Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 7, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 2, 20124 counties in Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at May 2, 2012, 1:47 AM CDT for 4 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 28 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 2, 2012, 1:47 AM CDT (06:47 UTC)
Expired
May 2, 2012, 2:15 AM CDT
In force
28 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Boone County, IA, Hamilton County, IA, Hardin County, IA, Story County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 57 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:49 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 2, 1:59 AM CDTTSTM WND DMGRoland, IATHE TOP OF A TREE TWO FOOT IN DIAMETER WAS SNAPPED OFF IN THE TOWN OF ROLAND. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.

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 1, 9:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 00:00Z, 6.8 hours before the alert went out and 255 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, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2012-05-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2012-05-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 26 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
572 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
26 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
117 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

791 
WFUS53 KDMX 020647
TORDMX
IAC015-079-083-169-020715-
/O.NEW.KDMX.TO.W.0007.120502T0647Z-120502T0715Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
147 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN BOONE COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA...
  SOUTHEASTERN HAMILTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA...
  SOUTHWESTERN HARDIN COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA...
  NORTHERN STORY COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA...

* UNTIL 215 AM CDT

* AT 145 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
  STORM WAS LOCATED 7 MILES WEST OF STORY CITY...OR 12 MILES
  NORTHWEST OF AMES...AND MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  STORY CITY...GILBERT...RANDALL...ROLAND...MCCALLSBURG...ZEARING AND
  HUBBARD.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 35 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 118 AND 131.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IMMEDIATELY SEEK SHELTER IN A BASEMENT...
OR IN AN INTERIOR ROOM OF A REINFORCED BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.

IF YOU ARE OUTSIDE...IN A MOBILE HOME...OR IN A VEHICLE...SEEK
SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...FIND THE
LOWEST SPOT AVAILABLE AND COVER YOUR HEAD.

THIS TORNADO WARNING REPLACES THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING THAT
WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE SAME AREA. IMMEDIATELY SEEK SHELTER IN A
BASEMENT...OR IN AN INTERIOR ROOM OF A REINFORCED BUILDING. STAY AWAY
FROM WINDOWS.

TORNADOES ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHT...ACT QUICKLY. TAKE COVER
NOW!

&&

LAT...LON 4233 9330 4210 9325 4208 9377 4224 9379
TIME...MOT...LOC 0647Z 265DEG 43KT 4218 9369

$$

BEERENDS
2 follow-up statements
413 
WWUS53 KDMX 020656 RRA
SVSDMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
156 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

IAC015-020707-
/O.CAN.KDMX.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-120502T0715Z/
BOONE IA-
156 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN BOONE COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

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

LAT...LON 4209 9362 4226 9366 4233 9330 4210 9325
TIME...MOT...LOC 0657Z 265DEG 43KT 4218 9351

$$

IAC079-083-169-020715-
/O.CON.KDMX.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-120502T0715Z/
STORY IA-HARDIN IA-HAMILTON IA-
156 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN HAMILTON...
SOUTHWESTERN HARDIN AND NORTHERN STORY COUNTIES UNTIL 215 AM CDT...

AT 154 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR STORY CITY...OR 11 MILES NORTH OF AMES...
MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MCCALLSBURG...ZEARING AND HUBBARD.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 35 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 118 AND 130.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IMMEDIATELY SEEK SHELTER IN A BASEMENT...
OR IN AN INTERIOR ROOM OF A REINFORCED BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.

IF YOU ARE OUTSIDE...IN A MOBILE HOME...OR IN A VEHICLE...SEEK
SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...FIND THE
LOWEST SPOT AVAILABLE AND COVER YOUR HEAD.

TORNADOES ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHT...ACT QUICKLY. TAKE COVER
NOW.

&&

LAT...LON 4209 9362 4226 9366 4233 9330 4210 9325
TIME...MOT...LOC 0657Z 265DEG 43KT 4218 9351

$$

BEERENDS
284 
WWUS53 KDMX 020706
SVSDMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
206 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

IAC079-083-169-020716-
/O.EXP.KDMX.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-120502T0715Z/
STORY IA-HARDIN IA-HAMILTON IA-
206 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN HAMILTON...SOUTHWESTERN
HARDIN AND NORTHERN STORY COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 215 AM CDT...

THE TORNADO THREAT HAS DIMINISHED...THEREFORE THE TORNADO WARNING HAS
EXPIRED. HOWEVER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT
FOR THE AREA.  HOWEVER GUSTY WINDS ARE STILL POSSIBLE WITH THIS
THUNDERSTORM.

IN ADDITION...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY REDEVELOP...AND A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 AM CDT.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR 
SOUTHERN HARDIN AND NORTHERN STORY COUNTIES UNTIL 245 AM CDT. 

LAT...LON 4209 9362 4226 9366 4233 9330 4210 9325
TIME...MOT...LOC 0706Z 265DEG 43KT 4219 9336

$$

BEERENDS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 1, 9:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXEmmet, Palo Alto46 min
May 1, 10:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXKossuth, Palo Alto45 min
May 1, 11:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHumboldt, Webster, Wright51 min
May 1, 11:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCrawford25 min
May 2, 12:01 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCarroll, Crawford, Sac44 min
May 2, 12:38 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCarroll, Crawford, Greene, Sac52 min
May 2, 1:02 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAudubon, Guthrie43 min
May 2, 1:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBoone, Carroll, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie38 min
May 2, 1:24 AM CDTTornado WarningDMXBoone36 min
May 2, 1:27 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBoone, Hamilton, Story, Webster48 min
May 2, 1:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBoone, Polk, Story51 min
May 2, 1:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDallas, Polk52 min
May 2, 2:04 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXGrundy, Hardin, Marshall, Story41 min
May 2, 2:37 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBlack Hawk, Grundy, Marshall, Tama36 min
May 2, 3:18 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper, Mahaska, Marion, Poweshiek15 min
May 2, 3:46 PM CDTFlash Flood WatchDMXBlack Hawk, Bremer, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Franklin, Grundy and 1 more12 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes 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.