Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 2016

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Des Moines, IA

April 27, 2016Adair County, Madison County, Union County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Apr 27, 2016, 5:45 PM CDT for Adair County, Madison County, Union County, Iowa. It was in force for 27 min. 2 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: Apr 27, 2016, 5:45 PM CDT (22:45 UTC)
Expired: Apr 27, 2016, 6:12 PM CDT
In force: 27 min
Issued by: NWS Des Moines, IA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Observed
Hail: 1.0 in

Counties Adair County, IA, Madison County, IA, Union County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 87 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:47 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Apr 27, 5:47 PM CDT	TORNADO	1 Ssw Creston, IA	TORNADO JUST SOUTH OF CRESTON BUT HAS BECOME RAIN WRAPPED.
Apr 27, 5:51 PM CDT	TORNADO	3 Nne Creston, IA	RELAYED REPORT OF A TORNADO NORTH OF CRESTON

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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Apr 27, 2:33 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 170 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 514 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 268 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 345 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

880 
WFUS53 KDMX 272245
TORDMX
IAC001-121-175-272330-
/O.NEW.KDMX.TO.W.0004.160427T2245Z-160427T2330Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
545 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES  HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN MADISON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA...
  NORTHWESTERN UNION COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA...
  SOUTHEASTERN ADAIR COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN IOWA...

* UNTIL 630 PM CDT

* AT 544 PM CDT...A CONFIRMED TORNADO WAS LOCATED OVER CRESTON...
  MOVING NORTH AT 35 MPH.

  HAZARD...DAMAGING TORNADO AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL. 

  SOURCE...WEATHER SPOTTERS CONFIRMED TORNADO. 

  IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT 
           SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. 
           DAMAGE TO ROOFS...WINDOWS...AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR.  TREE 
           DAMAGE IS LIKELY. 

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  GREEN VALLEY LAKE AROUND 555 PM CDT. 

OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE
CRESTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...ORIENT...GREEN VALLEY LAKE STATE PARK AND
MACKSBURG.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 4100 9444 4130 9441 4127 9417 4098 9431
TIME...MOT...LOC 2244Z 189DEG 32KT 4104 9437 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

COGIL

3 follow-up statements

948 
WWUS53 KDMX 272254
SVSDMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
554 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

IAC001-121-175-272330-
/O.CON.KDMX.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-160427T2330Z/
MADISON IA-UNION IA-ADAIR IA-
554 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN MADISON...NORTHWESTERN UNION AND SOUTHEASTERN ADAIR
COUNTIES...
    
AT 553 PM CDT...A CONFIRMED TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR GREEN VALLEY
LAKE...OR 4 MILES NORTH OF CRESTON...MOVING NORTH AT 45 MPH.

HAZARD...DAMAGING TORNADO AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL. 

SOURCE...WEATHER SPOTTERS CONFIRMED TORNADO. 

IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT 
         SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. DAMAGE 
         TO ROOFS...WINDOWS...AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR.  TREE DAMAGE IS 
         LIKELY. 

THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF
SOUTHWESTERN MADISON...NORTHWESTERN UNION AND SOUTHEASTERN ADAIR
COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: ORIENT...GREEN VALLEY
LAKE STATE PARK AND MACKSBURG.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 4109 9443 4130 9441 4127 9417 4106 9427
TIME...MOT...LOC 2253Z 190DEG 40KT 4113 9434 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

COGIL

450 
WWUS53 KDMX 272300
SVSDMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
600 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

IAC175-272310-
/O.CAN.KDMX.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-160427T2330Z/
UNION IA-
600 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN UNION COUNTY IS CANCELLED...
    
THE TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT
OF THE WARNED AREA. THEREFORE THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR SOUTHWESTERN
IOWA.

LAT...LON 4116 9442 4130 9441 4127 9417 4116 9422
TIME...MOT...LOC 2300Z 178DEG 39KT 4120 9433 

$$

IAC001-121-272330-
/O.CON.KDMX.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-160427T2330Z/
MADISON IA-ADAIR IA-
600 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN MADISON AND SOUTHEASTERN ADAIR COUNTIES...
    
AT 600 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF GREEN VALLEY LAKE...OR 9 MILES NORTH
OF CRESTON...MOVING NORTH AT 45 MPH.

HAZARD...TORNADO AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL. 

SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION. 

IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT 
         SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. DAMAGE 
         TO ROOFS...WINDOWS...AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR.  TREE DAMAGE IS 
         LIKELY. 

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ORIENT AND MACKSBURG. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 4116 9442 4130 9441 4127 9417 4116 9422
TIME...MOT...LOC 2300Z 178DEG 39KT 4120 9433 

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

$$

COGIL

845 
WWUS53 KDMX 272312
SVSDMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
612 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

IAC001-121-272322-
/O.CAN.KDMX.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-160427T2330Z/
MADISON IA-ADAIR IA-
612 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN MADISON AND SOUTHEASTERN
ADAIR COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...
        
THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE LIMITS
AND EXITED THE WARNED AREA. THEREFORE THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR SOUTHWESTERN
IOWA.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
DES MOINES .

LAT...LON 4116 9442 4130 9441 4127 9417 4116 9422
TIME...MOT...LOC 2311Z 189DEG 32KT 4131 9431 

$$

COGIL

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 27, 12:38 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DMX	Wayne	37 min
Apr 27, 7:21 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	DMX	Taylor	32 hr
Apr 27, 3:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Taylor	48 min
Apr 27, 3:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Cass	46 min
Apr 27, 4:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Taylor	37 min
Apr 27, 5:14 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Adams, Ringgold, Taylor, Union	34 min
Apr 27, 5:28 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DMX	Cass	92 min
Apr 27, 5:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Adair, Clarke, Madison, Ringgold, Union	48 min
Apr 27, 6:17 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DMX	Decatur	28 min
Apr 27, 6:40 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DMX	Clarke	35 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 2016 Every tornado warning in 2016 Tornadoes in 2016

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.