Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 45, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 3, 2012Emmet County, Kossuth County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 3, 2012, 4:03 PM CDT for Emmet County, Kossuth 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
May 3, 2012, 4:03 PM CDT (21:03 UTC)
Expired
May 3, 2012, 4:45 PM CDT
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
50.0 mph

Counties Emmet County, IA, Kossuth County, IA

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 172 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:03 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, 4:13 PM CDTHAIL 1.753 E Armstrong, IAALSO REPORTED TORRENTIAL RAINFALL.
May 3, 4:14 PM CDTHAIL 1.754 Wnw Swea City, IA

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 12:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 171 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 2012-05-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1755 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 2012-05-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 27 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
1755 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
521 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
27 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
33 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

160 
WUUS53 KDMX 032103
SVRDMX
IAC063-109-032145-
/O.NEW.KDMX.SV.W.0045.120503T2103Z-120503T2145Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL EMMET COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA...
  NORTHWESTERN KOSSUTH COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...

* UNTIL 445 PM CDT

* AT 403 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL.  THIS
  STORM WAS LOCATED 11 MILES NORTHWEST OF BANCROFT...OR 22 MILES
  NORTHWEST OF ALGONA...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  SWEA CITY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

LARGE HAIL CAN CAUSE INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. SEEK SAFETY INDOORS
UNTIL THE STORM PASSES.

&&

LAT...LON 4349 9423 4332 9423 4329 9449 4344 9447
TIME...MOT...LOC 2104Z 231DEG 10KT 4336 9440
WIND...HAIL <50MPH 1.00IN

$$

COGIL
2 follow-up statements
111 
WWUS53 KDMX 032117
SVSDMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
417 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

IAC063-032127-
/O.CAN.KDMX.SV.W.0045.000000T0000Z-120503T2145Z/
EMMET IA-
417 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL EMMET COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED 
AREA.

LAT...LON 4334 9440 4335 9444 4345 9444 4349 9423
      4336 9423
TIME...MOT...LOC 2117Z 219DEG 13KT 4341 9436

$$

IAC109-032145-
/O.CON.KDMX.SV.W.0045.000000T0000Z-120503T2145Z/
KOSSUTH IA-
417 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWESTERN
KOSSUTH COUNTY UNTIL 445 PM CDT...

AT 413 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED
11 MILES NORTHWEST OF BANCROFT...OR 23 MILES EAST OF ESTHERVILLE...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  SWEA CITY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR LARGE DESTRUCTIVE
HAIL CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND INJURY. PEOPLE
OUTSIDE SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY...PREFERABLY INSIDE A
REINFORCED BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

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 4334 9440 4335 9444 4345 9444 4349 9423
      4336 9423
TIME...MOT...LOC 2117Z 219DEG 13KT 4341 9436
WIND...HAIL <50MPH 1.75IN

$$

COGIL
001 
WWUS53 KDMX 032141
SVSDMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
441 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

IAC109-032151-
/O.EXP.KDMX.SV.W.0045.000000T0000Z-120503T2145Z/
KOSSUTH IA-
441 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN KOSSUTH COUNTY
WILL EXPIRE AT 445 PM CDT...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER POSES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY.

LAT...LON 4334 9440 4335 9444 4345 9444 4349 9423
      4336 9423
TIME...MOT...LOC 2141Z 219DEG 13KT 4348 9428

$$

COGIL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 3, 5:11 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXButler, Cerro Gordo, Franklin47 min
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, 4:18 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.