Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 1999

Tornado Warning 32, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 16, 1999Hardin County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at May 16, 1999, 9:00 PM CDT for Hardin County, Iowa. It was in force for 50 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 16, 1999, 9:00 PM CDT (02:00 UTC)
Expired
May 16, 1999, 9:50 PM CDT
In force
50 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Whole counties

County Hardin County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 83 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:02 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 watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 16, 3:00 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr
May 16, 9:00 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 242 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 1999-05-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3009 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 1999-05-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 61 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
3009 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1174 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
61 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
102 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.7
Supercell composite
5.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDSM 170201 RRA
TORDSM
IAC083-170250-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
900 PM CDT SUN MAY 16 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  HARDIN COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA

* UNTIL 950 PM CDT

* AT 859 PM CDT... DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 38 MILES EAST
  SOUTHEAST OF FORT DODGE OR 5 MILES WEST OF GARDEN CITY... MOVING
  EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* THIS TORNAxDO CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR...
   GARDEN CITY        BY 911 PM CDT
   RADCLIFFE          BY 913 PM CDT
   HUBBARD            BY 926 PM CDT

GO TO THE BASEMENT OR A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR!

JJ/JAW

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.

NWS Des Moines, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 16, 6:27 PM CDT, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 16, 6:27 PM CDT, 2 hours 33 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
628PM CDT SUN MAY 16 1999

RAINFALL RATES GETTING OUT OF HAND SO ALTHOUGH ITS A LTL LATE HAVE
DECIDED TO ISSUE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE ENTIRE CWA OVNGT.  MAIN
TSTM COMPLEX TWRD MO RVR HAS YET TO REACH FA AND WITH CONVECTION
LINING UP INTO KS...SGFNT TRAINING MAY TAKE PLACE.

.DSM...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TNGT ENTIRE DMX FA.

SMALL

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 16, 3:10 PM CDT, 5 hours 50 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
310 PM CDT SUN MAY 16 1999

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1145 AM    WOOLSTOCK                 IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   WRIGHT

1201 PM    POPEJOY                   IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   FRANKLIN

1203 PM    ROWAN                     IA    1.25 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   WRIGHT

1212 PM    HAMPTON                   IA    1 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   FRANKLIN

1221 PM    2 E DOWS                  IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   FRANKLIN

1221 PM    2 E DOWS                  IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   FRANKLIN

1221 PM    2 E DOWS                  IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   FRANKLIN

1221 PM    2 E DOWS                  IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   FRANKLIN

1223 PM    2 NE HANSELL              IA    1.75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   FRANKLIN

1230 PM    4 SE ALLISON              IA    1 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   BUTLER

1248 PM    2 S BRISTOW               IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   BUTLER

1251 PM    2 E PLAINFIELD            IA    1.75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   BREMER

1253 PM    5 SE HANSELL              IA    1 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   FRANKLIN

0105 PM    7 E PLAINFIELD            IA    1.75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   BREMER

0121 PM    7 SW ALLISON              IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   BUTLER

0130 PM    PARKERSBURG               IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   BUTLER

0150 PM    4 SW SUMNER               IA    1 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   BREMER

0221 PM    5 N WATERLOO              IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   BLACKHAWK
Local storm report, May 16, 3:10 PM CDT, 5 hours 50 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
310 PM CDT SUN MAY 16 1999

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1145 AM    WOOLSTOCK                 IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   WRIGHT

1201 PM    POPEJOY                   IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   FRANKLIN

1203 PM    ROWAN                     IA    1.25 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   WRIGHT

1212 PM    HAMPTON                   IA    1 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   FRANKLIN

1221 PM    2 E DOWS                  IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   FRANKLIN

1221 PM    2 E DOWS                  IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   FRANKLIN

1221 PM    2 E DOWS                  IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   FRANKLIN

1221 PM    2 E DOWS                  IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   FRANKLIN

1223 PM    2 NE HANSELL              IA    1.75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   FRANKLIN

1230 PM    4 SE ALLISON              IA    1 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   BUTLER

1248 PM    2 S BRISTOW               IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   BUTLER

1251 PM    2 E PLAINFIELD            IA    1.75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   BREMER

1253 PM    5 SE HANSELL              IA    1 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   FRANKLIN

0105 PM    7 E PLAINFIELD            IA    1.75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   BREMER

0121 PM    7 SW ALLISON              IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   BUTLER

0130 PM    PARKERSBURG               IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   BUTLER

0150 PM    4 SW SUMNER               IA    1 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   BREMER

0221 PM    5 N WATERLOO              IA    .75 INCH HAIL
05/16/99   BLACKHAWK
Special weather statement, May 16, 7:01 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
IAZ057-058-070-071-170015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
701 PM CDT SUN MAY 16 1999

...TORNADO WARNING UNTIL 725 PM FOR CASS AND AUDUBON COUNTIES...

AT 7 PM RADAR INDICATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING ACROSS MOST
OF CASS COUNTY INTO EASTERN AUDUBON COUNTY. LARGE HAIL HAS BEEN
REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS. ALTHOUGH RADAR INDICATES THE ROTATION IN
THESE STORMS HAS DECREASED... THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE A TORNADO AT
ANY TIME.

JW
Special weather statement, May 16, 7:01 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
IAZ057-058-070-071-170015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
701 PM CDT SUN MAY 16 1999

...TORNADO WARNING UNTIL 725 PM FOR CASS AND AUDUBON COUNTIES...

AT 7 PM RADAR INDICATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING ACROSS MOST
OF CASS COUNTY INTO EASTERN AUDUBON COUNTY. LARGE HAIL HAS BEEN
REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS. ALTHOUGH RADAR INDICATES THE ROTATION IN
THESE STORMS HAS DECREASED... THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE A TORNADO AT
ANY TIME.

JW

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 16, 7:35 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXBlack Hawk115 min
May 16, 7:44 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXBoone, Dallas31 min
May 16, 7:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDallas, Madison, Polk, Warren48 min
May 16, 7:54 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXBremer3 hr
May 16, 8:16 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXCass3 hr
May 16, 8:17 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXBoone, Story33 min
May 16, 8:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper, Marshall49 min
May 16, 8:44 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXHamilton, Story31 min
May 16, 9:43 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXBlack Hawk77 min
May 16, 10:02 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXButler3 hr
May 17, 8:47 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXBlack Hawk6 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 1999Every tornado warning in 1999Tornadoes in 1999

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.