Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1991

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 110, NWS Twin Cities, MN

July 17, 1991Polk County, Wisconsin

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 17, 1991, 11:12 PM CDT for Polk County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 48 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 17, 1991, 11:12 PM CDT (04:12 UTC)
Expired
Jul 18, 1991, 12:00 AM CDT
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Whole counties

County Polk County, WI

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 00:00Z, 4.2 hours before the alert went out and 113 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 1991-07-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1083 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 1991-07-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 9 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
1083 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-159 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1349 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
9 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
61 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 KMSP 180415
SVRMSP
WIC095-180500-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS MN
1112 PM CDT WED JUL 17 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MINNEAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING     EFFECTIVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN
 
   ...SOUTHERN POLK COUNTY
 
AT 1107 PM CDT TWIN CITIES RADAR DETECTED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WEST
OF AMERY OR ABOUT 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GRANTSBURG. THIS STORM HAS
THE POTIENTAL FOR LARGE HAIL...BRIEF GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAINS.
 
CITIES IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM ARE AMERY...LITTLE FALLS AND CLEAR
LAKE. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY
AS THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND 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 ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
DOMBROWSKY

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 17, 6:44 PM CDT, 4 hours 28 minutes before
MNZ014-013-011-180045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MINNESOTA
644 PM CDT WED JUL 17 1991

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT...

A NEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH EFFECTIVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT COVERS MUCH
OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA INCLUDING THE ST CLOUD AREA.

AT 630 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL
MINNESOTA. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF
ALEXANDRIA AND WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. OTHER STRONG STORMS
WERE LOCATED IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND NORTH OF THE TWIN CITIES.

ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED SINCE 500 PM THE
POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WINDS...LARGE HAIL...HEAVY RAINS AND FREQUENT
LIGHTNING STRIKES DOES EXIST WITH THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE THROUGH
CENTRAL MINNESOTA.

NNNN
Special weather statement, Jul 17, 9:44 PM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
MNZ014-013-180345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MINNESOTA
944 PM CDT WED JUL 17 1991

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT...

AT 930 PM THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER CENTRAL MINNESOTA FROM WEST
OF THE TWIN CITIES TO NEAR REDWOOD FALLS. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS
LOCATED JUST NORTH OF REDWOOD FALLS AND WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
25 MPH.

AROUND 815 PM 3/4 INCH HAIL WAS REPORTED AT MONTEVIDEO WHICH IS
35 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WILLMAR. AROUND 830 PM NUMEROUS TREES AND
TWO BARNS WERE BLOWN DOWN NEAR MONTEVIDEO. ALSO TREES WERE REPORTED
DOWN NEAR MAYNARD WHICH IS 12 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MONTEVIDEO.

THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DECREASED IN INTENSITY AND COVERAGE SINCE
J9 PM HOWEVER THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER STILL EXISTS
IN THE WATCHED AREA OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA.

NNNN
Local storm report, Jul 17, 10:09 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST. CLOUD MN
1000 PM CDT WED JUL 17 1991

...FOR REPORTS IN WATCH # 687 ONLY...

720 PM CDT...5 LARGE PINE TREES DOWN IN EASTERN PART OF THE CITY OF
             GLENWOOD OR 15 S AXN. 1 TREE DOWN AND BLOCKING ROAD 1 MILE
             SOUTH OF GLENWOOD. POWER OUT IN LOWRY...14 SSW AXN.
815 PM CDT...3/4 INCH HAIL IN MONTIVIDEO...43 NW RWF.
815 PM CDT...WIND IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH PEGGED NEEDLE AT KDMA RADIO
             IN MONTIVIDEO...TIME ESTIMATED.
830 PM CDT...2 STORY BARN EXPLODED-DESTROYED 6 MILES WEST OF MONTIVIDEO
             ON RIVER ROAD. ALSO ANOTHER BARN DESTROYED 1 MILE SOUTH OF
             THERE.
830 PM CDT...20 FT TALL TREES DOWN NEARa MAYNARD...37 NW RWF
854 PM CDT...UNCONFIRMED FUNNEL CLOUD 4 N OF ECHO...15 WNW RWF.

KRUSE
Special weather statement, Jul 17, 10:15 PM CDT, 57 minutes before
MNZALL-180400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
1005 PM CDT WED JUL 17 1991

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 687 CANCELLED FOR CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 687 HAS BEEN CANCELLED NORTH OF A LINE
FROM FOREST LAKE IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA TO JUST SOUTH OF WILLMAR.
THE WATCH HAS ALSO BEEN CANCELLED WEST OF A LINE FROM REDWOOD FALLS TO
ST JAMES.

SOUTHERN MINNESOTA..INCLUDING THE TWIN CITIES METROPOLITAN AREA..REMAINS
IN THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS
ALSO IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 AM IN SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
FROM RED WING TO NEW ULM SOUTH TO THE IOWA BORDER.
WISCONSIN.

MOVEMENT WfAS TO THE EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

AS OF 1250 PM...NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS WERE IN EFFECT...THE MAJOR
THREAT AT THIS POINT IS THE DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBILITY OF STREET
FLOODING ESPECIALLY AROUND THE TWIN CITIES.
Special weather statement, Jul 17, 10:16 PM CDT, 56 minutes before
MNZALL-180400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT..CORRECTION TO DELETE GARBLE AT END
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
1005 PM CDT WED JUL 17 1991

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 687 CANCELLED FOR CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 687 HAS BEEN CANCELLED NORTH OF A LINE
FROM FOREST LAKE IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA TO JUST SOUTH OF WILLMAR.
THE WATCH HAS ALSO BEEN CANCELLED WEST OF A LINE FROM REDWOOD FALLS TO
ST JAMES.

SOUTHERN MINNESOTA..INCLUDING THE TWIN CITIES METROPOLITAN AREA..REMAINS
IN THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS
ALSO IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 AM IN SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
FROM RED WING TO NEW ULM SOUTH TO THiE IOWA BORDER.

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Wisconsin, 1991Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1991

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.