Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1995

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 63, NWS Des Moines, IA

July 4, 1995Mahaska County, Poweshiek County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 4, 1995, 7:18 PM CDT for Mahaska County, Poweshiek County, Iowa. It was in force for 27 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 4, 1995, 7:18 PM CDT (00:18 UTC)
Expired
Jul 4, 1995, 7:45 PM CDT
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Mahaska County, IA, Poweshiek County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 98 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:17 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 174 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, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 1995-07-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 403 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, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 1995-07-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 186 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
403 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-105 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1293 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
186 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
230 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 050015 RRA
SVRDSM
IAC123-157-050045-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
718 PM CDT TUE JUL 4 1995

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR
  EASTERN MAHASKA COUNTY - SOUTHEAST IOWA
  EASTERN POWESHIEK COUNTY - CENTRAL IOWA

* UNTIL 745 PM CDT
 
* SOME TOWNS AFFECTED
    BROOKLYN
    DEEP RIVER
    UNIVERSITY PARK

* AT 712 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES EAST OF
  OSKALOOSA MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

* THE STORM WILL BE NEAR DEEP RIVER AT 725 PM AND NEAR FREMONT BY 735 PM
CDT.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  DO NOT GO OUTDOORS.




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, Jul 4, 1:31 PM CDT, 5 hours 47 minutes before
IAZALL-050000-

IOWA SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
130 PM CDT TUE JUL 4 1995

HAZARD...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60
MPH. LARGE HAIL AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS ALSO POSSIBLE.

AREA OF CONCERN...ABOUT THE SOUTHEAST TWO-THIRDS OF IOWA...SOUTHEAST
OF A LINE FROM MASON CITY TO OMAHA-COUNCIL BLUFFS.

TIMING DETAILS...WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY
NORTHEAST ACROSS EAST CENTRAL IOWA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...BUT THESE
ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING
OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS WILL RACE INTO SOUTHERN IOWA AFTER 600 PM AND
INTO NORTHERN IOWA AFTER 1000 PM.

METEOROLOGICAL COMMENTS...A FAST-MOVING SITUATION WAS SETTING AS AN
UNUSUALLY STRONG STORM SYSTEM FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR ROTATES OVER
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA. EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AIR WAS LIFTING NORTH INTO
IOWA FROM MISSOURI AND KANSAS...WHERE LIFTED INDICES WERE BELOW MINUS
10. VERY STRONG SOUTH WINDS OVER 60 MPH WERE INDICATED ABOUT 3000 FEET
UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE...WHICH MAKES DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS THE MAIN
THREAT. IF SOUTHEAST WINDS CONTINUE AT THE SURFACE OVER IOWA...THE
THREAT OF TORNADOES MAY INCREASE.

PRECAUTIONS...PEOPLE WHO HAVE OUTDOOR PLANS THIS EVENING...ALONG WITH
COMMUNITIES HAVING FIREWORKS DISPLAYS...SHOULD MONITOR THIS SITUATION
VERY CLOSELY THIS EVENING. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED AS WELL.

PYTLAK
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 1:38 PM CDT, 5 hours 40 minutes before
IAZALL-050000-

IOWA SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
138 PM CDT TUE JUL 4 1995

HAZARD...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60
MPH. LARGE HAIL AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS ALSO POSSIBLE.

AREA OF CONCERN...ABOUT THE SOUTHEAST TWO-THIRDS OF IOWA...SOUTHEAST
OF A LINE FROM MASON CITY TO OMAHA-COUNCIL BLUFFS.

TIMING DETAILS...WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY
NORTHEAST ACROSS EAST CENTRAL IOWA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...BUT THESE
ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING
OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS WILL RACE INTO SOUTHERN IOWA AFTER 600 PM AND
INTO NORTHERN IOWA AFTER 1000 PM.

METEOROLOGICAL COMMENTS...A FAST-MOVING SITUATION WAS DEVEOPING AS AN
UNUSUALLY STRONG STORM SYSTEM FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR ROTATES OVER
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA. EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AIR WAS LIFTING NORTH INTO
IOWA FROM MISSOURI AND KANSAS...WHERE LIFTED INDICES WERE BELOW MINUS
10. VERY STRONG SOUTH WINDS OVER 60 MPH WERE INDICATED ABOUT 3000 FEET
UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE...WHICH MAKES DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS THE MAIN
THREAT. IF SOUTHEAST WINDS CONTINUE AT THE SURFACE OVER IOWA...THE
THREAT OF TORNADOES MAY INCREASE.

PRECAUTIONS...PEOPLE WHO HAVE OUTDOOR PLANS THIS EVENING...ALONG WITH
COMMUNITIES HAVING FIREWORKS DISPLAYS...SHOULD MONITOR THIS SITUATION
VERY CLOSELY THIS EVENING. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED AS WELL.

PYTLAK
CORRECTION FOR WORDING IN 3RD PARAGRAPH
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 5:15 PM CDT, 2 hours 3 minutes before
IAZ082-042255-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
519 PM CDT TUE JUL 4 1995

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WARNING FOR EASTERN UNION COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

A SPOTTER AT THAYER REPORTED 40 MILES AN HOUR WINDS AT PEA SIZED HAIL
AT 511 PM CDT.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE HEADING INTO CLARKE COUNTY
NEAR MURRAY AND HOPEVILLE...45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES.

PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD TAKE COVER NOW.

 BELLES
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 5:19 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
IAZ082-042255-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
519 PM CDT TUE JUL 4 1995

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WARNING FOR EASTERN UNION COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

A SPOTTER AT THAYER REPORTED 40 MILES AN HOUR WINDS AT PEA SIZED HAIL
AT 511 PM CDT.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE HEADING INTO CLARKE COUNTY
NEAR MURRAY AND HOPEVILLE...45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DES MOINES.

PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD TAKE COVER NOW.

 BELLES
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 5:27 PM CDT, 1 hour 51 minutes before
IAZALL-042305-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
530 PM CDT TUE JUL 4 1995

...STRONG STORMS MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL IOWA...

DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES STRONG WINDS MOVING INTO SOUTHWEST WARREN
COUNTY.  WINDS GUST UP TO 50 MILES AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS.

THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE PART OF A LINE OF STORMS FROM CLIVE TO ST CHARLES
TO HOPEVILLE.  WINDS UP TO 50 MILES AN HOUR...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND PEA
SIZED HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY MOVE
THROUGH THE CITIES OF DES MOINES...INDIANOLA...AND OSCEOLA DURING THE
NEXT HALF HOUR.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

 BELLES
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 5:30 PM CDT, 1 hour 48 minutes before
IAZALL-042305-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
530 PM CDT TUE JUL 4 1995

...STRONG STORMS MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL IOWA...

DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES STRONG WINDS MOVING INTO SOUTHWEST WARREN
COUNTY.  WINDS GUST UP TO 50 MILES AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS.

THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE PART OF A LINE OF STORMS FROM CLIVE TO ST CHARLES
TO HOPEVILLE.  WINDS UP TO 50 MILES AN HOUR...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND PEA
SIZED HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY MOVE
THROUGH THE CITIES OF DES MOINES...INDIANOLA...AND OSCEOLA DURING THE
NEXT HALF HOUR.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

 BELLES

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 4, 7:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBlack Hawk31 min
Jul 4, 7:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBlack Hawk21 min
Jul 5, 1:45 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXChickasaw15 min
Jul 5, 2:10 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXChickasaw, Winneshiek15 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 1995Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1995

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.