Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2010

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 76, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 12, 2010Grundy County, Marshall County, Tama County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 12, 2010, 6:51 PM CDT for Grundy County, Marshall County, Tama County, Iowa. It was in force for 24 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 12, 2010, 6:51 PM CDT (23:51 UTC)
Expired
May 12, 2010, 7:15 PM CDT
In force
24 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
50.0 mph

Counties Grundy County, IA, Marshall County, IA, Tama County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 93 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:50 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

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 305 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, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2010-05-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1 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, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2010-05-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -66 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
576 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-66 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
78 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 severe thunderstorm 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 12, 6:42 PM CDT, 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 12, 6:42 PM CDT, 9 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
642 PM CDT WED MAY 12 2010

...UPDATED FOR 18Z AVIATION DISCUSSION...

.SHORT TERM /TONIGHT/...
VERY WET AND SOMEWHAT STORMY FORECAST ON THE WAY FOR TONIGHT. LOW
OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND STRONG DYNAMICS...COUPLED WITH RATHER
HIGH MOISTURE TRANSPORT FOR MAY WILL COMBINE FOR A HEAVY RAINFALL
EVENT OVER THE SOUTHEAST AS THE COOL FRONT TRACKS ACROSS THE STATE
OVERNIGHT. ACROSS THE NORTHEAST...THE H850 BOUNDARY WHICH WILL NOT
MOVE MUCH FROM THIS MORNINGS ANALYSIS WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR ANOTHER
AREA OF HEAVY RAINFALL...THOUGH THE NORTHERN SECTIONS CAN HANDLE THE
RAIN WHILE THE SOUTHEAST HAS ALREADY HAD A FEW DAYS OF MODERATE TO
HEAVY RAINFALL AND CANNOT HANDLE MUCH MORE.  PWATS OVER AN INCH FOR
MUCH OF THE CWA THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 1.5 AND
1.75 INCHES BETWEEN 00 AND 06Z THIS EVENING. THOUGH MODELS DIFFER ON
STRENGTH OF INSTABILITY AND EXTENT NORTH THIS EVENING...BOTH THE GFS
AND NAM INDICATE INCREASING INSTABILITY AS THE TX LOW DRIFTS
NORTHEAST. AN AREA OF TSRA ALREADY BREAKING OUT IN EASTERN KS IN
RESPONSE TO SFC MOISTURE CONVERGENCE AND INSTABILITY INCREASES
THERE. WILL EXPECT THAT LINE TO BECOME THE MAIN PLAYER SOUTHEAST
THIS EVENING WHILE CURRENT LINE OF STORMS ALONG I80 US30 CORRIDOR
ROTATES NW ALONG THE H850 BOUNDARY AND CONTINUES TO FIRE THIS
EVENING AND TOWARD MIDNIGHT BEFORE MOVING EAST. CORFIDI VECTORS FROM
03-08Z SUGGEST SLOW EASTWARD TRANSLATION OF STORMS OVER THE
SOUTHEAST WHICH WILL CERTAINLY LEAD TO HEAVIER RAINFALL THERE. HPC
MOD RISK OF EXCEEDING FFG OVER THE SOUTHEAST AND LIGHT RISK TO I80
LOOKS VERY GOOD. WILL EXPAND CURRENT FFA BACK TO WEST/NW BY ONE TIER
COUNTIES. AS THE H850 MOISTURE TRANSPORT SHIFTS EAST AFT 06Z...
THREAT FOR HEAVIER RAINFALL WILL ALSO MOVE EAST. SOUTHEAST SECTIONS
MAY SEE WARMER READINGS DURING THE OVERNIGHT AS WARM AIR MOVES
THROUGH. SPC JUST EXTENDED SLIGHT RISK INTO SOUTHERN IA THROUGH
OVERNIGHT HOURS...WHICH IS MORE CONSISTENT WITH MODEL TRENDS AND
ELEVATED SVR RISK ONGOING NOW.  WARM FRONT AND WARM SECTOR LOOKS TO
SNEAK INTO THE SOUTHEAST LATER THIS EVENING AND HAVE ADDED A DIURNAL
TEMP TREND TO GRIDS. EXPECTING THE BULK OF THE HEAVY RAINFALL TO BE
NEARLY OUT OF THE REGION BY 12Z THURSDAY.

.LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
LINGERING SHOWERS IN THE MORNING WILL MOVE EAST OF THE CWA DURING
THE AFTN.  NON DIURNAL TEMPS OVR THE ERN ZONES WITH MAX T OCCURRING
MID TO LATE MRNG WITH LTL CHNG THEREAFTER.  DRY WEATHER IS ON TAP
FOR FRI INTO ERY SAT...BUT THE FLY IN THE OINTMENT FOR THE WEEKEND
IS STILL THERE IN ALL MDLS.  HAVE UPPED POPS SIG FOR SAT NGT INTO
MON TIMEFRAME.  FEEL THE GFS IS TOO AGRESSIVE WITH THE PCPN FCST AND
THE ECMWF TOO LIGHT WITH IT.  IN EITHER CASE...BOTH AGREE ON TREND
OF A WETTER WEEKEND AS S/WV BREAKS OUT OF STRONG TROF 43N 161W AND
CARVES OUT ALNG THE EAST SIDE OF THE PROGRESSIVE UPR RIDGE MOVG INTO
THE RCKYS.  AS A RESULT OF THE CLOUDS AND PCPN...ALSO LOWERED HIGH
TEMPS FOR SAT INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS WELL.  STILL...READINGS WILL
BE AOA NORMAL BY WED.

