Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 2004

Tornado Warning 127, NWS Des Moines, IA

September 5, 2004Marshall County, Story County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Sep 5, 2004, 9:03 PM CDT for Marshall County, Story County, Iowa. It was in force for 42 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: Sep 5, 2004, 9:03 PM CDT (02:03 UTC)
Expired: Sep 5, 2004, 9:45 PM CDT
In force: 42 min
Issued by: NWS Des Moines, IA
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Marshall County, IA, Story County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 51 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:03 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 tornado 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 nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 00:00Z, 2.1 hours before the alert went out and 228 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: 37 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -13 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1543 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 53 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 130 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.

000 
WFUS53 KDMX 060204
TORDMX
IAC127-169-060245-
/X.NEW.KDMX.TO.W.0017.040906T0203Z-040906T0245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
903 PM CDT SUN SEP 5 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN STORY COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA.
  MARSHALL COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA.

* UNTIL 945 PM CDT.

* AT 859 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
  STORM WAS LOCATED 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF STATE CENTER...OR 27 MILES
  NORTHEAST OF DES MOINES...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* THIS TORNADIC STORM WILL BE...
  NEAR STATE CENTER BY 915 PM CDT.
  6 MILES NORTHWEST OF MARSHALLTOWN BY 935 PM CDT.

THE TOWNS OF COLLINS...RHODES...MELBOURNE...ALBION AND MARSHALLTOWN
MUNICIPAL AIRPORT ARE ALSO IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADIC STORM.

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

LAT...LON 4188 9347 4187 9303 4214 9283 4213 9323

$$

BOKSA

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 Sep 5, 3:15 PM CDT, 5 hours 48 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 5, 3:15 PM CDT, 5 hours 48 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
315 PM CDT SUN SEP 5 2004

.DISCUSSION...
ABBREVIATED DISCUSSION DUE TO UPCOMING TORNADO WATCH. TORNADO
PARAMETERS ARE INCREASING ACROSS THE AREA AS SIGNIFICANT LOW LEVEL
SHEAR AND IMPRESSIVE 0-3KM CAPES ARE PRESENT. PER DISCUSSION WITH
SPC...LOW TOPPED SUPERCELLS WITH THE MAIN THREAT BEING TORNADOES
POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA. LIKELY WILL BE TOUGH WITH WEAK SIGNATURES
PRESENT. CURRENTLY HAVE SEVERAL SMALL CELLS WITH ROTATION.

FRONT AND GOOD UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS PUSH ACROSS THE AREA THIS
EVENING AND OVERNIGHT WITH LIKELY POPS ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. MAIN
CONCERN ON MONDAY WILL BE LINGERING POTENTIAL STRATUS DECK AS
MOISTURE BECOMES TRAPPED BELOW THE INVERSION LAYER. THIS COULD KEEPS
TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW GUIDANCE AND HAVE LEANED TOWARDS THE COOL
END OF GUIDANCE.

THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST WILL DEPEND GREATLY ON FRANCES MOVING
OUT OF THE EASTERN US AND THEN IVAN MOVING INTO THE CARIBBEAN.
CONTINUITY AMONG THE LONG RANGE MODELS IS POOR AND CONFIDENCE IS
LOW. MADE LITTLE CHANGES TO GOING FORECAST WITH NEAR NORMAL
TEMPERATURES EXPECTED AND LITTLE PRECIPITATION.

&&

.DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

&&

DONAVON

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 5, 11:58 AM CDT, 9 hours 5 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1158 AM CDT SUN SEP 5 2004

IAZ004>006-015-016-023>025-033>036-044>047-057>059-070>072-081-082-
092-093-061100-
ADAIR-ADAMS-AUDUBON-BOONE-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CASS-CRAWFORD-DALLAS-EMMET-
GREENE-GUTHRIE-HAMILTON-HANCOCK-HUMBOLDT-KOSSUTH-MADISON-PALO ALTO-
POCAHONTAS-RINGGOLD-SAC-TAYLOR-UNION-WEBSTER-WINNEBAGO-WRIGHT-
1158 AM CDT SUN SEP 5 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL IOWA GENERALLY WEST OF
INTERSTATE 35.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM LATE THIS
AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING.  ALTHOUGH WIDELY SCATTERED NON-SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP ABOUT ANYWHERE THIS AFTERNOON...A SQUALL
LINE OF SEVERE STORMS IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER EASTERN NEBRASKA
AND TRACK EAST INTO WESTERN IOWA BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THE SEVERE
STORMS MAY MOVE OVER FAR WESTERN SECTIONS OF MID IOWA BETWEEN 3 PM
AND 5 PM AND REACH THE INTERSTATE 35 CORRIDOR BY 8 PM. THUNDERSTORMS
WILL MOVE EAST OF THE AREA BY MIDNIGHT.  THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE
DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS OF 65 TO 70 MPH WITH A SECONDARY THREAT
OF HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES.  AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS POSSIBLE
DURING THE FIRST FEW HOURS AFTER THE SQUALL LINE FORMS.  THE THREAT
FOR TORNADOES WILL DIMINISH AFTER 7 PM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER WESTERN IOWA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING.

