Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 2006

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Des Moines, IA

March 30, 2006Polk County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Mar 30, 2006, 5:38 PM CST for Polk County, Iowa. It was in force for 37 min. 7 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
Mar 30, 2006, 5:38 PM CST (23:38 UTC)
Expired
Mar 30, 2006, 6:15 PM CST
In force
37 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Polk County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 16 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:40 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 30, 5:38 PM CSTHAIL 0.88Des Moines, IA
Mar 30, 5:38 PM CSTHAIL 1.5Des Moines, IA
Mar 30, 5:39 PM CSTHAIL 1Des Moines, IAJUST SOUTH OF DES MOINES AIRPORT.
Mar 30, 5:41 PM CSTHAIL 0.88Altoona, IANICKEL HAL REPORTED BY TRAINED SPOTTER.
Mar 30, 5:42 PM CSTHAIL 1Des Moines, IA
Mar 30, 5:42 PM CSTHAIL 2Des Moines, IAEAST 9TH AND GRAND.
Mar 30, 6:00 PM CSTHAIL 1.25Des Moines, IAINTERSECTION OF 39TH AND GLOVER

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

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 30, 2:15 PM CSTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 237 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 2006-03-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 34 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 2006-03-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 322 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
34 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-342 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
611 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
322 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
310 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 302338
TORDMX
IAC153-310015-
/O.NEW.KDMX.TO.W.0002.060330T2338Z-060331T0015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
538 PM CST THU MAR 30 2006

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 615 PM CST.

* AT 536 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
  STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CARLISLE...OR NEAR DES MOINES...AND MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

* THIS STORM WILL BE...
  NEAR PLEASANT HILL BY 545 PM CST.
  NEAR ALTOONA BY 550 PM CST.
  NEAR BONDURANT BY 555 PM CST.
  5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ELKHART BY 600 PM CST.

THE LOCATIONS OF DES MOINES INT AIRPORT...ANKENY AIRPORT AND
MITCHELLVILLE ARE ALSO IN THE PATH.

THIS TORNADO WARNING REPLACES THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING THAT
WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE SAME AREA. GO TO A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR
ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR

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 4152 9371 4152 9335 4185 9336 4185 9367

$$

KINNEY
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS53 KDMX 302346
SVSDMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
546 PM CST THU MAR 30 2006

IAC153-310015-
/O.CON.KDMX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-060331T0015Z/
POLK IA-
546 PM CST THU MAR 30 2006

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR POLK COUNTY UNTIL 615 PM
CST...

AT 544 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR ALTOONA...OR 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF DES
MOINES...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 65 MPH.

THIS TORNADIC STORM WILL BE...
  6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ELKHART BY 550 PM CST.

THE LOCATIONS OF ANKENY AIRPORT AND MITCHELLVILLE ARE ALSO IN THE
PATH OF THIS TORNADO.

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 
PENNY SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS OF 70 MPH.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CST THURSDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN IOWA.

LAT...LON 4152 9371 4152 9335 4185 9336 4185 9367

$$

KINNEY
000 
WWUS53 KDMX 310009
SVSDMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
609 PM CST THU MAR 30 2006

IAC153-310019-
/O.EXP.KDMX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-060331T0015Z/
POLK IA-
609 PM CST THU MAR 30 2006

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR POLK COUNTY HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE...

AT 606 PM CST...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THE
THUNDERSTORMS WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE AREA.
THEREFORE...THE TORNADO WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CST THURSDAY EVENING 
FOR SOUTHWESTERN IOWA.

LAT...LON 4152 9371 4152 9335 4185 9336 4185 9367

$$

KINNEY

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 30, 7:18 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCalhoun, Pocahontas, Sac27 min
Mar 30, 12:08 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCalhoun, Pocahontas26 min
Mar 30, 3:06 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCrawford39 min
Mar 30, 3:10 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXRinggold, Union21 min
Mar 30, 4:37 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCrawford38 min
Mar 30, 4:49 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAudubon, Carroll41 min
Mar 30, 5:02 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdams, Cass28 min
Mar 30, 5:11 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXTaylor49 min
Mar 30, 5:13 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCalhoun, Carroll, Sac32 min
Mar 30, 5:23 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdair, Adams32 min
Mar 30, 5:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXPolk, Warren19 min
Mar 30, 5:32 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXGuthrie28 min
Mar 30, 5:40 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXGreene35 min
Mar 30, 5:40 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXRinggold, Union50 min
Mar 30, 5:43 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHumboldt, Webster32 min
Mar 30, 5:44 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMadison46 min
Mar 30, 5:51 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDallas24 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 2006Every tornado warning in 2006Tornadoes in 2006

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.