Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 180, NWS Grand Forks, ND

August 5, 1997Polk County, Minnesota; Traill County, North Dakota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 5, 1997, 5:27 PM CDT for Polk County, Minnesota; Traill County, North Dakota. It was in force for 33 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 5, 1997, 5:27 PM CDT (22:27 UTC)
Expired
Aug 5, 1997, 6:00 PM CDT
In force
33 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Whole counties

Counties Polk County, MN, Traill County, ND

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 42 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:29 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.

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Aug 5, 4:00 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

International Fa, MN (KINL), launched 12:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 280 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, International Fa, MN at 12:00Z on 1997-08-05Temperature 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, International Fa, MN at 12:00Z on 1997-08-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 46 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
1490 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
68 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 KFAR 052227 RRA
SVRFAR
NDC097-MNC119-052300-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
527 PM CDT TUE AUG 5 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  600 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA
 
   ...TRAILL COUNTY
 
IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
 
   ...SOUTHWEST POLK
 
AT 524 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
...FROM BUXTON NORTH DAKOTA TO CLIMAX MINNESOTA...OR 20 MILES SOUTH OF
GRAND FORKS. THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH AND WILL
AFFECT CUMMINGS...CALEDONIA AND NIELSVILLE.
 
REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO
PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.
 
 
 
&

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 5, 2:50 PM CDT, 2 hours 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 5, 2:50 PM CDT, 2 hours 37 minutes before
FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
250 PM CDT TUE AUG 5 1997

FCST CONCERN WILL BE SVR TSRA DEVELOPMENT INTO EARLY PART OF PERIOD.
SFC LOW HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS NE ND/S MB BORDER WITH TRAILING COLD FRONT
ACROSS NORTH PART OF STATE. ALL MORNING AND INTO AFTERNOON HOURS SCT
TSRA HAVE OCCURRED MAINLY ALONG N/S ORIENTED THERMAL BOUNDARY OVR
NORTHERN MN. WITH RAIN AND CLOUD COOLED AIR TEMPS ACROSS PTNS OF N MN
REMAIN GENERALLY IN THE 60S TO AROUND 70 DEGREES. ALTHOUGH A SEVERE
THREAT CONT FOR NW MN BELIEVE BEST AREA HAS SHIFTED WESTWARD TO INCLUDE
MOST OF ND. ALTHOUGH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IS MARGINAL 60-65 DEGREE
DEWPOINTS EXIST ACROSS N CENTRAL ND INTO S MB NEAR SFC LOW. PLENTY OF
SOLAR HAS RISEN TEMPS INTO THE UPPER 70S AND 80S ACROSS ND. VERTICAL
SHEAR PROFILE ALSO CONDUSIVE FOR SVR WX. FROM PROGGED FAR SOUNDING TSRA
SHOULD TRACK SE AROUND 30KT. TSRA SHOULD MOVE OUT OF S PTN OF REGION BY
MID FOLLOWED BY DECREASING CLDS. MOS TEMPS FROM MID 50S TO AROUND 60
SEEM REASONABLE. WITH WK SFC FLOW AND CLEARING LATE AREAS OF FOG PSBL.
FOR DVL...THIS EVENING...SCT TSRA FEW PSBL SEVERE.
          TONIGHT...DEC CLDS. LOW MID 50S N 5 TO 10.
GFK...THIS EVENING...SCT TSRA FEW PSBL SEVERE.
      TONIGHT...DEC CLDS. LOW MID 50S. LT N WIND.
FAR...THIS EVENING...SCT TSRA FEW PSBL SEVERE.
      TONIGHT...DEC CLDS. LOW MID 50S. LT N WND.
MSP WRK ZONES LOOK OK.
VOELKER

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 5, 1:45 PM CDT, 3 hours 42 minutes before
MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052-053-061200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
145 PM CDT TUE AUG 05 1997

...SEVERE WEATHER MAY OCCUR TODAY OVER EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WAS LOCATED ALONG THE NORTHEAST NORTH
DAKOTA/CANADIAN BORDER WITH A TRAILING COLD FRONT ACROSS THE REMAINDER
OF NORTHERN NORTH DAKOTA. EAST OF THIS AREA OF LOW PRESSURE SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE CONTINUED ACROSS NORTHERN MINNESOTA THROUGH THE
MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS. BECAUSE OF THE RAIN AND CLOUD COVER THE
AIRMASS ACROSS THIS AREA HAS BECOME FAIRLY STABLE.

ALTHOUGH A SEVERE STORM IS POSSIBLE ACROSS EXTREME WESTERN MINNESOTA
...THE MOST FAVORABLE LOCATION FOR SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON HAS
SHIFTED WEST TO INCLUDE MOST OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF NORTH
DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON MOVING SOUTHEAST DURING THE EVENING HOURS. SOME
OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH THE PRIMARY CONCERN BEING LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. BECAUSE OF THE WIND PATTERN ALOFT...ISOLATED
TORNADOS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.

SEVERE WEATHER SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING IN EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA.
VOELKER
Special weather statement, Aug 5, 1:58 PM CDT, 3 hours 29 minutes before
MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052-053-061200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
145 PM CDT TUE AUG 05 1997

...SEVERE WEATHER MAY OCCUR TODAY OVER EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WAS LOCATED ALONG THE NORTHEAST NORTH
DAKOTA/CANADIAN BORDER WITH A TRAILING COLD FRONT ACROSS THE REMAINDER
OF NORTHERN NORTH DAKOTA. EAST OF THIS AREA OF LOW PRESSURE SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE CONTINUED ACROSS NORTHERN MINNESOTA THROUGH THE
MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS. BECAUSE OF THE RAIN AND CLOUD COVER THE
AIRMASS ACROSS THIS AREA HAS BECOME FAIRLY STABLE.

ALTHOUGH A SEVERE STORM IS POSSIBLE ACROSS EXTREME WESTERN MINNESOTA
...THE MOST FAVORABLE LOCATION FOR SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON HAS
SHIFTED WEST TO INCLUDE MOST OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF NORTH
DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON MOVING SOUTHEAST DURING THE EVENING HOURS. SOME
OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH THE PRIMARY CONCERN BEING LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. BECAUSE OF THE WIND PATTERN ALOFT...ISOLATED
TORNADOS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.

SEVERE WEATHER SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING IN EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA.
VOELKER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 5, 3:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFMarshall, Polk35 min
Aug 5, 3:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFPembina36 min
Aug 5, 3:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFPembina31 min
Aug 5, 4:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFWalsh38 min
Aug 5, 4:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFGrand Forks27 min
Aug 5, 4:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFGrand Forks32 min
Aug 5, 6:51 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFCass29 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 1997Severe 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.