Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 2004

Tornado Warning 78, NWS Des Moines, IA

June 11, 2004Webster County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Jun 11, 2004, 7:28 PM CDT for Webster County, Iowa. It was in force for 32 min. 5 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: Jun 11, 2004, 7:28 PM CDT (00:28 UTC)
Expired: Jun 11, 2004, 8:00 PM CDT
In force: 32 min
Issued by: NWS Des Moines, IA
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Webster County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 92 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:30 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 11, 7:30 PM CDT	TORNADO	Lehigh, IA
Jun 11, 7:33 PM CDT	TORNADO	3 Sw Lehigh, IA	THIS TORNADO REPORTED BY MANY SPOTTERS AROUND THIS TIME.
Jun 11, 7:38 PM CDT	TORNADO	3 W Lehigh, IA	DAMAGE ALONG SIDE OF 290TH STREET.
Jun 11, 7:44 PM CDT	TORNADO	4 E Lehigh, IA	JUST EAST OF BRUSHY CREEK.
Jun 11, 7:49 PM CDT	TORNADO	2 W Lehigh, IA	DEBRIS SEEN NEAR BURNSIDE. QUARTER HAIL 2 MILES NORTH OF BURNSIDE.

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 5 storm reports to this tornado warning; the first came 2 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
Jun 11, 5:00 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 229 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: 4 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -132 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 2604 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -6 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 34 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 120028
TORDMX
IAC187-120100-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
727 PM CDT FRI JUN 11 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN WEBSTER COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF FORT DODGE

* UNTIL 800 PM CDT

* AT 726 PM...RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM WITH A HISTORY OF
  TORNADOES 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF OTHO...OR ABOUT 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
  FORT DODGE...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

* THE STORM WILL BE...

  NEAR DUNCOMBE AROUND 745 PM AND
  9 MILES SOUTH OF VINCENT AROUND 750 PM.


COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A TORNADO 5 MILES NORTH OF HARTCOURT 
AT 729 PM.

THIS IS A HAZARDOUS SITUATION. SEEK SHELTER IN A BASEMENT...OR IN AN
INTERIOR ROOM. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE OUTSIDE OR IN A
CAR...SEEK SHELTER IN A REINFORCED BUILDING.

LAT...LON 4266 9421 4229 9420 4229 9394 4265 9399

$$

COGIL

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 Jun 11, 4:00 AM CDT, 15 hours 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 11, 4:00 AM CDT, 15 hours 28 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
400 AM CDT FRI JUN 11 2004

.DISCUSSION...
MAIN FCST PROB WL BE WITH THE NEXT 3 DAYS.  POTENTIALLY POTENT STTN
TDA WITH INIT CNVCTN LFTG NEWD ACRS THE NORTHWEST AND SHUD BE OUT OF
THE PIX ERY THIS MRNG.  LOADED GUN TYPE SOUNDINGS THIS AFTN WITH
DECENT SHEER IN THE UPR LVL DRY SLOT.  CERTAINLY FAVORABLE FOR SVR
WX IF WE CAN GET ANY KIND OF HEATING GOING.  CAA AT H7 WL
DESTABILIZE THE ATMOS SO THAT CNVCTN WL BE LKLY BY 18Z OR SHORTLY
AFT.  A BRK IN ACTION TNGT WITH WRMFNT SAT NGT.  GFS LKS TOO OVR
DONE AND WENT WITH THE ETA SCENARIO WITH LATE AFT INTO ERY EVE
DVLPMT GRADUALLY SINKING BY LATE EVE TO THE S.  A POTENTIAL PROB FOR
SUN NOT AS CLEAR BUT SHUD BE THE LAST SIG ROUND.  COOLING INTO MID
WK AS ADVTZD PAST SVRL DAYS IN GFS.  DONT SEE IT GETTING AS COLD AS
GFS FCST, HWVR WL NEED TO WATCH HOW NLY THE FLOW GETS WITH SNO
FIELDS FARTHER S THAN NORMAL NR A PABR-CYYZ LN.

&&

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

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 11, 9:44 AM CDT, 9 hours 44 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
944 AM CDT FRI JUN 11 2004

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-121100-
BLACK HAWK-BOONE-BREMER-BUTLER-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CERRO GORDO-CRAWFORD-
EMMET-FRANKLIN-GREENE-GRUNDY-HAMILTON-HANCOCK-HARDIN-HUMBOLDT-
KOSSUTH-MARSHALL-PALO ALTO-POCAHONTAS-SAC-STORY-TAMA-WEBSTER-
WINNEBAGO-WORTH-WRIGHT-
944 AM CDT FRI JUN 11 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN IOWA
ALONG AND NORTH OF U.S. HIGHWAY 30.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND FRIDAY

THUNDERSTORMS WILL FIRE OVER WESTERN IOWA BY NOON OR SHORTLY AFTER
AND ADVANCE ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  LARGE HAIL
OF GOLFBALL SIZE OR LARGER IS LIKELY WITH SOME OF THE STORMS...ALONG
WITH DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS OF MORE THAN 70 MPH. CONDITIONS
ARE ALSO FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES. A FEW STRONG TORNADOES ARE
POSSIBLE...WITH THE HIGHEST RISK AREA BETWEEN THE HIGHWAY 20 AND
HIGHWAY 30 CORRIDORS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS POSSIBLE SATURDAY
AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY NIGHT.  THERE IS ONLY A SLIGHT RISK OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER
WILL BE TO THE SOUTH OF US.

