Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 41, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 3, 2012Butler County, Cerro Gordo County, Franklin County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 3, 2012, 5:11 AM CDT for Butler County, Cerro Gordo County, Franklin County, Iowa. It was in force for 47 min. 1 report 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 3, 2012, 5:11 AM CDT (10:11 UTC)
Expired
May 3, 2012, 5:58 AM CDT
In force
47 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
0.75 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Butler County, IA, Cerro Gordo County, IA, Franklin County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 140 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:12 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
May 3, 5:30 AM CDTTSTM WND GST 584 Nnw Swaledale, IAIDOT RWIS SITE ALONG INTERSTATE 35 SOUTHWEST OF MASON CITY.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 221 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 00:00Z on 2012-05-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 84 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 00:00Z on 2012-05-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 21 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
84 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-59 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1937 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
21 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
134 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

494 
WUUS53 KDMX 031011
SVRDMX
IAC023-033-069-031100-
/O.NEW.KDMX.SV.W.0041.120503T1011Z-120503T1100Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
511 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN BUTLER COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...
  SOUTHERN CERRO GORDO COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...
  FRANKLIN COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...

* UNTIL 600 AM CDT

* AT 507 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
  OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
  SHEFFIELD...OR 21 MILES SOUTH OF MASON CITY...AND MOVING NORTHEAST
  AT 40 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  SHEFFIELD...ROCKWELL...GREENE...GENEVA...SWALEDALE...HANSELL...
  DUMONT...AREDALE AND DOUGHERTY.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 35 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 162 AND 191.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE IN A
MOBILE HOME...GET OUT NOW...AND SEEK SHELTER IN A REINFORCED
BUILDING.

TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS. TURN AROUND DON/T DROWN.

&&

LAT...LON 4291 9302 4292 9276 4291 9276 4261 9316
      4271 9349 4307 9349 4317 9302
TIME...MOT...LOC 1011Z 245DEG 34KT 4287 9327
WIND...HAIL 60MPH <.75IN

$$

PODRAZIK
2 follow-up statements
582 
WWUS53 KDMX 031043
SVSDMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
543 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

IAC023-033-069-031100-
/O.CON.KDMX.SV.W.0041.000000T0000Z-120503T1100Z/
FRANKLIN IA-BUTLER IA-CERRO GORDO IA-
543 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN CERRO
GORDO...NORTHWESTERN BUTLER AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES UNTIL 600 AM CDT...

AT 539 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF
60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR MARBLE ROCK...OR 15 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF CHARLES CITY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

IN ADDITION...AT 5:30 AM CDT...58 MPH WAS REPORTED AT THE MASON CITY 
AUTOMATED WEATHER STATION ON INTERSTATE 35 WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  GREENE.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 35 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 162 AND 191.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WINDS...FALLING TREES AND FLYING DEBRIS. MOVE
INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE IN A MOBILE HOME...GET
OUT NOW...AND SEEK SHELTER IN A REINFORCED BUILDING.

&&

LAT...LON 4291 9302 4292 9276 4291 9276 4261 9316
      4271 9349 4307 9349 4317 9302
TIME...MOT...LOC 1042Z 245DEG 34KT 4299 9291
WIND...HAIL 60MPH <.75IN

$$

PODRAZIK
449 
WWUS53 KDMX 031058
SVSDMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
558 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

IAC023-033-069-031108-
/O.CAN.KDMX.SV.W.0041.000000T0000Z-120503T1100Z/
FRANKLIN IA-BUTLER IA-CERRO GORDO IA-
558 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHERN CERRO GORDO...
NORTHWESTERN BUTLER AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED 
AREA.  HOWEVER GUSTY WINDS ARE STILL POSSIBLE BEHIND THIS 
THUNDERSTORM.

LAT...LON 4291 9302 4292 9276 4291 9276 4261 9316
      4271 9349 4307 9349 4317 9302
TIME...MOT...LOC 1058Z 245DEG 34KT 4305 9272

$$

PODRAZIK

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 3, 2:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXKossuth21 min
May 3, 2:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXKossuth42 min
May 3, 3:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHancock, Kossuth, Winnebago44 min
May 3, 3:48 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXKossuth4 hr
May 3, 4:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXEmmet, Kossuth42 min
May 3, 4:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCerro Gordo, Hancock, Winnebago, Worth42 min
May 3, 4:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCerro Gordo53 min
May 3, 5:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXKossuth39 min
May 3, 6:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHumboldt47 min
May 3, 6:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHumboldt48 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 2012Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2012

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.