Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 59, NWS Grand Forks, ND

June 27, 1997Marshall County, Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 27, 1997, 7:04 PM CDT for Marshall County, Minnesota. It was in force for 41 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
Jun 27, 1997, 7:04 PM CDT (00:04 UTC)
Expired
Jun 27, 1997, 7:45 PM CDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Whole counties

County Marshall County, MN

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 117 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:06 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
Jun 27, 7:45 PM CDTHail 0.75Thief Lake Refuge, MN
Jun 27, 7:55 PM CDTHail 0.75Thief Lake Refuge, 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 watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jun 27, 5:00 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

International Fa, MN (KINL), launched 00:00Z, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 227 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 1997-06-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2313 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 1997-06-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 90 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
2313 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1650 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
90 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
137 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
8.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

456 
WUUS1 KFAR 280006 RRA
SVRFAR
MNC089-280045-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
704 PM CDT FRI JUN 27 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  745 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
 
   ...MARSHALL COUNTY
 
AT 705 PM CDT...RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM LOCATED 25 MILES
NORTH OF THIEF RIVER FALLS. THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST
AT 10 MPH. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT THE TOWNS OF MIDDLE RIVER AND
GATZKE.
 
REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO
PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.
 
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 Jun 27, 2:52 PM CDT, 4 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 27, 2:52 PM CDT, 4 hours 12 minutes before
FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
250 PM CDT FRI JUN 27 1997

SFC FNT CONTS TO MAKE ITS WAY SLOLY TO ESE...SOME TCU JUST STARTING TO
POP AHD OF FNT ACRS NERN ND.  FEW ITEMS OF CONCERN FOR TONIGHT...FIRST
IS THREAT OF SVR TSTMS.  12Z MODELS CONT TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR PSBL SVR
TSTMS FOR FIRST PD ACRS ALL OF CWA EXCPT DVL AREA.  CAP STILL IN PLACE
BUT PAST FEW ADAP RUNS SHOW THIS CAP NOW BEGINNING TO ERODE. CURRENT
GOES 8/9 ATMOSPHERIC SOUNDINGS ALIGN WELL WITH 12Z GRIDDED MODEL FCSTD
FEATURES AS AXIS OF HIGH LI/S OF -5 TO -7...CAPES BTWN 2000-2500...AND
HIGH PWS SET UP FM NR HCO TO VCNTY JMS.  GIVEN VERTICAL WIND
PROFILES...WITH LTL DIRECTIONAL SHEAR AND WBZ HEIGHTS BETWEEN 8500-9000
FT FEEL STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND LG HAIL WL BE BIGGEST THREAT.

ONCE SEVERE THREAT DIMINISHES LATER THIS EVE...CONCERN TURNS TO
POTENTIAL HEAVY RAIN EVENT AS SFC FNT BCMS STATIONARY OVR SERN ND/W
CNTRL MN.  HAD RAIN EVENTS OF PAST WEEK...WHICH INCLUDE RAINFALL OF
OVER 3 INCHES ACRS SVRL PORTIONS OF CWA...NOT TAKEN PLACE I WD NOT BE
AS INCLINED TO PURSUE PSBL FLASH FLOOD WATCH ATTM. HOWEVER...WITH 3HR
FFG LESS THAN TWO INCHES ACRS SRN 2/3 OF CWA...WD LIKE TO ISSUE WATCH
FOR TONIGHT WITH THIS PACKAGE RATHER THAN WAIT UNTIL EVENT BEGINS.
SEVERAL INDICATORS POINT TO THIS EVENINGS TSTM EVENT TURNING INTO HVY
RAIN EVENT INCLUDING PWS OF BTWN 1-1.4 INCHES OVR SRN 1/2 OF
CWA...FCSTD FORMATION OF H8 LOW OVR NWRN SD WITH FRNT EXTNDG EWRD INTO
W CNTRL MN...AND STHRLY H8 FLOW ACRS THETA E GRADIENT INTO SERN ND/W
CNTRL MN.

