Alert archive / North Dakota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 165, NWS Grand Forks, ND

July 18, 1998Richland County, North Dakota; Wilkin County, Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 18, 1998, 11:07 AM CDT for Richland County, North Dakota; Wilkin County, Minnesota. It was in force for 33 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
Jul 18, 1998, 11:07 AM CDT (16:07 UTC)
Expired
Jul 18, 1998, 11:40 AM CDT
In force
33 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Whole counties

Counties Wilkin County, MN, Richland County, ND

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 143 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:08 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
Jul 18, 11:15 AM CDTHail 0.75Tenney, 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
Jul 18, 7:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Aberdeen, SD (KABR), launched 12:00Z, 4.1 hours before the alert went out and 205 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, Aberdeen, SD at 12:00Z on 1998-07-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1629 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, Aberdeen, SD at 12:00Z on 1998-07-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 116 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
1629 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-175 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
970 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
50 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
116 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
175 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

224 
WUUS1 KFAR 181609 RRA
SVRFAR
MNC167-NDC077-181640-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1107 AM CDT SAT JUL 18 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN WILKIN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA
  SOUTHEASTERN RICHLAND COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA

* UNTIL 1140 AM CDT

* AT 1005 AM CDT...GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED AT FAIRMOUNT...
  ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTH OF WAHPETON. THE STORM THAT PRODUCED THE HAIL
  WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH AND COULD AFFECT SOUTHERN WILKIN
  COUNTY THROUGH 1135 AM CDT.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  TENNEY AT 1130 AM CDT
  NASHUA AT 1135 AM CDT

IF SEVERE WEATHER IS OBSERVED CONTACT YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR INFORMATION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

RA

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 Jul 18, 10:30 AM CDT, 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 10:30 AM CDT, 37 minutes before
FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1030 AM CDT SAT JUL 18 1998

FIRST PERIOD DISCUSSION...N-S BKN LINE OF TSRA ESSENTIALLY ALNG
RED RVR. MOVG SE ARND 30KT. STRM WERE ALNG A WM FNT ACRS ERN ND.
ADAP SHOWING PRES FALLS ERN ND/NW MN ALNG WM FNT. LIS WERE
LOWEST ACRS THE CNTRL DAKS. STLT SHOWG PLENTY OF CLR SKIES TO
THE W AND SHOULD HEAT UP GOOD TDY. MIXG RATIOS STILL HIEST
TO THE W. JET MAX/SHORT WV TO MOV INTO SRN MAN THIS AFTN
MAY KEEP WX INTERESTING THIS AFTN. WL CHECK OVR ZONES.

HOPPES

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 18, 6:50 AM CDT, 4 hours 17 minutes before
MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052-053-181200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS
650 AM CDT SAT JUL 18 1998

...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY ACROSS EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND
NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...

A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE AREA AND ASSOCIATED WARM FRONT WILL PUSH
ACROSS EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA THIS MORNING...TO
BE FOLLOWED BY A COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON. WARMER AND MORE UNSTABLE
AIR WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION WITH THE WARM-FRONT...SETTING OFF
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING MAINLY ACROSS EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA
AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN LARGE HAIL.

BY THIS AFTERNOON...THE COLD FRONT WILL ENCOUNTER THE MOIST AND
UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE AND TRIGGER MORE THUNDERSTORMS. THE STORMS THAT
DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO QUICKLY BECOME
SEVERE. THE PREFERRED TIME FOR THE SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO BE
MAINLY AFTER 2 PM FROM DEVILS LAKE TO GRAND FORKS...AFTER 3 PM IN THE
FARGO AREA...AND AFTER 5 PM WEST-CENTRAL AND THE LAKES COUNTRY OF
MINNESOTA. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO ARE ALL
POSSIBLE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

IN ADDITION...BY THIS EVENING THE MAIN THREAT MAY ONCE AGAIN TURN
TOWARDS VERY HEAVY RAINS ACROSS THE LAKES COUNTRY AS THE STORMS SLIDE
SOUTHEAST TOWARD CENTRAL AND EVENTUALLY SOUTHERN MINNESOTA TONIGHT.
THEREFORE...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR THIS AREA FOR
TONIGHT.

PLEASE STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE SOURCE OF
WEATHER INFORMATION ON THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER LATER TODAY.
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE UPDATED THIS AFTERNOON IF
CONDITIONS WARRANT.

SOROKA
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 6:50 AM CDT, 4 hours 17 minutes before
MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052-053-181200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS
650 AM CDT SAT JUL 18 1998

...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY ACROSS EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND
NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...

A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE AREA AND ASSOCIATED WARM FRONT WILL PUSH
ACROSS EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA THIS MORNING...TO
BE FOLLOWED BY A COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON. WARMER AND MORE UNSTABLE
AIR WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION WITH THE WARM-FRONT...SETTING OFF
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING MAINLY ACROSS EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA
AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN LARGE HAIL.

BY THIS AFTERNOON...THE COLD FRONT WILL ENCOUNTER THE MOIST AND
UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE AND TRIGGER MORE THUNDERSTORMS. THE STORMS THAT
DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO QUICKLY BECOME
SEVERE. THE PREFERRED TIME FOR THE SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO BE
MAINLY AFTER 2 PM FROM DEVILS LAKE TO GRAND FORKS...AFTER 3 PM IN THE
FARGO AREA...AND AFTER 5 PM WEST-CENTRAL AND THE LAKES COUNTRY OF
MINNESOTA. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO ARE ALL
POSSIBLE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

IN ADDITION...BY THIS EVENING THE MAIN THREAT MAY ONCE AGAIN TURN
TOWARDS VERY HEAVY RAINS ACROSS THE LAKES COUNTRY AS THE STORMS SLIDE
SOUTHEAST TOWARD CENTRAL AND EVENTUALLY SOUTHERN MINNESOTA TONIGHT.
THEREFORE...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR THIS AREA FOR
TONIGHT.

PLEASE STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE SOURCE OF
WEATHER INFORMATION ON THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER LATER TODAY.
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE UPDATED THIS AFTERNOON IF
CONDITIONS WARRANT.

SOROKA

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 18, 6:56 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBenson34 min
Jul 18, 7:40 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBenson35 min
Jul 18, 7:48 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFGriggs32 min
Jul 18, 7:51 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFCavalier34 min
Jul 18, 7:56 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBarnes34 min
Jul 18, 8:19 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFGriggs31 min
Jul 18, 8:29 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBarnes31 min
Jul 18, 8:42 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFCass, Ransom38 min
Jul 18, 8:42 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFCass, Ransom33 min
Jul 18, 9:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBarnes20 min
Jul 18, 9:04 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFGrand Forks, Walsh31 min
Jul 18, 9:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFCass48 min
Jul 18, 9:22 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFRansom, Richland48 min
Jul 18, 10:08 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFRichland47 min
Jul 18, 11:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFGrant34 min
Jul 18, 11:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFKittson31 min
Jul 18, 12:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFKittson, Roseau50 min
Jul 18, 3:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBeltrami44 min
Jul 18, 5:14 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFPennington31 min
Jul 18, 5:41 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFPennington34 min
Jul 18, 6:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFRed Lake49 min
Jul 18, 6:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFPolk32 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Dakota, 1998Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 1998Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1998

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.