Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 16, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 23, 1994Freeborn County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 23, 1994, 10:51 AM CDT for Freeborn County, Minnesota. It was in force for 39 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 23, 1994, 10:51 AM CDT (15:51 UTC)
Expired
May 23, 1994, 11:30 AM CDT
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Whole counties

County Freeborn County, MN

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 12:00Z, 3.9 hours before the alert went out and 132 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 12:00Z on 1994-05-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 12:00Z on 1994-05-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 62 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
2059 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
62 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
143 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KRST 231557 RRA
SVRRST
MNC047-231630-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER MN
1051 AM CDT MON MAY 23 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ROCHESTER MN HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING     EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1120 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
 
   ...WESTERN FREEBORN COUNTY
 
AT 1050 AM...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF
WALTERS...WHICH IS 15 MILES WEST OF ALBERT LEA. THE STORM WAS MOVING WAS
EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
 
SOME CITIES IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...MANSFIELD...ALDEN...AND
TWIN LAKES.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...
DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.  FOR YOUR PROTECTION
MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM.  PEOPLE IN MOBILE HOMES SHOULD GO
TO A STORM SHELTER.
 
 
TESKE

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, May 23, 9:01 AM CDT, 1 hour 50 minutes before
MNZ042>044-046-048>051-054-058-064-231500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MN
901 AM CDT MON MAY 23 1994

AT 855 AM RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE
LEADING EDGE FROM ST CLOUD TO BUFFALO TO FAIRMONT. THESE STORMS WERE
MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...DEADLY
LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.

STAY INDOORS TO AVOID DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES.

MCBEATH PETERS
Special weather statement, May 23, 9:01 AM CDT, 1 hour 50 minutes before
MNZ042>044-046-048>051-054-058-064-231500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MN
901 AM CDT MON MAY 23 1994

AT 855 AM RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE
LEADING EDGE FROM ST CLOUD TO BUFFALO TO FAIRMONT. THESE STORMS WERE
MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...DEADLY
LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.

STAY INDOORS TO AVOID DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES.

MCBEATH PETERS
Special weather statement, May 23, 9:23 AM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
MNZ059-060-061-062-063-068-069-070-231530-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS MN
923 AM CDT MON MAY 23 1994

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE HEADING ACROSS THE TWIN CITIES...

AT 918 AM...AN AREA OF SHOWERS EMBEDDED WITH THUDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED
ACROSS WRIGHT AND CARVER COUNTIES. THESE SHOWERS WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS
THE TWIN CITIES METROPOLITAN AREA THIS MORNING PRODUCING SOME DOWNPOURS
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

LOOK FOR THESE THUNDERTORMS TO MOVE ACROSS THE LAKE MINNETONKA AREA AROU
930 AM THEN OVER THE DOWNTOWN AREA OF MINNEAPOLIS BETWEEN 945 AM AND
1000 AM.  MOVING AT 25 MPH...THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTETO REACH ST PAUL BY 1030 AM AND APPROACH THE ST CROIX RIVER VALLEY
AROUND 1100 AM TO 1130 AM.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS DO NOT HAVE A HISTORY OF SEVERE WINDS OR HAIL...NEVETHE LESS...BE PREPARED FOR PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND SEEK SHELTER FROM
THE POTENTIAL LIGHTNING.

WJH
Special weather statement, May 23, 9:23 AM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
MNZ059-060-061-062-063-068-069-070-231530-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS MN
923 AM CDT MON MAY 23 1994

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE HEADING ACROSS THE TWIN CITIES...

AT 918 AM...AN AREA OF SHOWERS EMBEDDED WITH THUDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED
ACROSS WRIGHT AND CARVER COUNTIES. THESE SHOWERS WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS
THE TWIN CITIES METROPOLITAN AREA THIS MORNING PRODUCING SOME DOWNPOURS
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

LOOK FOR THESE THUNDERTORMS TO MOVE ACROSS THE LAKE MINNETONKA AREA AROU
930 AM THEN OVER THE DOWNTOWN AREA OF MINNEAPOLIS BETWEEN 945 AM AND
1000 AM.  MOVING AT 25 MPH...THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTETO REACH ST PAUL BY 1030 AM AND APPR"OACH THE ST CROIX RIVER VALLEY
AROUND 1100 AM TO 1130 AM.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS DO NOT HAVE A HISTORY OF SEVERE WINDS OR HAIL...NEVETHE LESS...BE PREPARED FOR PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND SEEK SHELTER FROM
THE POTENTIAL LIGHTNING.

WJH
Special weather statement, May 23, 10:34 AM CDT, 17 minutes before
MNZ042>044-046-048>051-054-058-064-231630-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MN
1035 AM CDT MON MAY 23 1994

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH EAST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA...

AT 1030 AM RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED
THUNDERSTORMS FROM JUST WEST OF ST CLOUD TO THE TWIN CITIES TO
THE MINNESOTA-IOWA BORDER NEAR ALBERT LEA. THESE STORMS WERE
MOVING TO THE EAST AT 20 TO 25 MPH.

THESE S@TORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...DEADLY
LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.

STAY INDOORS TO AVOID DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES.

MCBEATH PETERS
Special weather statement, May 23, 10:35 AM CDT, 16 minutes before
MNZ042>044-046-048>051-054-058-064-231630-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MN
1035 AM CDT MON MAY 23 1994

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH EAST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA...

AT 1030 AM RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED
THUNDERSTORMS FROM JUST WEST OF ST CLOUD TO THE TWIN CITIES TO
THE MINNESOTA-IOWA BORDER NEAR ALBERT LEA. THESE STORMS WERE
MOVING TO THE EAST AT 20 TO 25 MPH.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...DEADLY
LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.

STAY INDOORS TO AVOID DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES.

MCBEATH PETERS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 23, 4:56 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXLac qui Parle, Yellow Medicine64 min
May 23, 7:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXRenville46 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 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.