Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 12, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 25, 20084 counties in Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at May 25, 2008, 4:22 PM CDT for 4 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 23 min. 3 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 25, 2008, 4:22 PM CDT (21:22 UTC)
Expired: May 25, 2008, 4:45 PM CDT
In force: 23 min
Issued by: NWS Des Moines, IA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Butler County, IA, Franklin County, IA, Grundy County, IA, Hardin County, IA

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 25, 4:48 PM CDT	TORNADO	2 S Aplington, IA	* 6 FATAL, 70 INJ * THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN 2 MILES SOUTH OF APLINGTON...THEN TRACKED EAST THROUGH PARKERSBURG AND JUST NORTH OF NEW HARTFORD...THEN ACROSS NORTHERN BLACKHAWK COUNTY BEFORE LIFTING NEAR THE BLACKHAWK BUCHANAN COUNTY LINE. THE PRELIMINARY S
May 25, 4:48 PM CDT	TORNADO	2 W Aplington, IA	INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY T19 AND HIGHWAY 57.
May 25, 4:48 PM CDT	TORNADO	2 W Aplington, IA

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

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 watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 25, 3:30 PM CDT	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 224 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: 843 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 229 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 297 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 252122
TORDMX
IAC023-069-075-083-252145-
/O.NEW.KDMX.TO.W.0012.080525T2122Z-080525T2145Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
422 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN GRUNDY COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA...
  NORTHEASTERN HARDIN COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA...
  BUTLER COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...
  SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...

* UNTIL 445 PM CDT.

* AT 418 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR IOWA
  FALLS...OR 41 MILES WEST OF WATERLOO...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 39 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  ACKLEY BY 425 PM CDT...
  APLINGTON BY 440 PM CDT...

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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT SUNDAY EVENING
FOR IOWA.

LAT...LON 4244 9313 4255 9334 4288 9256 4280 9256
      4280 9255 4261 9256
TIME...MOT...LOC 2122Z 244DEG 34KT 4254 9312

$$

JOHNSON

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS53 KDMX 252132
SVSDMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
431 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008

IAC023-069-075-083-252145-
/O.CON.KDMX.TO.W.0012.000000T0000Z-080525T2145Z/
BUTLER IA-FRANKLIN IA-HARDIN IA-GRUNDY IA-
431 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN GRUNDY...NORTHEASTERN HARDIN...SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN AND
BUTLER COUNTIES...

AT 427 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR ACKLEY...OR 39
MILES WEST OF WATERLOO...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 39 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  APLINGTON BY 440 PM CDT...
  8 MILES NORTHWEST OF PARKERSBURG AND 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ALLISON
  BY 445 PM CDT...

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

AT 421 PM...TRAINED SPOTTERS REPORTED QUARTER SIZED HAIL 7 MILES 
WEST OF HAMPTON ON HIGHWAY 3.  

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR
NORTHWESTERN IOWA.

LAT...LON 4244 9313 4255 9334 4288 9256 4280 9256
      4280 9255 4261 9256
TIME...MOT...LOC 2131Z 244DEG 34KT 4259 9307

$$

JOHNSON

000 
WWUS53 KDMX 252139
SVSDMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
437 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008

IAC023-069-075-083-252145-
/O.CON.KDMX.TO.W.0012.000000T0000Z-080525T2145Z/
BUTLER IA-FRANKLIN IA-HARDIN IA-GRUNDY IA-
437 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN GRUNDY...NORTHEASTERN HARDIN...SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN AND
BUTLER COUNTIES...

AT 432 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR ACKLEY...OR 33
MILES WEST OF WATERLOO...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 41 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  PARKERSBURG BY 445 PM CDT...

ANOTHER STORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO WAS ABOUT 15 MILES 
SOUTHWEST OF ALLISON...MOVING ORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. ACKLEY TO 
PARKERSBURG. 

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


A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT SUNDAY EVENING
FOR IOWA. A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT
SUNDAY EVENING FOR NORTHWESTERN IOWA.

LAT...LON 4244 9313 4255 9334 4288 9256 4280 9256
      4280 9255 4261 9256
TIME...MOT...LOC 2137Z 244DEG 36KT 4256 9294

$$

JOHNSON

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 May 25, 3:38 PM CDT, 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 25, 3:38 PM CDT, 44 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
338 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008

.DISCUSSION...
FOCUS IS ON DEVELOPING WEATHER. AMPLE MOISTURE IN PLACE AS 70
DEGREE DEW POINTS STREAMING INTO THE CWA. SC LOW IN MN WITH A WARM
FRONT EXTENDING DOWN FM WRN MN INTO ERN IA AND A COLD FRONT FM THE
DAKOTAS INTO ERN NEB WILL SINK SE THROUGH TONIGHT. THE FRONT WILL
SETTLE SOUTH OF IA LATE MONDAY MORNING. ALL MODES OF SEVERE
WEATHER POSSIBLE WITH 4000-5000 J/KG CAPE OVER THE CWA ALONG WITH
50+ KNOTS OF SHEAR. THE CAP IS VIRTUALLY GONE AS WELL AND WITH
THE SUN BREAKING OUT THERE WILL BE RAPID DESTABILIZATION ACROSS
THE CWA WITH STORMS EXPECTED TO RAPIDLY EVOLVE AND BECOME SEVERE.
THE SCENARIO HAS NOT CHANGED IN EVOLVING A COMPLEX OF STORMS OVER
SRN IA TONGIGHT WITH AN INCREASING HEAVY RAIN THREAT AFTER THE
SEVERE EVENT THIS EVENING. AS A RESULT THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL
REMAIN IN PLACE.

