Alert archive / North Dakota / Tornado Warnings in 1996

Tornado Warning 18, NWS Bismarck, ND

August 3, 1996Emmons County, North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this tornado warning at Aug 3, 1996, 11:23 PM CDT for Emmons County, North Dakota. It was in force for 52 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
Aug 3, 1996, 11:23 PM CDT (04:23 UTC)
Expired
Aug 4, 1996, 12:15 AM CDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Bismarck, ND
Area
Whole counties

County Emmons County, ND

The radar

The Bismarck radar (KBIS), 67 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:23 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 3, 11:30 PM CDTTornado F0Linton, ND

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.

The nearest sounding before it

Bismarck Municip, ND (KBIS), launched 00:00Z, 4.4 hours before the alert went out and 64 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 1996-08-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1645 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, Bismarck Municip, ND at 00:00Z on 1996-08-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 67 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
1645 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-227 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1225 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
67 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
121 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBIS 040422
TORBIS
NDC029-040515-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1123 PM CDT SAT AUG 3 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BISMARCK HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1215 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA
 
   ...EMMONS COUNTY
 
AT 1120 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 6 MILES WEST OF
LINTON MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THIS STORM WILL PASS NEAR LINTON BY
1130 PM CDT. BY MIDNIGHT CDT...THIS STORM WILL MOVE TO THE LOGAN COUNTY
LINE 15 MILES EAST OF LINTON BY MIDNIGHT CDT.
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STFURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.
 
 
ABELING

What 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, Aug 3, 7:18 PM CDT, 4 hours 5 minutes before
NDZ019-020-033>037-040>048-050-051-040130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  BISMARCK ND
720 PM CDT SAT AUG 3 1996

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...

AT 600 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS 45 MILES
SOUTH OF BOWMAN. THIS NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ORIENTED LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHERN BOWMAN COUNTY BETWEEN 630 AND 7 PM
MDT. AS THE LINE CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTHEAST...AREAS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
AND EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA WILL SEE THUNDERSTORMS AFTER 9 PM CDT.

ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED AS OF 6 PM MDT...THE
CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP OVER NORTH
DAKOTA THIS EVENING. BE lON THE LOOKOUT AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH
FROM THE SOUTH.

ABELING
Special weather statement, Aug 3, 8:56 PM CDT, 2 hours 27 minutes before
SAFETY RULES FOR SEVERE STORMS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
900 PM CDT SAT AUG 3 1996

A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE.  THE FOLLOWING SAFETY RULES SHOULD BE BROADCAST BY
ALL STATIONS.

A WATCH MEANS THAT WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT
OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES. DURING A WATCH...
YOU SHOULD GO ABOUT YOUR NORMAL BUSINESS...BUT STAY UPDATED ON THE
LATEST WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS AND BE PREPARED TO GO TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.

A WARNING MEANS THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OR TORNADOES HAVE BEEN
REPORTED...OR INDICATED BY OUR RADAR.  PERSONS IN THE WARNED AREA
SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE SAFETY MEASURES AS OUTLINED HERE.

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...
HEAVY RAINS...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING.  STAY INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS
AND DOORS.  LIGHTNING IS THE SINGLE WORST KILLER FROM THUNDERSTORMS SO
DO NOT USE ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES...THE PHONE ONLY IN AN EMERGENCY.
IF CAUGHT OUTDOORS...GET OFF OF OPEN VEHICLES...FARM IMPLEMENTS AND
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT.  DO NOT BE IN CONTACT WITH METAL OBJECTS AND
REMOVE METAL CLEATS.  DO NOT BE THE TALLEST OBJECT AROUND AND AVOID
OBJECTS THAT PROJECT ABOVE THE LANDSCAPE.  IF ON A BOAT OR SWIMMING...
GET OUT OF THE WATER AND TO SHORE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.  AVOID
AREAS OF FLASH FLOODING.

...TORNADOES ARE NATURES MOST VIOLENT STORMS.  IN A HOME...THE BEST
SHELTER IS IN THE BASEMENT UNDER HEAVY FURNITURE.  IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...GET TO THE CENTER OF THE HOUSE ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  GET
INTO A SHORT-SPANNED STRUCTURE SUCH AS A CLOSET...INTERIOR HALL OR A
WINDOWLESS BATHROOM.  STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS.  PROTECT YOUR
HEAD WITH WHATEVER YOU CAN...A HEAVY BLANKET OR EVEN YOUR HANDS.  IN
A SCHOOL...OFFICE OR OTHER TYPE OF INSTITUTIONAL BUILDING...GO QUICKLY
TO A BASEMENT IF AVAILABLE.  IF NONE...GO TO A CENTRAL HALL OR CORRIDOR
ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE.  KEEP AWAY FROM OUTSIDE WALLS...DOORS AND
WINDOWS.  STAY OUT OF LONG-SPANNED STRUCTURES SUCH AS SHOPPING MALLS...
AUDITORIUMS...AND GYMNASIUMS.  IF CAUGHT THERE...GET UNDER OR NEXT TO
SOMETHING STURDY OR SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY BATHROOM.

DO NOT TRY TO DRIVE AWAY FROM A TORNADO.  IF IN A CAR OR MOBILE HOME...
SEEK SHELTER ON FOOT TO THE NEAREST REINFORCED BUILDING.  IN OPEN
COUNTRY...GET INTO A DITCH...DEPRESSION OR CULVERT.  IF YOU ARE IN A
MOBILE HOME...WHETHER IT IS TIED DOWN OR NOT...ABANDON IT AND GO TO A
COMMUNITY SHELTER OR REINFORCED BUILDING.  OTHERWISE GET TO A LOW
LYING SPOT IN THE GROUND AND PROTECT YOUR HEAD.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 3, 8:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISBowman66 min
Aug 3, 10:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISBillings33 min
Aug 3, 10:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISSlope40 min
Aug 3, 11:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISMcIntosh60 min
Aug 3, 11:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISDunn, McKenzie52 min
Aug 3, 11:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISHettinger48 min
Aug 3, 11:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISBurleigh, Kidder63 min
Aug 4, 12:33 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISStutsman42 min
Aug 4, 12:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISFoster59 min
Aug 4, 1:03 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISMercer, Oliver72 min
Aug 4, 2:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISFoster, Stutsman56 min
Aug 4, 3:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISStutsman62 min
Aug 4, 4:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISStutsman42 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Dakota, 1996Every tornado warning in 1996Tornadoes in 1996

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.