Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 59, NWS Twin Cities, MN

August 11, 1988Todd County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 11, 1988, 8:30 PM CDT for Todd County, Minnesota. It was in force for 60 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Aug 11, 1988, 8:30 PM CDT (01:30 UTC)
Expired: Aug 11, 1988, 9:30 PM CDT
In force: 60 min
Issued by: NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area: Whole counties

County Todd 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 00:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 169 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 2430 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -95 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1333 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 136 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 300 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 12.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSTC 120133
SVRSTC
MNC153-120230-

BULLETIN-IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MN
830 PM CDT THU AUG 11 1988

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 930 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF

CENTRAL  MINNESOTA...WESTERN TODD INCLUDING THE CITIES OF
BROWERVILLE...EAGLE  BEND AND CLARISA.

AT 825 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ALONG THE WESTERN
EDGE OF TODD COUNTY...15 MILES NORTHEAST OF ALEXANDRIA MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 58
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN
THAT CAN QUICKLY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS...SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT AND BE
PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY...A BASEMENT...OR A REINFORCED
ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR...LEAVE MOBILE HOMES. BE READY TO ACT
IMMEDIATELY.

FRASER/YOUNG

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 11, 6:51 PM CDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
645 PM CDT THU AUG 11 1988

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR CENTRAL MINNESOTA INCLUDING THE
   TWIN CITIES UNTIL 1000 PM...

AT 630 PM RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN
WITH THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WITH WIND REPORTS OF 50 MPH AND 3/4 INCH
HAIL FROM  THE SOUTHERN END OF MILLE LACS LAKE TO 20 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF MILLE LACS LAKE.  AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS INCREASING IN SIZE EXTENDED
WEST FROM MILLE LACS LAKE TOS THE SOUTH DAKOTA BORDER NORTH OF ORTONWILLE
IN WESTCENTRAL MINNESOTA.  AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS ALSO ON THE
INCREASE WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF DULUTH.

THUNDE!RSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE EASTWARD 30 MPH THROUGH WESTCENTRAL
WISCONSIN ALONG THE CHIPPEWA RIVER FROM LADYSMITH TO EAU CLAIRE.

MANY OF THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN PRODUCING HEAVY DOWNPOURS GUSTY WINDS
AND OCCASIONALLY SOME SMALL HAIL.
BRANCH

Local storm report, Aug 11, 7:12 PM CDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
705 PM CDT THU AUG 11 1988

...REPORTS FROM THE AFTERNOON OF AUGUST 11...

   TIMES IN CDT

1559    ANOKA CO..ST FRANCIS   PUBIC REPORT OF A FUNNEL.
1611    ANOKA CO..BLAINE AT HWY 65 AND 107  PUBLIC REPORT OF A FUNNEL.
1612    RAMSEY CO..N OF SHOREVIEW  WINDS 60 MPH AND POWER OUTAGES.
1617    ISANTI CO..5 S OF ISANTI  POWER LINES DOWN NEAR ANOKA CO LINE.
1631    ISANTI CO..ASPRING LAKE  PUBLIC REPORT OF A FUNNEL.
1642    RAMSEY CO..MAPLEWOOD  TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN NEAR CO ROAD C
                   AND WHITE BEAR AVE.
1649    RAMSEY CO..WEST ST PAUL TREES DOWN AT ROBERT ST AND ANNAPOLIS.

WJH

Special weather statement, Aug 11, 7:17 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
715 PM CDT THU AUG 11 1988

...CANCELLATION OF THE SOUTHERN PART OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
NUMBER 372  UNTIL 10 PM CDT...

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE NO LONGER IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WATCH 372..

WEST CENTRAL.....SWIFT..LAC QUI PARLE..CHIPPEWA.

CENTRAL...SHERBURNE..KANDIYOHI..MEEKER..WRIGHT..MCLEOD

EAST CENTRAL..ISANTI..CHISAGO

TWIN CITIES METRO..ANOEKA..HENNEPIN..RAMSEY..WASHINGTON..CARNER..SCOTT
                   ..DAKOTA.

THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED INTO THE NORTHERN PART OF THE WATCH AREA IN
CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND MOSTLY OUT OF THE COUNTIES CLEARED FROM THE WATCH.
BRANCH

Local storm report, Aug 11, 7:27 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
725 PM CDT THU AUG 11 1988

...REPORTS FROM THE AFTERNOON OF AUGUST 11...

   TIMES IN CDT

ANOKA CO...NUMEROUS TREES AND LARGE BRANCHES KNOCKED DOWN WITH POWER
           OUTAGES IN OAK GROVE TOWNSHIP..LINO LAKES..CENTERVILLE AND
           ST FRANCIS BETWEEN 1640 AND 1730 CDT.

WASHINGTON CO...TREES DOWN AND POWER OUTAGES IN FOREST LAKE AND LAKE
           ELMO.  WINDOWS KBLOW OUT OF A HOME AND A ROOF CAVED IN BY
           A FALLING TREE IN FOREST LAKE TOWNSHIP.

WJH

Local storm report, Aug 11, 7:29 PM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST. CLOUD MN
730 PM CDT THU AUG 11 1988

...ATTN SELS...PRELIMINARY STORM REPORT FROM AUG 11 1988.

310 PM CDT   PRINCETON MINNESOTA IN MILLE LACS COUNTY...28 MILES
             EAST OF ST. CLOUD.  TORRENTIAL RAIN ESTIMATED 3 INCHS
             IN 15 MINUTES.  WIND GUSTS TO 65 MPH.  1 INCH HAIL.
             WATER BUMPER DEEP ON CITY MAIN STREET.
623 PM CDT   3/4 INCH HAIL AT LASTRUP IN MORRISON COUNTYM...34 MILES
             NNE OF ST. CLOUD. BY MORRISON COUNTY SHERIFF.
625 PM CDT   3/4 INCH HAIL ALONG THE SOUTHWEST SHORE OF MILLE LACS
             LAKE.

FRASER

Special weather statement, Aug 11, 8:04 PM CDT, 26 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
745 PM CDT THU AUG 11 1988

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA NORTH OF THE
   TWIN CITIES UNTIL 1000 PM...

AT 730 PM THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA FROM
ALEXANDRIA EAST TOWARD DULUTH. THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE SPREAD OUT ACROSS
EAST CENTRAL INTO NORTHEAST MINNESOTA FROM MILLE LACS LAKE NORTH AS FAR
AT GRAND RAPIDS.  THE MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED SOUTHWEST
OF MILLE LACS LAKE AND NORTHEAST OF BRAINERD JUST EAST OF THE TOWN OF
EMILY. THESE THUNDERSTORM WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MILES PER
HOUR.

ANOTHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATEDw EAST OF EAU CLAIRE MOVING
EAST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND WEAKENING.

SOME THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA ARE LIKELY TO PRODUCE
HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AS WELL AND HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS.
WJH

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 11, 7:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Mille Lacs, Morrison	60 min
Aug 12, 4:37 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Stearns	68 min
Aug 12, 5:29 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Benton, Sherburne	61 min
Aug 12, 5:30 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Benton, Sherburne	60 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 1988 Every 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.