Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 70, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 5, 2012Winnebago County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 5, 2012, 2:28 PM CDT for Winnebago County, Iowa. It was in force for 32 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 5, 2012, 2:28 PM CDT (19:28 UTC)
Expired
May 5, 2012, 3:00 PM CDT
In force
32 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
60.0 mph

County Winnebago County, IA

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 160 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:32 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 5, 2:39 PM CDTHAIL 14 Ne Thompson, IA

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

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 5, 11:38 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 7.5 hours before the alert went out and 160 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 2012-05-05Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2012-05-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 174 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
480 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
174 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
217 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

618 
WUUS53 KDMX 051928
SVRDMX
IAC189-052000-
/O.NEW.KDMX.SV.W.0070.120505T1928Z-120505T2000Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
228 PM CDT SAT MAY 5 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WINNEBAGO COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA...

* UNTIL 300 PM CDT

* AT 224 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
  BUFFALO CENTER...OR 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF ALGONA...AND MOVING EAST
  AT 40 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  LAKE MILLS...THOMPSON...LELAND AND SCARVILLE.

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 4343 9349 4325 9350 4334 9396 4350 9397
      4350 9349
TIME...MOT...LOC 1927Z 275DEG 33KT 4343 9384
WIND...HAIL 60MPH 1.00IN

$$

SKOW
2 follow-up statements
055 
WWUS53 KDMX 051944
SVSDMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
244 PM CDT SAT MAY 5 2012

IAC189-052000-
/O.CON.KDMX.SV.W.0070.000000T0000Z-120505T2000Z/
WINNEBAGO IA-
244 PM CDT SAT MAY 5 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WINNEBAGO
COUNTY UNTIL 300 PM CDT...

AT 241 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 7 
MILES WEST OF LAKE MILLS...OR 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF MASON 
CITY...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM IS ALSO CAPABLE OF 
PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS OF OVER 60 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  LAKE MILLS AND SCARVILLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PREPARE FOR LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...PREFERABLY
INSIDE A REINFORCED BUILDING AND 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 4349 9349 4326 9350 4326 9351 4326 9353
      4334 9394 4350 9383 4350 9350
TIME...MOT...LOC 1943Z 275DEG 33KT 4341 9364
WIND...HAIL 60MPH 1.00IN

$$

SKOW
142 
WWUS53 KDMX 051959
SVSDMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
259 PM CDT SAT MAY 5 2012

IAC189-052008-
/O.EXP.KDMX.SV.W.0070.000000T0000Z-120505T2000Z/
WINNEBAGO IA-
259 PM CDT SAT MAY 5 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR WINNEBAGO COUNTY WILL EXPIRE
AT 300 PM CDT...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF CENTRAL AND 
WESTERN WINNEBAGO COUNTY. A NEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING HAS BEEN 
ISSUED FOR EASTERN WINNEBAGO COUNTY.

LAT...LON 4349 9349 4326 9350 4326 9351 4326 9353
      4334 9394 4350 9383 4350 9350
TIME...MOT...LOC 1958Z 275DEG 33KT 4339 9345

$$

SKOW

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 10:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXPalo Alto, Pocahontas48 min
May 5, 2:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCarroll, Crawford33 min
May 5, 1:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXKossuth, Winnebago33 min
May 5, 2:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCerro Gordo, Winnebago, Worth66 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.