Alert archive / North Dakota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 154, NWS Grand Forks, ND
NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 2, 1997, 8:31 PM CDT for Walsh County, North Dakota. It was in force for 29 min. 4 reports 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 2, 1997, 8:31 PM CDT (01:31 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 2, 1997, 9:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 29 min
- Issued by
- NWS Grand Forks, ND
- Area
- Whole counties
County Walsh County, ND
The radar
The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 98 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:34 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2, 8:35 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 78 | Fairdale, ND | |
| Aug 2, 8:35 PM CDT | Hail 1.75 | Fairdale, ND | |
| Aug 2, 8:50 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind | Adams, ND | A strong wind broke several windows and blew down several 130 foot tall trees. The strong wind pushed large round hay bales 400 feet across a field. |
| Aug 2, 8:50 PM CDT | Hail 1 | Adams, 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, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 286 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
- 296 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -113 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2349 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 35 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 72 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 124 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KFAR 030131 RRA SVRFAR NDC099-030200- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND 831 PM CDT SAT AUG 2 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA ...WESTERN WALSH COUNTY AT 829 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM LOCATED NORTHEAST OF EDMORE...OR 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF DEVILS LAKE. THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. TOWNS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM ARE FAIRDALE AND ADAMS. WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...MOVE INTO A STRONG BUILDING. DON'T USE TEzLEPHONES OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. STRAGER
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.
NWS Grand Forks, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 2, 2:50 PM CDT, 5 hours 41 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 2, 2:50 PM CDT, 5 hours 41 minutes before
FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND 250 PM CDT SAT AUG 02 1997 BROAD WEAK AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WITH ASSORTED WEAK BOUNDARIES MAKE FOR DIFFICULT DECISIONS ON BEST CHANCES FOR TSRA FROM LATE AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ATTM FAVORED AREA APPEARS TO BE SE ND...E SD INTO WEST CENTRAL MN. GREATEST INSTABILITY ACROSS EASTERN SD WITH ADAP LIS TO -12 WITH WK CAP. MODIFIED ABR 12Z SOUNDING INDICATING CAPES NEAR 4000 J/KG WITH PWATS APPROACHING 1.5 INCHES. APPROACHING SHORTWAVE ENERGY AND ADDITIONAL LIFT FROM JET ALONG WITH BOUNDARIES LEFT OVER FROM AM CONVECTION OVR NE SD...SE ND INTO WEST CENTRAL MN SHOULD MAKE UP FOR ANY WK SURFACE FRONTAL FORCING. ALSO H8 AND BOUNDARY LAYER MOIST CONVERGENCE...FRONTOGENETIC AND QG FORCING FAVOR THIS AREA. FROM AREA TIME SECTIONS MAIN UPWARD MOTION CONTINUES TIL AROUND 06Z AS MAIN TSRA ACTION SHIFTS SOUTH AND EAST. OTHERWISE WEAK E-W BOUNDARY PROGGED TO CONTINUE TO SAG SOUTHWARD. DEWPOINTS ACROSS SOUTHERN MB CONTINUE IN THE LOW TO MID 60S SO OVERNIGHT LOWS IN MOS RANGES SEEM OK. WITH WK SURFACE FEATURES WINDS SHOULD REMAIN LIGHT. IF CLEARING DOES TAKE PLACE LATE TONIGHT FOG MAY BE A CONCERN BUT HARD TO PIN DOWN ATTM AND WILL BRIEF NEXT SHIFT. DVL...PC. CHC OF TSRA. FEW PSBL SEVERE THIS EVENING. (CONFIDENCE LOW HERE). LOW LOW 60S. LT WIND. GFK...PC. CHC OF TSRA...FEW PSBL SEVERE THIS EVENING. (LOW CONFIDENCE HERE TOO IF SOUTHERN STORMS TAKE OFF). LOW 60 TO 65. LT WIND. FAR...PC CHC OF TSRA...FEW PSBL SEVERE THIS EVENING. LOW 60 TO 65. LT WND. ROX/BDE/TVF/BJI PC. CHC OF TSRA. SEVERE MARGINAL. LOW AROUND 60. LT WIND. DTL/PKD/FFM...PC. GOOD CHC OF TSRA. PSBL SVR THIS EVENING. LOW 60 TO 65. LT WIND. IF USING POPS...SHOULD BE HIGHEST ACROSS THE SOUTH. VOELKER
In the hours before
Local storm report, Aug 2, 7:15 PM CDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...DELAYED REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
715 PM CDT SAT AUG 2 1997
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
500 PM BRAMPTON ND DIME SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 SARGENT
