Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 46, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 3, 20124 counties in Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 3, 2012, 4:18 PM CDT for 4 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 42 min. 3 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, 4:18 PM CDT (21:18 UTC)
Expired
May 3, 2012, 5:00 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 Cerro Gordo County, IA, Hancock County, IA, Winnebago County, IA, Worth County, IA

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 173 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:21 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, 4:20 PM CDTHAIL 0.882 Nw Forest City Airpor, IAMAINLY PEA SIZE HAIL WITH BIGGER HAIL UP TO NICKEL SIZE MIXED IN. LASTED FOR ABOUT 7 MINTUES AND STARTED TO COVER THE GROUND.
May 3, 4:23 PM CDTHAIL 11 Ene Forest City, IA
May 3, 4:24 PM CDTHAIL 11 N Forest 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, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 174 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°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.

827 
WUUS53 KDMX 032118
SVRDMX
IAC033-081-189-195-032200-
/O.NEW.KDMX.SV.W.0046.120503T2118Z-120503T2200Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN CERRO GORDO COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...
  NORTHEASTERN HANCOCK COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...
  SOUTHEASTERN WINNEBAGO COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...
  SOUTHWESTERN WORTH COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...

* UNTIL 500 PM CDT

* AT 417 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL.  THIS
  STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR FOREST CITY...OR 23 MILES WEST OF MASON
  CITY...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  FERTILE.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 4336 9339 4319 9338 4321 9371 4333 9371
TIME...MOT...LOC 2118Z 273DEG 21KT 4326 9363
WIND...HAIL <50MPH 1.00IN

$$

COGIL
2 follow-up statements
283 
WWUS53 KDMX 032132
SVSDMX

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

IAC033-081-189-195-032200-
/O.CON.KDMX.SV.W.0046.000000T0000Z-120503T2200Z/
HANCOCK IA-CERRO GORDO IA-WORTH IA-WINNEBAGO IA-
432 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN
WINNEBAGO...SOUTHWESTERN WORTH...NORTHWESTERN CERRO GORDO AND
NORTHEASTERN HANCOCK COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM CDT...

AT 431 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL.  THIS
STORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES EAST OF FOREST CITY...OR 18 MILES WEST OF
MASON CITY...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  FERTILE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PREPARE FOR LARGE HAIL AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. PEOPLE
OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A REINFORCED BUILDING AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&&

LAT...LON 4334 9359 4334 9339 4319 9338 4320 9361
TIME...MOT...LOC 2133Z 279DEG 22KT 4325 9351
WIND...HAIL <50MPH 1.00IN

$$

COGIL
780 
WWUS53 KDMX 032158
SVSDMX

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

IAC033-081-189-195-032208-
/O.EXP.KDMX.SV.W.0046.000000T0000Z-120503T2200Z/
HANCOCK IA-CERRO GORDO IA-WORTH IA-WINNEBAGO IA-
458 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN WINNEBAGO...
SOUTHWESTERN WORTH...NORTHWESTERN CERRO GORDO AND NORTHEASTERN
HANCOCK COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 500 PM CDT...

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

LAT...LON 4334 9359 4334 9339 4319 9338 4320 9361
TIME...MOT...LOC 2158Z 279DEG 22KT 4323 9330

$$

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, 4:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXEmmet, Kossuth42 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.