Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 2013

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 20, 20134 counties in Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at May 20, 2013, 7:39 PM CDT for 4 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 36 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 20, 2013, 7:39 PM CDT (00:39 UTC)
Expired
May 20, 2013, 8:15 PM CDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
1.0 in

Counties Jasper County, IA, Marshall County, IA, Polk County, IA, Story County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 45 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:41 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 20, 7:40 PM CDTHAIL 1.75Maxwell, IAQUARTER SIZE HAIL STARTED AT 738 PM.
May 20, 7:48 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUD1 S Collins, IAROTATING FUNNEL CLOUD OBSERVED TO THE NORTH NEAR COLLINS. DUST STIRRED UP AT THE GROUND BELOW THE FUNNEL...BUT ROTATION IN THE DUST WAS NOT OBSERVED. LASTED ABOUT 20 SECONDS BEFORE DISSIPATING.
May 20, 8:15 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 603 N State Center, IAPEA SIZE HAIL AS WELL.

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 20, 6:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 235 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 2013-05-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 195 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, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2013-05-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 101 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
195 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-189 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1801 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
53 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
101 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
106 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

558 
WFUS53 KDMX 210039
TORDMX
IAC099-127-153-169-210115-
/O.NEW.KDMX.TO.W.0009.130521T0039Z-130521T0115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
739 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN JASPER COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA...
  SOUTHWESTERN MARSHALL COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA...
  NORTHEASTERN POLK COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA...
  SOUTHEASTERN STORY COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA...

* UNTIL 815 PM CDT

* AT 736 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO WAS LOCATED 10 MILES EAST OF HUXLEY...AND MOVING NORTHEAST
  AT 40 MPH.

  HAZARD...DEVELOPING TORNADO AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL.

  SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION.

  IMPACT...MOBILE HOMES WILL BE HEAVILY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.
           SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL
           OCCUR. FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DEADLY TO PEOPLE AND ANIMALS.
           EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE IS LIKELY.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  STATE CENTER...COLLINS...RHODES...COLO AND MELBOURNE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 4213 9327 4197 9302 4177 9335 4190 9354
TIME...MOT...LOC 0039Z 221DEG 35KT 4188 9338

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

AWB
2 follow-up statements
495 
WWUS53 KDMX 210056
SVSDMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
756 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

IAC153-210106-
/O.CAN.KDMX.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-130521T0115Z/
POLK IA-
756 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

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

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

LAT...LON 4213 9327 4197 9302 4181 9329 4196 9347
TIME...MOT...LOC 0056Z 221DEG 35KT 4201 9323

$$

IAC099-127-169-210115-
/O.CON.KDMX.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-130521T0115Z/
STORY IA-MARSHALL IA-JASPER IA-
756 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWESTERN JASPER...
SOUTHWESTERN MARSHALL AND SOUTHEASTERN STORY COUNTIES UNTIL 815 PM
CDT...

AT 754 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED NEAR STATE CENTER...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

HAZARD...DEVELOPING TORNADO AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL.

SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION.

IMPACT...MOBILE HOMES WILL BE HEAVILY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.
         SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL
         OCCUR. FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DEADLY TO PEOPLE AND ANIMALS.
         EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE IS LIKELY.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
STATE CENTER AND MELBOURNE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 4213 9327 4197 9302 4181 9329 4196 9347
TIME...MOT...LOC 0056Z 221DEG 35KT 4201 9323

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

AWB
374 
WWUS53 KDMX 210107
SVSDMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
807 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

IAC099-127-169-210117-
/O.EXP.KDMX.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-130521T0115Z/
STORY IA-MARSHALL IA-JASPER IA-
807 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN JASPER...SOUTHWESTERN
MARSHALL AND SOUTHEASTERN STORY COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 815 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 SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN ARE STILL POSSIBLE
WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.

IN ADDITION...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY REDEVELOP...AND A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM.

LAT...LON 4213 9327 4197 9302 4181 9329 4196 9347
TIME...MOT...LOC 0107Z 221DEG 35KT 4209 9313

$$

AWB

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 20, 7:10 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXPolk, Story35 min
May 20, 7:24 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXHardin, Marshall, Story36 min
May 20, 7:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXGrundy, Hardin, Marshall, Story31 min
May 20, 8:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXGrundy, Marshall, Tama32 min
May 20, 8:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMadison, Warren24 min
May 20, 8:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDecatur38 min
May 20, 8:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBlack Hawk, Butler, Grundy, Hardin49 min
May 20, 8:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXFranklin25 min
May 20, 8:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper, Marion, Polk, Warren30 min
May 20, 9:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXClarke, Decatur, Lucas, Wayne34 min
May 20, 9:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMarshall, Tama31 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 2013Every tornado warning in 2013Tornadoes in 2013

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.