FOR WATCH AREA...WE WILL GO AHEAD AND TYPE UP RQRD FFA/S AND ISSUE AS
SOON AS YR ZFPS COME OUT.  ON ND SIDE...AS NORTHERN EXTNT OF WATCH WE
WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE GRAND FORKS...WRN POLK...GRIGGS...STEELE...
TRAILL...AND ALL COUNTIES TO SOUTH.  ON MN SIDE...WD LIKE
PENNINGTON...RED LAKE...NRN BELTRAMI...AND ALL COUNTIES SOUTH.

FOR RMDR OF FIRST PD WORDING...WD SUGGEST EVENING PD WITH MENTION OF
PSBL SVR TSTMS FOR ALL BUT DVL AREA.  FOR RMDR OF OVERNIGHT...SHOWERS
AND TSTMS CONTG WITH AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN PSBL.

PLS CALL WITH COMMENTS/QUESTIONS.

STRAGER  @

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 27, 1:25 PM CDT, 5 hours 39 minutes before
MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052-053-281200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
125 PM CDT FRI JUN 27 1997

..THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA...NORTHWEST MINNESOTA STARTING THIS AFTERNOON...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS ALL OF EASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA STARTING THIS AFTERNOON AND
CONTINUING INTO TONIGHT.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOST
LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM HALLOCK
MINNESOTA TO SOUTHWEST OF DEVILS LAKE. THE SEVERE SCENARIO WILL LIKELY
TURN INTO A HEAVY RAIN EVENT OVERNIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP IN THE NORTHWEST COUNTIES (IN THE DEVILS LAKE AREA) AFTER
2 PM AND SHIFT SOUTH AND EAST THROUGH THE EVENING.  AN EAST-WEST
FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL SET UP ACROSS THE REGION OVERNIGHT WHICH WILL
SET THE STAGE FOR HEAVY RAIN ACROSS PARTS OF THE REGION. SOME
LOCALIZED PLACES MAY RECEIVE ONE TO THREE INCHES OR MORE OF RAIN
OVERNIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING WILL MOST LIKELY
PRODUCE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR
HAS MOVED INTO EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
TODAY. A COLD FRONT ACROSS WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA WILL MOVE INTO
THE EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA WITH STORMS FORECAST TO DEVELOP ALONG
THE FRONT.

RESIDENTS AND STORMS SPOTTERS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR A SEVERE
WEATHER EVENT FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

HOPPES

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 27, 7:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFRoseau33 min
Jun 27, 7:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFLake of the Woods28 min
Jun 27, 7:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFMarshall47 min
Jun 27, 8:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBeltrami42 min
Jun 27, 8:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBeltrami26 min
Jun 27, 9:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBeltrami44 min
Jun 27, 10:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBeltrami49 min
Jun 27, 10:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFMarshall28 min
Jun 27, 10:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFClearwater26 min
Jun 27, 10:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBeltrami47 min
Jun 27, 11:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFClearwater, Polk30 min
Jun 27, 11:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFClearwater27 min
Jun 27, 11:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFNorman36 min
Jun 28, 12:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFClearwater, Mahnomen, Polk32 min
Jun 28, 12:32 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBeltrami, Hubbard28 min
Jun 28, 12:36 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFNorman39 min
Jun 28, 12:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFClearwater, Mahnomen, Polk31 min
Jun 28, 1:11 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFGFClearwater, Mahnomen, Polk3 hr
Jun 28, 1:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFClearwater, Mahnomen31 min
Jun 28, 1:29 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFHubbard31 min
Jun 28, 1:45 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBecker30 min
Jun 28, 1:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFNorman28 min
Jun 28, 2:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFNorman32 min
Jun 28, 2:40 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFMahnomen35 min
Jun 28, 2:54 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBecker36 min
Jun 28, 3:29 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBecker31 min
Jun 28, 9:16 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFOtter Tail29 min
Jun 28, 9:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFWilkin44 min
Jun 28, 9:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFOtter Tail28 min
Jun 28, 10:12 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFWilkin48 min
Jun 28, 10:21 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFOtter Tail54 min
Jun 28, 11:00 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFGFOtter Tail4 hr
Jun 28, 11:27 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFWilkin33 min
Jun 28, 12:21 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFGFWilkin2 hr
Jun 28, 1:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFOtter Tail27 min
Jun 28, 1:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFWadena35 min

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.