Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2020
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 136, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 6, 2020, 3:35 PM CDT for 4 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 40 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Aug 6, 2020, 3:35 PM CDT (20:35 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 6, 2020, 4:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 40 min
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 1.0 in
- Wind
- 50.0 mph
Counties Boone County, IA, Dallas County, IA, Polk County, IA, Story County, IA
The radar
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 15 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:35 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.
The nearest sounding before it
Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 8.6 hours before the alert went out and 226 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 284 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -289 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1016 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 25 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 161 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 268 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.5
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Des Moines, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 6, 12:45 PM CDT, 2 hours 50 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 6, 12:45 PM CDT, 2 hours 50 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 1245 PM CDT Thu Aug 6 2020 .DISCUSSION.../Today through Wednesday/ Issued at 423 AM CDT Thu Aug 6 2020 Surface high pressure continues to shift east towards the Great Lakes. Southerly flow aloft has returned to Iowa overnight with several fragments of theta-e advection lifting through the state. Modest MUCAPEs have arrived as well at 500 J/kg or less though greater instability is just to the west in the Missouri Valley. Showers and a few thunderstorms have developed to the increased forcing and instability over southeast Iowa and over the northwest. Of course the areas that really need the rainfall are currently devoid of precipitation. The showers and thunderstorms will likely continue to bubble into central Iowa this morning and into the early afternoon as repeated rounds of theta-e advection lift northward. The focus for precipitation should eventually lift northward as well this afternoon. The slow movement and potential for repeated small cells over some areas could lead to some beneficial rainfall for some lucky areas. High temperatures today will again likely be impacted by cloud cover and have again tempered high temperatures down north of Highway 30. South of there, temperatures may receive some sun during the afternoon to allow temperatures to rebound. The low level jet will develop tonight and be focused over Kansas and Missouri with the speed convergence zone over the northern portion of those states. That will be the most favored region for thunderstorm development tonight though some of the activity may reach far southern Iowa and linger into Friday morning. The remainder of Friday should be mostly dry and warmer with highs in the 80s. The upper flow by later Friday and into the weekend transitions to more zonal/westerly flow as the region is sandwiched between an upper low over western Canada and upper high over the south central CONUS. Numerous short waves will be passing through this flow and there still remains a fair amount of uncertainty where and when these will arrive and areal coverage of any thunderstorms. This has resulted in an extended forecast filled with low chances for thunderstorms throughout with a couple more focused areas. Another strong low level jet will develop Friday night and the setup is favorable for an MCS to develop somewhere in the vicinity of southeast South Dakota/northwest Iowa. The deterministic ECMWF continues to be aggressive with the MCS to track southeast into central Iowa while other solutions remain less optimistic. Should an MCS develop, corfedi vectors would suggest any rooted system should settle southeast. Some challenges though showing up in sounding profiles with dry air still lingering in the favored lift zone that would inhibit convective development. Another storm complex looks favorable Sunday night into Monday morning as the upper flow bows a bit as the Canadian upper low moves east, which will allow a frontal boundary to drop into Iowa. As of now, northern Iowa is the most favored area for precipitation though scattered storms should also reach central Iowa. Periodic thunderstorm chances into next week as mentioned previously which will be dependent on the surface boundary placement and short wave timing. There will be some severe weather potential this weekend with damaging winds the greatest threat. The weekend will be warmer and more humid with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s into Monday then slightly cooler the remainder of the period. Afternoon heat index values Saturday and Sunday will be in the 90s to near 100. && .AVIATION.../For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Friday afternoon/ Issued at 1245 PM CDT Thu Aug 6 2020 Scattered thunderstorms will move gradually north through the forecast area this afternoon. Ceilings and visibilities will mainly be VFR but MVFR to IFR in and around the thunderstorms. By tonight, much of the area will be dry with VFR conditions in most locations continuing into Friday morning. Surface winds are expected to be south to southeast for the entire period. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && DISCUSSION...Donavon AVIATION...Cogil
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 6, 3:24 PM CDT, 11 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 6, 11:34 AM CDT, 4 hours 1 minute before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1134 AM CDT THU AUG 6 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1130 AM HAIL 3 W BAGLEY 41.85N 94.49W
08/06/2020 E0.88 INCH GUTHRIE IA EMERGENCY MNGR
A LOT OF PEA SIZED HAIL AND SOME NICKLE
SIZED HAIL MIXED IN PERIODICALLY.
&&
ANSORGESpecial weather statement, Aug 6, 12:00 PM CDT, 3 hours 35 minutes before
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Des Moines IA 1200 PM CDT Thu Aug 6 2020 IAZ046-047-059-061745- Boone IA-Greene IA-Dallas IA- 1200 PM CDT Thu Aug 6 2020 ...Dime to Penny Hail and Winds to 40 mph Possible... At 1159 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Perry, moving east at 25 mph. Penny size hail and winds in excess of 30 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Perry, Woodward, Minburn, Rippey, Dawson, Bouton, Berkley, Perry Municipal Airport and Ledges State Park. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. && LAT...LON 4201 9389 4171 9385 4178 9428 4195 9429 TIME...MOT...LOC 1659Z 261DEG 23KT 4189 9420 Kotenberg
Special weather statement, Aug 6, 1:01 PM CDT, 2 hours 34 minutes before
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Des Moines IA 101 PM CDT Thu Aug 6 2020 IAZ072-061830- Madison IA- 101 PM CDT Thu Aug 6 2020 ...Dime to Penny Size Hail Possible... At 101 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Winterset, moving east at 15 mph. Penny size hail and winds in excess of 30 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Avenue Of The Saints Event Center, St. Charles, Patterson, Bevington and Badger Creek State Park. LAT...LON 4136 9398 4149 9397 4146 9379 4128 9379 TIME...MOT...LOC 1801Z 282DEG 12KT 4137 9392 Kotenberg
Local storm report, Aug 6, 1:06 PM CDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before
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</html>The office that day
Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 6, 10:57 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | DMX | Guthrie | 48 min |
| Aug 6, 11:00 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | DMX | Dallas | 45 min |
| Aug 6, 11:11 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Carroll, Greene, Guthrie | 32 min |
| Aug 6, 12:00 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | DMX | Dallas | 45 min |
| Aug 6, 1:01 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | DMX | Madison | 29 min |
| Aug 6, 2:05 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | DMX | Greene | 25 min |
| Aug 6, 3:21 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | DMX | Boone | 24 min |
| Aug 6, 4:15 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | DMX | Polk | 45 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 2020Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2020
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.