Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 155, NWS Grand Forks, ND

August 2, 1997Clay County, Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 2, 1997, 8:50 PM CDT for Clay County, Minnesota. It was in force for 40 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 2, 1997, 8:50 PM CDT (01:50 UTC)
Expired: Aug 2, 1997, 9:30 PM CDT
In force: 40 min
Issued by: NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area: Whole counties

County Clay County, MN

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 95 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:52 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, 8:55 PM CDT	Hail 0.75	Hawley, MN

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

Aberdeen, SD (KABR), launched 00:00Z, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 266 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 290 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -177 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1669 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 198 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 292 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KFAR 030150 RRA
SVRFAR
MNC027-030230-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
850 PM CDT SAT AUG 2 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  930 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA
 
   ...EASTERN CLAY COUNTY
 
AT 847 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR AVERILL OR
10 MILES NORTHEAST OF FARGO. THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. TOWNS
IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM ARE HITTERDAL AND HAWLEY.
 
REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO
PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.
 
KENNEDY

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, 6 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 2, 2:50 PM CDT, 6 hours 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 35 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

RA

Local storm report, Aug 2, 7:16 PM CDT, 1 hour 34 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

RA

Local storm report, Aug 2, 7:48 PM CDT, 1 hour 2 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

RA

Local storm report, Aug 2, 8:15 PM CDT, 35 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

RA

Local storm report, Aug 2, 8:20 PM CDT, 30 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

RA

Local storm report, Aug 2, 8:25 PM CDT, 25 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

RA

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 2, 9:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Becker	47 min
Aug 2, 9:52 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FGF	Polk	38 min
Aug 2, 10:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Polk	33 min
Aug 3, 4:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Polk	27 min
Aug 3, 4:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Polk	31 min
Aug 3, 5:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Clearwater	45 min
Aug 3, 6:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Polk	41 min
Aug 3, 6:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Hubbard	47 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 1997 Every 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.