Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 2022

Tornado Warning 30, NWS Des Moines, IA

April 23, 2022Polk County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Apr 23, 2022, 6:22 PM CDT for Polk County, Iowa. It was in force for 23 min. 1 report 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 23, 2022, 6:22 PM CDT (23:22 UTC)
Expired: Apr 23, 2022, 6:45 PM CDT
In force: 23 min
Issued by: NWS Des Moines, IA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

County Polk County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 6 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:23 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 23, 6:24 PM CDT	FUNNEL CLOUD	2 Sw Polk City, IA	OBSERVED NEAR SAYLORVILLE LAKE.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this tornado warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

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 23, 4:01 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 11.4 hours before the alert went out and 231 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: 12 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -305 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1065 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 292 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 348 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

205 
WFUS53 KDMX 232322
TORDMX
IAC153-232345-
/O.NEW.KDMX.TO.W.0030.220423T2322Z-220423T2345Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
622 PM CDT Sat Apr 23 2022

The National Weather Service in Des Moines  has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northwestern Polk County in central Iowa...

* Until 645 PM CDT.
    
* At 622 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Polk City, or near Johnston, moving east at 50
  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.

* Locations impacted include...
  Ankeny, Polk City, Saylorville Lake, Elkhart and Alleman. 

This includes Interstate 35 between mile markers 94 and 100.
 
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 4173 9377 4176 9378 4185 9353 4176 9346
TIME...MOT...LOC 2322Z 252DEG 41KT 4176 9370 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$

Curtis

1 follow-up statement

643 
WWUS53 KDMX 232332
SVSDMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
632 PM CDT Sat Apr 23 2022

IAC153-232345-
/O.CON.KDMX.TO.W.0030.000000T0000Z-220423T2345Z/
Polk IA-
632 PM CDT Sat Apr 23 2022

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 645 PM CDT FOR NORTH
CENTRAL POLK COUNTY...
    
At 632 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Ankeny, moving east at 45 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.

Locations impacted include...
Ankeny, Elkhart and Alleman. 

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 4174 9363 4181 9362 4185 9353 4176 9346
TIME...MOT...LOC 2332Z 252DEG 41KT 4180 9355 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$

Curtis

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at Apr 23, 3:37 PM CDT, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 23, 3:37 PM CDT, 2 hours 45 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
337 PM CDT Sat Apr 23 2022

.DISCUSSION.../Tonight through Saturday/
Issued at 337 PM CDT Sat Apr 23 2022

Key Messages:

-Strong winds and scattered severe storms late afternoon into the
 evening hours.
-Quiet and cooler into Sunday and early next week.
-Increasing threat of precipitation by late in the work week.

Impressive non-severe high wind event ongoing over western Iowa this
afternoon with numerous gusts of 50kts+ and sustained winds of 40
mph or more. Have had several incidents of higher profile vehicles
blown over on Interstate 80 in the west and the threat will persist
a few more hours as deep mixing of high velocities continues.  The
HWW was expanded to include another row of counties in the northwest
with a peak wind of 65 mph at EST in the past hour.  CAMS have
convective initiation with the next hour or so as cap continues to
weaken. Forward motion should be remains quick at 50kts+ given the
strong wind fields aloft with damaging winds the primary threat.
There has been some recent trends in the CAMS for a slightly higher
threat of tornadoes as a few discrete cells form and persist for a
longer period prior to becoming a linear system. Once linear, shear
vectors would be mostly be parallel with an north-south line but any
segment that could become more west-northwest to east southeast
oriented would be much more orthogonal and capable of a QLCS type
tornado. The bulk of the action is likely within the first 3
hours or so with the cold pool eventually dominating and overall
intensity dropping with mostly heavy rain and gusty winds by mid
evening onward. The activity exits to the east later overnight
with a cooler and drier airmass entering the state.

