Alert archive / North Dakota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Bismarck, ND

June 20, 1986Adams County, Hettinger County, North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 20, 1986, 7:22 PM MDT for Adams County, Hettinger County, North Dakota. It was in force for 38 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jun 20, 1986, 7:22 PM MDT (01:22 UTC)
Expired
Jun 20, 1986, 8:00 PM MDT
In force
38 min
Issued by
NWS Bismarck, ND
Area
Whole counties

Counties Adams County, ND, Hettinger County, ND

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jun 20, 7:25 PM MDTThunderstorm Wind 52Adams, ND
Jun 20, 8:10 PM MDTThunderstorm Wind 52Hettinger, ND

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Bismarck Municip, ND (KBIS), launched 00:00Z, 1.4 hours before the alert went out and 148 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, Bismarck Municip, ND at 00:00Z on 1986-06-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 914 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, Bismarck Municip, ND at 00:00Z on 1986-06-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 20 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
914 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-64 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1232 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
20 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
106 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
2.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KBIS 210122
SVRBIS
NDC001-041-210200-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
722 PM MDT FRI JUN 20 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 800 PM MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES OF


SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...WESTERN ADAMS AND WESTERN HETTINGER

AT 720 PM MDT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN EASTERN
BOWMAN AND EASTERN SLOPE COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE
MOVING INTO WESTERN HETTINGER AND WESTERN ADAMS COUNTY.

AT 715 PM MDT WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH WERE REPORTED AT
SCRANTON AND 50 TO 60 MPH AT BOWMAN.

THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL LIKELY DEVELOP WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 58 MPH
OR HAIL 3/4 OF AN INCH OR LARGER. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES
TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY. REMEMBER THAT LIGHTNING IS A THUNDERSTORMS
MOST DEADLY WEAPON. REPORT ALL SEVERE WEATHER TO YOUR LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AFTER THE STORM PASSES.5

VAN ESS

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.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 20, 5:07 PM MDT, 2 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
505 PM MDT FRI JUN 20 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 11PM MDT FOR SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA..

AT 5 PM MDT A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED IN SOUTHEAST
MONTANA.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH AND WILL ENTER
EXTREME SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA BY 6 PM MDT.
VAN ESS
Special weather statement, Jun 20, 5:23 PM MDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
620 PM CDT FRI JUN 20 1986

...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO WEST CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM MDT FOR PORTIONS
OF WEST CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA TO INCLUDE THE COUNTIES OF GOLDEN VALLEY..
BILLINGS AND DUNN.

AT 615 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM IN SOUTHEAST DAW-
SON COUNTY OF EASTERN MONTANA ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GLENDIVE.
MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 30 MPH.

VERY HEAVY RAIN..FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES..HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS CAN
BE EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.
NIELSEN
Special weather statement, Jun 20, 6:09 PM MDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
610 PM MDT FRI JUN 20 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 11PM MDT FOR SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA..

AT 605 PM MDT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO WEST CENTRAL NORTH
DAKOTA AND INTO THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE STATE.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED JUST WEST OF BEACH IN GOLDEN
VALLEY..A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR THAT
AREA UNTIL 620 PM MDT.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ENTERING EXTREME WESTERN SLOPE AND BOWMAN
COUNTIES.

HAIL AND STRONG WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY
MOVE EAST AT 25 MPH.
VAN ESS
Special weather statement, Jun 20, 6:51 PM MDT, 31 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
650 PM MDT FRI JUN 20 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM MDT FOR PARTS OF
WEST CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...

AT 645 PM MDT RADAR INDICATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTH CENTRAL
RICHLAND COUNTY OF EASTERN MONTANA ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTH OF CULBERTSON
MONTANA.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO NORTH DAKOTA WITHIN THE
NEXT HALF HOUR.  MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS WAS EAST !AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN BILLING COUNTY NEAR THE CITY
OF MEDORA NORTH DAKOTA.

VERY HEAVY RAIN..FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES..HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS CAN
BE EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.
NIELSEN
Special weather statement, Jun 20, 6:59 PM MDT, 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
7 PM MDT FRI JUN 20 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 11PM MDT FOR SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA..

AT 655 PM MDT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED MOVING THROUGH WEST CENTRAL
AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED ON THE NORTH DAKOTA/SOUTH DAKOTA
BORDER 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BOWMAN. THIS THUNDERSTORM IS CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING HAIL AND STRONG WINDS. AT 757 PM MDT POLICE IN BOWMAN REPORTED
WINDS GUSTING TO 40 MPH.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN BILLINGS COUNTY IN THE VICINITY OF
MEDORA. REPORTS FROM MEDORA INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN BUT NO HAIL IN
THE TOWN. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE IN THE M+EDORA AREA UNTIL ABOUT 715
PM MDT.

THE THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE HAIL WITH STRONG WINDS.
VAN ESS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Bismarck, ND issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 20, 7:32 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISMcKenzie53 min
Jun 20, 8:07 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISHettinger, Stark38 min
Jun 20, 8:08 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISWilliams52 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Dakota, 1986Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1986

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.