Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 2021

Tornado Warning 44, NWS Des Moines, IA

December 15, 20215 counties in Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Dec 15, 2021, 5:38 PM CST for 5 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 37 min. 7 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: Dec 15, 2021, 5:38 PM CST (23:38 UTC)
Expired: Dec 15, 2021, 6:15 PM CST
In force: 37 min
Issued by: NWS Des Moines, IA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Observed
Hail: 0.0 in

Counties Boone County, IA, Calhoun County, IA, Greene County, IA, Hamilton County, IA, Webster County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 63 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:41 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Dec 15, 5:39 PM CST	TSTM WND DMG	Grand Junction, IA	PUBLIC RELAYED SIDING MISSING ON HOUSE ON SE SIDE OF GRAND JUNCTION. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
Dec 15, 5:41 PM CST	TSTM WND DMG	2 Wnw Jefferson, IA	DAMAGE TO POWER POLES ALONG HIGHWAY 30 WEST OF JEFFERSON. REPORT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. DELAYED REPORT AND TIME/LOCATION ESTIMATED BY RADAR.
Dec 15, 5:45 PM CST	TORNADO	4 Sw Dana, IA	DAMAGE TO FARMSTEAD BUILDINGS NORTHEAST OF JEFFERSON NEAR INTERSECTION OF 195TH AND R AVE. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. REPORT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.
Dec 15, 5:49 PM CST	TSTM WND DMG	2 Wnw Harcourt, IA	EMERGENCY MANAGER RELAYED BUILDING/DEBRIS BLOWN ONTO HIGHWAY 175. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
Dec 15, 5:49 PM CST	TORNADO	6 Ne Fraser, IA	LOCATION ESTIMATED BY RADAR. REPORT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA WITH VIDEO EVIDENCE. UNKNOWN DAMAGE. DELAYED REPORT.
Dec 15, 5:51 PM CST	TSTM WND DMG	3 Nw Harcourt, IA	POWERLINES AND POLES, OUTBUILDING AND TREE DAMAGE STARTING NEAR HARCOURT AND EXTENDING NORTHEAST TOWARDS DUNCOMBE IN WEBSTER COUNTY.
Dec 15, 6:02 PM CST	TSTM WND GST 73	3 Nnw Fort Dodge, IA

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
Dec 15, 1:23 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 203 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: 2165 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 346 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 384 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

626 
WFUS53 KDMX 152338
TORDMX
IAC015-025-073-079-187-160015-
/O.NEW.KDMX.TO.W.0044.211215T2338Z-211216T0015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
538 PM CST Wed Dec 15 2021

The National Weather Service in Des Moines  has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northeastern Greene County in west central Iowa...
  Webster County in central Iowa...
  Southeastern Calhoun County in west central Iowa...
  Northwestern Boone County in central Iowa...
  Southwestern Hamilton County in central Iowa...

* Until 615 PM CST.
    
* At 538 PM CST, a tornado producing storm was located 2 miles west 
  of Jefferson, moving northeast at 80 mph.

  HAZARD...Damaging tornado.

  SOURCE...Radar 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 storm will be near...
  Gowrie around 550 PM CST.

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 4191 9426 4216 9459 4262 9427 4227 9364
TIME...MOT...LOC 2338Z 218DEG 69KT 4210 9439 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

$$

Martin

1 follow-up statement

834 
WWUS53 KDMX 160000
SVSDMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
600 PM CST Wed Dec 15 2021

IAC073-160009-
/O.CAN.KDMX.TO.W.0044.000000T0000Z-211216T0015Z/
Greene IA-
600 PM CST Wed Dec 15 2021

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN GREENE 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 800 PM CST for central and
west central Iowa.

LAT...LON 4216 9391 4239 9443 4262 9427 4227 9364
TIME...MOT...LOC 2359Z 218DEG 69KT 4243 9404 

$$

IAC015-025-079-187-160015-
/O.CON.KDMX.TO.W.0044.000000T0000Z-211216T0015Z/
Webster IA-Calhoun IA-Boone IA-Hamilton IA-
600 PM CST Wed Dec 15 2021

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM CST FOR CENTRAL
WEBSTER...EAST CENTRAL CALHOUN...NORTH CENTRAL BOONE AND SOUTHWESTERN
HAMILTON COUNTIES...
    
At 559 PM CST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 8 miles southeast of Fort Dodge, moving northeast at 80
mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

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.

This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
central Webster, east central Calhoun, north central Boone and
southwestern Hamilton Counties, including the following locations...
Callender, Moorland, Woodman Hollow State Park, Stratford, Dolliver
Memorial State Park, Otho, Lehigh, Dayton, Lizard Creek State
Recreation Area and Stanhope.

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 4216 9391 4239 9443 4262 9427 4227 9364
TIME...MOT...LOC 2359Z 218DEG 69KT 4243 9404 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

$$

Martin

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Dec 15, 4:13 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threat	DMX	Adair, Adams, Audubon, Cass, Guthrie, Ringgold and 2 more	77 min
Dec 15, 4:16 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threat	DMX	Carroll, Crawford, Sac	74 min
Dec 15, 4:37 PM CST	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	DMX	Cass	23 min
Dec 15, 4:44 PM CST	Tornado Warning	DMX	Crawford	36 min
Dec 15, 4:53 PM CST	Tornado Warning	DMX	Adair, Audubon, Cass, Guthrie	33 min
Dec 15, 5:07 PM CST	Tornado Warning	DMX	Sac	27 min
Dec 15, 5:10 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threat	DMX	Adair, Audubon, Boone, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie and 4 more	80 min
Dec 15, 5:10 PM CST	Tornado Warning	DMX	Carroll, Crawford	35 min
Dec 15, 5:14 PM CST	Tornado Warning	DMX	Audubon, Calhoun, Carroll, Greene, Guthrie	31 min
Dec 15, 5:15 PM CST	Tornado Warning	DMX	Calhoun, Carroll, Crawford, Sac	30 min
Dec 15, 5:18 PM CST	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	DMX	Adair, Boone, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie	42 min
Dec 15, 5:19 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threat	DMX	Boone, Calhoun, Carroll, Emmet, Greene, Humboldt and 5 more	71 min
Dec 15, 5:22 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threat	DMX	Carroll, Crawford, Sac	23 min
Dec 15, 5:22 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	DMX	Adair, Adams, Clarke, Decatur, Madison, Ringgold and 3 more	68 min
Dec 15, 5:36 PM CST	Tornado Warning	DMX	Calhoun, Humboldt, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Pocahontas	24 min
Dec 15, 5:45 PM CST	Tornado Warning	DMX	Calhoun, Pocahontas, Webster	30 min
Dec 15, 5:52 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threat	DMX	Boone, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Humboldt and 6 more	53 min
Dec 15, 5:58 PM CST	Tornado Warning	DMX	Hancock, Humboldt, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Pocahontas	32 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 2021 Every tornado warning in 2021 Tornadoes 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.