Alert archive / Iowa / Special Weather Statements in 2021

Special Weather Statement, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 25, 2021Adair County, Madison County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this special weather statement at May 25, 2021, 11:14 PM CDT for Adair County, Madison County, Iowa. It was in force for 46 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 25, 2021, 11:14 PM CDT (04:14 UTC)
Expired
May 26, 2021, 12:00 AM CDT
In force
46 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA

Counties Adair County, IA, Madison County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 44 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:14 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 00:00Z, 4.2 hours before the alert went out and 190 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 2021-05-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 228 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 2021-05-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 36 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
228 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2355 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
36 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
53 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

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What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this special weather statement 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 special weather statement went out at May 25, 6:42 PM CDT, 4 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 25, 6:42 PM CDT, 4 hours 32 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
642 PM CDT Tue May 25 2021

.DISCUSSION.../Tonight through Tuesday/
Issued at 230 PM CDT Tue May 25 2021

Surface boundary has reached far northwest Iowa at 2 pm this
afternoon. Not much change in afternoon temperatures on either side
of the boundary with readings in the 70s to low 80s though a much
larger moisture discontinuity does exist with dewpoints in the 60s
pre-frontal to the 40s behind it. SPC mesoanalysis data is painting
a broad area of uncapped 1500 J/kg CAPE across much of central and
eastern Iowa currently. Proximity sounding analysis would suggest
some capping still exists and the fact that a broad area of
cloudiness still blankets much of that area suggests the SPC
mesoanalysis instability is a little over zealous attm. A few weak
scattered thunderstorms are currently moving across far southeast
Iowa while some agitated cumulus is beginning to develop in
vicinity of the surface boundary over parts of northwest Iowa but is
more prevalent into Minnesota though at this point it does not
appear much glaciation has occurred yet.

A few isolated to scattered thunderstorms may develop within the
warm sector yet this afternoon though the severe weather threat will
be limited. The better chance for convection and a few strong storms
will be further west along the surface boundary which will have some
kinematic forcing to work with as well with the upper short wave
arrival. Much of that convective development is on track for late
this afternoon into the early evening though the more widespread
activity will be to the northeast into Wisconsin where the currently
SPC slight risk exists. The scattered thunderstorm chances over the
area will persist along the boundary as it moves though overnight.
At this point, any severe weather looks isolated with large hail or
damaging winds the primary threats.

An overall outstanding day is on tap for Wednesday with plentiful
sunshine, less humid conditions and relatively lighter winds. High
temperatures will range from near 70 north to near 80 south.

The ingredients are starting to come together for a strong MCS
complex to develop Wednesday night over Nebraska and roll into Iowa
by early Thursday as a vigorous upper short wave moves in from the
west. This system will have a strong low level jet feeding a vast
amount of theta-e advection lifting north into Iowa which will have
maintain MCS maintenance and strength as it arrives. While the
convective updrafts may weaken a bit into Iowa, the potential for a
vast cold pool does exist to bring a damaging wind threat into the
state and very well could include an attendant QLCS tornadic threat
though medium range guidance is suggesting a less than impressive
<20 kt 0-3 km shear. The other question if the potential for
redevelopment during the afternoon hours and really depends on the
how strong the morning cold pool is and how far south it shoves the
surface boundary and if the surface low tracks far enough north to
pull the boundary back into southern Iowa where the chance for
destabilization occurs. Many times morning convection can run into a
mid morning destabilizing air mass which reinvigorates the
convection and it becomes a severe squall line through the day as it
moves east.  In those cases, the event is usually over.  If the MCS
decays and surface heating occurs, then it is possible for surface
based convection over far south central Iowa. While this possibility
is extremely conditional, should it occur, then the chance for a few
supercells hugging near the Missouri border are possible with the
chance for large hail and a tornado or two. This would likely be
short lived over Iowa with the Bunker's Right Mover supercell motion
begin east/southeast which would track supercells into Missouri.

Cooler weather will follow Friday and into the weekend. A few
showers and thunderstorms will be possible by late Sunday and into
early next week as the pattern again becomes more active.

&&

.AVIATION.../For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Wednesday evening/
Issued at 642 PM CDT Tue May 25 2021

Main challenge is convection along the weak trough moving through
the area now. Both KFOD and KMCW will be clear of any impactful wx
for the period aft 00z with a few widely scat thunderstorms moving
across KALO/KDSM/again at KOTM between 01z and about 07z with the
progression of the boundary southeast. Upstream winds gusting to
24kts and will maintain some wind north this evening. Otherwise,
some mixing again north aft 13z north sites Wed. /rev

&&

.DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

DISCUSSION...Donavon
AVIATION...REV
Hazardous weather outlook, May 25, 10:40 PM CDT, 34 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 25, 11:14 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
1114 PM CDT Tue May 25 2021

IAZ059-071>073-260500-
Adair IA-Madison IA-Dallas IA-Warren IA-
1114 PM CDT Tue May 25 2021

...Line of Thunderstorms With Gusty Winds and Small Hail...

At 1113 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from Adel to near Greenfield. Movement was southeast
at 35 mph.

Pea size hail and winds in excess of 30 mph will be possible with
these storms.

Locations impacted include...
West Des Moines, Waukee, Norwalk, Winterset, Adel, Greenfield,
Stuart, Earlham, De Soto, Van Meter, Dexter, Cumming, Macksburg,
Greenfield Municipal Airport, Badger Creek State Park and
Winterset-Madison County Airport.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.

&&

LAT...LON 4134 9459 4151 9427 4150 9424 4152 9424
      4164 9401 4154 9379 4151 9379 4151 9373
      4148 9366 4117 9425
TIME...MOT...LOC 0413Z 295DEG 31KT 4162 9399 4135 9449

REV

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 25, 7:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBoone, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie40 min
May 25, 11:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper, Marion, Polk, Warren31 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Iowa, 2021Every special weather statement in 2021

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.