Alert archive / Iowa / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2024

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 166, NWS Des Moines, IA

June 17, 20244 counties in Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 17, 2024, 3:54 AM CDT for 4 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 51 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
Jun 17, 2024, 3:54 AM CDT (08:54 UTC)
Expired
Jun 17, 2024, 4:45 AM CDT
In force
51 min
Issued by
NWS Des Moines, IA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
0.75 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Emmet County, IA, Kossuth County, IA, Palo Alto County, IA, Winnebago County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 177 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:58 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jun 17, 3:09 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 186 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2024-06-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2727 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2024-06-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 57 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
2727 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-51 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1228 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
57 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
115 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.4
Supercell composite
10.4

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 Jun 16, 11:49 PM CDT, 4 hours 5 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Strong to severe storms with damaging winds, heavy rain and hail the primary threats. Locally heavy rainfall possible, but the highest amounts look to remain north of the state at this time.
  • Continued above average temperatures with heat indices in the mid to upper 90s to start the week.
  • Storm chances return Tuesday night with rain chances lingering through the remainder of the week. Storms Tuesday night could be strong to severe and produce heavy rain.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 16, 11:49 PM CDT, 4 hours 5 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
1149 PM CDT Sun Jun 16 2024

 ...Updated for the 06z Aviation Discussion...

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Strong to severe storms with damaging winds, heavy rain and
  hail the primary threats. Locally heavy rainfall possible,
  but the highest amounts look to remain north of the state at
  this time.

- Continued above average temperatures with heat indices in the
  mid to upper 90s to start the week.

- Storm chances return Tuesday night with rain chances lingering
  through the remainder of the week. Storms Tuesday night could
  be strong to severe and produce heavy rain.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 247 PM CDT Sun Jun 16 2024

Earlier this morning, an MCV progressed across the south,
bringing with it clouds and some precipitation in the southeast.
Temperatures have since then mostly recovered, with far
southeastern areas such as Ottumwa likely having highs limited
into the 80s this afternoon. Visible satellite imagery has a
front tailing from an area of low pressure located in western
MN. This front extends down into northwest Iowa and further
southwest into Nebraska and Kansas. Connected on the other end
of the front is a developing surface low off the Rockies. This
low will be pulled to the northeast, placing the connecting
boundary near the IA-MN border. At this time, expecting CI to
hold off until near or after sunset as the column cools. The
limiting factor for daytime convection is 700mb temperatures
nearing 12 degrees C. A 50kt+ LLJ will enhance moisture return
in the northwest part of the state and assist in rain production
towards the end of the night. With CAPE in excess of 2000 J/kg,
storms could be strong to severe with damaging winds and hail.
Better deep layer shear will be closer to the parent upper low,
but the jet from the southwest will provide sufficient shear for
organization in the lowest 3km. Given the noticeable moisture
in the air, the more obvious concern would be heavy rain. The
latest HREF suite keeps the H85 front, thus the highest amounts
of precipitation, in southern Minnesota. Still, due to the
aforementioned nocturnal jet, northwest Iowa could see rainfall
amounts up to 1.5 inches from rain.

The boundary will sag into Iowa Monday, but the environment looks
capped at this time. Cooler air will be ushered in behind it and
with the combination of lingering clouds, high temperatures in the
north will be held into the 80s. Highs may underperform elsewhere
for a couple of other factors: 1) The thermal ridge is being pulled
further north, remaining more to the west of the area 2) Speaking to
the noticeable amount of moisture in the atmosphere, the specific
heat capacity of water is very high. Consequently, a moist airmass
such as this will have a very difficult time pushing well into the
90s. The mugginess will not help the comfortability factor,
however. Winds on Monday will be breezy, especially beneath the
enhanced flow over the west. Soundings have mean ML winds
exceeding 30kts in the afternoon there in the late afternoon
hours.

Southwest flow will push the boundary back into Minnesota Monday
afternoon and keep Monday night dry, but also mild, with lows once
again in the 70s. Temperatures will have the same struggles as
Monday. Breezy conditions coat more of the state. PWAT values
pushing 2 inches will build into the state Tuesday as the
constrained low driving the muggy pattern finally is allowed to move
east. Its trailing cold front will move across the state Tuesday
evening and overnight, giving the state another chance at severe
weather and heavy rain.

In the long term, the upper level ridge will build into the region
more, stalling the aforementioned boundary somewhere nearby and
shoving back northwest. As it retreats, Iowa will be back in the
warm sector at some point near the end of the work week. As long as
this boundary remains somewhere nearby, rain will be in the forecast
for parts of the state, especially the north.

&&

.AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY/...
Issued at 1149 PM CDT Sun Jun 16 2024

Thunderstorms will move across South Dakota and Minnesota
overnight but remain largely north of Iowa. Toward Monday
morning, however, some storms may bleed into northern Iowa and
impact MCW at times with MVFR ceilings/visibilities, so have
included a mention there. Otherwise, VFR conditions will prevail
through the TAF period and beyond.

&&

.DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None.

&&

DISCUSSION...Jimenez
AVIATION...Lee

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 17, 3:33 AM CDT, 21 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jun 17, 3:48 AM CDT, 6 minutes before
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        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
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        Please try again in a few minutes.
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 17, 3:12 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXEmmet, Kossuth48 min
Jun 17, 4:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXWinnebago, Worth52 min
Jun 17, 5:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDMXEmmet, Palo Alto24 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 2024Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2024

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.