Alert archive / North Dakota / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 6, NWS Bismarck, ND

July 2, 1990Renville County, Ward County, North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this tornado warning at Jul 2, 1990, 7:00 PM CDT for Renville County, Ward County, North Dakota. It was in force for 30 min. 2 reports 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, 7:00 PM CDT (00:00 UTC)
Expired
Jul 2, 1990, 7:30 PM CDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Bismarck, ND
Area
Whole counties

Counties Renville County, ND, Ward 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, 7:10 PM CDTHail 1.75Ward, ND
Jul 2, 7:25 PM CDTTornado F0Ward, 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, 0.0 hours before the alert went out and 201 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 1990-07-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 4329 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 1990-07-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 65 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
4329 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-106 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1521 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
65 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
173 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
8.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBIS 030000
TORBIS
NDC075-101-030030-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
700 PM CDT MON JUL 2 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 730 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE NORTH CENTRAL PART OF NORTH DAKOTA
      SOUTHWEST RENVILLE...NORTHWEST WARD

INCLUDING THE CITY OF BERTHOLD.

AT 655 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 5 MILES NORTHWEST
OF BERTHOLD OR 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF MINOT. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
ASSOCIATED WITH THE TORNADO WAS MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT 30
MPH.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO...GO TO A BASEMENT SHELTER
IF AVAILABLE...OTHERWISE TO A CENTRAL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES.

THIS STORM IS ACCOMPANIED BY DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...LARGE HAIL...
VERY HEAVY RAIN...AND DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

* KAS

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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, 4:30 PM CDT, 2 hours 30 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, 2 hours 22 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, 1 hour 57 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, 1 hour 53 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
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 5:34 PM CDT, 1 hour 26 minutes before
NDZ001>011-022330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
530 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...

AT 530 PM CDT A LARGE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS IN CENTRAL BURKE COUNTY...
WEST OF BOWBELLS...MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THIS WILL PUT
IT INTO NORTHWEST WARD COUNTY AND WESTERN RENVILLE COUNTY..INCLUDING THE
CITY OF KENMARE BY 630 PM. IT SHOULD MOVE INTO THE MOHALL AREA BETWEEN
730 AND 8 PM...AND COULD REACH THE MINOT VICINITY BETWEEN 8 AND 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 DID
DROP 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 THE EXTREME NORTHWEST
CORNER OF NORTH DAKOTA. THIS STORM ALSO PRODUCE 60 TO 70 MPH WIND NEAR
FORTUNA.

BESIDES THE HEAVY RAIN AND DAMAGING WINDS...THIS STORM MAY ALSO PRODUCE
LARGE HAIL AND EVEN A TORNADO.

EVERYONE IN NORTHCENTRAL AND NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA SHOULD KEEP ALERT
FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION
AS THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH.

KAS
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 6:22 PM CDT, 38 minutes before
NDZ001-020030-

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

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL 10 PM
CDT...

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR CENTRAL BURKE COUNTY HAS EXPIRED...

AT 615 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN WILLISTON INDICATED
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER EASTERN BURKE COUNTY HAVE MOVED INTO
WESTERN WARD COUNTY AND RENVILLE COUNTY.

A TORNADO WATCH STILL REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA
AND NORTHEASTERN MONTANA UNTIL 10 PM CDT. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE
DEVELOPING OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN MONTANA AND ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE
INTO WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA LATER THIS EVENING.

PERSONS ACROSS WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR
THE LATEST WEATHER STATEMENTS AS A VERY UNSTABLE AIR MASS REMAINS OVER
THE AREA AND THE POSSIBLE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS STILL
EXISTS.

RICHMOND

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 2, 7:30 PM CDTTornado WarningBISWard30 min
Jul 2, 7:58 PM CDTTornado WarningBISWard47 min
Jul 2, 8:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISWard61 min
Jul 2, 8:59 PM CDTTornado WarningBISWard31 min
Jul 2, 9:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISMcLean32 min
Jul 2, 9:23 PM CDTTornado WarningBISDivide37 min
Jul 2, 9:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISWard25 min
Jul 2, 9:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISMcLean33 min
Jul 2, 10:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISDivide56 min
Jul 2, 10:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISMcLean30 min
Jul 3, 12:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISDunn, McKenzie60 min
Jul 3, 12:34 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISDunn56 min
Jul 3, 1:32 AM CDTTornado WarningBISMountrail28 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Dakota, 1990Every tornado warning in 1990Tornadoes 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.