Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 8, NWS Grand Forks, ND

June 23, 1987Traill County, North Dakota; Norman County, Polk County, Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 23, 1987, 2:01 AM CDT for Traill County, North Dakota; Norman County, Polk County, Minnesota. It was in force for 59 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 23, 1987, 2:01 AM CDT (07:01 UTC)
Expired
Jun 23, 1987, 3:00 AM CDT
In force
59 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Whole counties

Counties Norman County, MN, Polk County, MN, Traill County, ND

The radar

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

The nearest sounding before it

International Fa, MN (KINL), launched 00:00Z, 7.0 hours before the alert went out and 277 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, International Fa, MN at 00:00Z on 1987-06-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1488 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, International Fa, MN at 00:00Z on 1987-06-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 51 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1488 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-21 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1799 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
51 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
109 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 KFAR 230701
SVRFAR
NDC097-MNC107-119-230800-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FARGO ND
201 AM CDT TUE JUN 23 1987

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 300 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES OF

EAST CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...EASTERN TRAILL
NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...NORTHWEST NORMAN AND WESTERN POLK

AT 155 AM CDT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS 30 MILES NORTH OF FARGO
NORTH DAKOTA MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
OF 58 MPH AND/OR HAIL 3/4 INCH OR LARGER...DEADLY LIGHTNING...
AND HEAVY RAINS THAT CAN QUICKLY FLOOD A LOW LYING AREA.

REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
A TORNADO WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...YOU SHOULD GO TO A PLACE OF
SAFETY IMMEDIATELY.  REPORT ALL SEVERE WEATHER TO YOUR LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AFTER THE STORM PASSES.

INTENSE LIGHTNING IS REPORTED WITH THIS STORM.  IF OUTDOORS...
STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS.  MOVE INDOORS IF POSSIBLE.  WHEN
INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID USING
TELEPHONES AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.

BENNETT

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 23, 12:43 AM CDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FARGO ND
1240 AM CDT TUE JUN 23 1987

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND WEST CENTRAL
   MINNESOTA...
AT 1230 AM CDT...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAD MOVED INTO PARTS
OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND A SMALL PART OF WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA.

STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE 40 MILES WEST OF GRAND FORKS NORTH DAKOTA
NEAR MC VILLE...20 MILES NORTHEAST OF JAMESTOWN...60 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF FARGO NEAR VERONA AND 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ALEXANDRIA MINNESOTA.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS APPEARED TO BE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES..BUT MAY ALSO DROP SOME SMALL HAIL AND
CREATE SOME GUSTY WINDS.

OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS..SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN..CONTINUED
OVER CENTRAL..SOUTHEAST..AND NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA..AND EXTENDED INTO
NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA.
.
OTHER THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP OVER PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA..MAINLY FROM FERGUS FALLS SOUTH TO WILLMAR.

MOVEMENT OF ALL THE THUNDERSTORMS WAS EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
VOELKER
Special weather statement, Jun 23, 1:45 AM CDT, 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FARGO ND
140 AM CDT TUE JUN 23 1987

AT 130 AM CDT...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE INTO
PARTS OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL AND CENTRAL
MINNESOTA.

STRONGEST STORMS WERE 30 MILES WEST AND 15 MILES NORTH OF THE FARGO/
MOORHEAD AREA NEAR ARGUSVILLE AND BUFFALO...35 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
GRAND FORKS NEAR SHARON AND 30 MILES NORTH OF FARGO NEAR HILLSBORO.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
STRIKES..SMALL HAIL AND SOME GUSTY WINDS.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED OVER WEST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA FROM THE DETROIT LAKES AREA SOUTH TO NEAR WILLMAR.

MOVEMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WAS EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.
VOELKER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 23, 3:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBeltrami, Clearwater2 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 1987Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Dakota, 1987Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1987

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.