Alert archive / North Dakota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 40, NWS Bismarck, ND

July 2, 1990Burke County, North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 2, 1990, 5:17 PM CDT for Burke County, North Dakota. It was in force for 58 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
Jul 2, 1990, 5:17 PM CDT (22:17 UTC)
Expired
Jul 2, 1990, 6:15 PM CDT
In force
58 min
Issued by
NWS Bismarck, ND
Area
Whole counties

County Burke County, ND

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
Jul 2, 5:48 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 56Burke, ND

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

Bismarck Municip, ND (KBIS), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 263 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, Bismarck Municip, ND at 12:00Z on 1990-07-02Temperature 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, Bismarck Municip, ND at 12:00Z on 1990-07-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 41 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
0 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
62 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KISN 022217
SVRISN
NDC013-022315-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
517 PM CDT MON JUL 2 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 615 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTY

   IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF NORTH DAKOTA
      CENTRAL BURKE

AT 515 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN WILLISTON
CONTINUED TO INDICATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS 50 MILES NORTHEAST
OF WILLISTON IN CENTRAL BURKE COUNTY. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING
TO THE EAST SOUTHEAT AT 35 MPH.

WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND NEAR WINDOWS.  DO NOT USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.  MOTORISTS
SHOULD AVOID LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS 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 ROADWAYS QUICKLY...
AVOID DRIVING INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE FOR
DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE
SHOULD MOVE TO SHELTER...PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING.  ONCE
INSIDE...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

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.

 RICHMOND

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, Jul 2, 12:21 PM CDT, 4 hours 56 minutes before
NDZ001>018-022200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1220 PM CDT MON JUL 2 1990

...A HOT AND MUGGY DAY ACROSS NORTH DAKOTA...

WITH TEMPERATURES CLIMBING INTO THE 90S AND DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER 70S
THIS AFTERNOON WILL NOT ONLY BE UNPLEASANT...BUT ALSO POTENTIALLY
DANGEROUS FOR NORTH DAKOTANS.

PERSONS SHOULD LIMIT OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND DRINK
PLENTY OF FLUIDS. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SHADED AREAS AND AIR-CONDITIONED
BUILDINGS WHEREVER POSSIBLE.

DO NOT LEAVE PETS UNATTENDED IN VEHICLES...EVEN WITH THE WINDOWS
PARTIALLY OPEN.

HEAT STROKE CAN BE DEADLY...SO BE CAUTIOUS.

A COLD FRONT MOVING IN FROM THE NORTHERN ROCKIES TUESDAY MORNING WILL
BRING SOME RELIEF FROM THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY.

LEBLANG
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 2:05 PM CDT, 3 hours 12 minutes before
NDZ001-022000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
205 PM CDT MON JUL 02 1990

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPING OVER NORTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA...

AT 200 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN WILLISTON INDICATED
A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM 50 MILES NORTH OF WILLISTON...NEAR THE TOWN
OF FORTUNA IN NORTHERN DIVIDE COUNTY. THIS STORM APPEARS TO BE
DEVELOPING RAPIDLY AND HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN AND VERY
{STRONG WINDS.  MOVEMENT IS TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH.
LEWIS
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 4:30 PM CDT, 47 minutes before
NDZ001>018-022230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
430 PM CDT MON JUL 2 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTHWEST AND NORTH
CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL 10 PM CDT TONIGHT...

THUNDERSTORMS MOVED DOWN FROM CANADA INTO NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA
THIS AFTERNOON...BRINGING DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN. THE DEPUTY
SHERIFF IN FORTUNA REPORTED 2.5 INCHES OF RAIN AT 330 PM CDT. WESTVIEW
MONTANA REPORTED 2.6 INCHES OF RAIN AT 350 PM CDT.  WINDS OF 60 TO
75 MPH WERE ALSO REPORTED.

AT 425 PM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS 45 NORTHEAST OF WILLISTON NEAR
CROSBY...MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THIS STORM. mTHIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL
TO PRODUCE FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS AS WELL AS DAMAGING WINDS AND
HAIL.

EVERYONE IN NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA SHOULD KEEP ALERT
FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

TSW
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 4:38 PM CDT, 39 minutes before
NDZ001>018-022230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
430 PM CDT MON JUL 2 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTHWEST AND NORTH
CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL 10 PM CDT TONIGHT...

THUNDERSTORMS MOVED DOWN FROM CANADA INTO NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA
THIS AFTERNOON...BRINGING DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN. THE DEPUTY
SHERIFF IN FORTUNA REPORTED 2.5 INCHES OF RAIN AT 330 PM CDT. WESTVIEW
MONTANA REPORTED 2.6 INCHES OF RAIN AT 350 PM CDT.  WINDS OF 60 TO
75 MPH WERE ALSO REPORTED.

AT 425 PM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS 45 NORTHEAST OF WILLISTON NEAR
CROSBY...MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THIS STOyRM. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL
TO PRODUCE FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS AS WELL AS DAMAGING WINDS AND
HAIL.

EVERYONE IN NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA SHOULD KEEP ALERT
FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

TSW
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 5:03 PM CDT, 14 minutes before
NDZ005-022230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
500 PM CDT MON JUL 2 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTHWEST AND NORTH
CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL 10 PM CDT TONIGHT...

AT 450 PM CDT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS IN BURKE COUNTY...80 MILES
NORTHWEST OF MINOT. THIS STORM WAS MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
THIS WILL PUT INTO NORTHWEST WARD COUNTY AND WESTERN RENVILLE COUNTY BY
AROUND 7 PM...INTO THE MOHALL AREA BY 8 PM AND THE MINOT VICINITY BY
AROUND 830 PM. THIS STORM WILL LIKELY BE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER
A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WHICH MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. THIS
STORM DROPPED 2.6 INCHES OF RAIN IN LESS THAN 2 HOURS IN WESTBY MONTANA
...ON THE NORTH DAKOTA BORDER AND 2.5 INCHES IN FORTUNA...IN EXTREME
NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA.

BESIDES THE POSSIBLITY OF HEAVY RAIN...THIS STROM CAN PRODUCE DAMAGING
WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND EVEN TORNADOES. EVERYONE IN NORTHWEST AND
NORTHCENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA SHOULD KEEP ALERT FOR THIS THUNDERSTORM AND
BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER.

KAS
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 5:07 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
NDZ001>004-006-011-022230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT                ...CORRECTION FOR CITY NAME...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
430 PM CDT MON JUL 2 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTHWEST AND NORTH
CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL 10 PM CDT TONIGHT...

THUNDERSTORMS MOVED DOWN FROM CANADA INTO NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA
THIS AFTERNOON...BRINGING DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN. THE DEPUTY
SHERIFF IN FORTUNA REPORTED 2.5 INCHES OF RAIN AT 330 PM CDT. WESTBY
MONTANA...ON THE NORTH DAKOTA BORDER REPORTED 2.6 INCHES OF RAIN AT
350 PM CDT.  WINDS OF 60 TO 75 MPH WERE ALSO REPORTED WITH THIS STORM.

AT 425 PM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS 45 NORTHEAST OF WILLISTON NEAR
CROSBY...MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS
REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THIS STORM. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL OF
PRODUCING FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS AS WELL AS DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL
AND EVEN TORNADOES.

EVERYONE IN NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA SHOULD KEEP ALERT
FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

TSW

The office that day

Everything else NWS Bismarck, ND issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 2, 1:18 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISDivide42 min
Jul 2, 3:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISDivide52 min
Jul 2, 3:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISDivide, Williams63 min
Jul 2, 4:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISBurke57 min
Jul 2, 5:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISRenville, Ward61 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Dakota, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1990

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.