Alert archive / North Dakota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 9, NWS Bismarck, ND

June 26, 1990McKenzie County, North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 26, 1990, 9:21 PM CDT for McKenzie County, North Dakota. It was in force for 39 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
Jun 26, 1990, 9:21 PM CDT (02:21 UTC)
Expired
Jun 26, 1990, 10:00 PM CDT
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Bismarck, ND
Area
Whole counties

County McKenzie 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
Jun 26, 9:25 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Mckenzie, 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, 2.4 hours before the alert went out and 230 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 1990-06-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2715 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 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 1990-06-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 58 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
2715 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-53 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1967 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
58 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
266 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
18.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KISN 270228
SVRISN
NDC053-270400-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING...CORRECTED FOR TIME...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
921 PM CDT TUE JUN 26 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES

   IN THE WEST CENTRAL PART OF NORTH DAKOTA
      EASTERN MCKENZIE...THE CITY OF WATFORD CITY

AT 915 PM CDT MCKENZIE COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED 11/2 HAIL IN THE
WATFORD CITY AREA ALONG WITH REAVY RAINS AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...FIND 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.

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.s..AND DEADLY LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE
SHOULD MOVE TO SHELTER...PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING.  ONCE
INSIDE...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

 LEWIS

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, Jun 26, 7:13 PM CDT, 2 hours 8 minutes before
NDZ001-002-270100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
710 PM CDT TUE JUN 26 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA
UNTIL 12 AM CDT...

AT 7 PM CDT WILLISTON RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 30 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF WILLISTON..OR 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF SYDNEY MONTANA.
THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH AND WILL ENTER INTO
WESTERN WILLIAMS COUNTY OF NORTH DAKOTA BY 745 PM CDT.

ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS 60 MILES NORTHWEST OF WILLISTON..NEAR
THE TOWN OF PLENTYWOOD IN CENTRAL SHERIDAN COUNTY MONTANA. THIS STORM
WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WIND}S...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL.
LEWIS
Special weather statement, Jun 26, 7:47 PM CDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
NDZALL-270200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
745 PM CDT TUE JUN 26 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST AND
PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT...

AT 745 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS WERE ENTERING NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA FROM
SASKATCHEWAN. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE IN NORTH
DAKOTA.

TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY CONDITIONS ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH
DAKOTA ARE VERY FAVORABLE FOR THE FORMATION OF STRONG AND POSSIBLY
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. PERSONS IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BE
PREPARED FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
VAN ESS
Special weather statement, Jun 26, 8:04 PM CDT, 1 hour 17 minutes before
NDZ001-002-270200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
800 PM CDT TUE JUN 26 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA
UNTIL 12 AM CDT...

AT 750 PM CDT WILLISTON RADAR INDICATED AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM 15
MILES SOUTHWEST OF WILLISTON IN EXTREME SOUTHWEST WILLIAMS COUNTY.
THIS STORM HAS INTENSIFIED DURING THE PAST HOUR AND WILL PASS NEAR THE
TOWN OF TRENTON AROUND 830 PM CDT AND BE IN THE WILLISTON AREA AROUND
9 PM CDT.

ANOTHER VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF WILLISTON..
NEAR THE TOWN OF GRENORA IN NORTHWESTERN WILLIAMS COUNTY. THIS STORM
WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL.
LEWIS
Special weather statement, Jun 26, 8:56 PM CDT, 25 minutes before
NDZALL-270400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
900 PM CDT TUE JUN 26 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST AND
PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT...

AT 9 PM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS AND STRONG WINDS WERE
OCCURRING OVER PARTS OF NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA AND WERE MOVING INTO
PARTS OF NORTHCENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...NORTH OF MINOT. SOME OF THESE
STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE BEFORE MIDNIGHT. THE STORMS WERE MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY CONDITIONS ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH
DAKOTA ARE VERY FAVORABLE FOR THE FORMATION OF STRONG AND POSSIBLY
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. PERSONS IN AND NEACR THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BE
PREPARED FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
TURNER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 26, 8:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISWilliams64 min
Jun 26, 10:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISDunn60 min
Jun 26, 10:28 PM CDTTornado WarningBISMountrail32 min
Jun 26, 10:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISMcLean66 min
Jun 26, 11:31 PM CDTTornado WarningBISMercer44 min
Jun 27, 12:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISMorton, Oliver68 min
Jun 27, 2:43 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISBurleigh, Morton32 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.