THE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES AS FLOW BECOMES MORE ZONAL
AND SEVERAL SHORTWAVES PUSH ACROSS THE CWA. NEXT SYSTEM HAS
ALREADY BEEN ADVERTISED FOR THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT
THEN AGAIN MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. AT THIS POINT SEVERE POTENTIAL
LOOKS DECENT FOR THE FRIDAY SYSTEM BUT THERE IS SOME QUESTION ON
TRACK AND TIMING FOR THE MONDAY SYSTEM MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO
DETERMINE ANY SEVERE POTENTIAL AT THIS POINT.

AS FOR TEMPS...A COOL DOWN IS EXPECTED IN THE WAKE OF THIS SYSTEM
WITH HIGHS DIPPING INTO THE 60S AND 70S BUT AS FLOW BECOMES
ZONAL...HIGHS SHOULD BE CLOSER TO NORMAL BY MIDWEEK.

&&

.AVIATION...25/18Z
LOW STRATUS DECK PERSISTED THROUGH MUCH OF THE MORNING HOURS IN
CENTRAL IOWA. BY 18Z...EXPECT ST GO THIN AND DISSIPATE. CDFRONT
MOVG INTO NW IA THIS AFTERNOON SHOULD BE THE FOCUS FOR TSTM
DEVELOPMENT. WL FORECAST 3-4 HOUR TSTM PERIOD IN THE TAF/S AT THE
MOST LIKELY TIMES. IN TIMES WHERE TSTMS ARE STILL PSBL WILL US
VCTS IN TAFS. FRONTAL BOUNDARY SHOULD BE IN SRN IA/NRN MO BY END
OF FCST PD SHIFTING THE TSTM CHANCES SOUTH.

&&

.DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY
MORNING FOR ADAIR-ADAMS-APPANOOSE-AUDUBON-BOONE-CARROLL-CASS-
CLARKE-CRAWFORD-DALLAS-DAVIS-DECATUR-GREENE-GUTHRIE-JASPER-LUCAS-
MADISON-MAHASKA-MARION-MARSHALL-MONROE-POLK-POWESHIEK-RINGGOLD-
STORY-TAMA-TAYLOR-UNION-WAPELLO-WARREN-WAYNE.

&&

AVIATION...JOHNSON
SHORT TERM/LONG TERM...FAB

Hazardous weather outlook, May 25, 8:31 AM CDT, 7 hours 51 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
831 AM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008

IAZ044>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-092>097-261345-
CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-
DALLAS-POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-
MAHASKA-ADAMS-UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-
DECATUR-WAYNE-APPANOOSE-DAVIS-
831 AM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A FEW ISOLATED NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE
DAY. HOWEVER...MORE INTENSE STORMS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP LATE
THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS WESTERN IOWA. THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE
WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL ALSO
BE POSSIBLE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING TIME FRAMES. THE
STORMS ARE FORECAST TO CONSOLIDATE OVERNIGHT WITH HEAVY RAINS
ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. SEVERAL INCHES OF NEW RAIN ARE
POSSIBLE LEADING TO FLASH FLOODING. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN
ISSUED FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN IOWA TONIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES WEBSITE FOR ADDITIONAL
DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

ADDITIONAL THREATS FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO MONDAY AND
EARLY TUESDAY AS WELL AS THURSDAY NIGHT INTO LATE FRIDAY. THE
THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER APPEARS LIMITED EARLY IN THE WEEK
ALTHOUGH THE POSSIBILITY OF HEAVY RAINS WILL PERSIST. SEVERE
WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE ON THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY AS WELL.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT.
SPOTTER MAY ALSO BE NEEDED THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. AN
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE CALL HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR NOON TODAY.

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-261345-
EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO-
POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-SAC-CALHOUN-
WEBSTER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-
831 AM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A FEW ISOLATED NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE
DAY. HOWEVER...MORE INTENSE STORMS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP LATE
THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS WESTERN IOWA. THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE
WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL ALSO
BE POSSIBLE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING TIME FRAMES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. SEVERE
WEATHER IS POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT.
SPOTTER MAY ALSO BE NEEDED THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. AN
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE CALL HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR NOON
TODAY.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 25, 3:56 PM CDT, 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
356 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008

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

0352 PM     HAIL             4 NW CLARION            42.78N 93.79W
05/25/2008  E1.25 INCH       WRIGHT             IA   AMATEUR RADIO

            2.5 MILES NW OF CLARION.

&&

KJ

Local storm report, May 25, 4:01 PM CDT, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
401 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008

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

0358 PM     HAIL             4 S MESERVEY            42.86N 93.48W
05/25/2008  E1.75 INCH       FRANKLIN           IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

MS MAY 08

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 25, 3:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Franklin, Wright	52 min
May 25, 4:03 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Cerro Gordo, Franklin	42 min
May 25, 4:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Franklin	28 min
May 25, 4:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Butler, Franklin, Grundy, Hardin	43 min
May 25, 4:46 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Butler, Grundy	44 min
May 25, 5:04 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Black Hawk, Bremer	56 min
May 25, 5:21 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Black Hawk, Bremer	24 min
May 25, 5:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Butler	14 min
May 25, 5:37 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Black Hawk	38 min
May 25, 5:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Clarke, Decatur, Lucas	43 min
May 25, 5:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Bremer	26 min
May 25, 6:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Clarke, Lucas	48 min
May 25, 6:54 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Lucas	36 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 2008 Every tornado warning in 2008 Tornadoes in 2008

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.