Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 96, NWS Twin Cities, MN

July 12, 19864 counties in Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 12, 1986, 8:00 PM CDT for 4 counties in Minnesota. It was in force for 45 min. 5 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 12, 1986, 8:00 PM CDT (01:00 UTC)
Expired
Jul 12, 1986, 8:45 PM CDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Anoka County, MN, Dakota County, MN, Hennepin County, MN, Ramsey 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
Jul 12, 8:00 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 52Hennepin, MN
Jul 12, 8:25 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Ramsey, MN
Jul 12, 8:30 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Dakota, MN
Jul 12, 8:38 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 52Hennepin, MN
Jul 12, 8:40 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Ramsey, 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, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 34 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 1986-07-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 457 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 1986-07-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 52 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
457 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-19 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1227 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
52 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
92 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMSP 130100
SVRMSP
MNC053-003-123-037-130145-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS MN
800 PM CDT SAT JUL 12 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 845 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES OF

EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...EASTERN HENNEPIN...SOUTHERN ANOKA...RAMSEY 
 AND NORTHERN DAKOTA

AT 750 PM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE
TWIN CITIES AREA. THE STRONGEST THUDERSTORMS WERE IN EASTERN
HENNEPIN COUNTY AT 750 PM. NEMEROUS REPORTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH WINDS
HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM WESTERN COUNTY.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 40 TO 45 MPH. SOME
CITIES IN THE PATH OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE ST PAUL..MINNEAPOIS
SOUTH ST PAUL AND BURNSVILLE.

REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS..LARGE
HAIL AND FREQUENT 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.

HARRISON

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, Jul 12, 4:30 PM CDT, 3 hours 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MN
430 PM CDT SAT JUL 12 1986.

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

AT 430 PM CDT RADAR  SHOWED A LINEE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMSn IN
CENTRAL MINNESOTA EXTENDING FROM WADENA TO ALEXANDRIA TO ORTONVILLE.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY
RAIN..SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

FRASER
Special weather statement, Jul 12, 5:20 PM CDT, 2 hours 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MN
520 PM CDT SAT JUL 12 1986.

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

AT 520 PM CDT RADAR  SHOWED A LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS IN
CENTRAL MINNESOTA EXTENDING FROM BRAINERD TO SAUK CENTRE TO BENSON.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAD PRODUCED VERY HEAVY RAIN .. SMALL HAIL AND
GUSTY WINDS.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

FRASER
Special weather statement, Jul 12, 5:55 PM CDT, 2 hours 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
550 PM CDT SAT JUL 12 1986

AT 530 PM CDT..RAIN CONTINUED TO DECREASE IN AREA AND INTENSITY OVER
NORTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHWEST WISCONSIN GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE
FROM RUSH CITY MINNESOTA TO MERCER WISCONSIN.

MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

MEANWHILE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED INCREASING IN INTENSITY
OVER WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA INTO CENTRAL MINNESOTA. THE LEADING EDGE
OF THIS BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDWRSTORMS STRETCHED FROM NEAR LEECH
LAKE SOUTH TO ABOUT 15 MILES WEST OF GARRISON ON LAKE MILLE LACS
SOUTHWEST TO ABOUT 40 MILES NORTH OF MARSHALL MINNESOTA.

REPORTS OF VERY HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS ALONG WITH SMALL
HAIL HAVE BEEN RECIEVED SINCE 430 PM FROM THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS.
THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WHICH WERE LIKELY PRODUCING SMALL HAIL..
GUSTY WINDS..AND VERY HEAVY RAINS WERE LOCATED ABOUT 15 MILES EAST
OF GLENWOOD AND ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTH OF GLENWOOD AND NEAR BENSON
IN WEST CEBTRAL MINNESOTA.

PERSONS ENGAGED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AND ON LAKES IN AREAS IN THE
PATH OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR THE APPROACHING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.
LRS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 12, 7:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXCarver, Hennepin, Scott57 min
Jul 12, 9:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXRice, Steele, Waseca59 min
Jul 12, 9:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXLe Sueur59 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.