Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 197, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 23, 1998, 10:17 PM CDT for Webster County, Iowa. It was in force for 33 min. 1 report 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, 10:17 PM CDT (03:17 UTC)
- Expired
- Jun 23, 1998, 10:50 PM CDT
- In force
- 33 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Webster County, IA
The radar
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 86 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:17 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.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 23, 10:52 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 65 | Ft Dodge, 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 23, 7:30 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 3.3 hours before the alert went out and 273 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
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
785 WUUS1 KDSM 240318 RRA SVRDSM IAC187-240350- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1017 PM CDT TUE JUN 23 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... WEBSTER COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA * UNTIL 1050 PM CDT * AT 1015 PM CDT... DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 18 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF FORT DODGE OR 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BARNUM MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. * THIS STORM CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR... BARNUM BY 1016 PM CDT CALLENDER BY 1021 PM CDT MOORLAND BY 1021 PM CDT GOWRIE BY 1021 PM CDT FORT DODGE BY 1029 PM CDT DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN ARE LIKELY. GO INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM FOR WEBSTER COUNTY. 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 52 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 52 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 23, 8:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Sac | 46 min |
| Jun 23, 9:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Crawford | 30 min |
| Jun 23, 9:47 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Sac | 33 min |
| Jun 23, 9:52 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Calhoun | 33 min |
| Jun 23, 10:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Calhoun, Carroll | 47 min |
| Jun 23, 10:19 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Palo Alto | 3 hr |
| Jun 23, 10:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Humboldt | 32 min |
| Jun 23, 10:41 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Kossuth | 4 hr |
| Jun 23, 10:41 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Sac | 4 hr |
| Jun 23, 10:54 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Pocahontas | 4 hr |
| Jun 23, 11:20 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Crawford | 4 hr |
| Jun 23, 11:31 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Winnebago | 4 hr |
| Jun 23, 11:34 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Cerro Gordo, Franklin, Worth | 31 min |
| Jun 23, 11:53 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Calhoun | 4 hr |
| Jun 23, 11:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Butler | 34 min |
| Jun 24, 12:34 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Hamilton, Webster | 4 hr |
| Jun 24, 2:35 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Sac | 4 hr |
| Jun 24, 2:50 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | DMX | Crawford | 4 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.