Alert archive / North Dakota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 228, NWS Grand Forks, ND

October 8, 1997Cass County, North Dakota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Oct 8, 1997, 6:28 PM CDT for Cass County, North Dakota. It was in force for 47 min. 2 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: Oct 8, 1997, 6:28 PM CDT (23:28 UTC)
Expired: Oct 8, 1997, 7:15 PM CDT
In force: 47 min
Issued by: NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area: Whole counties

County Cass County, ND

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Oct 8, 6:40 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind	Mapleton, ND	Power lines were blown down.
Oct 8, 6:50 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind	West Fargo, ND	Power lines were blown down.

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 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 243 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: 401 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -97 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 752 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 280 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 381 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.3
Supercell composite: 2.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KFAR 082328 RRA
SVRFAR
NDC017-090015-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
628 PM CDT WED OCT 8 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  715 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA
 
   ...EASTERN CASS COUNTY
 
AT 625 PM CDT DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM FROM JUST
WEST OF LEONARD...OR FROM 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FARGO. THE STORMS WERE
THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH AND  WILL BE MOVING OVER
WEST FARGO AND MAPLETON BY 650 AND FARGO BY 655 PM CDT.
 
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A STRONG BUILDING.
IF A STRONG BUILDING IS NOT AVAILABLE...GET INTO A DEPRESSION
AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.  BE AWARE OF RISING WATER.

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 Oct 8, 2:59 PM CDT, 3 hours 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 8, 2:59 PM CDT, 3 hours 29 minutes before

FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
255 PM CDT WED OCT 8 1997

FCST PROBLEM THIS PERIOD WILL BE STRENGTH OF EVENING TSRA AND LATE
PERIOD WINDS. SFC FRONT CREEPING EASTWARD ACROSS CENTRAL DAKOTAS. WV
LOOP SHOWING WAVE MOVING NE THROUGH CENTRAL PLAINS ATTM. AS WAVE CONT
TO MOVE NE TONIGHT SHOULD INTERACT WITH SFC BOUNDARY FOR WIDESPREAD
TSRA AND RA TONIGHT FIRST WITH CONVECTION ALONG AND AHEAD OF FRONT THEN
WITH WARP AROUND COMMA HEAD PCPN. GOOD MOIST CONV...FRONTOGENETIC
FORCING AND QG FORCING SHIFTS E OVR REGION TONIGHT. FEEL CAT GOOD FOR
PCPN TONIGHT. AREA RADARS SHOWING SCTATTERED TSRA ALONG FRONT FROM INL
BORDER INTO CENTRAL PLAINS. WITH FAIRLY UNSTABLE AIRMASS AND AFTERNOON
BREAKS SOME CONVECTION ALSO STARTING OVR SE ND INTO WEST CENTRAL MN. AS
FRONT AND WAVE CONT TO MOVE NE FEEL ABOVE MENTIONED PCPN WILL
OVERSPREAD AND CONTINUE WITH STRONG LOW LEVEL INFLOW WITH TDS IN LOW TO
MID 60S. PWATS GENERALLY BETWEEN 1.2 AND 1.5 INCHES SO SOME LCL HEAVY
RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE EVEN WITH SPEED OF CELLS. MARG INSTABILITY (ADAP
-4) AND ETA CAPE VALUES NOT THAT IMPRESSIVE. STILL WITH POCKETS OF
AFTERNOON SUNSHINE SOME PTNS OF SE ND AND INTO WEST CENTRAL MN MAY SEE
STRONGEST STORMS APPROACHING SVR LIMITS. WITH EXTENSIVE CLD COVER CELLS
SHOULD BE WEAKER ELSEWHERE.
ALSO FROM SPC DISC IS STRONGER CELLS TO TAKE OFF TO OUR SOUTH THIS MAY
ROB SOME INFLOW HOLDING INTENSITY DOWN.
SFC FRONT ENTERS RRV AROUND 06Z. CONCERN THEN IS STRONG NW FLOW. VERY
TIGHT SFC GRADIENT WITH >50KT FLOW AT H8. DVL AREA MAY SEE STRONGEST
WINDS AND RRV MAY NOT SEE STRONGEST WINDS TILL CLOSE TO MORNING. WINDS
ACROSS W ND APPEARED MARG FOR WIND ADVISORY CRIT SO MAYBE CAN HOLD OFF
ON ADVANCING ADVISORY EAST. STRONG CAA OVERNIGHT...MOS SEEMED A LITTLE
WARM CONSIDERING H8 TEMPS DROP BLO ZERO OVR E ND BY 12Z. EVEN WITH
STRONG WINDS TEMPS SHOULD FALL BLO MOS READINGS. WARMEST MINS WILL BE
EASTERN PTNS OF CWFA WITH DELAYED CAA.

