Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 66, NWS La Crosse, WI

May 21, 2004Fayette County, Winneshiek County, Iowa

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 21, 2004, 1:59 PM CDT for Fayette County, Winneshiek County, Iowa. It was in force for 31 min. 8 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: May 21, 2004, 1:59 PM CDT (18:59 UTC)
Expired: May 21, 2004, 2:30 PM CDT
In force: 31 min
Issued by: NWS La Crosse, WI
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Fayette County, IA, Winneshiek County, IA

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 92 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:58 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
May 21, 2:15 PM CDT	HAIL 1	1 S Castalia, IA
May 21, 2:15 PM CDT	HAIL 1	1 S Castalia, IA
May 21, 2:15 PM CDT	HAIL 1	1 S Castalia, IA
May 21, 2:15 PM CDT	HAIL 1	1 S Castalia, IA
May 21, 2:17 PM CDT	HAIL 0.88	1 Se Castalia, IA
May 21, 2:17 PM CDT	HAIL 0.88	1 Se Castalia, IA
May 21, 2:17 PM CDT	HAIL 0.88	1 Se Castalia, IA
May 21, 2:17 PM CDT	HAIL 0.88	1 Se Castalia, IA

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 16 minutes after it went out.

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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 21, 10:25 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 7.0 hours before the alert went out and 245 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 732 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 216 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 321 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.

196 
WUUS53 KARX 211859
SVRARX
IAC065-191-211930-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
159 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WINNESHIEK COUNTY IN NORTHEAST IOWA
  FAYETTE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST IOWA

* UNTIL 230 PM CDT

* AT 159 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR DETECTED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING LARGE HAIL 4 MILES WEST OF COUNTY ROADS W 42
  AND B 40...OR ABOUT 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF WEST UNION. THE SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  OSSIAN AROUND 205 PM CDT...
  CASTALIA AND COUNTY ROAD W 46 AND CENTENNIAL ROAD AROUND 210 PM
  CDT...
  FRANKVILLE AROUND 215 PM CDT...

THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION...MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF
YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

PLEASE REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICE
AND TELL THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 4304 9172 4302 9183 4317 9193 4326 9161
          4308 9162

$$

BAUMGARDT

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 La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 21, 3:15 AM CDT, 10 hours 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 21, 3:15 AM CDT, 10 hours 44 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
315 AM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

.SHORT TERM...THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT

FORECAST CONCERNS REMAIN CENTERED ON EXACT POSITION OF EAST-WEST
ORIENTED FRONT ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST AND RESULTANT RAIN CHANCES
AND POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY QPF NEXT FEW DAYS ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA.

EARLY MORNING SURFACE ANALYSIS HAD FRONT EXTENDING FROM NORTHERN
ILLINOIS ALONG THE IOWA/MISSOURI BORDER TO KANSAS/NEBRASKA BORDER
AREA. CONVECTION ACTIVE NORTH OF THE FRONT WHERE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE
TRANSPORT AND 30-40KT 850MB JET FOCUSED. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY
SUGGESTS SEVERAL SHORT WAVES EMBEDDED IN SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT...
WHICH WAS FEEDING PLENTIFUL MOISTURE INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST.

00Z MAY 21ST MODEL INITIALIZATION LOOKED REASONABLE. GFS AND ETA
REMAINED IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT ON TIMING AND PLACEMENT OF MCS
ACTIVITY TO IMPACT OUR FORECAST AREA TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY.
BIGGEST QUESTION WILL BE HOW FAR NORTHWARD THE SURFACE FRONT RETURNS
DURING THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS. BASED ON PAST EXPERIENCE WITH SIMILAR
SCENARIOS...FORECAST FRONTAL POSITION COULD BE TOO FAR NORTH...SINCE
MCS ACTIVITY TENDS TO SUPPRESS NORTHWARD MOVEMENT.

IN THIS SAME VEIN...BETWEEN 60-72HRS...GFS AND ETA DIVERGED ON
PLACEMENT OF SURFACE WAVE...WITH GFS FURTHER NORTH. BASED ON
DPROG/DT...GFS APPEARED TO HAVE A MORE CONSISTENT SOLUTION IN THIS
TIME FRAME. BIGGEST IMPACT ON THE FORECAST WILL BE WHETHER PORTIONS
OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL BE IN THE WARM SECTOR ON SUNDAY...WHICH GFS
DOES SUPPORT. LOW CONFIDENCE LENDS TO MAINTAINING DATABASE AS IS...
WHICH SUGGESTS WET WEATHER CONTINUES THROUGH THE WEEKEND...WHILE
TEMPERATURE FORECAST WILL BE PROBLEMATIC.

