Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 30, NWS Sioux Falls, SD

May 3, 2012Cherokee County, Iowa

NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 3, 2012, 7:57 PM CDT for Cherokee County, Iowa. It was in force for 33 min. 5 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, 7:57 PM CDT (00:57 UTC)
Expired
May 3, 2012, 8:30 PM CDT
In force
33 min
Issued by
NWS Sioux Falls, SD
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
58.0 mph

County Cherokee County, IA

The radar

The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 133 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:58 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, 8:01 PM CDTHAIL 0.883 Nne Cherokee, IA
May 3, 8:03 PM CDTHAIL 0.753 N Cherokee, IADIME SIZE HAIL COVERED THE ROAD
May 3, 8:12 PM CDTHAIL 0.883 S Larrabee, IA
May 3, 8:23 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG4 Se Larrabee, IA2-4 INCH LIMBS DOWN. ALSO HAD A LOT OF SMALL HAIL...PEA SIZE OR SMALLER
May 3, 8:34 PM CDTHAIL 0.75Cherokee, IADIME SIZE HAIL AT INTERSECTION OF ROAD M10/SR 3 WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 180 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, Omaha, NE at 00:00Z on 2012-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2202 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, Omaha, NE at 00:00Z on 2012-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -6 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
2202 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-27 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1397 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-6 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
76 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
3.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

488 
WUUS53 KFSD 040057
SVRFSD
IAC035-040130-
/O.NEW.KFSD.SV.W.0030.120504T0057Z-120504T0130Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
757 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SIOUX FALLS HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST IOWA...

* UNTIL 830 PM CDT

* AT 757 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
  TRACKING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE
  HAIL.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR LARRABEE...OR 19 MILES NORTHWEST
  OF STORM LAKE...AND MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF
  NORTHEASTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES PER
HOUR...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR
YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR
HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO NOT DRIVE
INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

&&

LAT...LON 4273 9558 4282 9563 4291 9542 4285 9538
      4276 9539
TIME...MOT...LOC 0057Z 250DEG 5KT 4281 9549
WIND...HAIL <58MPH 1.00IN

$$

JM
2 follow-up statements
249 
WWUS53 KFSD 040122
SVSFSD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
822 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

IAC035-040130-
/O.CON.KFSD.SV.W.0030.000000T0000Z-120504T0130Z/
CHEROKEE IA-
822 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEASTERN
CHEROKEE COUNTY UNTIL 830 PM CDT...

AT 822 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL.  THIS
STORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LARRABEE...OR 18 MILES
NORTHWEST OF STORM LAKE...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES PER
HOUR...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR
YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR
HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO NOT DRIVE
INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

&&

LAT...LON 4273 9558 4282 9563 4291 9542 4285 9538
      4276 9539
TIME...MOT...LOC 0122Z 250DEG 5KT 4282 9545
WIND...HAIL <58MPH 1.00IN

$$

JM
182 
WWUS53 KFSD 040129
SVSFSD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
829 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

IAC035-040139-
/O.EXP.KFSD.SV.W.0030.000000T0000Z-120504T0130Z/
CHEROKEE IA-
829 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY
WILL EXPIRE AT 830 PM CDT...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER POSES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR
PROPERTY...HOWEVER HAIL TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS IS STILL POSSIBLE WITH THIS
THUNDERSTORM.

LAT...LON 4273 9558 4282 9563 4291 9542 4285 9538
      4276 9539
TIME...MOT...LOC 0129Z 250DEG 5KT 4282 9544

$$

JM

The office that day

Everything else NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 3, 8:05 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFSDCherokee93 min
May 3, 8:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDBuena Vista, Cherokee38 min
May 4, 3:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDSioux30 min
May 4, 3:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDPlymouth, Sioux31 min
May 4, 3:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDO'Brien, Osceola, Sioux42 min
May 4, 3:20 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDO'Brien, Sioux25 min
May 4, 3:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDPlymouth36 min
May 4, 3:43 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDO'Brien, Sioux32 min
May 4, 4:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDCherokee, O'Brien29 min
May 4, 4:06 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDClay24 min
May 4, 4:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDDickinson, Osceola51 min
May 4, 4:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDClay, O'Brien33 min
May 4, 4:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDClay35 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.