Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 72, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 10, 2003Jasper County, Poweshiek County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 10, 2003, 5:31 PM CDT for Jasper County, Poweshiek County, Iowa. It was in force for 29 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 10, 2003, 5:31 PM CDT (22:31 UTC)
Expired
May 10, 2003, 6:00 PM CDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Jasper County, IA, Poweshiek County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 81 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:33 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 10, 3:50 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 12:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 188 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 12:00Z on 2003-05-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2003-05-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 139 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1102 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
139 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
225 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

699 
WUUS53 KDMX 102231
SVRDMX
IAC099-157-102300-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
531 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN JASPER COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA
  POWESHIEK COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA

* UNTIL 600 PM CDT

* AT 528 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTH OF SULLY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...OR
  ABOUT 40 MILES EAST OF DES MOINES...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 70 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE...

  NEAR SEARSBORO AROUND 535 PM...
  5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GRINNELL REGIONAL AIRPORT AROUND 540 PM AND
  NEAR MALCOM AROUND 545 PM.

DAMAGING HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS IS LIKELY IN THE WARNED
AREA.

LARGE HAIL CAN CAUSE INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. SEEK SAFETY INDOORS
UNTIL THE STORM PASSES.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. REMEMBER...SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM SATURDAY EVENING FOR
EASTERN IOWA.

LAT...LON 4159 9297 4147 9282 4153 9272 4171 9243
          4186 9264

FORSTER

$$

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.

NWS Des Moines, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 10, 3:59 PM CDT, 1 hour 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 10, 3:59 PM CDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
2578PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

SVRL SGFNT THINGS TO CONSIDER TDA FM SVR WX TO HIGH WND POTENTIAL.
STLT IMAGERY SHOWS LG WV TROF THRU HIGH PLAINS WITH SHRT WV/SHEAR
AXIS FM KS/NE INTO MO VLY.  20Z SFC ANLYS PLACES LOW/TRIPLE POINT
JUST N KMKC METRO AREA WITH OLD OUTFLOW BNDRY TO JUST S KSTL METRO
AND ASSOCD WRMFNT INTO IA ALG KLWD-KCWI LN.  ELEVATED INSTABLITY
AXIS INTO S CNTRL IA WITH MLCAPES AOA 1000 J/KG HEADING INTO SERN IA
AS WRM SECTOR SURGES NWD.  DEEP LAYER SHEAR STG WITH VARIOUS
SUPERCELL/TORNADO SCREAMING...BUT MAINLY S ACRS MO AT THIS
POINT.  PRIMARY WARM SECTOR LOOKS TO BE ASSOCD WITH OUTFLOW BNDRY
WITH EXTRAPOLATION OF CURRENT FEATURES GOING ACRS SERN IA AND OUT OF
FA ARND 23Z.  FAVORED AREA FOR TORNADIC SUPERCELLS WOULD APPR TO BE
ALG AND SE OF KLWD-KPEA-JUST S KALO LN.  MAY SEE HAIL POTENTIAL IN
ELEVATED CONVECTION IN DEFORMATION ZN TOO.  HGT FALL CNTR AND STG
KINEMATIC FORCING CROSSES SRN 2/3RD OF FA THIS EVE.  SYS SHOULD BE
FAST MOVG ENOUGH THAT RAINS MAY BE LCLLY HVY BUT BRIEF ENOUGH TO NOT
AGGREVATE FLOODING SITUATION MUCH.  WL GO WITH CATEGORICAL WORDING
NWRN THIRD...CHCS SW...AND LIKELY CNTRL TO SE.  PCPN SHOULD DMSH
OVNGT TO CHC CATEGORY NERN PTNS.

NEXT QUESTION WL BE WNDS LATE TNGT AND SUN.  SFC LOW SHOULD QUICKLY
LIFT INTO KLSE VCNTY TWRD 06Z.  STG HGT FALL CNTR SHOULD DEEPING SFC
LOW WITH PRODUCE SGFNT ISALLOBARIC COUPLET AS DEPICTED BY MDLS.
THIS AND FOLLOWING PRES RISE CNTR SHOULD EXIT FA BY 12Z...WITH
SCNDRY ISALLOBARIC MAX INTO NERN SXNS TMRW.  PRES GRADIENT QUITE
IMPRESSIVE SO HAVE ISSUED WND ADVY LATE TNGT AND SUN FOR NRN 2 TO 3
TIERS OF COUNTIES.  TEMP WISE GENERALLY FOLLOWED COMPROMISE OF
GUIDANCE WHICH IS FAIRLY CLOSE.

