Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 165, NWS Twin Cities, MN

August 16, 1986Washington County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 16, 1986, 8:22 PM CDT for Washington County, Minnesota. It was in force for 38 min. 1 report 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
Aug 16, 1986, 8:22 PM CDT (01:22 UTC)
Expired
Aug 16, 1986, 9:00 PM CDT
In force
38 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Whole counties

County Washington County, MN

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
Aug 16, 8:25 PM CDTHail 1.75Washington, MN

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

Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 00:00Z, 1.4 hours before the alert went out and 60 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 1986-08-17Temperature 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 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 1986-08-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -91 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
3000 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-91 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
123 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMSP 170122
SVRMSP
MNC163-170200-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS MN
822 PM CDT SAT AUG 16 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTY OF

EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTHERN WASHINGTON

AT 820 PM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED BY RADAR NEAR
SOUTH ST PAUL AND WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 10 TO 15 MILES AN
HOUR.  THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE AFFECTING THE CITIES
OF WOODBURY AND COTTAGE GROVE IN SOUTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY
OF EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA.

REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS..LARGE
HAIL AND FR6EQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES. ALSO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN
AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE A TORNADO WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE
WARNING..SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF
SAFETY IF ONE IS SPOTTED.

PAULSON

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, Aug 16, 5:17 PM CDT, 3 hours 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
510 PM CDT SAT AUG 16 1986

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN MINNEPOLIS SHOWED AN AREA
OF RAPIDILY DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL WISCONSIN NORTH
OF EAU CLAIRE.  THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST THROUGH
RUSK COUNTY AND WERE LOCATED EAST OF LADYSMITH IN THE INGRAM..
HAWKINS AREA.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALSO WERE DEVELOPING IN SAWYER COUNTY AND
INTO PRICE COUNTY OF CENTRAL COUNTY.

ALL THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH.

REMEMBER THAT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF
WESTERNNAND CENTRAL WISCONIN UNTILh 11PM THIS EVENING.
<
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR ALSO INDICATED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS BEGINNING TO DEVELOP IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA.
PAULSON
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 5:21 PM CDT, 3 hours 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT..CORRECTION FOR SECOND PARAGRAPH LAST WORD
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
510 PM CDT SAT AUG 16 1986

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN MINNEPOLIS SHOWED AN AREA
OF RAPIDILY DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL WISCONSIN NORTH
OF EAU CLAIRE.  THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST THROUGH
RUSK COUNTY AND WERE LOCATED EAST OF LADYSMITH IN THE INGRAM..
HAWKINS AREA.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALSO WERE DEVELOPING IN SAWYER COUNTY AND
INTO PRICE COUNTY OF CENTRAL WISCONISN.

ALL THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH.

REMEMBER THAT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFEClT FOR MUCH OF
WESTERNNAND CENTRAL WISCONIN UNTIL 11PM THIS EVENING.
<
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR ALSO INDICATED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS BEGINNING TO DEVELOP IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA.
PAULSON
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 6:14 PM CDT, 2 hours 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
610 PM CDT SAT AUG 16 1986

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND
INTO NORTHERN AND WESTERN WISCONSIN.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN MINNEPOLIS SHOWED A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ACROSS CENTRAL WISCONSIN IN THE LADYSMITH..
EAU CLAIRE AREA THEN WEST INTO THE NORTHERN SECTIONS OF
THE TWIN CITIES. A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS ALSO LOCATED IN SOUTHWEST
MINNESOTA NEAR MARSHALL.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING NEAR
A COLDFRONT SAGGING SOUTH ACROSS CENTRAL WISCONSIN THROUGH SOUTHERN
MINNESOTA.  THE FRONT AT 600PM HAD JUST PASSED THE INTERNATIONAL AIPORT
IN THE TWIN CITIES.