Rather strong subsidence is expected across much of the Iowa on
Sunday with mostly sunny skies central and south along breezy
conditions are expected to persist.  Some clouds do affect the north
during the day along the southern edge of the deformation area but
with little threat of precipitation.  The cool and dry conditions
are expected into early next week with the upper trof making only
slow progress into early Tuesday.  Warm advection does finally take
hold by Tuesday night and persist into Wednesday ahead of a
shortwave crossing the Rockies.  Scattered convection remains
possible into late Wednesday night/Thursday in low level moisture
axis as forcing arrives with this wave across the state. A more
robust system passes into the Midwest by the end of the period with
a better threat of precipitation and storms although plenty of time
for the situation to change between now and then.

&&

.AVIATION.../For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Sunday afternoon/
Issued at 1245 PM CDT Sat Apr 23 2022

Strong south surface winds are expected this afternoon and evening
before some gradual weakening overnight. Otherwise, mostly VFR
ceilings this afternoon with thunderstorms developing along a
boundary by mid to late afternoon. This convection progresses east
into the evening with clearing behind. Winds veer toward the
southwest by the end of the period with mostly VFR conditions
overnight into Sunday morning.

&&

.DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Wind Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for IAZ005>007-016-017-
024>028-035>039-046>050-058>062-071>075-081>086-092>097.

High Wind Warning until 7 PM CDT this evening for IAZ004-015-023-
033-034-044-045-057-070.

&&

DISCUSSION...Cogil
AVIATION...Cogil

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 23, 2:17 PM CDT, 4 hours 5 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
217 PM CDT Sat Apr 23 2022

IAZ005>007-016-017-024>028-035>039-046>050-058>062-071>075-
081>086-092>097-241930-
Kossuth-Winnebago-Worth-Hancock-Cerro Gordo-Humboldt-Wright-
Franklin-Butler-Bremer-Webster-Hamilton-Hardin-Grundy-Black Hawk-
Greene-Boone-Story-Marshall-Tama-Guthrie-Dallas-Polk-Jasper-
Poweshiek-Adair-Madison-Warren-Marion-Mahaska-Adams-Union-Clarke-
Lucas-Monroe-Wapello-Taylor-Ringgold-Decatur-Wayne-Appanoose-
Davis-
217 PM CDT Sat Apr 23 2022

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight

A wind advisory is in effect for the area. Please refer to the
National Weather Service website at weather.gov/desmoines for
further details.

Additional thunderstorm development is expected this afternoon
with a slight risk for severe storms across much of the area
through the evening. Damaging winds will be the main threat this
afternoon and evening, but large hail could be possible with
initial storms. The overall risk for tornadoes is low but cannot
be completely ruled out.

Areas that experienced heavy rainfall on Friday will be at a
slight risk for flooding with additional rainfall today due to
the saturated soils.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday

Scattered thunderstorms are possible later this week but are
currently expected to remain sub-severe.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters may be needed today.

IAZ004-015-023-033-034-044-045-057-070-241930-
Emmet-Palo Alto-Pocahontas-Sac-Calhoun-Crawford-Carroll-Audubon-
Cass-
217 PM CDT Sat Apr 23 2022

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight

A high wind warning is in effect for the area. Please refer to
the National Weather Service website at weather.gov/desmoines for
further details.

Additional thunderstorm development is expected this afternoon
with a slight risk for severe storms across much of the area
through the evening. Damaging winds will be the main threat this
afternoon and evening, but large hail could be possible with
initial storms. The overall risk for tornadoes is low but cannot
be completely ruled out.

Areas that experienced heavy rainfall on Friday will be at a
slight risk for flooding with additional rainfall today due to
the saturated soils.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday

Scattered thunderstorms are possible later this week but are
currently expected to remain sub-severe.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters may be needed today.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 23, 5:48 PM CDT, 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
548 PM CDT SAT APR 23 2022

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0545 PM     TSTM WND GST     STUART                  41.50N 94.32W
04/23/2022  E70 MPH          ADAIR              IA   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            STUART FIRE REPORT OF 60-70 MPH WIND GUSTS
            WITH EXTREME HEAVY RAINFALL AND PEA-SIZED
            HAIL.

