Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 11, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 23, 1989Faribault County, Martin County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 23, 1989, 7:37 PM CDT for Faribault County, Martin County, Minnesota. It was in force for 38 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 23, 1989, 7:37 PM CDT (00:37 UTC)
Expired
May 23, 1989, 8:15 PM CDT
In force
38 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Faribault County, MN, Martin 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, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 141 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 00:00Z on 1989-05-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1041 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 00:00Z on 1989-05-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 88 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1041 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-74 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1374 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
50 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
88 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
267 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
6.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KRST 240038
SVRRST
MNC043-091-240115-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER MN
737 PM CDT TUE MAY 23 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ROCHESTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  800 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
          ...WESTERN FARIBAULT...EASTERN MARTIN
 
...THIS WARNING INCLUDES THE TOWNS OF FAIRMONT...BLUE EARTH...AND
WINNEBAGO MINNESOTA...
 
WEATHER RADAR AT 730 PM CDT INDICATES A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES
EAST OF FAIRMONT MINNESOTA MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.  MINNESOTA
HIGHWAY PATROL AT 730 PM CDT REPORTED GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL ON I-90
ON THE MARTIN COUNTY AND FARIBAULT COUNTY LINE.
 
 
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.  REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
 
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.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

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, May 23, 2:00 PM CDT, 5 hours 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
155 PM CDT TUE MAY 23 1989

..SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS BUILDING OVER EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA..

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR AREAS OF SOUTHERN
FARIBAULT AND FREEBORN COUNTIES OF EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
UNTIL 230 PM.

AT 145 PM..WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF STRONG AND SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND NORTH OF THE IOWA BORDER NEAR THE TOWN OF
BRICELYN WHICH IS ABOUT 15 MILES WEST OF ALBERT LEA.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN THE WARNED AREAS SHOULD BE MOVING TO A PLACE OF SAFETY
AS THE THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH FROM THE WEST.

ELSEWHERE..STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE FORMING OVER EXTREME NORTHWEST
WISCONSIN BETWEEN HAYWARD AND SUPERIOR.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

OTHER WIDELY SCATTERED LIGHT RAINSHOWERS PERSISTED OVER SOUTHERNZ
MINNESOTA FROM NEAR OWATONNA TO NEAR WILLMAR.

MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, May 23, 3:02 PM CDT, 4 hours 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
300 PM CDT TUE MAY 23 1989

...SEVERE WEATHER A GOOD POSSIBILITY IN MINNESOTA THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

SPRING HAS BEEN QUIET ACROSS MINNESOTA WHEN IT COMES TO SEVERE
WEATHER...BUT THAT IS ABOUT TO CHANGE DRAMATICALLY.  A COMBINATION
OF WARM HUMID AIR FLOWING INTO MINNESOTA...A STRONG JET STREAM
APPROACHING FROM THE WEST...AND A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER
NEBRASKA ARE ON A COLLISION COURSE.  ALL THE PROPER INGREDIENTS ARE
EXPECTED TO COME TOGETHER TONIGHT OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA.

THIS METEOROLOGICAL BREW COULD PRODUCE SOME VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
TONIGHT WITH VERY HIGH WINDS...LARGE HAIL...HEAVY RAIN...AND THERE
MAY BE A TORNADO OR TWO.  NORMALLY THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING ARE THE PRIME TIME FOR SEVERE WEATHER...BUT IN THIS SITUATION
VIOLENT THUNDERSTORMS ARE A GOOD POSSIBILITY WELL AFTER DARK.

SINCE IT HAS BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS SINCE MINNESOTA HAS EXPERIENCED
AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE WEATHER PERHAPS OUR GUARD IS DOWN A LITTLE
IN PREPARING FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.  THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE RECCOMMENDS YOU PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE WEATHER THIS
EVENING AND TONIGHT AND SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER MATERLIZE BE PREPARED
TO TAKE PROTECTIVE ACTION.

BY WEDNESDAY EVENING THE LOW WILL MOVE INTO MINNESOTA AND THAT COULD
TOUCH OFF ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS THE STATE WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  IN SUMMING UP THE THE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL
FOR THE NEXT 24 TO 30 HOURS WILL REMAIN QUITE HIGH IN MINNESOTA.

CAMPBELL
Special weather statement, May 23, 3:18 PM CDT, 4 hours 19 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
300 PM CDT TUE MAY 23 1989

...SEVERE WEATHER A GOOD POSSIBILITY IN MINNESOTA THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

SPRING HAS BEEN QUIET ACROSS MINNESOTA WHEN IT COMES TO SEVERE
WEATHER...BUT THAT IS ABOUT TO CHANGE DRAMATICALLY.  A COMBINATION
OF WARM HUMID AIR FLOWING INTO MINNESOTA...A STRONG JET STREAM
APPROACHING FROM THE WEST...AND A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER
NEBRASKA ARE ON A COLLISION COURSE.  ALL THE PROPER INGREDIENTS ARE
EXPECTED TO COME TOGETHER TONIGHT OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA.

