Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 196, NWS Grand Forks, ND

September 1, 1997Becker County, Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Sep 1, 1997, 3:04 AM CDT for Becker County, Minnesota. It was in force for 41 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
Sep 1, 1997, 3:04 AM CDT (08:04 UTC)
Expired
Sep 1, 1997, 3:45 AM CDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Whole counties

County Becker County, MN

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 141 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:03 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
Sep 1, 3:20 AM CDTHail 0.75Lake Park, 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

International Fa, MN (KINL), launched 00:00Z, 8.1 hours before the alert went out and 254 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 00:00Z on 1997-09-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 539 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 1997-09-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 62 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
539 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-8 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1654 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
62 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
171 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

558 
WUUS1 KFAR 010805 RRA
SVRFAR
MNC005-010845-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
304 AM CDT MON SEP 1 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  345 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA
 
   ...WESTERN BECKER COUNTY
 
AT 304 AM...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES EAST OF HAWLEY
OR 20 MILES WEST OF DETROIT LAKES. THIS STORM IS MOVING TO THE EAST AT
30 MPH AND WILL BE EFFECTING THE TOWNS OF LAKE PARK AND AUDUBON.
 
REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO
PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.
 
GSF

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 Sep 1, 3:01 AM CDT, 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 1, 3:01 AM CDT, 3 minutes before
FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
300 AM CDT MON SEP 01 1997

UNABLE TO PROVIDE A FULL DISCUSSION DUE TO SVR WX...WIND ADVISORY AND
FLASH FLOODING IN CWFA.  MESO-HIGH CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS NW MN
PRODUCING 30 TO 55 MPH WIND GUSTS AND SOME TREES DOWN FROM THE WINDS.
HAVE HAD ONE REPORT OF 60 MPH WIND...BUT RECOMMEND KEEPING ADVISORY
GOING AND NOT UPGRADE TO HIGH WIND WARNING AT THIS TIME AS MESO-HIGH
APPEARS TO BE WEAKENING SLIGHTLY AND STARTING TO MOVE E.  MODELS BRING
COLD FRONT ACROSS CWFA TODAY AND STRONG CAA WILL INTERACT WITH MID 50
TO MID 60 DEWPOINT TO PRODUCE MORE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY.  WITH 850 MB
`TEMPS CRASHING DOWN BEHIND FRONT...EXPECT HIGH TEMPS TODAY IN THE 70S.

NG

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 31, 10:20 PM CDT, 4 hours 44 minutes before
NDZ006>008-014>016-024-026>030-038-039-049-052-053-010415-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1016 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 1997

...TORNADO WATCH ALLOWED TO EXPIRE FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...

THE TORNADO WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA HAS BEEN
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

A WARM FRONT EXTENDING FROM BISMARCK TO JAMESTOWN TO FARGO WILL
CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT OVERNIGHT.
AS THE STORMS MOVE EAST ALONG THE WARM FRONT...ISOLATED OCCURRANCES
OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOS REMAIN POSSIBLE.  VERY
HEAVY RAINFALL CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED FROM THESE STORMS.

NG
Special weather statement, Aug 31, 10:45 PM CDT, 4 hours 19 minutes before
MNZ001-002-013>015-022-NDZ027-029-030-010645-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1045 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 1997

...GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER PARTS OF NORTHEASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA AND NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA...

SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GUST FROM 35 TO 50 MPH OVER GRAND
FORKS...POLK...RED LAKE...PENNINGTON...STEELE...TRAILL...NORMAN AND
MAHNOMEN COUNTIES UNTIL 130 AM CDT.  ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS HAVE
PRODUCED A LOCALIZED STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT THAT IS CONTRIBUTING TO
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS.  THIS PRESSURE
GRADIENT IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AFTER 1 AM CDT AND THE WINDS SHOULD
BEGIN TO WEAKEN.

NG
Special weather statement, Aug 31, 10:46 PM CDT, 4 hours 18 minutes before
MNZ001-002-013>015-022-NDZ027-029-030-010645-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1045 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 1997

...GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER PARTS OF NORTHEASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA AND NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA.

SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GUST FROM 35 TO 50 MPH OVER GRAND
FORKS...POLK...RED LAKE...PENNINGTON...STEELE...TRAILL...NORMAN AND
MAHNOMEN COUNTIES UNTIL 130 AM CDT.  ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONSd HAVE
PRODUCED A LOCALIZED STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT THAT IS CONTRIBUTING TO
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS.  THIS PRESSURE
GRADIENT IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AFTER 1 AM CDT AND THE WINDS SHOULD
BEGIN TO WEAKEN.

NG
Special weather statement, Aug 31, 10:47 PM CDT, 4 hours 17 minutes before
MNZ001-002-013>015-022-NDZ027-029-030-010645-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1045 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 1997

...GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER PARTS OF NORTHEASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA AND NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA...

SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GUST FROM 35 TO 50 MPH OVER GRAND
FORKS...POLK...RED LAKE...PENNINGTON...STEELE...TRAILL...NORMAN AND
MAHNOMEN COUNTIES UNTIL 130 AM CDT.  ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIOfNS HAVE
PRODUCED A LOCALIZED STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT THAT IS CONTRIBUTING TO
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS.  THIS PRESSURE
GRADIENT IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AFTER 1 AM CDT AND THE WINDS SHOULD
BEGIN TO WEAKEN.

NG
Special weather statement, Sep 1, 12:06 AM CDT, 2 hours 58 minutes before
MNZ001-002-013>017-022>024-NDZ027-029-030-010700-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1206 AM CDT MON SEP 1 1997

...GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER PARTS OF NORTHEASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA AND NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA.

SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GUST FROM 35 TO 50 MPH OVER GRAND
FORKS...POLK...RED LAKE...PENNINGTON...STEELE...TRAILL...NORMAN...
MAHNOMEN...CLEARWATER...HUBBARD AND SOUTHERN BELTRAMI COUNTIES UNTIL
130 AM CDT.  ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS HAVE PRODUCED A LOCALIZED STRONG
PRESSURE GRADIENT THAT IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE
STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS.  THIS PRESSURE GRADIENT IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN
AFTER 1 AM CDT IN EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND THEN WINDS SHOULD
SLOWLY BEGIN TO WEAKEN.

NG
Special weather statement, Sep 1, 12:07 AM CDT, 2 hours 57 minutes before
MNZ001-002-013>017-022>024-NDZ027-029-030-010700-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1206 AM CDT MON SEP 1 1997

...GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER PARTS OF NORTHEASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA AND NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA.

SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GUST FROM 35 TO 50 MPH OVER GRAND
FORKS...POLK...RED LAKE...PENNINGTON...STEELE...TRAILL...NORMAN...
MAHNOMEN...CLEARWATER...HUBBARD AND SOUTHERN BELTRAMI COUNTIES UNTIL
130 AM CDT.  ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS HAVE PRODUCED A LOCALIZED STRONG
PRESSURE GRADIENT THAT IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE
STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS.  THIS PRESSURE GRADIENT IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN
AFTER 1 AM CDT IN EASTERN NORT|H DAKOTA AND THEN WINDS SHOULD
SLOWLY BEGIN TO WEAKEN.

NG

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 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.