &
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 31, 5:23 PM CDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before
IAZALL-312330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 523 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 1994 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR NORTHERN AND CENTRAL IOWA... AT 525 PM CDT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...NEAR THE IOWA BORDER. THESE STORMS PRODUCED BASEBALL SIZED HAIL AND WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. THE STORMS WILL CROSS THE IOWA BORDER BY 6 PM CDT AND WILL MOVE TOWARDS THE CITIES OF MASON CITY AND CHARLES CITY. WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR ALSO SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER FOREST CITY IN FLOYD COUNTY...IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THIS STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. PEOPLE IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL IOWA SHOULD KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH. FAB
Special weather statement, Jul 31, 5:24 PM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
IAZALL-312330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 523 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 1994 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR NORTHERN AND CENTRAL IOWA... AT 525 PM CDT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...NEAR THE IOWA BORDER. THESE STORMS PRODUCED BASEBALL SIZED HAIL AND WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. THE STORMS WILL CROSS THE IOWA BORDER BY 6 PM CDT AND WILL MOVE TOWARDS THE CITIES OF MASON CITY AND CHARLES CITY. WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR ALSO SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER FOREST CITY IN FLOYD COUNTY...IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THIS STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. PEOPLE IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL IOWA SHOULD KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH. FAB
Special weather statement, Jul 31, 5:42 PM CDT, 51 minutes before
IAZALL-312345- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 5 30 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 1994 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM THIS SUNDAY EVENING... AT 5 30 PM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA CONTINUED TO INCREASE IN INTENSITY. INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR LOCATED ABOUT 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF MASON CITY...AND ALSO ALONG THE MINNESOTA BORDER NORTH OF OSAGE. VERY HEAVY RAINS...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. SCOTT
Special weather statement, Jul 31, 6:02 PM CDT, 31 minutes before
IAZALL-312330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 523 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 1994 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR NORTHERN AND CENTRAL IOWA... AT 525 PM CDT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...NEAR THE IOWA BORDER. THESE STORMS PRODUCED BASEBALL SIZED HAIL AND WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. THE STORMS WILL CROSS THE IOWA BORDER BY 6 PM CDT AND WILL MOVE TOWARDS THE CITIES OF MASON CITY AND CHARLES CITY. WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR ALSO SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER FOREST CITY IN FLOYD COUNTY...IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. THIS STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN H4OUR. PEOPLE IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL IOWA SHOULD KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH. FAB
Special weather statement, Jul 31, 6:15 PM CDT, 18 minutes before
IAZALL-010015- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 615 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 1994 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM CDT... AT 615 PM CDT WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A COUPLE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. ONE STORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES WEST OF MASON CITY AND THE OTHER STROM WAS ABOUT 25 MILES NORTH OF MASON CITY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR AND SHOULD ENTER MASON CITY BY 630 PM CDT. RADAR AND SATELLITE DATA ALSO INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING JUST WEST OF SIOUX CITY IOWA AND ANOTHER BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 35 MILES SOUTH OF THE DES MOINES METRO AREA. THESE STORMS WERE ALSO MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. THE ATMOSPHERE IS VERY UNSTABLE OVER IOWA AND THUNDERSTORMS CAN DEVELOP RATHER QUICKLY. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. FAB &
Special weather statement, Jul 31, 6:16 PM CDT, 17 minutes before
IAZALL-010015- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 615 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 1994 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN AND CENTRAL IOWA UNTIL 10 PM CDT... AT 615 PM CDT WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A COUPLE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA. ONE STORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES WEST OF MASON CITY AND THE OTHER STROM WAS ABOUT 25 MILES NORTH OF MASON CITY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR AND SHOULD ENTER MASON CITY BY 630 PM CDT. RADAR AND SATELLITE DATA ALSO INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING JUST WEST OF SIOUX CITY IOWA AND ANOTHER BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 35 MILES SOUTH OF THE DES MOINES METRO AREA. THESE STORMS WERE ALSO MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. THE ATMOSPHERE IS VERY UNSTABLE OVER IOWA AND THUNDERSTORMS CAN DEVELOP RATHER QUICKLY. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELYN. FAB &
The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 31, 7:55 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Mitchell | 35 min |
| Jul 31, 4:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Winnebago | 36 min |
| Jul 31, 5:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Mitchell | 34 min |
| Jul 31, 5:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Winnebago | 29 min |
| Jul 31, 6:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Hancock | 28 min |
| Jul 31, 6:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Mitchell, Worth | 44 min |
| Jul 31, 6:41 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Hancock, Winnebago | 34 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 1994Every tornado warning in 1994Tornadoes 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.