Alert archive / North Dakota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 79, NWS Bismarck, ND

August 26, 1990Hettinger County, North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 26, 1990, 7:51 PM MDT for Hettinger County, North Dakota. It was in force for 54 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 26, 1990, 7:51 PM MDT (01:51 UTC)
Expired
Aug 26, 1990, 8:45 PM MDT
In force
54 min
Issued by
NWS Bismarck, ND
Area
Whole counties

County Hettinger 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
Aug 26, 8:12 PM MDTHail 1.5Hettinger, 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 00:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 140 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 00:00Z on 1990-08-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1023 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, Bismarck Municip, ND at 00:00Z on 1990-08-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 43 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1023 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-158 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1431 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
43 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
295 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
8.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBIS 270151
SVRBIS
NDC041-270245-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
751 PM MDT SUN AUG 26 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 845 PM MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTY

   IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF NORTH DAKOTA
      HETTINGER

AT 745 PM MDT GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED 10 MILES
WEST OF NEW ENGLAND...OR 25 MILES SOUTH OF DICKINSON. RADAR
INDICATED THIS STORM WAS MOVING EAST 25 MPH.

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 RAIN MAY FLOOD ROADWAYS QUICKLY
SO AVOID DRIVING INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

 LM

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 26, 3:37 PM MDT, 4 hours 14 minutes before
NDZ001>003-262230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
430 PM CDT SUN AUG 26 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...

AT 425 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN WILLISTON INDICATED
AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM WILLISTON SOUTHWEST TO WESTERN RICHLAND
COUNTY IN MONTANA. THE STRONGEST STORMS IN THE AREA WERE OVER THE CITY
OF WILLISTON  AND OVER WESTERN RICHLAND COUNTY...OR 65 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF WILLISTON.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.
HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL AND DEADLY LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED
WITH THESE STORMS. FOR YOUR SAFTEY BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SAFE
SHELTER.

KENNEDY
MOVEMENT IS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 35 MPH.

TS
Special weather statement, Aug 26, 3:40 PM MDT, 4 hours 11 minutes before
NDZ001>003-262230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
430 PM CDT SUN AUG 26 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...

AT 425 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN WILLISTON INDICATED
AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM WILLISTON SOUTHWEST TO WESTERN RICHLAND
COUNTY IN MONTANA. THE STRONGEST STORMS IN THE AREA WERE OVER THE CITY
OF WILLISTON  AND OVER WESTERN RICHLAND COUNTY...OR 65 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF WILLISTON.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.
HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL AND DEADLY LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED
WITH THESE STORMS. FOR YOUR SAFTEY BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SAFE
SHELTER.

KENNEDY
Special weather statement, Aug 26, 4:33 PM MDT, 3 hours 18 minutes before
NDZ001>003-005-262330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
530 PM CDT SUN AUG 26 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS HAVE WEAKENED OVER NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...

AT 525 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN WILLISTON INDICATED
AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS OVER WILLIAMS COUNTY. THIS AREA
COVERED ALL BUT THE SOUTHWEST QUARTER OF THE COUNTY. THE STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS THAT MOVED OVER THE WILLISTON AREA HAVE WEAKENED AND
MOVED NORTHEAST. THE RAINSHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS WERE MOVING EAST
NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR THE POSSIBLE RAPID DEVELOPMENT
OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA THROUGH THIS EVENING.

KENNEDY
Special weather statement, Aug 26, 6:27 PM MDT, 1 hour 24 minutes before
NDZ001>003-005-270115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
715 PM CDT SUN AUG 26 1990

...NEW THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPEMENT IN WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA...

AT 710 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN WILLISTON WAS INDICATING
A INTENSE THUNDERSTORM 50 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WILLISTON.  THIS STORM
IS ALONG THE NORTH DAKOTA AND MONTANA BORDER AND IS MOVING INTO
SOUTHWEST MCKENZIE COUNTY.  ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS DEVELOPING
40 MILES WEST/SOUTHWEST OF DICKINSON ALONG THE GOLDEN VALLEY AND
BILLINGS COUNTY LINE.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF BRIEF HEAVY RAINS...SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY
WINDS AND DEADLY LIGHTNING.   MOVEMENT IS TO THE EAST/NORTHEAST AT
30 MPH.  IF THREATENIeNG WEATHER APROACHES BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO
SAFE SHELTER.
THERE WERE OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED IN NORTHWEST NORTH
DAKOTA IN NORTHERN WILLIAMS...SOUTHERN DIVIDE INTO SOUTHERN BURK COUNTY.
Special weather statement, Aug 26, 7:10 PM MDT, 41 minutes before
NDZ001>003-005-270215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
815 PM CDT SUN AUG 26 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING OVER NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...

AT 810 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN WILLISTON INDICATED
AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTOMS MOVING EAST NORTHEAST OVER NORTHWEST
NORTH DAKOTA. THE AREA WAS FROM 35 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF WILLISTON
TO 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DICKINSON. THE STRONGER STORMS WERE OVER
SOUTHERN MCKENZIE COUNTY OF NORTH DAKOTA IN THE VICINITY OF THE
NORTH UNIT OF THE THEODORE ROOSEVELT NATIONAL PARK AND OVER SOUTHWEST
STARK COUNTY.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40
MILES AN HOUR

THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF SMALL HAIL...HEAVY RAIN  AND DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING FROM THE MCKENZIE COUNTY STORM.

BE PREPARED TO GO TO A SAFE SHELTER IF ANY OF THESE STORMS APPROACHES
YOUR AREA.

KENNEDY
Special weather statement, Aug 26, 7:35 PM MDT, 16 minutes before
NDZ003>009-270230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
835 PM CDT SUN AUG 26 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPING IN SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...

AT 725 PM MDT...RADARS INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPING IN
EXTREME NORTHEAST SLOPE COUNTY. THE STORM WAS CENTERED 20 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF DICKINSON...AND IT WILL LIKELY MOVE EAST NORTHEAST ABOUT
20 MPH. THIS STORM LIKELY CONTAINED HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL.

ELSEWHERE...LESS INTENSE STORMS WERE DETECTED IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH
DAKOTA. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED 55 MILES EAST OF MINOT. THEY WERE
MOVING EAST 25 MPH.
LM

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 26, 8:46 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISGrant, Sioux44 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.