Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 81, NWS Twin Cities, MN

August 21, 1989Anoka County, Chisago County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 21, 1989, 7:48 PM CDT for Anoka County, Chisago County, Minnesota. It was in force for 57 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 21, 1989, 7:48 PM CDT (00:48 UTC)
Expired
Aug 21, 1989, 8:45 PM CDT
In force
57 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Anoka County, MN, Chisago 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 21, 7:55 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Chisago, 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 00:00Z, 0.8 hours before the alert went out and 73 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 1989-08-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2042 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 1989-08-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 87 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
2042 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
982 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
87 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
165 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.3
Supercell composite
7.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMSP 220052 RRA
SVRMSP
MNC003-025-220145-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS MN
748 PM CDT MON AUG 21 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MINNEAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  845 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA
          ...NORTHERN ANOKA...CHISAGO
 
RADAR INDICATES SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEAST ISANTI COUNTY ON
SOUTHWEST TO EAST NEAR ZIMMERMAN IN SHERBURNE COUNTY. THE STORMS ARE
MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH WHICH WOULD CARRY THEM TO RUSH CITY IN CHISAGO
COUNTY AROUND 820 PM CDT. THESE STORMS ARE 45 MILES NORTH OF DOWNTOWN
MINNEAPOLIS.
 
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. REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE ADVANCE WARNING
 
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 QU#ICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

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 21, 4:36 PM CDT, 3 hours 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MN
430 PM CDT MON AUG 21 1989

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO BIG STONE COUNTY...

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA TILL 10PM...

AT 425 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO BIG STONE
COUNTY OF WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA.  THE BIG STONE COUNTY SHERIFF
REPORTS HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL NORTH OF ORTONVILLE...65 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF ALEXANDRIA.

THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING EASTNORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED AT THIS TIME...HOWEVER...
WESTCENTRAL MINNESOTA REMAINS IN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
AREA SO PEOPLE SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO CHANGING CONDITIONS AND
BE PREPARED TO ACT IMMEDIATELY.

NISTLER
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 4:58 PM CDT, 2 hours 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
850 PM CDT SUN AUG 13 1989

...DANGEROUS SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION SETTING UP FOR SOUTH AND
   CENTRAL MINNESOTA THIS EVENING...
AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF LOW SEVERE WEATHER FREQUENCY FOR MUCH OF
SOUTH MINNESOTA..A VERY ACTIVE EVENING APPEARS TO BE SHAPING UP
FOR MUCH OF THE AREA THIS MONDAY.

THE WEATHER SITUATION THIS EVENING IS FAVORABLE FOR BOTH SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO FORMATION DUE TO A COMBINATION OF STRONG
DYNAMICS FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR..AND A GREAT DEAL OF AIRMASS
INSTABILITY.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO STAY ABREAST OF THE WEATHER SITUATION THIS
EVENING AS WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY TO CHANGE QUITE RAPIDLY
AT ANY ONE SPOT AS THESE STORMS MOVE IN.

POWERFUL THUNDERSTORMS HAVE FORMED IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND
THERE IS NO REASON THAT THEY WILL NOT HOLD TOGETHER AND
SWEEP ACROSS ALL OF SOUTH MINNESOTA BEFORE THE EVENING IS OVER.

THE TWIN CITIES IS LIKELY TO GET INTO THE ACTION AFTER ABOUT 8 PM
CDT THIS EVENING..BUT THE AIRMASS IS UNSTABLE ENOUGH FOR SEVERE
STORMS TO DEVELOP BEFORE THAT TIME.

TOGSTAD
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 5:19 PM CDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION FOR DATE AND TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
518 PM CDT MON AUG 21 1989

...DANGEROUS SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION SETTING UP FOR SOUTH AND
   CENTRAL MINNESOTA THIS EVENING...
AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF LOW SEVERE WEATHER FREQUENCY FOR MUCH OF
SOUTH MINNESOTA..A VERY ACTIVE EVENING APPEARS TO BE SHAPING UP
FOR MUCH OF THE AREA THIS MONDAY.

THE WEATHER SITUATION THIS EVENING IS FAVORABLE FOR BOTH SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO FORMATION DUE TO A COMBINATION OF STRONG
DYNAMICS FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR..AND A GREAT DEAL OF AIRMASS
INSTABILITY.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO STAY ABREAST OF THE WEATHER SITUATION THIS
EVENING AS WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY TO CHANGE QUITE RAPIDLY
AT ANY ONE SPOT AS THESE STORMS MOVE IN.

POWERFUL THUNDERSTORMS HAVE FORMED IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND
THERE IS NO REASON THAT THEY WILL NOT HOLD TOGETHER AND
SWEEP ACROSS ALL OF SOUTH MINNESOTA BEFORE THE 5EVENING IS OVER.

THE TWIN CITIES IS LIKELY TO GET INTO THE ACTION AFTER ABOUT 8 PM
CDT THIS EVENING..BUT THE AIRMASS IS UNSTABLE ENOUGH FOR SEVERE
STORMS TO DEVELOP BEFORE THAT TIME.

TOGSTAD
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 7:10 PM CDT, 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
709 PM CDT MON AUG 21 1989

...MARBLE SIZE HAIL IN EASTERN RENVILLE COUNTY...MOVING INTO MCLEOD
COUNTY...

AT 649 PM...ONE HALF INCH HAIL FELL IN HECTOR...OR ABOUT 20 MILES
NORTHEAST OF REDWOOD FALLS.  THE STORM HAS SINCE MOVED INTO
WESTERN MCLEOD COUNTY...BUT RADAR INDICATED THE STORM HAS NOT
INCREASED AT THIS POINT.

HOWEVER...PERSONS IN MCLEOD SHOULD BE READY TO GET TO SHELTER IF THE
STORM SHOULD SUDDENLY INCREASE.  LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

KRAUSE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 21, 7:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMeeker36 min
Aug 21, 8:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXLac qui Parle58 min
Aug 21, 9:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXHennepin69 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.