ANOTHER FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL BRING A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN
MONDAY.  AT THIS TIME IT IS DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT THE SEVERE
WEATHER POTENTIAL.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS EXPECTED FROM NOON UNTIL 9 PM THIS
AFTERNOON.  SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED SATURDAY EVENING AND
SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

IAZ057>062-070>075-081>086-092>097-121100-
ADAIR-ADAMS-APPANOOSE-AUDUBON-CASS-CLARKE-DALLAS-DAVIS-DECATUR-
GUTHRIE-JASPER-LUCAS-MADISON-MAHASKA-MARION-MONROE-POLK-POWESHIEK-
RINGGOLD-TAYLOR-UNION-WAPELLO-WARREN-WAYNE-
944 AM CDT FRI JUN 11 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN IOWA...SOUTH OF U.S. HIGHWAY 30.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS INITIATION IS EXPECTED ACROSS WESTERN IOWA BY NOON OR
SHORTLY AFTER..WITH STORMS ADVANCING EAST ACROSS THE AREA THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  THE AREAL COVERAGE OF STORMS SOUTH OF HIGHWAY
30 IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE AS LARGE AS AREAS TO THE NORTH. HOWEVER A
FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED...WITH THE MAIN THREATS
BEING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. ISOLATED
TORNADOES CANNOT BE RULED OUT...WITH THE MOST FAVORED AREA LOCATED
BETWEEN HIGHWAY 30 AND INTERSTATE 80.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS POSSIBLE SATURDAY
AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY NIGHT.  THUNDERSTORMS WILL FORM LATE IN
THE AFTERNOON AND LAST THROUGH THE NIGHT.  THE BEST CHANCE OF
SEVERE WEATHER IS WITHIN THE FIRST FEW HOURS AFTER INCEPTION.

ANOTHER FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL BRING A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN
MONDAY.  AT THIS TIME IT IS DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT THE SEVERE
WEATHER POTENTIAL.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS EXPECTED FROM NOON UNTIL 9 PM THIS
AFTERNOON.  SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE SATURDAY
INTO SATURDAY EVENING AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

KINNEY

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 11, 6:59 PM CDT, 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
659 PM CDT FRI JUN 11 2004

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

0635 PM     TORNADO          SOMERS                  42.38N 94.43W
06/11/2004                   CALHOUN            IA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            4 TO 5 TOUCHDOWNS REPORTED NEAR THE CALHOUN AND WEBSTER
            COUNTY LINE.

&&

GRAMS

Local storm report, Jun 11, 7:01 PM CDT, 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
701 PM CDT FRI JUN 11 2004

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

0611 PM     HAIL             FORT DODGE              42.51N 94.18W
06/11/2004  0.88 INCH        WEBSTER            IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

JOHNSON

Local storm report, Jun 11, 7:11 PM CDT, 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
711 PM CDT FRI JUN 11 2004

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

0709 PM     HAIL             FORT DODGE              42.51N 94.18W
06/11/2004  1.75 INCH        WEBSTER            IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

JOHNSON

Local storm report, Jun 11, 7:12 PM CDT, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
712 PM CDT FRI JUN 11 2004

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

0712 PM     HAIL             FORT DODGE              42.51N 94.18W
06/11/2004  0.88 INCH        WEBSTER            IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

JOHNSON

Local storm report, Jun 11, 7:22 PM CDT, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
722 PM CDT FRI JUN 11 2004

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

0649 PM     HAIL             2 WNW FORT DODGE        42.51N 94.21W
06/11/2004  1.00 INCH        WEBSTER            IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

0651 PM     HAIL             3 WNW FORT DODGE        42.53N 94.23W
06/11/2004  1.00 INCH        WEBSTER            IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

0707 PM     HAIL             1 SSE FORT DODGE        42.49N 94.17W
06/11/2004  1.25 INCH        WEBSTER            IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

0711 PM     HAIL             FORT DODGE              42.51N 94.18W
06/11/2004  1.00 INCH        WEBSTER            IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

RPK

Local storm report, Jun 11, 7:26 PM CDT, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
726 PM CDT FRI JUN 11 2004

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

0714 PM     FLOOD            SWEA CITY               43.38N 94.31W
06/11/2004                   KOSSUTH            IA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            WATER RECEDED TO ALONG SHOULDERS OF STATE HIGHWAY 9 NEAR
            SWEA CITY AND U.S. HIGHWAY 169 NEAR BURT. WATER COVERING
            COUNTY ROADS NEAR SWEA CITY AND ALONG ROADS NEAR PLUM
            CREEK NEAR WESLEY.

&&

GRAMS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 11, 7:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Wright	53 min
Jun 11, 7:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Taylor	47 min
Jun 11, 7:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Ringgold	57 min
Jun 11, 7:49 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Hamilton	56 min
Jun 11, 7:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Union	61 min
Jun 11, 8:02 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Webster	28 min
Jun 11, 8:13 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Boone	47 min
Jun 11, 8:21 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Ringgold	54 min
Jun 11, 8:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Webster	15 min
Jun 11, 8:42 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	DMX	Hamilton	3 hr
Jun 11, 8:47 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Hamilton	43 min
Jun 11, 8:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Boone	46 min
Jun 11, 9:01 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Dallas	44 min
Jun 11, 9:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Story	58 min
Jun 11, 9:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Hamilton	41 min
Jun 11, 10:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Marshall, Story	59 min
Jun 12, 2:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Cass	34 min
Jun 12, 2:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Audubon	40 min
Jun 12, 2:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Guthrie	36 min
Jun 12, 2:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Adair	33 min
Jun 12, 3:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Union	42 min
Jun 12, 3:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Boone, Dallas	43 min
Jun 12, 3:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Polk, Story	44 min
Jun 12, 4:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Hamilton	41 min
Jun 12, 4:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Jasper, Marshall	48 min
Jun 12, 5:01 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Mahaska, Poweshiek	44 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.