Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 28, NWS Twin Cities, MN

July 15, 1988Sherburne County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 15, 1988, 5:55 PM CDT for Sherburne County, Minnesota. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 15, 1988, 5:55 PM CDT (22:55 UTC)
Expired
Jul 15, 1988, 8:55 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Whole counties

County Sherburne County, MN

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

Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 67 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 1988-07-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3618 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, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 1988-07-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 309 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
3618 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-261 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1179 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
309 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
286 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSTC 152314 COR
SVRSTC
MNC141-160030-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED...CORR TO DATE
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MN
555 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 630 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF
CENTRAL MINNESOTA:

EASTERN HALF OF SHERBURNE...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF PRINCETON...
ZIMMERMAN...ORROK...AND SANTIAGO.

AT 550 PM CDT THE RADIO STATION AT PRINCETON MINNESOTA...20 MILES
NORTH OF ELK RIVER IN EASTERN SHERBURNE COUNTY REPORTED THREE QUARTER
TO ONE INCH HAIL IN AND NEAR THE CITY OF PRINCETON.  THIS DANGEROUS
THUNDERSTORM IS MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 20 TO 25 MILES PER HOUR.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD PREPARE
FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING.  BOATERS SHOULD MOVE OFF LAKES TO NEARBY SHELTER. PEOPLE
OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE STRONG BUILDINGS BUT S]TAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.

TRIPLETT

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 15, 5:21 PM CDT, 34 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL
520 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988

...A LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTOMS EXTENDS ACROSS NORTHWEST WISCONSIN
INTO CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

IN MINNESOTA...SOME OF THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ACROSS
BENTON...SOUTHERN MILLE LACS...AND INTO KANABEC COUNTIES. THIS IS ABOUT
60 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF THE TWIN CITIES.  SOME OF THE CITIES NEAR
THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE FOLEY...MILACA...AND MORA.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF PRODUCING HAIL...AND PERIODS
OF VERY HEAVY RAIN AS THEY MOVE EAST SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MILES AN
HOUR.

OTHER VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR DANBURY WISCONSIN IN
NORTHERN BURNETT COUNTY EAST ACROSS NORTHWEST WISCONSIN.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF THREATENING WEATHER AND TAKE
SHELTER IF IT APPROACHES YOU.

BY 600 PM CDT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE PUSHING ACROSS SHERBURNE
AND ISANTI COUNTIES OF E&AST CENTRAL MINNESOTA.
PAULSON
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 5:32 PM CDT, 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MN
525 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988

SHORTLY ATER 5:15 PM CDT THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS FORMED
IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL COVER PORTIONS OF
BENTON...SOUTHERN MILLE LACS...AND CENTRAL AND EASTERN SHERBURNE
COUNTIES OF EAST CENTAL MINNESOTA.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE WILL
PRODUNCE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL AND FREQUENT LIGHTING STRIKES.

NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED AT THIS TIME.  BRIEF SMALL HAIL
WAS REPORTED IN THE CITY OF FOLEY MINNESOTA IN BENTON COUNTY AS THE
THUNDERSTORMS PASSED THROUGH THAT AREA.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE
MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES PER HOUR.

TRIPLET0T
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 5:35 PM CDT, 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MN
525 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988

SHORTLY ATER 5:15 PM CDT THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS FORMED
IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL COVER PORTIONS OF
BENTON...SOUTHERN MILLE LACS...AND CENTRAL AND EASTERN SHERBURNE
COUNTIES OF EAST CENTAL MINNESOTA.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE
BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL AND FREQUENT LIGHTING STRIKES.

NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN4 REPORTED AT THIS TIME.  BRIEF SMALL HAIL
WAS REPORTED IN THE CITY OF FOLEY MINNESOTA IN BENTON COUNTY AS THE
THUNDERSTORMS PASSED THROUGH THAT AREA.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE
MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES PER HOUR.

TRIPLETT
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 5:52 PM CDT, 3 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL
550 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988

...A LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTOMS EXTENDS ACROSS NORTHWEST WISCONSIN
INTO CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

IN MINNESOTA...SOME OF THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS ARE ACROSS EXTREMES
SOUTHEAST BENTON AND SOUTHERN MILLE LACS COUNTIES. THIS IS ABOUT 50BOUT
MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS...OR 15 MILES EAST OF
ST. CLOUD. SOME OF THE CITIES NEAR THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE
PRINCETON...GLENDORADO...AND SANTIAGO.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE SLIDING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MILES AN HOUR
AND HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF PRODUCING HAIL...STRONG WIND...AND VERY HEAVY
RAIN.

BY 615 PM CDT VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS
ISANTI...SOUTHERN KANABEC...SHERBURN...AND NORTHENR WRIGHT OF OF EAST
CENTRAL MINNESOTA. SOME OF THE CITIES IN THE PATH OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS
ARE ELK RIVER...CAMBRIDGE...AND BRAHAM.

IN WISCONSIN..B.VERY STORNG THUNDERSTORMS ALSO CONTINUE ACROSS
NORTHWEST WISCONSIN.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOU SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.
PAULSON

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 1988Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1988

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.