TODAY...LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT...ALONG WITH STRONG ISENTROPIC
LIFT IN THE 300K-310K...AND ELEVATED INSTABILITY OF 1000-2000 J/KG
SUGGESTS WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL STILL A POSSIBILITY AS WELL...WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER
VALUES OF 1.5 INCHES. ALL OF THIS ALREADY REFLECTED WELL IN DATABASE
AND ONLY CHANGE WAS TO INCLUDE CATEGORICAL RAIN PROBABILITIES OVER
THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA. WE BELIEVE OUR FORECAST AREA CAN HANDLE
RAINFALL TODAY...BUT ADDITIONAL EXCESSIVE RAINFALL POTENTIAL FOR
TONIGHT SHOULD CAUSE RUNOFF PROBLEMS.

TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...EAST-WEST ORIENTED FRONT REMAINS A CONCERN
FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL AS IT WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR ADDITIONAL SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS. POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES...WITH LOW
LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT IMPINGING ON THE FRONT AND PRECIPITABLE
WATER VALUES OF 1.0-1.5 INCHES. AS MENTIONED EARLIER...ADDITIONAL
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL ANTICIPATED TONIGHT SHOULD CAUSE RUNOFF PROBLEMS.
THUS...ISSUED A FLOOD WATCH FOR ENTIRE FORECAST AREA FOR TONIGHT.
ADDITIONAL HEADLINES MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH THE WEEKEND FOR HYDROLOGIC
CONCERNS.

.LONG TERM...MONDAY THRU THURSDAY

NO CHANGES ANTICIPATED FOR THIS TIME FRAME AS UNSETTLED WEATHER
PATTERN LOOKS TO CONTINUE.

&&

.ARX...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IA...FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT...NORTHEAST IOWA...IOWA ZONES 008>011...
     IOWA ZONES 018-019-029-030.
MN...FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT...SOUTHEAST MN...MINNESOTA ZONES 079...
     MINNESOTA ZONES 086>088...094>096.
WI...FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT...SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL WI...
     WISCONSIN ZONES 017...029...032>034...041>044...
     WISCONSIN ZONES 053>055...061.

&&

THOMPSON

Hazardous weather outlook, May 21, 11:00 AM CDT, 2 hours 59 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1100 AM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034-
041>044-053>055-061-220900-
ADAMS-ALLAMAKEE-BUFFALO-CHICKASAW-CLARK-CLAYTON-CRAWFORD-DODGE-
FAYETTE-FILLMORE-FLOYD-GRANT-HOUSTON-HOWARD-JACKSON-JUNEAU-LA CROSSE-
MITCHELL-MONROE-MOWER-OLMSTED-RICHLAND-TAYLOR-TREMPEALEAU-VERNON-
WABASHA-WINNESHIEK-WINONA-
1100 AM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST
IOWA...SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...AND CENTRAL INTO SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

AMPLE INSTABILITY AND SUFFICIENT WIND SHEAR NORTH OF WARM FRONT COULD
PRODUCE A FEW SEVERE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND AGAIN TONIGHT.
THE PRIMARY MAIN THREAT SHOULD BE LARGE HAIL. IN ADDITION...LOCALLY
HEAVY RAINFALL IS CERTAINLY POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN COULD BE ONGOING
THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF SATURDAY. MEANWHILE...THE FRONT
WILL CONTINUE LIFTING NORTHWARD...THEN BECOME QUASI-STATIONARY OVER
THE AREA. WITH THE MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN PLACE...PERIODS OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
DEPENDING UPON THE LOCATION OF THE FRONT SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BE
SEVERE. IN ADDITION LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO STILL A CONCERN
WITH THE ALREADY SATURATED SOILS IN SOME LOCATIONS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY ALSO BE NEEDED THROUGH THE WEEKEND. IN
ADDITION...RAINFALL REPORTS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

THOMPSON/RIECK

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 21, 12:29 PM CDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1229 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1224 PM     HAIL             4 E SPRING VALLEY       43.69N 92.31W
05/21/2004  0.75 INCH        FILLMORE           MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

04

Local storm report, May 21, 12:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1255 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1246 PM     HAIL             DE SOTO                 43.43N 91.20W
05/21/2004  1.00 INCH        VERNON             WI   POST OFFICE

&&

04

Local storm report, May 21, 1:04 PM CDT, 55 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
104 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1258 PM     HAIL             RETREAT                 43.45N 91.08W
05/21/2004  1.50 INCH        VERNON             WI   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

&&

04

Local storm report, May 21, 1:18 PM CDT, 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
118 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0113 PM     HAIL             7 SE VIROQUA            43.49N 90.79W
05/21/2004  1.75 INCH        VERNON             WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

04

Local storm report, May 21, 1:21 PM CDT, 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
121 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0111 PM     HAIL             LIBERTY POLE            43.48N 90.90W
05/21/2004  0.75 INCH        VERNON             WI   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

04

The office that day

Everything else NWS La Crosse, WI issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 21, 2:55 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Floyd	35 min
May 21, 4:51 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Winneshiek	24 min
May 21, 6:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Clayton, Fayette	34 min
May 21, 12:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Allamakee	29 min
May 21, 12:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Floyd	38 min
May 21, 2:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Allamakee, Clayton	33 min
May 21, 5:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Floyd, Mitchell	57 min
May 21, 6:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Floyd	30 min
May 21, 6:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Chickasaw	50 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 2004 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2004

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.