Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 2023

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Des Moines, IA

March 31, 2023Wapello County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Mar 31, 2023, 3:42 PM CDT for Wapello County, Iowa. It was in force for 18 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
Mar 31, 2023, 3:42 PM CDT (20:42 UTC)
Expired
Mar 31, 2023, 4:00 PM CDT
In force
18 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Observed
Hail
2.75 in

County Wapello County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 139 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:42 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 31, 3:45 PM CDTTORNADO8 Se Fremont, 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 31, 11:46 AM CDTTornado Watch PDSSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 12:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 161 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, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2023-03-31Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2023-03-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 433 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
897 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
67 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
433 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
424 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

286 
WFUS53 KDMX 312042
TORDMX
IAC179-312100-
/O.NEW.KDMX.TO.W.0003.230331T2042Z-230331T2100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
342 PM CDT Fri Mar 31 2023

The National Weather Service in Des Moines  has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northeastern Wapello County in southeastern Iowa...

* Until 400 PM CDT.

* At 341 PM CDT, a confirmed tornado was located near Hedrick, or 8
  miles northeast of Ottumwa, moving northeast at 55 mph.

  HAZARD...Damaging tornado and baseball size hail.

  SOURCE...Weather spotters 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 thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
  northeastern Wapello County.

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 4101 9233 4109 9240 4116 9232 4116 9218
      4108 9218
TIME...MOT...LOC 2041Z 222DEG 47KT 4110 9229 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.75 IN

$$

Hagenhoff

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 31, 3:30 AM CDTWind AdvisoryDMXAdair, Adams, Appanoose, Audubon, Black Hawk, Boone and 34 more28 hr
Mar 31, 3:38 AM CDTWinter Weather AdvisoryDMXCerro Gordo, Emmet, Franklin, Hancock, Humboldt, Kossuth and 5 more27 hr
Mar 31, 12:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXClarke, Decatur, Ringgold, Union45 min
Mar 31, 12:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXClarke, Decatur, Lucas, Madison, Warren39 min
Mar 31, 12:40 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXClarke, Decatur, Ringgold, Union39 min
Mar 31, 1:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXClarke, Lucas, Marion, Warren42 min
Mar 31, 1:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatDMXClarke, Madison, Union, Warren48 min
Mar 31, 2:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXDallas, Madison, Polk, Warren29 min
Mar 31, 2:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper, Marion, Warren42 min
Mar 31, 2:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatDMXClarke, Decatur, Lucas, Warren38 min
Mar 31, 2:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBoone, Dallas, Polk, Story47 min
Mar 31, 2:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatDMXAppanoose, Davis, Monroe, Wayne50 min
Mar 31, 2:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper, Marshall, Poweshiek, Tama42 min
Mar 31, 2:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper, Lucas, Marion, Warren49 min
Mar 31, 2:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatDMXBoone, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardin, Marshall, Story59 min
Mar 31, 3:01 PM CDTBlizzard WarningDMXEmmet16 hr
Mar 31, 3:01 PM CDTWinter Storm WarningDMXHancock, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Winnebago, Worth16 hr
Mar 31, 3:02 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXAppanoose, Davis, Monroe, Wapello43 min
Mar 31, 3:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAppanoose, Davis, Monroe, Wapello, Wayne40 min
Mar 31, 3:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threatDMXDavis, Mahaska, Monroe, Wapello40 min
Mar 31, 3:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper, Mahaska, Marion, Poweshiek, Tama37 min
Mar 31, 3:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXAppanoose, Davis, Monroe, Wapello51 min
Mar 31, 3:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXHancock, Kossuth, Winnebago56 min
Mar 31, 3:53 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXTama33 min
Mar 31, 3:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBlack Hawk, Jasper, Mahaska, Marion, Poweshiek, Tama51 min
Mar 31, 3:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXPoweshiek35 min
Mar 31, 3:56 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXPoweshiek34 min
Mar 31, 4:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXCerro Gordo, Franklin, Hancock, Winnebago, Worth36 min
Mar 31, 4:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXMahaska, Marion, Monroe, Poweshiek56 min
Mar 31, 4:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXBlack Hawk, Bremer, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Franklin, Grundy and 5 more62 min
Mar 31, 4:27 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXBlack Hawk, Bremer, Butler, Franklin, Grundy, Hardin34 min
Mar 31, 4:28 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXBlack Hawk, Grundy, Marshall, Tama34 min
Mar 31, 4:34 PM CDTTornado WarningDMXBlack Hawk, Bremer, Butler, Grundy, Marshall, Tama29 min
Mar 31, 4:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXJasper, Mahaska, Poweshiek32 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 2023Every tornado warning in 2023Tornadoes 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.