Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 38, NWS Sioux Falls, SD

June 11, 2008Clay County, Dickinson County, Iowa

NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued this tornado warning at Jun 11, 2008, 6:48 PM CDT for Clay County, Dickinson County, Iowa. It was in force for 42 min. 2 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, 2008, 6:48 PM CDT (23:48 UTC)
Expired
Jun 11, 2008, 7:30 PM CDT
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Sioux Falls, SD
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Clay County, IA, Dickinson County, IA

The radar

The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 140 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:48 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
Jun 11, 6:55 PM CDTTORNADO3 Sw Spencer, IAEXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO FARM...POWER LINES DOWN
Jun 11, 7:11 PM CDTTORNADO2 N Dickens, IAPOLE BARN DOWN

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
Jun 11, 2:52 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 225 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 2008-06-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1784 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 2008-06-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 548 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
1784 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-93 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
818 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
548 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
862 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
4.9
Supercell composite
43.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WFUS53 KFSD 112349
TORFSD
IAC041-059-120030-
/O.NEW.KFSD.TO.W.0038.080611T2348Z-080612T0030Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
648 PM CDT WED JUN 11 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SIOUX FALLS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CLAY COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA
  SOUTHEASTERN DICKINSON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA

* UNTIL 730 PM CDT

* AT 644 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO 2 MILES
  SOUTHEAST OF ROYAL...OR 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SPENCER...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 36 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
   SPENCER AROUND 700 PM CDT...
   TERRIL AROUND 725 PM CDT...

THIS REPLACES THE PREVIOUS WARNING FOR CLAY COUNTY.

TAKE COVER NOW. THIS TORNADO IS WRAPPED IN RAIN. IF YOU WAIT TO SEE
OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHWEST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA.

LAT...LON 4297 9523 4305 9532 4342 9492 4317 9492
TIME...MOT...LOC 2348Z 220DEG 31KT 4306 9521

$$

CHAPMAN
4 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS53 KFSD 112357
SVSFSD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
655 PM CDT WED JUN 11 2008

IAC041-059-120030-
/O.CON.KFSD.TO.W.0038.000000T0000Z-080612T0030Z/
DICKINSON IA-CLAY IA-
655 PM CDT WED JUN 11 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM CDT FOR CLAY AND
SOUTHEASTERN DICKINSON COUNTIES...

AT 652 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A RAIN WRAPPED 
TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 3 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF 
ROSSIE...OR JUST SOUTHWEST OF SPENCER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 31 MPH.
THERE WAS DAMAGE TO AN ACREAGE.  AT 654 PM CDT...THERE WAS DAMAGE TO 
A GRAIN BIN AND AUGER 4 MILES EAST OF ROYAL. 

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
   SPENCER AROUND 700 PM CDT...
   DICKENS AROUND 710 PM CDT...
   TERRIL AROUND 730 PM CDT...

TAKE COVER NOW. THIS TORNADO IS WRAPPED IN RAIN. IF YOU WAIT TO SEE
OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHWEST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA.

LAT...LON 4297 9523 4305 9532 4342 9492 4317 9492
TIME...MOT...LOC 2355Z 218DEG 27KT 4310 9518

$$

CHAPMAN
000 
WWUS53 KFSD 120013
SVSFSD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
712 PM CDT WED JUN 11 2008

IAC041-059-120030-
/O.CON.KFSD.TO.W.0038.000000T0000Z-080612T0030Z/
DICKINSON IA-CLAY IA-
712 PM CDT WED JUN 11 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM CDT FOR CLAY AND
SOUTHEASTERN DICKINSON COUNTIES...

AT 712 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO.  THIS
TORNADO WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTH OF DICKENS...OR 8 MILES NORTHEAST
OF SPENCER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 41 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
   TERRIL AROUND 720 PM CDT...

AT 655 PM CDT...A FARM WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF 
SPENCER.

A TORNADO HAS BEEN CONFIRMED. TAKE COVER IN A STURDY BUILDING NOW.
MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES ARE NOT SAFE.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHWEST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA.

LAT...LON 4297 9523 4305 9532 4342 9492 4317 9492
TIME...MOT...LOC 0012Z 227DEG 35KT 4322 9500

$$

CHAPMAN
000 
WWUS53 KFSD 120018
SVSFSD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
717 PM CDT WED JUN 11 2008

IAC041-059-120030-
/O.CON.KFSD.TO.W.0038.000000T0000Z-080612T0030Z/
DICKINSON IA-CLAY IA-
717 PM CDT WED JUN 11 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM CDT FOR CLAY AND
SOUTHEASTERN DICKINSON COUNTIES...

AT 717 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF
DICKENS...OR 11 MILES EAST OF SPENCER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 52 MPH.

THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. TAKE
COVER NOW.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHWEST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA.

LAT...LON 4297 9523 4305 9532 4342 9492 4317 9492
TIME...MOT...LOC 0017Z 213DEG 45KT 4323 9493

$$

CHAPMAN
000 
WWUS53 KFSD 120032
SVSFSD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
732 PM CDT WED JUN 11 2008

IAC041-059-120042-
/O.EXP.KFSD.TO.W.0038.000000T0000Z-080612T0030Z/
DICKINSON IA-CLAY IA-
732 PM CDT WED JUN 11 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CLAY AND SOUTHEASTERN DICKINSON COUNTIES
HAS EXPIRED...

THE STORM HAS EXITED THE WARNED AREA.

AT 711 PM CDT...A POLE SHED WAS DESTROYED TWO AND A HALF MILES NORTH 
OF DICKENS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHWEST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA.

LAT...LON 4297 9523 4305 9532 4342 9492 4317 9492
TIME...MOT...LOC 0018Z 213DEG 45KT 4324 9492

$$

CHAPMAN

The office that day

Everything else NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 11, 5:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDLyon, Sioux16 min
Jun 11, 6:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDLyon, O'Brien, Osceola, Sioux32 min
Jun 11, 6:42 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDO'Brien, Osceola33 min
Jun 11, 7:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDLyon, Osceola31 min
Jun 11, 10:22 AM CDTWind AdvisoryFSDBuena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Ida, Lyon and 5 more5 hr
Jun 11, 3:58 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDPlymouth32 min
Jun 11, 4:57 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFSDCherokee, O'Brien, Osceola2 hr
Jun 11, 4:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDCherokee, O'Brien, Plymouth, Sioux33 min
Jun 11, 5:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDPlymouth, Woodbury45 min
Jun 11, 5:10 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDLyon, Osceola, Sioux35 min
Jun 11, 5:22 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDCherokee, O'Brien, Osceola, Plymouth, Sioux23 min
Jun 11, 5:27 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDCherokee, Plymouth, Woodbury48 min
Jun 11, 5:30 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFSDCherokee, Plymouth, Woodbury68 min
Jun 11, 5:42 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDOsceola48 min
Jun 11, 5:46 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDCherokee, O'Brien44 min
Jun 11, 6:16 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDCherokee, Ida, Plymouth, Woodbury44 min
Jun 11, 6:22 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDIda, Woodbury38 min
Jun 11, 6:28 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDBuena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, O'Brien32 min
Jun 11, 6:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDBuena Vista, Cherokee, Ida38 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 2008Every tornado warning in 2008Tornadoes 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.