Alert archive / North Dakota / Tornado Warnings in 1994
Tornado Warning 11, NWS Bismarck, ND
NWS Bismarck, ND issued this tornado warning at Sep 14, 1994, 11:35 PM CDT for Ward County, North Dakota. It was in force for 40 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
- Sep 14, 1994, 11:35 PM CDT (04:35 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 15, 1994, 12:15 AM CDT
- In force
- 40 min
- Issued by
- NWS Bismarck, ND
- Area
- Whole counties
County Ward County, ND
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 14, 11:50 PM CDT | Tornado F0 | Minot Afb, ND | Two separate tornadoes touched down briefly and did no damage. |
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, 4.6 hours before the alert went out and 173 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2312 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -11 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 963 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 47 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 14 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 105 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.6
- Supercell composite
- 2.5
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KBIS 150435
TORBIS
NDC101-150515-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1135 PM CDT WED SEP 14 1994
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1215 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY
IN THE NORTH CENTRAL PART OF NORTH DAKOTA
WARD
AT 1130 PM CDT A TORNADO WAS REPORTED ON THE GROUND 12 MILES
WEST OF THE MINOT AIRFORCE BASE. IT WAS MOVING EAST AT AN UNKNOWN
SPEED. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THE TORNADO SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IN
BASEMENTS.
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.
LMWhat 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, Sep 14, 10:40 PM CDT, 55 minutes before
NDZ001-002-009-010-017-018-031-032-150445- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND 1035 PM CDT (935 PM MDT) WED SEP 14 1994 ...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES UNTIL 1 AM CDT FOR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA... AT 1035 PM CDT...935 MDT...THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED OVER WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHEAST MONTANA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED 50 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WILLISTON...OR 15 SOUTHEAST OF SIDNEY MONTANA TO 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF SIDNEY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE DEADLY LIGHTNING...LARGE HAIL...AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS AND DAMAGING WINDS. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY MOVE INTO NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA NEAR THE CARTWRIGHT AND TRENTON AREAS BY 1130 CDT. TS
Local storm report, Sep 14, 10:45 PM CDT, 50 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
1045 PM CDT WED SEP 14 1994
TIME EVENT LOCATION
645 PM MDT MOSTLY PEA SIZE HAIL 10 MILES WEST OF FAIRFIELD
BUT A FEW STONES AS NORTHERN BILLINGS COUNTY
BIG AS A DIME. LASTED
5 TO 10 MINUTES.
NO DAMAGE.
JP MARTINLocal storm report, Sep 14, 10:57 PM CDT, 38 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
1045 PM CDT WED SEP 14 1994
TIME EVENT LOCATION
645 PM MDT MOSTLY PEA SIZE HAIL 10 MILES WEST OF FAIRFIELD
BUT A FEW STONES AS NORTHERN BILLINGS COUNTY
BIG AS A DIME. LASTED
5 TO 10 MINUTES.
NO DAMAGE.
JP MARTINSpecial weather statement, Sep 14, 11:00 PM CDT, 35 minutes before
NDZ001>053-MNZ001>003-150130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 1100 PM CDT WED SEP 14 1994 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR WESTERN MORTON COUNTY HAS EXPIRED... ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN AND MUCH OF CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL 1 AM CDT... THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN WESTERN MORTON COUNTY HAS WEAKENED AND THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING HAS EXPIRED. AT 1044 PM CDT... HEBRON REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. THE OBSERVER AT HEBRON ALSO REPORTED A LITTLE MORE THAN AN INCH OF RAIN IN 20 MINUTES. ELSEWHERE...A NARROW BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS 20 MILES WIDE EXTENDED FROM JUST WEST OF MINOT TO THE STORM IN WESTERN MORTON COUNTY. THIS BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING EAST 25 MPH. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD FIND SHELTER INDOORS. LM
Special weather statement, Sep 14, 11:03 PM CDT, 32 minutes before
NDZ001>053-MNZ001>003-150130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 1100 PM CDT WED SEP 14 1994 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR WESTERN MORTON COUNTY HAS EXPIRED... ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN AND MUCH OF CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL 1 AM CDT... THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN WESTERN MORTON COUNTY HAS WEAKENED AND THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING HAS EXPIRED. AT 1044 PM CDT... HEBRON REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. THE OBSERVER AT HEBRON ALSO REPORTED A LITTLE MORE THAN AN INCH OF RAIN IN 20 MINUTES. ELSEWHERE...A NARROW BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS 20 MILES WIDE EXTENDED FROM JUST WEST OF MINOT TO THE STORM IN WESTERN MORTON COUNTY. THIS BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING EAST 25 MPH. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD FIND SHELTER INDOORS. LM
Special weather statement, Sep 14, 11:34 PM CDT, 1 minute before
NDZ001-002-009-010-017-018-031-032-150540- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND 1135 PM CDT (1035 PM MDT) WED SEP 14 1994 ...THUNDERSTORMS WERE STARTING TO DECREASE IN INTENSITY OVER WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA... ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES UNTIL 1 AM CDT FOR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA... AT 1130 PM CDT...1030 MOUNTAIN...THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED OVER WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHEAST MONTANA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE FROM 25 MILES WEST TO 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WILLISTON...ALONG THE MONTANA/NORTH DAKOTA BORDER. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG THE NORTH DAKOTA/SASKATCHEWAN BORDER...SCATTERED BETWEEN FORTUNA AND BOWBELLS. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 25 MILES AN HOUR. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE DEADLY LIGHTNING AND A BRIEF PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN. SMALL HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE. JP MARTIN
The office that day
Everything else NWS Bismarck, ND issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 14, 7:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BIS | Billings | 60 min |
| Sep 14, 7:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BIS | Bowman, Slope | 20 min |
| Sep 14, 7:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BIS | Williams | 63 min |
| Sep 14, 9:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BIS | Stark | 44 min |
| Sep 14, 9:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BIS | Dunn | 61 min |
| Sep 14, 10:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BIS | Stark | 21 min |
| Sep 14, 10:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BIS | Morton | 51 min |
| Sep 15, 12:28 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BIS | Bottineau | 27 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in North Dakota, 1994Every tornado warning in 1994Tornadoes in 1994
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.