Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2023

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 87, NWS Des Moines, IA

May 13, 20234 counties in Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 13, 2023, 12:17 PM CDT for 4 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 43 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
May 13, 2023, 12:17 PM CDT (17:17 UTC)
Expired
May 13, 2023, 1:00 PM CDT
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Dallas County, IA, Madison County, IA, Polk County, IA, Warren County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 25 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:16 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, 5.3 hours before the alert went out and 216 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 12:00Z on 2023-05-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 12:00Z on 2023-05-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 51 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
984 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
51 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
105 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 May 13, 6:32 AM CDT, 5 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 13, 6:32 AM CDT, 5 hours 45 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 13, 3:48 AM CDT, 8 hours 29 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
348 AM CDT Sat May 13 2023

IAZ033-044>046-057>059-070>073-081>084-092>096-140900-
Sac-Crawford-Carroll-Greene-Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas-Cass-Adair-
Madison-Warren-Adams-Union-Clarke-Lucas-Taylor-Ringgold-Decatur-
Wayne-Appanoose-
348 AM CDT Sat May 13 2023

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central and
south central Iowa.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight

An isolated severe storm is possible today however much of the
thunderstorm activity during the daylight hours is expected to be
mainly to the north and east of the area.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters is not anticipated today.

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-034>039-047>050-060>062-074-075-085-
086-097-140900-
Emmet-Kossuth-Winnebago-Worth-Palo Alto-Hancock-Cerro Gordo-
Pocahontas-Humboldt-Wright-Franklin-Butler-Bremer-Calhoun-Webster-
Hamilton-Hardin-Grundy-Black Hawk-Boone-Story-Marshall-Tama-Polk-
Jasper-Poweshiek-Marion-Mahaska-Monroe-Wapello-Davis-
348 AM CDT Sat May 13 2023

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central and
north central Iowa.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight

Strong to severe storms are possible today. Any storms prior to 11
am would have a quarter sized hail and heavy rain threat. Storms
late this morning and into the afternoon with will have the
potential to produce tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds
along with heavy rainfall.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters may be needed today.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 13, 9:32 AM CDT, 2 hours 45 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
932 AM CDT SAT MAY 13 2023

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

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       1 SE ALGONA             43.07N 94.22W
05/13/2023  M2.90 INCH       KOSSUTH            IA   COCORAHS

            COCORAHS STATION IA-KS-4 ALGONA 0.7 SE.

0600 AM     HEAVY RAIN       2 ENE FORT DODGE        42.52N 94.15W
05/13/2023  M2.50 INCH       WEBSTER            IA   COCORAHS

            COCORAHS STATION IA-WB-3 FORT DODGE 1.6 ENE.

0656 AM     HEAVY RAIN       1 NE FORT DODGE         42.52N 94.16W
05/13/2023  M2.35 INCH       WEBSTER            IA   COCORAHS

            COCORAHS STATION IA-WB-20 FORT DODGE 1.4 NE.

0800 AM     HEAVY RAIN       1 SSE POCAHONTAS        42.73N 94.66W
05/13/2023  M2.21 INCH       POCAHONTAS         IA   CO-OP OBSERVER

            CO-OP OBSERVER STATION POCI4 POCAHONTAS.

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       1 SE ALGONA             43.07N 94.22W
05/13/2023  M2.19 INCH       KOSSUTH            IA   MESONET

            MESONET STATION ALGI4 ALGONA.

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       5 SSW RODMAN            42.96N 94.55W
05/13/2023  M2.07 INCH       PALO ALTO          IA   COCORAHS

            COCORAHS STATION IA-PA-5 WEST BEND 5.4 W.

&&
Local storm report, May 13, 9:33 AM CDT, 2 hours 44 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
933 AM CDT SAT MAY 13 2023

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

0930 AM     HEAVY RAIN       1 W POCAHONTAS          42.73N 94.69W
05/13/2023  M2.05 INCH       POCAHONTAS         IA   MESONET

            MESONET STATION DW9470 POCAHONTAS.

&&

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 13, 12:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper, Marion, Polk, Warren48 min
May 13, 1:02 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXMarion, Warren43 min
May 13, 1:42 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXMarion48 min
May 13, 2:25 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXMarion50 min
May 13, 3:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMahaska, Marion39 min
May 13, 3:26 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedDMXMarion37 min
May 13, 3:40 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedDMXMahaska, Marion30 min
May 13, 4:31 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXCalhoun, Pocahontas, Sac29 min
May 13, 4:57 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedDMXCalhoun, Pocahontas, Sac16 min
May 13, 5:22 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXPocahontas23 min
May 13, 5:58 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXPocahontas32 min
May 13, 6:09 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXMarion, Warren36 min
May 13, 6:23 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedDMXCalhoun, Pocahontas37 min
May 13, 6:25 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedDMXMarion21 min
May 13, 6:26 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXPocahontas34 min
May 13, 6:53 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXPocahontas25 min
May 13, 6:53 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedDMXMarion24 min
May 13, 6:55 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementDMXPocahontas20 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 2023Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2023

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.