Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1996

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 18, 1996Winneshiek County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 18, 1996, 1:21 AM CDT for Winneshiek County, Iowa. It was in force for 39 min. 5 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: May 18, 1996, 1:21 AM CDT (06:21 UTC)
Expired: May 18, 1996, 2:00 AM CDT
In force: 39 min
Issued by: NWS Des Moines, IA
Area: Whole counties

County Winneshiek County, IA

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where
May 18, 1:30 AM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 61	Decorah, IA
May 18, 1:35 AM CDT	Hail 1.75	Ridgeway, IA
May 18, 1:37 AM CDT	Hail 1.75	Decorah, IA
May 18, 1:45 AM CDT	Hail 1.75	Highlandville, IA
May 18, 1:45 AM CDT	Hail 1.75	Decorah, IA

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.

The nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 00:00Z, 6.4 hours before the alert went out and 216 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 2207 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -291 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1767 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 49 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 168 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KALO 180622
SVRALO
IAC191-180700-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATERLOO IA
121 AM CDT SAT MAY 18 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WATERLOO HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  200 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTHEAST IOWA
 
   ...WINNESHIEK COUNTY
 
AT 121 AM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ENTERING WESTERN
WINNESHIEK COUNTY 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DECORAH. THIS STORM IS MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THE TOWNS OF SPILLVILLE...RIDGEWAY...DECORAH...AND
CALMAR ARE IN THE DIRECT PATH OF THIS STORM.
 
 
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR :BUSINESS.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING
WIND...LARGE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND OCCASIONALLY TORNADOES.
 
 
 
KAUFMAN

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 17, 8:24 PM CDT, 4 hours 57 minutes before

IAZALL-180330-

CENTRAL IOWA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
824 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 1996

HAZARD...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS OF 60 MPH OT
GREATER AND LARGE HAIL - UP TO THREE DIAMETER.  ISOLATED TORNADOES
ARE POSSIBLE.

AREA OF CONCERN...GREATEST AREA OF CONCERN UNTIL 11 PM CDT IS WEST
OF A LINE FROM SHENANDOAH TO FORT DODGE TO MASON CITY.  CENTRAL
PORTION OF THE STATE COULD RECEIVE ISOLATED DAMAGING WINDS AFTER 9
PM CDT.

TIMING DETAILS...STORMS IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA WILL MOVE NORTHEAST
THROUGH THE AREA OF GREAT CONCERN AND INTO NORTH CENTRAL IOWA BEFORE
MIDNIGHT.  STORMS IN CENTRAL IOWA ARE NOT EXPECTED UNTIL AFTER 9 PM
CDT OR LATER.

METEOROLOGICAL COMMENTS...VERY UNSTABLE AIR REMAINS OVER THE STATE
HOWEVER VERY WARM AIR ALOFT IS KEEPING MUCH OF THE AREAS CAPPED AND
INHIBITING DEVELOPMENT.  HOWEVER AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO FARTHER
INTO THE STATE THIS CAP WILL BE OVERCOME AND DEVELOPMENT IS LIKELY.
AT THE SAME TIME A FAIRLY STRONG JET WILL TRACK OVER THE AREA AND
FURTHER ENHANCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF DEVELOPMENT DESPITE THE TIME OF
DAY.  UPPER LEVEL WINDS CONTINUE TO SHOW WEAK DYNAMICS FAVORABLE
FOR TORNADIC DEVELOPMENT.  INSTEAD THE WIND PROFILE FAVORS DAMGING
STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

PRECAUTIONS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS MAY CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST
FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS OUTSIDE THE WATCH AREA.  INSIDE THE WATCH
AREA COUNTIES IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA CAN EXPECT STORMS OVER THE NEXT
FEW HOURS.

Special weather statement, May 17, 10:12 PM CDT, 3 hours 9 minutes before

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-035-180345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1012 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 1996

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHERN WEBSTER COUNTY
WILL EXPIRE AT 1020 PM...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT PRODUCED GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL IN
SOUTHWEST WEBSTER COUNTY HAD DECREASED IN INTENSITY AS OF 1015 PM.
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR WEBSER COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT
1020 PM.