THIS METEOROLOGICAL BREW COULD PRODUCE SOME VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
TONIGHT WITH VERY HIGH WINDS...LARGE HAIL...HEAVY RAIN...AND THERE
MAY BE A TORNADO OR TWO.  NORMALLY THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING ARE THE PRIME TIME FOR SEVERE WEATHER...BUT IN THIS SITUATION
VIOLENT THUNDERSTORMS ARE A GOOD POSSIBILITY WELL AFTER DARK.

SINCE IT HAS BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS SINCE MINNESOTA HAS EXPERIENCED
AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE WEATHER PERHAPS OUR GUARD IS DOWN A LITTLE
IN PREPARING FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.  THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE RECCOMMENDS YOU PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE WEATHER THIS
EVENING AND TONIGHT AND SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER MATERLIZE BE PREPARED
TO TAKE PROTECTIVE ACTION.

BY WEDNESDAY EVENING THE LOW WILL MOVE INTO MINNESOTA AND THAT COULD
TOUCH OFF ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS THE STATE WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  IN SUMMING UP THE THE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL
FOR THE NEXT 24 TO 30 HOURS WILL REMAIN QUITE HIGH IN MINNESOTA.

CAMPBELL
Special weather statement, May 23, 4:47 PM CDT, 2 hours 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
445 PM CDT TUE MAY 23 1989

AT 435 PM CDT...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL AND INTENSE RAINFALL
WAS LOCATED ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BETWEEN WABASHA AND WINONA.

THE LINE WAS 20 MILES WIDE WITH THE MOST INTENSE STORM LOCATED JUST
SOUTH OF ALMA WISCONSIN.

OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE WIDELY SCATTERED FROM NORTHWEST
AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN ACROSS SOUTHERN MINNESOTA.

MOVEMENT WAS EAST SPEED WAS NOT DETERMINED.
 CARLYON
Special weather statement, May 23, 5:47 PM CDT, 1 hour 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
540 PM CDT TUE MAY 23 1989

..INTENSE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPS OVER SOUTHERN MINNESOTA..

AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM BUILDING RAPIDLY ACROSS NORTHEAST LE SEUER
AND NORTHERN RICE COUNTIES OF SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA. THIS THUNDERSTORM
WAS LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF NEW PRAGUE OR ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF
NORTHFIELD.

VERY HEAVY RAINS..FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES..STRONG GUSTY WINDS ALONG
WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED AS THIS STORM MOVES EAST
AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

ELSEWHERE..INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER FAR WESTERN WISCONSIN
IN AREAS JUST NORTH AND NORTHEAST OF LA CROSSE. SOME OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING HAIL UP TO GOLFBALL
SIZE.
<
THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 35 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR ACROSS
PORTIONS OF BUFFALO..TREMPEALEAU AND MONROE COUNTIES.

FURTHER WEST..A NEW AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS FORMING OVER THE FAR
SOUTHWEST CORNER OF MINNESOTA.

THE MOVEMENT ON THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT HAD NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED.

CONDITIONS REMAIN VERY UNSTABLE ACROSS MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN SO
PERSONS SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER SITUATION.
SWANBERG
Special weather statement, May 23, 7:22 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MN
72O PM CDT TUE MAY 23 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 11PM CDT THIS EVENING...

AT 715PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING IN SOUTHWEST...SOUTHEAST
AND EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA. NO THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING IN
CENTRAL MINNESOTA...HOWEVER THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
WILL EXIST UNTIL LATE THIS EVENING AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA UNTIL 11PM CDT.

WDV

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 23, 7:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXDodge, Olmsted42 min
May 23, 8:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXCarver, Hennepin, Wright51 min
May 23, 9:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXCarver, Hennepin49 min
May 24, 8:58 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXStearns47 min
May 24, 11:25 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXRedwood, Renville50 min
May 24, 11:28 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXRedwood, Renville47 min
May 24, 2:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBenton, Morrison43 min
May 24, 4:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXDodge, Mower, Olmsted27 min
May 24, 4:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXWinona36 min
May 24, 5:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXCarver, McLeod51 min
May 24, 5:17 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXSibley58 min
May 24, 5:23 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXCarver67 min
May 24, 5:23 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXScott52 min
May 24, 5:33 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXLe Sueur, Nicollet42 min
May 24, 6:08 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXLe Sueur, Rice, Waseca37 min
May 24, 6:30 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXBlue Earth, Faribault, Waseca30 min
May 24, 6:30 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXFreeborn30 min
May 24, 6:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXGoodhue38 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 1989Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1989

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.