Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 48, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 15, 1998Rice County, Scott County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 15, 1998, 3:55 PM CDT for Rice County, Scott County, Minnesota. It was in force for 50 min. 6 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
May 15, 1998, 3:55 PM CDT (20:55 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 1998, 4:45 PM CDT
In force
50 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Rice County, MN, Scott County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 40 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:57 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
May 15, 4:03 PM CDTHail 0.88New Prague, MN
May 15, 4:17 PM CDTHail 2Prior Lake, MN
May 15, 4:21 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 61Savage, MNLarge hail propelled by strong winds resulted in widespread roof and house damage. Windows at public works blown out. Roof damage to library and schools. Damage estimate for entire county.
May 15, 4:23 PM CDTHail 0.75Savage, MN
May 15, 4:24 PM CDTHail 1.75Savage, MN
May 15, 4:27 PM CDTHail 0.75Shakopee, 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
May 15, 3:00 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 41 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, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 1998-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1571 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, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 1998-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 179 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
1571 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-84 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
642 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
179 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
180 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.9
Supercell composite
6.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMSP 152055 RRA
SVRMSP
MNC131-139-152145-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
355 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS
ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  RICE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA
  SCOTT COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA

* UNTIL 445 PM CDT

* AT 355 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE STORMS
  FROM GAYLORD TO WATERVILLE.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTH AT 50
  MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED
    BELLE PLAINE
    NEW MARKET
    SHAKOPEE
    LONSDALE
    FARIBAULT
    DUNDAS

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  STAY INDOORS AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE
TORNADOES.
JMP

The office that day

Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 15, 2:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXFaribault12 hr
May 15, 2:42 AM CDTTornado WarningMPXFaribault, Martin48 min
May 15, 3:02 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXNicollet13 hr
May 15, 4:48 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXLac qui Parle47 min
May 15, 1:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXPope, Stearns32 min
May 15, 1:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBenton, Stearns37 min
May 15, 1:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMorrison40 min
May 15, 2:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMartin51 min
May 15, 3:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXLe Sueur, Sibley63 min
May 15, 4:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXCarver51 min
May 15, 4:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXAnoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Wright63 min
May 15, 4:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMeeker31 min
May 15, 4:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXSherburne, Stearns56 min
May 15, 4:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXWashington56 min
May 15, 4:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBenton, Isanti, Mille Lacs58 min
May 15, 4:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXChisago58 min
May 15, 4:51 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXAnoka, Ramsey, Washington29 min
May 15, 4:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMorrison, Todd64 min
May 15, 5:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXKanabec57 min
May 15, 5:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMille Lacs29 min

Nearby

Severe 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.