Alert archive / North Dakota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 32, NWS Grand Forks, ND

July 18, 1994Grand Forks County, Steele County, North Dakota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 18, 1994, 10:14 PM CDT for Grand Forks County, Steele County, North Dakota. It was in force for 61 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 18, 1994, 10:14 PM CDT (03:14 UTC)
Expired
Jul 18, 1994, 11:15 PM CDT
In force
61 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Whole counties

Counties Grand Forks County, ND, Steele County, ND

The nearest sounding before it

Bismarck Municip, ND (KBIS), launched 00:00Z, 3.2 hours before the alert went out and 256 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 1994-07-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 692 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 1994-07-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 38 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
692 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
3657 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
38 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
40 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS1 KFAR 190314 RRA
SVRFAR
NDC035-039-091-190415-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FARGO ND
1014 PM CDT MON JUL 18 1994

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1115 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF NORTH DAKOTA
      GRAND FORKS...THE CITY OF GRAND FORKS...

   IN THE EAST CENTRAL PART OF NORTH DAKOTA
      GRIGGS...STEELE...

AT 1005 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS APPROCHING WESTERN
GRAND FORKS COUNTY NEAR THE TOWN OF PETERSBURG. MOVEMENT WAS EAST
AT 30 MPH AND INCLUDES THE TOWNS OF LARIMORE AND NORTHWOOD.

ANOTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER WESTERN STEELE AND EASTERN
GRIGGS COUNTIES OF EAST CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA NEAR THE TOWNS OF
COOPERSTOWN AND FINLEY. THIS STORM WAS ALSO MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

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.

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 POSSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
STAY INSIDE AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

SPIES

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 18, 6:33 PM CDT, 3 hours 41 minutes before
NDZ007-008-016-026>030-038-039-048-049-051>053-MNZ001>004-
007>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-039>041-047-190035-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FARGO ND
633 PM CDT MON JUL 18 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED OVER WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

AT 625 PM CDT A BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED OVER WEST
CENTRAL MINNESOTA FROM 15 MILES EAST OF DETROIT LAKES TO JUST NORTH
OF ALEXANDRIA.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.
HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAINS AND STRONG WIND GUSTS
WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE ACROSS THE LAKES REGION.

OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS...ESPECIALLY BOATERS AND CAMPERS ON AREA LAKES
SHOULD BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SEEK SHELTER
OR SAFE HARBOR AS NEEDED.

OTHERWISE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA
WEST OF THE JAMESTOWN AREA.

STAY TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS AS WELL AS NOAA WEATHER
RADIO FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THESE STORMS.
EWENS
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 7:33 PM CDT, 2 hours 41 minutes before
NDZ007-008-016-026>030-038-039-048-049-051>053-MNZ001>004-
007>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-039>041-047-190135-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FARGO ND
733 PM CDT MON JUL 18 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

AT 725 PM CDT...A 15 MILE WIDE BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED
OVER WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA FROM 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DETROIT LAKES TO
15 MILES EAST OF ALEXANDRIA.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30
MILES AN HOUR. HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAINS AND
STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE ACROSS THE
LAKES REGION.

OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS...ESPECIALLY BOATERS AND CAMPERS ON AREA LAKES
SHOULD BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SEEK SHELTER
OR SAFE HARBOR AS NEEDED.

OTHERWISE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA
WEST OF THE JAMESTOWN AND DEVILS LAKE AREAS AND SHOULD MOVE INTO THOSE
AREAS BY 900 PM.

STAY TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO AND T.V. AS WELL AS NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR
LATER STATEMENTS.
EWENS
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 7:34 PM CDT, 2 hours 40 minutes before
NDZ007-008-016-026>030-038-039-048-049-051>053-MNZ001>004-
007>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-039>041-047-190135-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FARGO ND
733 PM CDT MON JUL 18 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

AT 725 PM CDT...A 15 MILE WIDE BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED
OVER WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA FROM 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DETROIT LAKES TO
15 MILES EAST OF ALEXANDRIA.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30
MILES AN HOUR. HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAINS AND
STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE ACROSS THE
LAKES REGION.

OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS...ESPECIALLY BOATERS AND CAMPERS ON AREA LAKES
SHOULD BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SEEK SHELTER
OR SAFE HARBOR AS NEEDED.

OTHERWISE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA
WEST OF THE JAMESTOWN AND DEVILS LAKE AREAS AND SHDOULD MOVE INTO THOSE
AREAS BY 900 PM.

STAY TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO AND T.V. AS WELL AS NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR
LATER STATEMENTS.
EWENS
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 8:35 PM CDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before
NDZ007-008-016-026>030-038-039-048-049-051>053-MNZ001>004-
007>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-039>041-047-190235-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FARGO ND
835 PM CDT MON JUL 18 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OUT OF WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA AS STRONG
STORMS MOVE INTO ESTERN NORTH DAKOTA...

AT 825 PM CDT...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED MOVING ACROSS
WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA.  THESE STORMS WERE BETWEEN BRAINERD...ALEXANDRIA
AND SAINT CLOUD AND THEY WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED FROM THE DEVILS LAKE AREA TO
THE NORTH/SOUTH DAKOTA BORDER SOUTHWEST OF JAMESTOWN.  THE STRONGEST
STORMS WERE 45 MILES NORTHWEST AND 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF JAMESTOWN.

MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS...ESPECIALLY BOATERS AND CAMPERS ON AREA LAKES
SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SEEK
SAFE SHELTER OR HARBOR AS NEEDED.

STAY TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO AND T.V. AS WELL AS NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR
LATER STATEMENTS.
EWENS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 18, 9:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFLaMoure56 min
Jul 18, 9:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFNelson61 min
Jul 18, 10:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFGriggs61 min
Jul 18, 11:14 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFCass, Traill61 min
Jul 18, 11:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFSteele44 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Dakota, 1994Every severe thunderstorm warning 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.