Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 50, NWS Twin Cities, MN

August 7, 19884 counties in Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 7, 1988, 6:54 PM CDT for 4 counties in Minnesota. It was in force for 36 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 7, 1988, 6:54 PM CDT (23:54 UTC)
Expired
Aug 7, 1988, 7:30 PM CDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Dakota County, MN, Hennepin County, MN, Ramsey County, MN, 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 7, 7:00 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 60Dakota, 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, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 38 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 1988-08-07Temperature 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 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 1988-08-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 209 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
1854 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
209 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
261 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 KMSP 072354
SVRMSP
MNC037-053-123-163-080030-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS MN
654 PM CDT SUN AUG 7 1988
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MINNEAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  730 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA
          ...NORTHERN DAKOTA...SOUTHEASTERN HENNEPIN...RAMSEY
          ...WASHINGTON
 
AT 652 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
FROM FOREST LAKE TO MINNEAPOLIS.
 
THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST 40 MILES AN HOUR.
 
CITIES IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE..DOWNTOWN ST PAUL..WEST
ST PAUL..STILLWATER..BURNSVILL AND APPLE VALLEY.
 
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING..MOVE INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING
DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DON'T USE TELEPHONES OR ELECTRICAL
APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY. REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOSn WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING.

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 7, 4:37 PM CDT, 2 hours 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
435 PM CDT SUN AUG 7 1988

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 360 NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR PARTS
   OF WEST CENTRAL AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS REMOVED THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES
FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 360...POPE...SWIFT...SOUTHERN
CASS...AND TODD. THE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLLOWING PARTS
OF MINNESOTA...
NORTHCENTRAL.......SOUTHEAST ITASCA..

NORTHEAST..........SOUTHERN ST. LOUIS..LAKE..WESTERN COOK AND ADJACENT
                   WATERS OF LAKE SUPERIOR

WESTCENTRAL........CHIPPEWA..EASTERN YELLOW MEDICINE..

CENTRAL............CROW WING...MORRISON..WRIGHT..
                   STEARNS..BENTON..SHERBURNE..KANDIYOHI..MEEKER..
                   RENVILLE..MCLEOD..SIBLEY
<
EAST CENTRAL...AITKIN...CARLTON...PINE...MILLE LACS...KANABEC...
         ISANTI...CHISAGO..
<
TWIN CITIES METRO..ANOKA..HENNEPIN..CARVER..

SOUTHWEST..........LYON..REDWOOD..MURRAY..
NAISTAT
Special weather statement, Aug 7, 4:54 PM CDT, 2 hours before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MN
455 PM CDT WED AUG 3 1988

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR CENTRAL MINNESOTA UNTIL 9PM CDT...

AT 445 PM A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM MILLE LACS LAKE
SOUTHWEST TO ST CLOUD THEN TO LITCHFIELD IN MEEKER COUNTY. THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE
WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS THEY ARE CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...VERY GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. BE
ALERT FOR CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN TO LOCAL RADIO
STATIONS AND NOAA RADIO.

RUBIN/FRASER
Special weather statement, Aug 7, 4:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
450 PM CDT SUN AUG 7 1988

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PART OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL
MINNESOTA AND A SMALL PART OF NORTHWEST WISCONSIN UNTIL 9 PM CDT...

AT 435 PM CDT...A LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM
EAST CENTRAL TO SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA FROM 20 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MARSHALL
TO JUST WEST OF ANNANDALE TO NEAR AITKIN. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE
LOCATED NEAR HILLMAN JUST WEST OF MILLELACS LAKE AND OVER LITCHFIELD.

VERY HEAVY RAINS..FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND WINDS UP TO 55 MILES CAN
BE EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. WINDS OF 50 MILES AN HOUR HAVE
BEEN REPORTED NEAR DANUBE IN CENTRAL RENVILLE COUNTY AT 430 PM.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR WHILE THE LINE
OF STORMS WAS MOVING SLOWLY SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. IF THE
STORMS CONTINUE ON THE PRESENT COURSE AND SPEED THEY WILL BE AFFECTING
THE NORTHWEST PORTION OF THE TWIN CITIES METRO AREA BETWEEN 630 AND 7PM.
IF THREATENING WETHER DEVELOPS BE PREPARED TO SEEK A PLACE OF SAFETY.
ALL BOATERS ON MILLE LACS LAKE SHOULD SEEK SAFE HARBOR IMMEDIATELY.
STANDFIELD
Special weather statement, Aug 7, 5:46 PM CDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
545 PM CDT SUN AUG 7 1988

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PART OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL
MINNESOTA AND A SMALL PART OF NORTHWEST WISCONSIN UNTIL 9 PM CDT...

AT 533 PM CDT...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED FROM EAST CENTRAL
THROUGH CENTRAL INTO SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR DULUTH TO HINCKLEY TO JUST WEST OF
NEW ULM TO WORTHINGTON. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED FROM COKATO
THROUGH BUFFALO TO HINCKLEY.

VERY HEAVY RAINS...FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO
55 MILES AN HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE NORTHEAST
AT 25 MILES AN HOUR WHILE THE AREA MOVES SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE
SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER DEVELOPS.
STANDFIELD
ALL BOATERS ON MILLE LACS LAKE SHOULD S)EEK SAFE HARBOR IMMEDIATELY.
STANDFIELD
Special weather statement, Aug 7, 5:57 PM CDT, 57 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
600 PM CDT SUN AUG 7 1988

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 360 NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR MUCH
   OF WEST CENTRAL AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS REMOVED MOST OF THE COUNTIES
FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 360.

THE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ONLY THE FOLLLOWING PARTS OF EASTCENTRAL
AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

C9ENTRAL............WRIGHT..SHERBURNE..MCLEOD..SIBLEY.
<
EAST CENTRAL...PINE....KANABEC...ISANTI...CHISAGO

TWIN CITIES METRO..ANOKA..HENNEPIN..CARVER..

BRANCH
Local storm report, Aug 7, 6:10 PM CDT, 44 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST. CLOUD MN
610 PM CDT SUN AUG 7 1988

...ATTN SELS...PRELIMINARY STORM REPORT FROM AUG 7 1988.

403 PM CDT    WILLMAR MINNESOTA.  LIGHTNING CAUSED LARGE PROPANE
              GAS FIRE.
545 PM CDT    WIND DAMAGE IN ELK RIVER MINNESOTA...SHERBURNE COUNTY.
              35 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ST. CLOUD.  LARGE TREES DOWN
              CAUSING DAMAGE TO SEVERAL AUTOMOBILES.  LARGDE SIGNS
              ALSO DOWN.  SHERIFFS OFFICE ESTIMATED WIND AT 60 MPH.

FRASER/RUBIN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 7, 5:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXSherburne60 min
Aug 7, 5:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXWright54 min
Aug 7, 5:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXWright37 min
Aug 7, 6:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXAnoka, Hennepin50 min

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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.