540 PM 6N ELBOW LAKE MN DIME SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 GRANT
550 PM GWINNER ND PEA SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 SARGENT 50 MPH WIND
540-550 PM 7E ELBOW LAKE ND DIME SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 GRANT
605 PM BARRETT ND DIME SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 GRANT
605 PM 5N COGSWELL ND PEA TO GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 SARGENT
606 PM 2E ELBOW LAKE MN DIME SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 GRANT
634 PM BARNEY ND DIME SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 RICHLAND
657 PM MOORETON TRUCK SCALE ND DIME SIZE HAIL 52 MPH WIND
08/02/97 RICHLAND
630 PM HOFFMAN MN DIME SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 GRANT STREET FLOODING
RALocal storm report, Aug 2, 7:16 PM CDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...DELAYED REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
715 PM CDT SAT AUG 2 1997
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
500 PM BRAMPTON ND DIME SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 SARGENT
540 PM 6N ELBOW LAKE MN DIME SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 GRANT
550 PM GWINNER ND PEA SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 SARGENT 50 MPH WIND
540-550 PM 7E ELBOW LAKE ND DIME SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 GRANT
605 PM BARRETT ND DIME SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 GRANT
605 PM 5N COGSWELL ND PEA TO GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 SARGENT
606 PM 2E ELBOW LAKE MN DIME SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 GRANT
634 PM BARNEY ND DIME SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 RICHLAND
657 PM MOORETON TRUCK SCALE ND DIME SIZE HAIL 52 MPH WIND
08/02/97 RICHLAND
630 PM HOFFMAN MN DIME SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 GRANT STREET FLOODING
RALocal storm report, Aug 2, 7:48 PM CDT, 43 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
748 PM CDT SAT AUG 2 1997
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
720 PM LITCHVILLE 1/2 N ND 2.00 TO 2.50 INCH HAIL
08/02/97 BARNES
728 PM KATHRYN 4E ND DIME SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 BARNES
735 PM FINGAL ND 0.5 INCH HAIL
08/02/97 BARNES
RALocal storm report, Aug 2, 8:15 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
815 PM CDT SAT AUG 2 1997
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
753 PM MUNICH ND WIND EST. 60-70 MPH
08/02/97 CAVALIER PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL
VERY HEAVY RAIN
813 PM MAPLETON 3SE ND DIME SIZE HAIL 40 MPH WIND
08/02/97 CASS
RALocal storm report, Aug 2, 8:20 PM CDT, 11 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
820 PM CDT SAT AUG 2 1997
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
818 PM DAZEY ND DIME SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 BARNES
822 PM FARGO 10W ND DIME SIZE HAIL 45+ MPH WIND
08/02/97 CASS
RALocal storm report, Aug 2, 8:25 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
820 PM CDT SAT AUG 2 1997
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION...d.
818 PM DAZEY ND DIME SIZE HAIL
08/02/97 BARNES
822 PM FARGO 10W ND DIME SIZE HAIL 45+ MPH WIND
08/02/97 CASS
RAThe office that day
Everything else NWS Grand Forks, ND issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2, 7:22 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Barnes | 38 min |
| Aug 2, 7:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Cavalier | 33 min |
| Aug 2, 7:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Barnes | 31 min |
| Aug 2, 8:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Cass | 36 min |
| Aug 2, 8:49 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | FGF | Walsh | 26 min |
| Aug 2, 9:08 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | FGF | Grand Forks, Nelson | 52 min |
| Aug 2, 9:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Griggs | 33 min |
| Aug 2, 9:52 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | FGF | Grand Forks | 38 min |
| Aug 2, 10:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Steele | 34 min |
| Aug 2, 10:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Traill | 25 min |
| Aug 2, 10:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Grand Forks | 33 min |
| Aug 3, 5:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Grand Forks | 47 min |
| Aug 3, 5:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Grand Forks | 31 min |
| Aug 3, 5:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Towner | 41 min |
| Aug 3, 6:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Grand Forks | 25 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.