&&

.AVIATION...
13/00Z...CONDITIONS WILL BE RELATIVELY POOR THROUGH 12Z ON THURSDAY
AS A SFC LOW MOVES FROM KANSAS ACRS IA INTO WI.  NUMEROUS SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PASS THROUGH THE STATE DURING THIS TIME WITH
WIDESPREAD MVFR TO IFR CIGS AND VSBYS. SFC WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE
FROM THE EAST BUT SWITCH TO THE NORTH BEHIND THE SYSTEM BY THURSDAY
MORNING AS IT PULLS NORTHEAST.  A GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT IS EXPECTED ON
THE DAY THURSDAY WITH CIGS EVENTUALLY BECOMING VFR AND VSBYS RISING
TO VFR AS THE RAIN ENDS.

&&

.DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY
MORNING FOR APPANOOSE-CLARKE-DAVIS-DECATUR-JASPER-LUCAS-MADISON-
MAHASKA-MARION-MARSHALL-MONROE-POLK-POWESHIEK-RINGGOLD-STORY-
TAMA-TAYLOR-UNION-WAPELLO-WARREN-WAYNE.

&&

SHORT TERM REV
AVIATION...COGIL
LONG TERM...MS MAY 10
Hazardous weather outlook, May 12, 3:51 PM CDT, 3 hours before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
351 PM CDT WED MAY 12 2010

IAZ048>050-060>062-072>075-082>086-092>097-132100-
STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-
MAHASKA-UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-
WAYNE-APPANOOSE-DAVIS-
351 PM CDT WED MAY 12 2010

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. PLEASE REFER TO
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR
FURTHER DETAILS.

STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS EVENING
AND CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT WITH THE SEVERE WEATHER. IN ADDITION
TO THE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL...AREAS OF FLASH FLOODING ARE
POSSIBLE AS THE GROUND IS STILL VERY SATURATED FROM THE RAIN
EARLIER IN THE WEEK AND THE RAINFALL AMOUNTS FORECAST FOR TONIGHT
RANGE FROM 2 TO 3 INCHES AND LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. RIVER FLOODING
MAY ALSO POSE A PROBLEM IN SOME AREAS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME...THOUGH RIVER
FLOODING MAY BE A PROBLEM IN SOME AREAS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL
DAYS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAYBE NEEDED TONIGHT. RAINFALL REPORTS WOULD
ALSO BE APPRECIATED IN ADDITION TO HAIL AND WIND REPORTS.

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>047-057>059-070-071-081-
132100-
EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO-
POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-SAC-CALHOUN-
WEBSTER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-
BOONE-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-ADAMS-
351 PM CDT WED MAY 12 2010

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE THROUGH TONIGHT. THE
SEVERE THREAT IS LOW...BUT AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM COULD
PRODUCE LARGE HAIL ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 20. LOCALLY HEAVY
RAIN IS ALSO EXPECTED WERE UP TO 2 INCHES OF NEW RAINFALL MAY
ACCUMULATE BY LATE TONIGHT. AT THIS TIME THE SOIL MOISTURE
SITUATION WOULD ALLOW FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL TO OCCUR WITH
MINIMAL WATER ISSUES. SOME MINOR STREET FLOODING OR PONDING OF
WATER WILL OCCUR IN THE HEAVIER STORMS THIS EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED TONIGHT.

REV

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 12, 3:27 PM CDT, 3 hours 24 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 12, 3:52 PM CDT, 2 hours 59 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 12, 4:30 PM CDT, 2 hours 21 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 12, 4:47 PM CDT, 2 hours 4 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 12, 4:51 PM CDT, 2 hours before
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Special weather statement, May 12, 6:40 PM CDT, 11 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 12, 4:04 AM CDTFlash Flood WatchDMXAppanoose, Clarke, Davis, Decatur, Jasper, Lucas and 15 more26 hr
May 12, 11:11 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningDMXMahaska, Marion50 hr
May 12, 11:11 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningDMXDecatur34 hr
May 12, 11:11 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningDMXAppanoose, Wayne42 hr
May 12, 1:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAudubon, Guthrie37 min
May 12, 2:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXFranklin, Hamilton, Hardin, Wright40 min
May 12, 2:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBoone, Greene, Guthrie50 min
May 12, 2:48 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryDMXAudubon, Greene, Guthrie3 hr
May 12, 3:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBoone, Hamilton40 min
May 12, 4:14 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryDMXBoone, Hamilton, Hardin, Webster3 hr
May 12, 4:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAdair, Dallas, Madison44 min
May 12, 4:54 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningDMXMadison, Warren62 hr
May 12, 5:09 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryDMXBlack Hawk, Bremer, Butler, Grundy3 hr
May 12, 6:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper, Polk28 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 2010Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2010

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.