Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 196, NWS Des Moines, IA

June 23, 1998Calhoun County, Carroll County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 23, 1998, 10:08 PM CDT for Calhoun County, Carroll County, Iowa. It was in force for 47 min. 4 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
Jun 23, 1998, 10:08 PM CDT (03:08 UTC)
Expired
Jun 23, 1998, 10:55 PM CDT
In force
47 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Calhoun County, IA, Carroll County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 100 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:11 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jun 23, 10:12 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 75Manson, IA
Jun 23, 10:13 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 52Rockwell City, IA
Jun 23, 10:15 PM CDTTornado F0Lytton, IA
Jun 23, 10:30 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 56Manson, 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jun 23, 7:30 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 3.1 hours before the alert went out and 308 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 1998-06-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 901 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 1998-06-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 212 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
901 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-26 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1105 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
212 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
335 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.4
Supercell composite
8.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 240308 RRA
SVRDSM
IAC025-027-240355-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1008 PM CDT TUE JUN 23 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN CALHOUN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA
  NORTHERN CARROLL COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL IOWA

* UNTIL 1055 PM CDT

* AT 1005 PM CDT... DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 36
  MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF FORT DODGE OR 4 MILES WEST OF LAKE CITY
  MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* THIS STORM CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR...
   LAKE CITY          BY 1007 PM CDT
   LANESBORO          BY 1013 PM CDT
   ROCKWELL CITY      BY 1014 PM CDT
   LOHRVILLE          BY 1018 PM CDT
   SOMERS             BY 1029 PM CDT

GO INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS! A TORNADO
WATCH IS IN EFFECT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO
PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.

COGIL

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, Jun 23, 5:25 PM CDT, 4 hours 43 minutes before
IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-
092>097-240300-

CENTRAL IOWA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
525 PM CDT TUE JUN 23 1998

HAZARD--SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING
WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND EXCESSIVE RAINFALL RATES.  ISOLATED SUPERCELLS
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A FEW TORNADOES ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION.

AREA OF CONCERN AND TIMING DETAILS--NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80 AND WEST
OF INTERSTATE 35 BETWEEN 700 PM AND 1100 PM.  NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80
AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 35 AFTER 900 PM.

METEOROLOGICAL COMMENTS--PARTIAL SUNSHINE ACROSS IOWA THIS AFTERNOON
HAS LED TO AN INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE ACROSS THE STATE.
ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE HAS BEEN STREAMING NORTHWARD INTO IOWA
AND SURROUNDING STATES ON SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH IN KANSAS
AND MISSOURI.  MEANWHILE...TWO WARM FRONTS WILL HELP TO PROVIDE ZONES
OF CONVERGENCE AND LIFT FOR THUNDERSTORM INITIATION THIS EVENING AS
AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES INTO THE AREA FROM WESTERN NEBRASKA.
THE FIRST WARM FRONT...EXTENDING FROM SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA INTO
WISCONSIN WILL PROBABLY BE WHERE MOST THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN.
MEANWHILE...A SECOND WARM FRONT EXTENDING FROM SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA
INTO EXTREME SOUTHERN IOWA WILL SERVE AS THE SOUTHERN EXTENT OF
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY SINCE THE AIR ABOVE AND SOUTH OF THIS FRONT IS
TOO WARM TO ALLOW CONVECTION TO SUSTAIN ITSELF.  SO...THUNDERSTORMS
ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN LATER THIS EVENING IN NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA...AND MOVE NEARLY DUE EAST AT 20 TO 30 MPH.
SOME OF THE STORMS WILL BE SEVERE AND CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY
RAIN OVER REPEATED AREAS LATER THIS EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT
HOURS.

PRECAUTIONS--SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATER THIS EVENING
INTO THE NIGHTTIME HOURS.  NOT ONLY IS SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE WITH
THESE STORMS...BUT HEAVY...FLOODING RAINFALL COULD ALSO OCCUR DUE TO
THEIR RELATIVELY SLOW AND REPEATED MOVEMENT OVER THE SAME AREA.
ADDITIONALLY...RECENT RAINS HAVE KEPT THE SOIL NEARLY SATURATED AND
RIVERS RUNNING ABOVE NORMAL.  A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR
MUCH OF NORTHERN AND NORTHEAST IOWA TONIGHT. KEEP ABREAST OF THE
LATEST FORECASTS AND OTHER STATEMENTS THIS EVENING.