&&

VIKEN

Local storm report, Apr 23, 5:50 PM CDT, 32 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
550 PM CDT SAT APR 23 2022

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0540 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 S MENLO               41.50N 94.40W
04/23/2022  E70 MPH          ADAIR              IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SPOTTER REPORT OF 60-70 MPH WIND NEAR MENLO
            AND I80.

&&

VIKEN

Local storm report, Apr 23, 5:52 PM CDT, 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
552 PM CDT SAT APR 23 2022

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0543 PM     TSTM WND GST     1 SW WIOTA              41.39N 94.91W
04/23/2022  E60 MPH          CASS               IA   EMERGENCY MNGR

            ESTIMATE 60MPH WINDS, ZERO VISIBILITY VIA
            EM.

&&

VIKEN

Local storm report, Apr 23, 6:08 PM CDT, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
608 PM CDT SAT APR 23 2022

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0558 PM     TSTM WND GST     DEXTER                  41.52N 94.23W
04/23/2022  E70 MPH          DALLAS             IA   EMERGENCY MNGR

            70 MPH WIND GUST ESTIMATE.

&&

VIKEN

Local storm report, Apr 23, 6:13 PM CDT, 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
613 PM CDT SAT APR 23 2022

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0610 PM     TSTM WND GST     3 WSW PERRY             41.83N 94.16W
04/23/2022  M58 MPH          DALLAS             IA   AWOS

            AWOS REPORT OF 58 MPH.

&&

VIKEN

Local storm report, Apr 23, 6:16 PM CDT, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
616 PM CDT SAT APR 23 2022

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0604 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 WNW CALLENDER         42.37N 94.32W
04/23/2022                   WEBSTER            IA   PUBLIC

            DEBRIS ON FAIRBANKS AVE.

&&

AJ

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 23, 5:36 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Crawford	39 min
Apr 23, 5:57 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Audubon, Cass	33 min
Apr 23, 6:54 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Dallas, Guthrie	33 min
Apr 23, 7:41 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DMX	Boone, Dallas, Madison	64 min
Apr 23, 8:10 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DMX	Hardin, Jasper, Marshall, Polk, Story	50 min
Apr 23, 8:26 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DMX	Franklin, Hamilton	34 min
Apr 23, 10:41 AM CDT	High Wind Warning	DMX	Audubon, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Crawford, Emmet and 3 more	8 hr
Apr 23, 4:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Adair, Adams, Cass	35 min
Apr 23, 5:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Adair, Adams, Ringgold, Taylor, Union	41 min
Apr 23, 5:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Adair, Audubon, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Greene and 2 more	58 min
Apr 23, 5:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Hancock, Humboldt, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Webster and 2 more	55 min
Apr 23, 5:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Adair, Adams, Dallas, Guthrie, Madison	36 min
Apr 23, 5:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	DMX	Adair, Boone, Dallas, Guthrie, Madison	27 min
Apr 23, 5:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Boone, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie, Hamilton, Humboldt and 2 more	64 min
Apr 23, 6:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	DMX	Boone, Dallas, Madison, Polk, Story, Warren	38 min
Apr 23, 6:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Hancock, Humboldt, Kossuth, Winnebago, Wright	59 min
Apr 23, 6:22 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Hancock, Humboldt, Kossuth, Wright	23 min
Apr 23, 6:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	DMX	Boone, Hardin, Jasper, Marshall, Polk, Story and 1 more	44 min
Apr 23, 6:34 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Boone, Story	26 min
Apr 23, 6:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Adair, Adams, Clarke, Madison, Ringgold, Taylor and 1 more	49 min
Apr 23, 6:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Cerro Gordo, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Wright	41 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 2022 Every tornado warning in 2022 Tornadoes in 2022

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.