Alert archive / North Dakota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 141, NWS Bismarck, ND

August 27, 1997Williams County, North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 27, 1997, 8:20 PM CDT for Williams County, North Dakota. It was in force for 55 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 27, 1997, 8:20 PM CDT (01:20 UTC)
Expired
Aug 27, 1997, 9:15 PM CDT
In force
55 min
Issued by
NWS Bismarck, ND
Area
Whole counties

County Williams County, ND

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 27, 8:30 PM CDTHail 0.75Corinth, 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Aug 27, 4:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Glasgow Intl Airport, MT (KGGW), launched 00:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 231 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, Glasgow Intl Airport, MT at 00:00Z on 1997-08-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1641 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, Glasgow Intl Airport, MT at 00:00Z on 1997-08-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 18 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
1641 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-37 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2711 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
18 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
81 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
3.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

352 
WUUS1 KISN 280121 RRA
SVRISN
NDC105-280215-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
820 PM CDT WED AUG 27 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILLISTON HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  915 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA
 
   ...WILLIAMS COUNTY
 
AT 815 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAD
DEVELOPED IN MONTANA AND WERE MOVING INTO NORTH DAKOTA. THE LINE WAS
LOCATED FROM 12 MILES NORTHWEST OF WILLISTON TO 70 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
WILLISTON. TOWNS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS ARE TRENTON...BUFORD AND
WILLISTON. THESE STORMS HAD PREVIOUSLY PRODUCED DIME SIZED HAIL IN
MONTANA. THE LINE WAS MOVING TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 20 MPH.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
 
CECIL
 
&

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, Aug 27, 3:05 PM CDT, 5 hours 15 minutes before
NDZ001>004-009>012-017-272200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  BISMARCK ND
305 PM CDT WED AUG 27 1997

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER IN NORTHWEST NORTH
DAKOTA...

A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHEAST SASKATCHEWAN WILL MOVE INTO
EXTREME NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA AROUND 400 PM CDT. THE CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER IN THE FORM OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS. IF THESE STORMS CONTINUE ON THEIR PATH...PERSONS IN DIVIDE AND
BURKE COUNTIES SHOULD EXPECT THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT AND LISTEN FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

ABELING
Special weather statement, Aug 27, 3:07 PM CDT, 5 hours 13 minutes before
NDZ001>004-009>012-017-272200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  BISMARCK ND
305 PM CDT WED AUG 27 1997

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER IN NORTHWEST NORTH
DAKOTA...

A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHEAST SASKATCHEWAN WILL MOVE INTO
EXTREME NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA AROUND 400 PM CDT. THE CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER IN THE FORM OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS. IF THESE STORMS CONTINUE ON THEIR PATH...PERSONS IN DIVIDE AND
BURKE COUNTIES SHOULD EXPECT THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT AND LISTEN FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

ABELING
Special weather statement, Aug 27, 7:30 PM CDT, 50 minutes before
NDZ010-011-280130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  BISMARCK ND
730 PM CDT WED AUG 27 1997

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...

AT 730 PM CDT A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM 25 MILES WEST
OF NEW TOWN OR 65 MILES WEST OF MINOT...TO 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF MINOT
NEAR TAGUS. THE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. TOWNS IN THE
PATH OF THE STORMS INCLUDE NEW TOWN...PARSHALL...PLAZA...AND BERTHOLD.
WIND GUSTS TO 55 MPH...SMALL HAIL...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED
WITH THIS STORM. 55 MPH WINDS WERE REPORTED NEAR STANLEY WITH THESE
STORMS.

LEBLANG/VINING
Special weather statement, Aug 27, 7:33 PM CDT, 47 minutes before
NDZ010-011-280130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  BISMARCK ND
730 PM CDT WED AUG 27 1997

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...

AT 730 PM CDT A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM 25 MILES WEST
OF NEW TOWN OR 65 MILES WEST OF MINOT...TO 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF MINOT
NEAR TAGUS. THE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. TOWNS IN THE
PATH OF THE STORMS INCLUDE NEW TOWN...PARSHALL...PLAZA.(..AND BERTHOLD.
WIND GUSTS TO 55 MPH...SMALL HAIL...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED
WITH THIS STORM. 55 MPH WINDS WERE REPORTED NEAR STANLEY WITH THESE
STORMS.

LEBLANG/VINING
Local storm report, Aug 27, 7:55 PM CDT, 25 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  WILLISTON ND
755 PM CDT WED AUG 27 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0420 PM    WESTBY                    MT   0.88 INCH HAIL
08/27/97   SHERIDAN                       ONE FOOT IN DEPTH OVER
                                          ROADWAY

0430 PM    5 MILES EAST OF WESTBY    MT   65 MPH WIND GUST
08/27/97   SHERIDAN

BRW
Local storm report, Aug 27, 8:00 PM CDT, 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  WILLISTON ND
800 PM CDT WED AUG 27 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0548 PM    HANKS                     ND   60 MPH WIND GUST
08/27/97   WILLIAMS

BRW

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 27, 8:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISMcKenzie56 min
Aug 28, 2:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISBowman, Slope61 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Dakota, 1997Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997

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.