FELDT

Special weather statement, May 17, 11:39 PM CDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-035-036-180515-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1139 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 1996

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS FOR CALHOUN AND WEBSTER
COUNTIES HAVE BEEN CANCELLED...

AT 1135 PM A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM EXTENDED FROM SOUTHEAST
WEBSTER COUNTY NEAR LEHIGH TOWARDS EAGLE GROVE IN SOUTHWEST WRIGHT
COUNTY TO NEAR DAKOTA CITY IN HUMBOLT COUNTY.

MANY REPORTS OF HAIL AROUND 1/2 INCH HAVE BEEN RECEIVED IN THIS
AREA.

BETWEEN 1140 AND MIDNIGHT...THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE
ACROSS HUMBOLT AND WRIGHT COUNTIES.

THESE STROMS ARE PRODUCING A PERIOD OF VERY HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND
GUSTY WINDS AS THEY MOVE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. IF YlOU ARE IN THIS
AREA...KEEP ALERT AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SAFE SPOT IF SEVERE
WEATHER IS OBSERVED.

Special weather statement, May 18, 12:55 AM CDT, 26 minutes before

IAZ004>006-015-016-023-024-034-035-045-046-057-058-070-071-080-091-
180700-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1253 AM CDT SAT MAY 18 1996

A PORTION OF THE AREA UNDER SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 388 HAS BEEN
CLEARED.  THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED EAST OF THE AREA AND ANY ADDITIONAL
STORMS WILL NOT BE SEVERE.

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES HAVE BEEN CLEARED:

EMMET...KOSSUTH...WINNEBAGO...PALO ALTO...HANCOCK...POCAHONTAS...
HUMBOLDT...CALHOUN...WEBSTER...CARROLL...GREEN...AUDUBON...GUTHRIE...
CASS...ADAIR...MONTGOMERY...AND PAGE.

THE REMAINDER OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 388 REMAINS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 400 AM.  TORNADO WATCH FOR EXTREME NORTHEAST IOWA...NUMBER 390...
REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 AM THIS MORNING.

MS MAY 96

Local storm report, May 18, 1:12 AM CDT, 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
111 AM CDT SAT MAY 18 1996

TIME(CDT)   .....CITY LOCATION.....  ST   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
DATE(CDT)   ....COUNTY LOCATION....

2112 CDT   2SW AUDUBON               IA   1.75 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
05/17/96   AUDUBON

2151 CDT   1E GOWWRIE                IA   1.75 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
05/17/96   WEBSTER

2302 CDT   NEMAHA                    IA   .75 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
05/17/96   SAC

0000 CDT   5S CLARION                IA   1.75 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
05/18/96   WRIGHT

0014 CDT   ROWAN                     IA   1.25 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
05/18/96   WRIGHT

0023 CDT   CHAPIN                    IA   1.75 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
05/18/96   FRANKLIN

0023 CDT   HAMPTON                   IA   1.75 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
05/18/96   FRANKLIN                       BROKE OUT WINDSHIELD ON
                                          POLICE SQUAD CAR

0041 CDT   AREDALE                   IA   1.25 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
05/18/96   BUTLER

0045 CDT   GREENE                    IA   .75 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
05/18/96   BUTLER

MS MAY 96

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 17, 8:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Crawford	50 min
May 17, 8:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Audubon	50 min
May 17, 9:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Webster	29 min
May 17, 10:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Sac	32 min
May 17, 11:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Webster	30 min
May 17, 11:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Calhoun	34 min
May 17, 11:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Hamilton, Wright	35 min
May 18, 12:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Franklin	34 min
May 18, 12:31 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Floyd	44 min
May 18, 12:38 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Butler	32 min
May 18, 12:59 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Chickasaw, Howard	46 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 1996 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1996

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.