Alert archive / Minnesota / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Duluth, MN

September 6, 1990Carlton County, Minnesota

NWS Duluth, MN issued this flash flood warning at Sep 6, 1990, 2:36 AM CDT for Carlton County, Minnesota. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 6, 1990, 2:36 AM CDT (07:36 UTC)
Expired
Sep 6, 1990, 5:45 AM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Duluth, MN
Area
Whole counties

County Carlton County, MN

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 00:00Z, 7.6 hours before the alert went out and 207 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 1990-09-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3941 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 1990-09-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 228 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
3941 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-31 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
933 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
228 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
306 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
4.6
Supercell composite
25.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDLH 060736
FFWDLH
MNC017-061045-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
236 AM CDT THU SEP 6 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DULUTH HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  545 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN NORTHEAST MINNESOTA
          ...CARLTON
 
RADAR INDICATES THAT THE RAINS THAT HAVE BEEN CAUSING THE FLOODING IN
CARLTON COUNTY HAVE NOT SHOWN ANY SIGN OF LETTING UP. MANY ROADS HAVE
BECOME COVERED WITH WATER AND SOME WASHOUTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED.
NUMEROUS REPORTS OF BASEMENT FLOODING HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.
 
 
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.  IF FLASH FLOODING IS
OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO
NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE
ABANDONED QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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, Sep 5, 9:34 PM CDT, 5 hours 2 minutes before
MNZ003-004-005-007-008-009-011-012-WIZ001>004-060330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
 930 PM CDT WED SEP 6 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN
AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA...NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN AND WESTERN LAKE
SUPERIOR UNTIL MIDNIGHT...

AT 925 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED THAT THE THUNDESTORMS...SOME OF WHICH
WERE SEVERE...HAVE WEAKENED TO BELOW SEVERE LIMITS DURING THE PAST
HALF HOUR.  HOWEVER...SOME STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE STILL OCCURRING
FROM IRON COUNTY TO SOUTHERN SAWYER COUNTY IN WISCONSIN TO CENTRAL
PINE COUNTY IN MINNESOTA.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...
HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRoIKES AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 40 TO 45 MPH.
Special weather statement, Sep 5, 10:30 PM CDT, 4 hours 6 minutes before
MNZ003-004-005-007-008-009-060430-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
1030 PM CDT WED SEP 6 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN
AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA...NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN AND WESTERN LAKE
SUPERIOR UNTIL MIDNIGHT...

AT 1025 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED SOME STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER PORTIONS
OF NORTHEAST MINNESOTA.  ONE AREA COVERED MOST OF CARLTON COUNTY AND
ONE STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS IN NORTHWEST ITASCA COUNTY...JUST A LITTLE
NORTH OF WINNIBIGOSHISH LAKE.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...
HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS.

THE THUNDERSTORMS IN CARTON COUNTY WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT
35 MPH AND THE THUNDERSTORM IN ITASCA COUNTY WAS MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.
Special weather statement, Sep 5, 11:33 PM CDT, 3 hours 3 minutes before
MNZ003-004-005-007-008-009-011-012-WIZ001>004-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
 1130 PM CDT WED SEP 6 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND
CENTRAL MINNESOTA...NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR
UNTIL MIDNIGHT...
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER NORTHEAST MINNESOTA AND
NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN AT 1130 MPH CDT.
A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN...EXTENDED
FROM A LITTLE NORTH OF WINNIBIGOSHISH LAKE IN NORTHWEST ITASCA COUNTY
OF NORTHERN MINNESOTA TO THE DULUTH/SUPERIOR AREA AND ON TO THE
VICINITY OF PARK FALLS IN NORTH CENTRAL WISCSONSIN.  THIS LINE WAS
ROUGHLY 30 MILES WIDE.  THE STRENGTH OF THE THUNDERSTORMS HAS CONTINUED
TO DECREASE DURING THE PAST HOUR AND THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS
NOT EXPECTED TO BE EXTENDED.  HOWEVER...THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY STILL
CAUSE SOME STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...FREEQUENT LIGHTN"ING STRIKES
AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS.
Special weather statement, Sep 5, 11:40 PM CDT, 2 hours 56 minutes before
MNZ003-004-005-007-008-009-011-012-WIZ001>004-060530-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
 1130 PM CDT WED SEP 6 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND
CENTRAL MINNESOTA...NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR
UNTIL MIDNIGHT...
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER NORTHEAST MINNESOTA AND
NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN AT 1130 PM CDT.
A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN...EXTENDED
FROM A LITTLE NORTH OF WINNIBIGOSHISH LAKE IN NORTHWEST ITASCA COUNTY
OF NORTHERN MINNESOTA TO THE DULUTH/SUPERIOR AREA AND ON TO THE
VICINITY OF PARK FALLS IN NORTH CENTRAL WISCSONSIN.  THIS LINE WAS
ROUGHLY 30 MILES WIDE.  THE STRENGTH OF THE THUNDERSTORMS HAS CONTINUED
TO DECREASE DURING THE PAST HOUR AND THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS
NOT EXPECTED TO BE EXTENDED.  HOWEVER...THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY STILL
CAUSE SOME STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...FREQUE#NT LIGHTNING STRIKES
AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS.
Special weather statement, Sep 6, 12:18 AM CDT, 2 hours 18 minutes before
MNZ003-004-005-007-008-009-011-012-WIZ001>004-060615-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
 1215 AM CDT THU SEP 6 1990

AT 1210 PM CDT NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY
RAIN CONTINUED OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTHWEST
WISCONSIN AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR.  THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WERE IN A LINE ABOUT 40 MILES WIDE WHICH EXTENDED FROM 65 MILES
NORTHWEST OF DULUTH TO THE RHINELANDER AREA OF NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN.
THE THUNDERSTORMS STILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...HAIL..FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS.

MOVEMENT OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST
AT 30 TO 35 MPH.
Special weather statement, Sep 6, 12:25 AM CDT, 2 hours 11 minutes before
MNZ003-004-005-007-008-009-011-012-WIZ001>004-060615-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
 1215 AM CDT THU SEP 6 1990

AT 1210 AM CDT NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY
RAIN CONTINUED OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTHWEST
WISCONSIN AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR.  THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WERE IN A LINE ABOUT 40 MILES WIDE WHICH EXTENDED FROM 65 MILES
NORTHWEST OF DULUTH TO THE RHINELANDE$R AREA OF NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN.
THE THUNDERSTORMS STILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...HAIL..FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS.

MOVEMENT OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST
AT 30 TO 35 MPH.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 5, 7:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDLHPine65 min
Sep 5, 8:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDLHPine60 min
Sep 6, 12:44 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDLHCarlton2 hr
Sep 6, 6:00 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDLHCarlton2 hr
Sep 6, 6:00 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningDLHSaint Louis2 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Minnesota, 1990Every flash flood 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.