Alert archive / North Dakota / Tornado Warnings in 1986
Tornado Warning 7, NWS Bismarck, ND
NWS Bismarck, ND issued this tornado warning at Jul 28, 1986, 12:09 AM CDT for Ward County, North Dakota. It was in force for 21 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
- Jul 28, 1986, 12:09 AM CDT (05:09 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 28, 1986, 12:30 AM CDT
- In force
- 21 min
- Issued by
- NWS Bismarck, ND
- Area
- Whole counties
County Ward 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 28, 12:25 AM CDT | Tornado F0 | Ward, ND | |
| Jul 28, 12:39 AM CDT | Tornado F0 | Ward, 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, 5.2 hours before the alert went out and 173 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 821 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -22 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1441 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 24 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -3 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 83 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KBIS 280509 TORBIS NDC101-280530- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 1209 AM CDT MON JUL 28 1986 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1230 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...NORTHEAST WARD AT 1205 AM CDT POLICE AT MINOT REPORTED A TORNADO 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF MINOT MOVING SLOWLY TO THE NORTHEAST. PERSONS IN AND NEAR THE CITY OF MINOT SHOULD TAKE COVER. . . . IF A TORNADO IS APPROACHING GET INTO A BASEMENT...IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...GET INTO THE INNERMOST HALLWAY...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE GET INTO A DITCH...GULLY...RAVINE...OR EVEN A LOW LYING SPOT ON THE GROUND. PROTECT YOUR HEAD. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES. KAS 0508Z
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.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jul 27, 8:56 PM CDT, 3 hours 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 855 PM CDT SUN JUL 27 1986 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL 2 AM CDT... ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO PLAGUE NORTH DAKOTA THIS EVENING. AT 850 PM CDT INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN WELLS COUNTY IN CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA..LAGAN AND MCINTOSH COUNTIES IN SOUTHCENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA.. AND IN WESTERN BOTTINEAU COUNTY IN NORTHCENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR AND PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN. A NORTH TO SOUTH LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN EASTERN MONTANA WILL BE MOVING INTO NORTH DAKOTA BEFORE 10 PM CDT OR 9 PM MDT. CONDITIONS <ACROSS NORTH DAKOTA ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER. PERSONS SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS AND BE PREPARED FOR SEVERE WEATHER. KAS
Special weather statement, Jul 27, 9:02 PM CDT, 3 hours 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND 900 PM CDT SUN JUL 27 1986 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL 2 AM CDT..REPLACING THE TORNADO WATCH... AT 900 PM CDT AN AREA OF OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED ALONG THE NORTH DAKOTA-MONTANA BORDER FROM ABOUT 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF WILLISTON TO JUST SOUTH OF SIDNEY MONTANA. REPORTS OF WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE REPORTED IN THE SIDNEY AREA. MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS WAS NORTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES AN HOUR AND SHOULD MOVE INTO THE WILLISTON AREA WITHIN THE NEXT HALF HOUR. GUSTY WINDS..VERY HEAVY RAIN..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL CAN BEB EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. NIELSEN
Special weather statement, Jul 27, 10:50 PM CDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 1050 PM CDT SUN JUL 27 1986 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL 2 AM CDT... A LINE OF VERY INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE EAST IN WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA. AT 1045 PM CDT THE LINE EXTENDED FROM NORTH OF WILLISTON NEAR ESTEVAN SASKATCHEWAN SOUTH TO DICKINSON THEN SOUTHWEST TO THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE STATE. THIS LINE WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 40 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR. WIND GUSTS FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY EXCEED 50 MILES AND HOUR. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ALSO CONTAIN HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL. REPORTS OF CONTINEOUS LIGHTNING HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM HAM RADIO OPERATERS IN THE DICKINSON AREA. REMEMBER..LIGHTNING CAN BE DEADLY. PERSONS ACROSS WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THE STRONG WINDS..RAIN..AND THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER. IF SEVERE WEATHER APPROACHES..BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER. KAS
Local storm report, Jul 27, 11:34 PM CDT, 35 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
1030 PM MDT SUN JUL 28 1986
TIME EVENT
820 PM MARBLE SIZED HAIL REPORTED BY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT IN AND
AROUND BEACH NORTH DAKOTA IN GOLDEN VALLEY COUNTY. ALSO
VERY STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN.
NIELSENLocal storm report, Jul 27, 11:45 PM CDT, 24 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
1145 PM CDT SUN JUL 27 1986
TIME EVENT
700PM- DELAYED REPORT FROM DES COORDINATOR IN BURKE COUNTY..3/4
715PM TO 11/2 INCH HAIL 5 MILES SOUTH OF LIGNITE NORTH DAKOTA IN
CENTRAL BURKE COUNTY.
NIELSENSpecial weather statement, Jul 28, 12:04 AM CDT, 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 1200 AM CDT MON JUL 28 1986 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL 2 AM CDT... A LINE OF VERY INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE EAST INTO CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. AT 1150 PM CDT THE LINE EXTENDED FROM NORTH OF MINOT.. SOUTH TO LAKE SAKAKAWEA..THEN SOUTH TO NEAR HEBORN IN WESTERN MORTON COUNTY..ABOUT 65 MILES WEST OF BISMARCK. THIS LINE WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 40 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN AND COULD CUASE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MILES AN HOUR. TWO OTHER INTENSE CELLS WERE INDICATED BY WEATHER RADAR. THE FIRST WAS IN CENTRAL BOTTINEAU COUNTY..NORTH OF MINOT. THIS STORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY AND COULD BE CAUSING FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. THE OTHER STORM CELL WAS SOUTH OF DICKINSON ON THE ADAMS-HETTINGER COUNTY LINE. THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MPH AND COULD PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN AND SOME HAIL. KAS
The office that day
Everything else NWS Bismarck, ND issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 27, 7:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BIS | Burke | 27 min |
| Jul 27, 7:40 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BIS | Wells | 35 min |
| Jul 27, 9:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BIS | Billings, Golden Valley | 37 min |
| Jul 27, 10:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BIS | Billings, Dunn, McKenzie | 66 min |
| Jul 27, 10:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BIS | Burke, Divide | 64 min |
| Jul 27, 11:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BIS | Bottineau | 27 min |
| Jul 28, 12:28 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | BIS | Ward | 32 min |
| Jul 28, 6:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BIS | Emmons | 49 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in North Dakota, 1986Every tornado warning in 1986Tornadoes 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.