SEARCY
Special weather statement, Jun 23, 5:25 PM CDT, 4 hours 43 minutes before
IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-
092>097-240300-

CENTRAL IOWA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
525 PM CDT TUE JUN 23 1998

HAZARD--SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING
WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND EXCESSIVE RAINFALL RATES.  ISOLATED SUPERCELLS
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A FEW TORNADOES ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION.

AREA OF CONCERN AND TIMING DETAILS--NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80 AND WEST
OF INTERSTATE 35 BETWEEN 700 PM AND 1100 PM.  NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80
AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 35 AFTER 900 PM.

METEOROLOGICAL COMMENTS--PARTIAL SUNSHINE ACROSS IOWA THIS AFTERNOON
HAS LED TO AN INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE ACROSS THE STATE.
ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE HAS BEEN STREAMING NORTHWARD INTO IOWA
AND SURROUNDING STATES ON SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH IN KANSAS
AND MISSOURI.  MEANWHILE...TWO WARM FRONTS WILL HELP TO PROVIDE ZONES
OF CONVERGENCE AND LIFT FOR THUNDERSTORM INITIATION THIS EVENING AS
AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES INTO THE AREA FROM WESTERN NEBRASKA.
THE FIRST WARM FRONT...EXTENDING FROM SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA INTO
WISCONSIN WILL PROBABLY BE WHERE MOST THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN.
MEANWHILE...A SECOND WARM FRONT EXTENDING FROM SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA
INTO EXTREME SOUTHERN IOWA WILL SERVE AS THE SOUTHERN EXTENT OF
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY SINCE THE AIR ABOVE AND SOUTH OF THIS FRONT IS
TOO WARM TO ALLOW CONVECTION TO SUSTAIN ITSELF.  SO...THUNDERSTORMS
ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN LATER THIS EVENING IN NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA...AND MOVE NEARLY DUE EAST AT 20 TO 30 MPH.
SOME OF THE STORMS WILL BE SEVERE AND CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY
RAIN OVER REPEATED AREAS LATER THIS EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT
HOURS.

PRECAUTIONS--SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATER THIS EVENING
INTO THE NIGHTTIME HOURS.  NOT ONLY IS SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE WITH
THESE STORMS...BUT HEAVY...FLOODING RAINFALL COULD ALSO OCCUR DUE TO
THEIR RELATIVELY SLOW AND REPEATED MOVEMENT OVER THE SAME AREA.
ADDITIONALLY...RECENT RAINS HAVE KEPT THE SOIL NEARLY SATURATED AND
RIVERS RUNNING ABOVE NORMAL.  A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR
MUCH OF NORTHERN AND NORTHEAST IOWA TONIGHT. KEEP ABREAST OF THE
LATEST FORECASTS AND OTHER STATEMENTS THIS EVENING.

SEARCY

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 23, 8:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXSac46 min
Jun 23, 9:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCrawford30 min
Jun 23, 9:47 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXSac33 min
Jun 23, 9:52 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXCalhoun33 min
Jun 23, 10:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWebster33 min
Jun 23, 10:19 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXPalo Alto3 hr
Jun 23, 10:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHumboldt32 min
Jun 23, 10:41 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXKossuth4 hr
Jun 23, 10:41 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXSac4 hr
Jun 23, 10:54 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXPocahontas4 hr
Jun 23, 11:20 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXCrawford4 hr
Jun 23, 11:31 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXWinnebago4 hr
Jun 23, 11:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCerro Gordo, Franklin, Worth31 min
Jun 23, 11:53 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXCalhoun4 hr
Jun 23, 11:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXButler34 min
Jun 24, 12:34 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXHamilton, Webster4 hr
Jun 24, 2:35 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXSac4 hr
Jun 24, 2:50 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXCrawford4 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 1998Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1998

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.