Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 7, NWS Twin Cities, MN
NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 7, 1988, 6:40 PM CDT for Ramsey County, Washington County, Minnesota. It was in force for 50 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
- May 7, 1988, 6:40 PM CDT (23:40 UTC)
- Expired
- May 7, 1988, 7:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 50 min
- Issued by
- NWS Twin Cities, MN
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 6:50 PM CDT | Hail 2.5 | Ramsey, 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, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 52 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2080 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 36 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 348 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 360 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KMSP 072341
SVRMSP
MNC123-163-080030-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS MN
640 PM CDT SAT MAY 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
...RAMSEY...SOUTHERN WASHINGTON
AT 635 PM ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH GOLFBALL SIZE WAS LOCATED IN
EXTREME NORTHERN DAKOTA COUNTY...ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN ST
PAUL. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTH AT 50 MILES AN HOUR. CITIES INCLUDED
IN THIS WARNING ARE ST PAUL...COTTAGE GROVE...STILLWATER...WHITE BEAR
LAKE...AND SHOREVIEW.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH
LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING...SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT.
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM THE WEATHER IN A
STRONG BUILDING. DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...
AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
STAY INSIDE AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.
WILLISWhat 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, May 7, 12:41 PM CDT, 5 hours 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN 1230 PM CDT SAT MAY 7 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN MINNESOTA IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CDT... AT 1226 PM...NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS REPORTED OR DETECTED IN MINNESOTA. HOWEVER...CONDITIONS DO APPEAR FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES OVER PARTS OF WESTERN MINNESOTA. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WESTERN MINNESOTA UNTIL 700 PM CDT THIS EVENING. PERSONS IN THE AFFECTED AREAS SHOULD LISTEN FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS AS CONDITIONS DEVELOPE. LIGHT RAINSHOWERS WERE FALLING OVER SCATTERED SECTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. THEY WERE IN A 25 0MILE WIDE BAND FROM SPOONER TO BLACK RIVER FALLS. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTH AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. KRAFT
Special weather statement, May 7, 4:39 PM CDT, 2 hours 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN 430 PM CDT SAT MAY 7 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN MINNESOTA IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CDT... AT 430 PM...THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN...WERE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY OVER WIDELY SCATTERED SECTIONS OF THE SOUTHWEST HALF OF MINNESOTA. THEY WERE MAINLY LOCATED TO THE SOUTH OF A LINE FROM FARGO TO DETROIT LAKES TO MINNEAPOLIS TO LA CROSSE. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...IN THE FARGO...ALEXANDRIA VICINITY. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. MOVEMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WAS TO THE NORTH AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. PERSONS IN WESTERN MINNESOTA SHOULD CONTINUE TO LISTEN FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS...AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. KRAFT
Special weather statement, May 7, 4:50 PM CDT, 1 hour 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MN 445 PM CDT SAT MAY 7 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 7PM IN WESTERN MINNESOTA... ...THUNDERSTORMS FORMING IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA... AT 445 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS WERE FORMING IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA ALONG A LINE FROM LITTLE FALLS TO ST. CLOUD AND SOUTH TOWARDS LITCHFIELD. NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH ANY THESE STORMS...HOWEVER THEY WERE STILL IN THE EARLY STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT AND MAY YET PRODUCE HAIL...HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG...POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS. MAKE PLANS NOW...AND BE READY TO MOVE QUICKLY TO A PLACE WHERE YOU WILL BE SAFE IF THESE STORMS SHOULD BECOME SEVERE. WDV
Special weather statement, May 7, 5:42 PM CDT, 58 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MN 542 PM CDT SAT MAY 7 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 11PM IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR STEARNS...BENTON AND SHERBURNE COUNITES OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA... AT 540 PM CDT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA JUST EAST OF ST. CLOUD...NEAR THE CITY OF FOLEY. BREIF HEAVY RAIN...HAIL...AND STRONG WINDS WERE ACCOMPANYING THIS STORM AS IT MOVED NORTH SAT 30 MPH. BETWEEN 515 AND 530 PM 1/2 INCH HAIL FELL AT ST. JOSEPH...5 MILES WEST OF ST. CLOUD...AND AT THE ST. CLOUD WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. WDV
Special weather statement, May 7, 5:49 PM CDT, 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN 545 PM CDT SAT MAY 7 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR CENTRAL AND WESTERN MINNESOTA IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM... AT 430 PM...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN HAD DEVELOPED RAPIDLY OVER MUCH OF THE SOUTHWEST HALF OF MINNESOTA. THEY WERE MAINLY LOCATED TO THE SOUTH OF A LINE FROM FARGO TO PARK RAPIDS TO MILLE LACS LAKE TO MINNEAPOLIS TO LA CROSSE. THE STRONGEST OF THESE WERE NEAR ST CLOUD AND ALBERT LEA. THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS... DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. MOVEMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WAS TO THE NORTH AT 40 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR. PERSONS ENGAGED IN OU]TDOOR ACTIVITIES ESPECIALLY SHOULD CONTINUE TO LISTEN FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS. BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. KRAFT
Special weather statement, May 7, 5:50 PM CDT, 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN 545 PM CDT SAT MAY 7 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR CENTRAL AND WESTERN MINNESOTA IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM... AT 530 PM...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN HAD DEVELOPED RAPIDLY OVER MUCH OF THE SOUTHWEST HALF OF MINNESOTA. THEY WERE MAINLY LOCATED TO THE SOUTH OF A LINE FROM FARGO TO PARK RAPIDS TO MILLE LACS LAKE TO MINNEAPOLIS TO LA CROSSE. THE STRONGEST OF THESE WERE NEAR ST CLOUD AND ALBERT LEA. THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS... DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. MOVEMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WAS TO THE NORTH AT 40 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR. PERSONS ENGAGED I^N OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES ESPECIALLY SHOULD CONTINUE TO LISTEN FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS. BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. KRAFT
The office that day
Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 5:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Benton, Sherburne | 58 min |
| May 7, 5:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Stearns | 33 min |
| May 7, 5:22 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Freeborn | 38 min |
| May 7, 6:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Rice | 47 min |
| May 7, 6:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Dakota, Scott | 57 min |
| May 7, 6:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Dodge, Goodhue, Olmsted, Wabasha | 46 min |
| May 7, 6:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Anoka, Chisago, Washington | 32 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.