Alert archive / Iowa / Flood Watches in 2009

Flood Watch 2, NWS Des Moines, IA

December 23, 200917 counties in Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this flood watch at Dec 23, 2009, 3:58 PM CST for 17 counties in Iowa. It took effect at Dec 24, 2009, 6:00 AM CST. It was in force for .

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Dec 23, 2009, 3:58 PM CST (21:58 UTC)
In effect from
Dec 24, 2009, 6:00 AM CST
Expired
Dec 24, 2009, 4:16 AM CST
In force
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Flood severity
None

Counties Appanoose County, IA, Black Hawk County, IA, Clarke County, IA, Davis County, IA, Decatur County, IA, Jasper County, IA, Lucas County, IA, Mahaska County, IA, Marion County, IA, Marshall County, IA, Monroe County, IA, Polk County, IA, Poweshiek County, IA, Tama County, IA, Wapello County, IA, Warren County, IA, Wayne County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 74 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:57 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 343 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, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2009-12-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2009-12-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 267 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
420 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
267 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
294 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flood watch 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 flood watch went out at Dec 23, 3:58 PM CST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 23, 3:58 PM CST, 0 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 23, 5:22 AM CST, 10 hours 36 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
522 AM CST WED DEC 23 2009

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>036-044>046-241130-
EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO-
POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-SAC-CALHOUN-
WEBSTER-HAMILTON-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-
522 AM CST WED DEC 23 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA FROM THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER
DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA FROM THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER
DETAILS. SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS ARE ANTICIPATED WITH
THIS STORM...ALONG WITH STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS REDUCING VISIBILITY
AND POTENTIALLY CAUSING NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT TIMES.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED...BUT ANY SNOWFALL AND ICE
ACCUMULATION REPORTS ARE APPRECIATED AND ENCOURAGED.

AN EMERGENCY MANAGER CONFERENCE CALL IS SCHEDULED AT 11AM CST
WEDNESDAY MORNING.

IAZ037>039-047>050-057>060-070>072-241130-
HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-
DALLAS-POLK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-
522 AM CST WED DEC 23 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA THROUGH
TONIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT
WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER DETAILS. A MIX OF
SLEET...FREEZING...AND POSSIBLY SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER
THE AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT...LEADING TO SOME ICE AND SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA FROM THURSDAY
AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER
DETAILS.

A VERY STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO SLOWLY APPROACH
THE STATE AND BRING A WINTRY MIX OF SNOW...SLEET...AND FREEZING
RAIN TO THE AREA BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY
MORNING...LOOK FOR THE PRECIPITATION TO CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW.
MODERATE SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED...BUT ANY SNOWFALL AND ICE
ACCUMULATION REPORTS ARE APPRECIATED AND ENCOURAGED.

AN EMERGENCY MANAGER CONFERENCE CALL IS SCHEDULED AT 11AM CST
WEDNESDAY MORNING.

IAZ061-073-081>083-092>094-241130-
JASPER-WARREN-ADAMS-UNION-CLARKE-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-
522 AM CST WED DEC 23 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE WITH INTENSIFY THROUGHOUT THE DAY TODAY
INTO THE POTENTIAL FOR FREEZING RAIN. HOWEVER...WARMER AIR WILL
ALSO MOVE INTO SOUTHERN IOWA...LEADING TO THE POTENTIAL FOR MUCH
OF THE AREA TO RECEIVE ALL RAIN THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE DAY TODAY
AND INTO THIS EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA FROM THURSDAY
AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR FURTHER
DETAILS.

A VERY STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO SLOWLY APPROACH
THE STATE AND BRING A WINTRY MIX OF SNOW...SLEET...AND FREEZING
RAIN TO THE AREA BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY
MORNING...LOOK FOR THE PRECIPITATION TO CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW.
MODERATE SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED...BUT ANY SNOWFALL AND ICE
ACCUMULATION REPORTS ARE APPRECIATED AND ENCOURAGED.

AN EMERGENCY MANAGER CONFERENCE CALL IS SCHEDULED AT 11AM CST
WEDNESDAY MORNING.

IAZ062-074-075-084>086-095>097-241130-
POWESHIEK-MARION-MAHASKA-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-WAYNE-APPANOOSE-DAVIS-
522 AM CST WED DEC 23 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

AREAS OF DRIZZLE AND POSSIBLY FREEZING DRIZZLE ARE EXPECTED
THROUGHOUT THE MORNING HOURS...BEFORE SWITCHING TO ALL RAIN BY
AROUND MIDDAY. A CHANCE OF AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE BY
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HOWEVER...NO SEVERE WEATHER IS
EXPECTED.  RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF A HALF INCH TO AROUND AN INCH ARE
POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

A POTENT WINTER STORM IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE STATE
THURSDAY INTO SATURDAY. HOWEVER...WARMER AIR WILL PUSH INTO THE
AREA AHEAD OF THE SURFACE LOW PRESSURE FOR A LONG DURATION. THIS
IS EXPECTED TO CAUSE FOR RAIN ON THURSDAY AND THURSDAY
NIGHT...BEFORE SWITCHING OVER TO A WINTRY MIX DURING THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS INTO FRIDAY. TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS UP 2 INCHES
ARE POSSIBLE BY THURSDAY NIGHT. IN ADDITION...WITH THE CURRENT
SNOW PACK CONTAINING AROUND 1 TO 2 INCHES OF LIQUID
EQUIVALENT...AREAS OF FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY AREAS PRONE
TO ICE JAMS AND RAPID RISES IN RIVER AND CREEK LEVELS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED...BUT ANY SNOWFALL AND ICE
ACCUMULATION REPORTS ARE APPRECIATED AND ENCOURAGED.

AN EMERGENCY MANAGER CONFERENCE CALL IS SCHEDULED AT 11AM CST
WEDNESDAY MORNING.

PODRAZIK

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 23, 12:52 PM CST, 3 hours 6 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 23, 1:22 PM CST, 2 hours 36 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 23, 2:06 PM CST, 1 hour 52 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 23, 2:55 PM CST, 1 hour 3 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 23, 2:56 PM CST, 1 hour 2 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 23, 2:59 PM CST, 59 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 23, 5:07 AM CSTWinter Storm WarningDMXAdair, Adams, Audubon, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer and 36 more71 hr
Dec 23, 5:07 AM CSTWinter Weather AdvisoryDMXAdair, Adams, Audubon, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer and 37 more23 hr
Dec 23, 1:26 PM CSTRiver Flood WarningDMXLucas, Wayne30 hr

Nearby

Flood Watches in Iowa, 2009Every flood watch in 2009

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.