IAZ007-017-026>028-037>039-048>050-060>062-073>075-083>086-094>097-
061100-
APPANOOSE-BLACK HAWK-BREMER-BUTLER-CERRO GORDO-CLARKE-DAVIS-DECATUR-
FRANKLIN-GRUNDY-HARDIN-JASPER-LUCAS-MAHASKA-MARION-MARSHALL-MONROE-
POLK-POWESHIEK-STORY-TAMA-WAPELLO-WARREN-WAYNE-WORTH-
1158 AM CDT SUN SEP 5 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL IOWA GENERALLY EAST
OF INTERSTATE 35.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

ISOLATED NON-SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY MID
TO LATE AFTERNOON.  A SQUALL LINE MOVING INTO WESTERN IOWA
TOWARD EVENING WILL MOVE INTO THE EAST HALF OF CENTRAL IOWA THIS
EVENING.  THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS
EVENING FROM ABOUT 8 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT.  THUNDERSTORMS ARE ARE
EXPECTED TO BE EAST OF THE AREA BY SUNRISE.  THE MAIN THREAT FROM
THESE STORMS WILL BE FOR STRAIGHT LINE WINDS OF 60 MPH.  AN
ISOLATED STORM MAY PRODUCE HAIL UP TO PENNY SIZE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Sep 5, 3:28 PM CDT, 5 hours 35 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
328 PM CDT SUN SEP 5 2004

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>026-033>037-044>049-057>061-070>074-081>085-
092>096-060200-

TORNADO WATCH #801 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR THE
FOLLOWING DES MOINES COUNTY WARNING AREA COUNTIES OF...

  ADAIR                 ADAMS                 APPANOOSE
  AUDUBON               BOONE                 CALHOUN
  CARROLL               CASS                  CERRO GORDO
  CLARKE                CRAWFORD              DALLAS
  DECATUR               EMMET                 FRANKLIN
  GREENE                GUTHRIE               HAMILTON
  HANCOCK               HARDIN                HUMBOLDT
  JASPER                KOSSUTH               LUCAS
  MADISON               MARION                MARSHALL
  MONROE                PALO ALTO             POCAHONTAS
  POLK                  RINGGOLD              SAC
  STORY                 TAYLOR                UNION
  WARREN                WAYNE                 WEBSTER
  WINNEBAGO             WORTH                 WRIGHT

IN ADDITION TO THESE COUNTIES, THE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF
SOUTHWEST...WEST CENTRAL...AND MUCH OF NORTHWEST IOWA.

Local storm report, Sep 5, 6:18 PM CDT, 2 hours 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
618 PM CDT SUN SEP 05 2004

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

0604 PM     TORNADO          8 S JEFFERSON           41.90N 94.38W
09/05/2004                   GREENE             IA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TORNADO REPORTED BY PUBLIC RELAYED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.
            DRIVER AT THE INTERSECTION OF E 63 AND HIGHWAY 4 LOOKING
            NORTH.

&&

RAD

Local storm report, Sep 5, 6:36 PM CDT, 2 hours 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
636 PM CDT SUN SEP 05 2004

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

0614 PM     TORNADO          2 E JEFFERSON           42.02N 94.34W
09/05/2004                   GREENE             IA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A TORNADO 2 MILES EAST OF
            JEFFERSON WITH DAMAGE REPORTED.

&&

RAD

Local storm report, Sep 5, 8:12 PM CDT, 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
812 PM CDT SUN SEP 05 2004

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

0752 PM     TORNADO          5 SW NORWALK            41.45N 93.75W
09/05/2004                   WARREN             IA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN NEAR PROLE. REPORTED BY KCCI.

&&

RAD

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 5, 7:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Hamilton, Wright	30 min
Sep 5, 7:16 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Madison	29 min
Sep 5, 7:28 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Hardin, Story	47 min
Sep 5, 7:39 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Warren	36 min
Sep 5, 7:56 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Polk	49 min
Sep 5, 8:17 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Story	43 min
Sep 5, 8:44 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Lucas, Warren	31 min
Sep 5, 8:48 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Jasper, Polk	27 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 2004 Every tornado warning in 2004 Tornadoes 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.