PRIMARY QUESTIONS FOR NEXT WEEK WL BE POPS WITH MIDWEEK SYS...AND
WHETHER TO ADD MENTION AGN LATE IN WEEK.  RECENT GFS RUNS STRONGEST
WITH SYS ARND WED...EURO MDLS WEAKEST AND CANADIAN A COMPROMISE.
GFS SLOWEST WITH EURO/CANADIAN SOLUTIONS A BIT FASTER.  HWVR 12Z GFS
AND GFS ENSEMBLES ARE LEANING IN DIRECTION OF CANADIAN/EURO MDLS.
SEE NO REASON TO ALTER NCEP THINKING OF FOLLOWING ECMWF...SPCLLY
ARND MIDWEEK...WITH INFLUENCE OF 12Z GFS AND ENSEMBLES IN LATER PDS
TOO.  THUS WL KEEP CHCS GOING TUE NGT WRN PTNS...AND FA WIDE WED.
TWRD FRI AND SAT...ECMWF MUCH STGR AND FARTHER N WITH SRN PLAINS
SYS.  HWVR WL SIDE WITH SUGGESTIONS FM GFS/CANADIAN ENSEMBLES AND
SURROUNDING OFFICES KEEPING FCST DRY ATTM.  DO NOT HAVE THE BEST
CONFIDENCE IN 00Z MOS EITHER SO HAVE NOT CHGD GOING TEMPS MUCH.

.DSM...WND ADVY OVNGT AND SUN NRN PTNS
       IAZ004>007-015>017-024>028

SMALL
Hazardous weather outlook, May 10, 11:50 AM CDT, 5 hours 41 minutes before
IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-
092>097-111100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1150 AM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

...MORE SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL IOWA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A SURFACE LOW WILL TRACK THROUGH SOUTHEAST IOWA...AND DRAW VERY
MOIST...UNSTABLE AIR INTO THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE STATE THIS
AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS WITH
SEVERE WEATHER ARE POSSIBLE FROM AROUND 3 PM TO 9 PM.  THE AREA IN
HIGH RISK FOR SEEING SEVERE WEATHER LIES SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM
EDDYVILLE TO CLIO.  LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND AND TORNADOES ARE
POSSIBLE IN THIS AREA.  THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE STORMS
SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM BROOKLYN TO LAMONI. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
WIND AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN THIS AREA. IN
ADDITION...RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF A QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH ARE
POSSIBLE OVER CENTRAL IOWA THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH ISOLATED TOTALS
BETWEEN 1 AND 2 INCHES. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL HAVE AN AFFECT ON
AREA RIVERS DURING THE COMING WEEK...BUT THE RISK FOR FLASH FLOODING
IS LOW FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

EXPECT VERY WINDY CONDITIONS ON SUNDAY...WITH A SUSTAINED NORTHWEST
WIND AT 20 TO 30 MPH...AND GUSTS TO 45 MPH. PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND A
FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS PARTS OF CENTRAL IOWA TUESDAY
NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY...AND AGAIN THURSDAY. NO SEVERE WEATHER IS
ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY
EVENING...MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM BROOKLYN TO
LAMONI.
&&

MORE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED AT WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/DMX (ALL LOWER
CASE).

FAB

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 10, 5:10 PM CDT, 21 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
0510 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

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

0444 PM    GREENE                    IA   0.75 IN HAIL
05/10/03   BUTLER                         TRAINED SPOTTER

0420 PM    1 NE THORNTON             IA   1.75 IN HAIL
05/10/03   CERRO GORDO                    TRAINED SPOTTER

BF
Local storm report, May 10, 5:25 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
0525 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

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

0506 PM    4 NE CHELSEA              IA   1.00 IN HAIL
05/10/03   TAMA                           INTERSECTION OF HWY 21 &
                                          HWY 30. MOBILE SPOTTER.

0354 PM    THORNTON                  IA   1.75 IN HAIL
05/10/03   CERRO GORDO                    BROADCAST MEDIA...KIMT TV.

0411 PM    4 NW THORNTON             IA   1.00 IN HAIL
05/10/03   CERRO GORDO                    TRAINED SPOTTER.

0520 PM    10 N KNOXVILLE            IA   DOWNBURST
05/10/03   MARION                         1/4 MILE NORTH OF RED ROCK
                                          LAKE.

BF

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 10, 3:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCerro Gordo36 min
May 10, 4:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWayne50 min
May 10, 4:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAppanoose48 min
May 10, 4:46 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXAppanoose, Wayne44 min
May 10, 4:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXPoweshiek, Tama27 min
May 10, 5:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMarion, Wapello34 min
May 10, 5:17 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXMarion28 min
May 10, 5:29 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXAppanoose, Davis46 min
May 10, 5:43 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXMahaska32 min
May 10, 5:49 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXPoweshiek26 min
May 10, 5:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXTama33 min
May 10, 5:58 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXDavis47 min
May 10, 6:07 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXWapello38 min
May 10, 6:12 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXAppanoose, Davis33 min
May 10, 6:14 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXPoweshiek31 min
May 10, 6:22 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXTama23 min
May 10, 6:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBlack Hawk27 min
May 10, 6:44 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXDavis46 min
May 10, 6:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBremer23 min
May 10, 6:54 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXBremer36 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 2003Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2003

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.