SOME OF THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WAS IN THE ST CROIX
FALLS..FOREST LAKE AREA OF EASTCENTRAL MINNESOTA IN NORTHERN
WASHINGTON AND SOUTHERN CHISAGO COUNTIES.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD
MOVE INTO POLK AND ST CROIX COUNTIES OF WISCONSIN BY 630PM.
THE GENERAL MOVEMENT OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WAS EAST AT 15 TO
20 MPH.

PERSONS IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AS WELL AS INTO WESTERN WISCONSIN
SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER THIS EVENING.
PAULSON
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 6:53 PM CDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
645 PM CDT SAT AUG 16 1986

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND
INTO NORTHERN AND WESTERN WISCONSIN.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN MINNEPOLIS SHOWED A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN WISCONSIN AND INTO
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA.  AT 640 PM THE STRONGEST STORMS RAN IN A LINE FROM
NEAR CHIPPEWA FALLS IN CHIPPEWA COUNTY WISCONSIN TO WHEELER IN NORTHRN
DUNN COUNTY WISCONIN THEN INTO THE SOUTHERN METRO AREA OF THE TWIN
CITIES.   ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM REMAINED OVER SOUTHWEST MINESOTA
GENERALLY IN THE MARSHALL AREA.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS IN THE TWIN CITIES RAN ACROSS NORTHERN
SCOTT..NORTHERN DAKOTA..AND INTO SOUTHERN WASHNGTON COUNTIES.
THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL SAG SOUTH THROUGH THESE COUNTIES
DURING THE EARLY EVENING.  OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE BEGINNING TO
DEVELOP INTO SOUTHERN CARVER COUNTY.  SOME OF THE CITIES IN THESE
COUNTIES THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THESE THUNDERSTORMS BY 730
PM ARE...PRIOR LAKE..JORDAN..HASTINGS..ROSEMOUNT..AND COTTAGE
GROVE.

THE GENERAL MOVEMENT OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WAS EAST AT 15 TO
20 MPH.

PERSONS IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AS WELL AS INTO WESTERN WISCONSIN
SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER THIS EVENING.
PAULSON
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 7:38 PM CDT, 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
735 PM CDT SAT AUG 16 1986

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND INTO
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN MINNEPOLIS SHOWED A LINE OF
VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND THEN ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN METRO AREA OF THE TWIN CITIES.  ONE OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS
SPAWNED HAIL OF GOLFBALL SIZE IN WESTERN DUNN COUNTY NEAR KNAPP WHICH
IS ABOUT 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF MENOMONIE.  THIS HAIL FELL ABOUT 723 PM.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815PM FOR DUNN COUNTY.
THIS THUNDERSTORM IS MOVING EAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH AND WILL PASS BETWEEN
WHEELER AND MENOMONIE AFTER 8PM.

THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS REMAINED ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF
SCOTT AND DAKOTA COUNTIES AS WELL AS EXTREME SOUTHERN HENNEPIN AND
SOUTHERN WASHINGTON AT 735PM.  PEA HAIL WAS REPORTED IN BLOOMINGTON
OF SOUTHERN HENNEPIN COUNTY AROUND 725PM.  DUE TO THE VERY SLOW
MOVEMENT OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS SOME AREAS OF THE SOUTHERN TWIN
CITY METRO AREA MAY EXPERIENCE VERY HEAVY RAINS THIS EVENING.

THE GENERAL MOVEMENT OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WAS EAST AT 10 TO
20 MPH.

PERSONS IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AS WELL AS INTO WESTERN WISCONSIN
SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER THIS EVENING.
PAULSON

The office that day

Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 16, 7:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXDakota, Hennepin, Ramsey28 min
Aug 16, 7:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXWashington28 min
Aug 16, 10:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXRenville63 min
Aug 17, 1:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBlue Earth, Le Sueur, Nicollet33 min
Aug 17, 1:50 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXDodge, Goodhue, Rice40 min
Aug 17, 1:50 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXSteele40 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 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.