FOR DVL...CLOUDY AND WINDY WITH OCNL SHOWERS AND EVENING TSRA. LOW
AROUND 40. NW WIND INC TO 20 TO 35 MPH.
GFK...CLDY WITH OCNL SHRA AND EVENING TSRA. LOW MID 40S. SOUTH WIND 15
TO 25 MPH BECOMING NW 20 TO 30 MPH AFT MID.
FAR...CLDY WITH OCNLY SHRA AND EVENING TSRA. LOW MID 40S. SOUTH WIND 15
TO 25 MPH BECOMING NW 20 TO 30 MPH AFT MID.
ROX...TVF...DTL...FFM...CLDY AND WINDY WITH OCLY SHOWERS AND EVENING
TSRA. LOW MID 40S. WIND SOUTH 15 TO 25 MPH BECOMING NW AND INC TO 20 TO
30 MPH AFT MID.
BDE/BJE...CLDY AND BREEZY WITH SHRA AND TSRA DEVELOPING THIS EVENING.
LOW AROUND 50. SOUTH WIND 15 TO 25 MPH BECOMING NW LATE.
FFM...CLDY AND WINDY WITH ONCL SHRA AND EVENING TSRA. LOW UPPER 40S.b
WIND SOUTH 15 TO 25 MPH BECOMING NW AND INCH TO 15 TO 25 MPH AFT MID.
VOELKER

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 8, 3:20 PM CDT, 3 hours 8 minutes before

MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052-053-082315-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
320 PM CDT WED OCT 8 1997

...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING STRONG WINDS OVER THE SOUTHERN RED RIVER
VALLEY...

AT 3 PM CDT...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED IN WARM...MOIST AND
UNSTABLE AIR ACROSS SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA
AHEAD OF AN ADVANCING COLD FRONT. STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WERE PUSHING
THESE STORMS NORTHWARD AT 40 TO 50 MPH. ALTHOUGH THESE STORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LIMITS...BECAUSE OF THE SPEED OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS BRIEF WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THE STRONGER CELLS.

THESE STORMS WILL RAPIDLY MOVE NORTHWARD INTO THE NORTHERN RED RIVER
VALLEY AND ADJACENT PORTIONS LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING.
PERSONS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR BRIEF STRONG WIND GUSTS WITH THE PASSAGE OF
THESE STORMS.
VOELKER

Local storm report, Oct 8, 5:12 PM CDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA/GRAND FORKS
512 PM CDT WED OCT 8 1997

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

0350 PM    GALESBURG                 ND   WIND DAMAGE
10/08/97   TRAILL                         10 INCH DIAMETER TREES
                                          AND LARGE LIMBS DOWN

0405 PM    LANGDON 10E 2N            ND   WIND DAMAGE
10/08/97   CAVALIER                       BARN ROOF HALF BLOWN OFF
                                          AND PICKUP TRUCK DAMAGED

0423 PM     GRAND FORKS              ND   THUNDERSTORM WIND
10/08/97    GRAND FORKS                   63 MPH WIND PEAK GUST

Local storm report, Oct 8, 5:12 PM CDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED ALIGNMENT 3RD REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA/GRAND FORKS
512 PM CDT WED OCT 8 1997

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

0350 PM    GALESBURG                 ND   WIND DAMAGE
10/08/97   TRAILL                         10 INCH DIAMETER TREES
                                          AND LARGE LIMBS DOWN

0405 PM    LANGDON 10E 2N            ND   WIND DAMAGE
10/08/97   CAVALIER                       BARN ROOF HALF BLOWN OFF
                                          AND PICKUP TRUCK DAMAGED

0423 PM    GRAND FORKS               ND   THUNDERSTORM WIND
10/08/97   GRAND FORKS                    63 MPH WIND PEAK GUST

Local storm report, Oct 8, 5:24 PM CDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA/GRAND FORKS
512 PM CDT WED OCT 8 1997

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

0350 PM    GALESBURG                 ND   WIND DAMAGE
10/08/97   TRAILL                         10 INCH DIAMETER TREES
                                          AND LARGE LIMBS DOWN

0405 PM    LANGDON 10E 2N            ND   WIND DAMAGE
10/08/97   CAVALIER                       BARN ROOF HALF BLOWN OFF
                                          AND PICKUP TRUCK DAMAGED

0423 PM     GRAND FORKS              ND   THUNDERSTORM WIND
10/08/97    GRAND FORKS                   63 MPH WIpND PEAK GUST

Local storm report, Oct 8, 5:25 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED ALIGNMENT 3RD REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA/GRAND FORKS
512 PM CDT WED OCT 8 1997

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

0350 PM    GALESBURG                 ND   WIND DAMAGE
10/08/97   TRAILL                         10 INCH DIAMETER TREES
                                          AND LARGE LIMBS DOWN

0405 PM    LANGDON 10E 2N            ND   WIND DAMAGE
10/08/97   CAVALIER                       BARN ROOF HALF BLOWN OFF
                                          AND PICKUP TRUCK DAMAGED

0423 PM    GRAND FORKS               ND   THUNDERSTORM WIND
10/08/97   GRAND FORKS                    63 MPH WIND PEAK GUST

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Oct 8, 3:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Traill	39 min
Oct 8, 4:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Grand Forks	28 min
Oct 8, 4:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Grand Forks	12 min
Oct 8, 4:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Walsh	35 min
Oct 8, 6:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Traill	28 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Dakota, 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.