Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 95, NWS Twin Cities, MN

July 26, 1987Wright County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 26, 1987, 9:24 AM CDT for Wright County, Minnesota. It was in force for 36 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 26, 1987, 9:24 AM CDT (14:24 UTC)
Expired
Jul 26, 1987, 10:00 AM CDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Whole counties

County Wright 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 26, 9:30 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Wright, MN
Jul 26, 9:45 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Wright, 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 12:00Z, 2.4 hours before the alert went out and 46 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 12:00Z on 1987-07-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 438 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 12:00Z on 1987-07-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 14 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
438 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-260 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
966 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
215 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
10.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMSP 261424
SVRMSP
MNC171-261500-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS MN
924 AM CDT SUN JUL 26 1987

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTY OF

CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
 WRIGHT


AT 920 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER
ANNANDALE.  STRONG WINDS BENDING TREES TO THE GROUND HAVE BEEN
REPORTED AT ANNANDALE.  ALSO FUNNEL REPORTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED
NEAR MONTICELLO.   THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS MOVING TO THE
SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

ALSO BRIEF TORRENTIAL RAINS CAN BE EXPECTED TO CAUSE LOCAL
FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS.

REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 60
MPH..DESTRUCTIVE HAIL..DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. 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.

BRANCH

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 26, 5:44 AM CDT, 3 hours 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST. CLOUD MN
545 AM CDT SUN JUL 26 1987

...THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD MILLE LACS LAKE...

AT 540 AM CDT THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD MILLE LACS LAKE AT
ABOUT 25 MPH...AND WILL BE AFFECTING THE LAKE AREA FROM ABOUT 600 AM
CDT TO 730 AM CDT.

NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED AT THIS TIME OR IS INDICATED ON
RADAR.  HOWEVER...THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AND
FREQUENT LIGHTING STRIKES...BOATERS...FISHERPERSONS...AND OTHERS
ENGAGING IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES IN THE AFFECTED AREA SHOULD TAKE
NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS.

RUBIN
Local storm report, Jul 26, 7:08 AM CDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
700 AM CDT SUN JUL 26 1987

      ...ATTN SELS A MSP...

JUL 25/2337 CDT...ANOKA COUNTY MN.  TREES KNOCKED OVER BETWEEN 89TH AND
                  93RD ALONG EAST RIVER ROAD IN COON RAPIDS.

JUL 26/0000 CDT...ST CROIX COUNTY WI.  BASEBALL SIZE HAIL JUST NORTH OF
                  BALDWIN AND HAMMOND.

SCATTERED AREAS OF LIGHTNING DAMAGE AROUND MSP AND STP INCLUDING
REPORTS FROM PIERCE CO...ANOKA CO AND CARVER CO.

WJH
Local storm report, Jul 26, 8:22 AM CDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD, MN
815 AM CDT SUN JUL 26 1987

...ATTN SELS...

HEAVY RAINFALL REPORTS IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA

6:52 AM CDT    1.50 INCHES OF RAIN IN 20 MINUTES NORTH OF ST FRANCIS
               MINNESOTA...24 MILES NORTHWEST OF ST. CLOUD IN EXTREME
               NORTH-CENTRAL STEARNS COUNTY OF MINNESOTA.  SMALL HAIL
               WAS ALSO OBSERVED ALONG WITH THE RAIN.

6:55 AM CDT    1.75 INCHES O=F RAIN IN ONE HALF HOUR ALONG WITH SMALL
               HAIL IN HOLDINGFORD MINNESOTA...17 MILES NORTHWEST OF
               ST. CLOUD.  HOLDINGFORD IS LOCATED IN NORTHEAST
               STEARNS COUNTY OF MINNESOTA.

TRIPLETT
Special weather statement, Jul 26, 8:41 AM CDT, 43 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST. CLOUD MN
835 AM CDT SUN JUL 26 1987

...VERY THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THRU CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

AT 830 AM CDT THIS SUNDAY MORNING VERY HEAVY
THUNDERSTORMS COVERED CENTRAL AND EASTERN STEARNS
COUNTY...BENTON COUNTY...NORTHWESTERN SHERBURNE COUNTY...WERE MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE A PST HISTORY OF
PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN IN EXCESS OF 1 AND 1 HALF INCHES ALONG WITH
SMALL HAIL AND BRIEF GUSTY WINDS. PERSONS LIVING IN LOW AREAS CAN
EXPECT SOME LOCAL FLOODING.

NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED AT THIS TIME OR IS INDICATED ON
RADAR.  HOWEVER...THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AND
FREQUENT LIGHTING STRIKEPS...BOATERS...FISHERPERSONS...AND OTHERS
ENGAGING IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES IN THE AFFECTED AREA SHOULD TAKE
NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS.

RUBIN/TRIPLETT
Special weather statement, Jul 26, 8:59 AM CDT, 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
850 AM CDT SUN JUL 26 1987

AT 835 AM CDT...VERY INTENSE THUNERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE
INCREASING OVER CENTRAL MINNESOTA OVER SOUTHERN TODD...STEARNS...MILLE
LACS...BENTON AND NORTHERN SHERBURNE COUNTIES FROM THE SOUTH END OF
MILLE LACS LAKE TO JUST  ORTHWEST OF PRINCETON TO NEAR SAUK CENTRE.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN WHICH
WILL CAUSE LOCAL FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS AND OVER ALREADY SATURATED
SOILS ALONG WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF LARGE HAIL AND DEADLY LIGHTNING AS
THEY MOVE SOUTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

WITH THE PRESENT MOVEMENT...THE TWIN CIrTIES CAN EXPECTED THESE INTENSE
THUNDERSTORMS TO ENTER THE NORTHERN SUBURBS BY 930 AM.
DAP
Special weather statement, Jul 26, 9:24 AM CDT, 0 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
922 AM CDT SUN JUL 26 1987

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS HEADED FOR THE TWIN CITIES...

AT 915 AM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS WERE LOCATED
ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER IN SHERBURNE...STEARNS...NORTHERN WRIGHT
AND NORTHERN MEEKER COUNTIES. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WAS OCCURRING FROM
ELK RIVER TO ANNANDALE TO WATKIN OR ABOUT 30 TO 60 MILES NORTHWEST OF
THE TWIN CITIES.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL
BE MOVING INTO THE NORTHERN SUBURBS OF THE TWIN CITIES BY 930 AM AND
THROUGH THE TWIN CITIES METRO AREA BETWEEN 930 AND 11 AM CDT.

VERY HEAVY RAINFALL FROM AN INCH TO AN INCH AND ONE HALF HAVE BEEN
REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS ALONG WITH BRIEF GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL
HAIL.
<
PERSONS IN THE TWIN CITIES AREA LIVING NEAR SMALL CREEKS THAT ARE
NEAR BANKFUL OR LOW LYING AREAS ALREADY INUNDATED WITH WATER SHOULD
SEEK A SAFER PLACE IMMEDIATELY.
JHM

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 25, 11:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMcLeod, Meeker, Renville47 min
Jul 26, 12:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXStearns58 min
Jul 26, 2:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMcLeod26 min
Jul 26, 2:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXCarver46 min
Jul 26, 3:09 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXWabasha, Winona21 min
Jul 26, 3:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXWabasha, Winona29 min
Jul 26, 6:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMorrison, Stearns, Todd58 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.