Alert archive / North Dakota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1999
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 5, NWS Grand Forks, ND
NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 3, 1999, 8:40 PM CDT for Benson County, North Dakota. It was in force for 50 min. 3 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 3, 1999, 8:40 PM CDT (01:40 UTC)
- Expired
- May 3, 1999, 9:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 50 min
- Issued by
- NWS Grand Forks, ND
- Area
- Whole counties
County Benson County, ND
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 8:50 PM CDT | Hail 1 | Maddock, ND | |
| May 3, 9:05 PM CDT | Hail 0.88 | Esmond, ND | |
| May 3, 9:25 PM CDT | Hail 0.75 | York, ND |
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
Bismarck Municip, ND (KBIS), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 176 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 55 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -43 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1997 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 31 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 48 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 138 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- -0.0
- Supercell composite
- -0.0
The text
The text of this product is not in the archive. The NWS text archive before 2002 is incomplete.
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 May 3, 2:00 PM CDT, 6 hours 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 3, 2:00 PM CDT, 6 hours 40 minutes before
FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND 200 PM CDT MON MAY 3 1999 MAIN BATCH SHRA/TSRA ASSOCIATED WITH S/W THAT PASSED THRU CWA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON LIFTED NORTH...HOWEVER SCT LOW TOPPED TSRA CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN RIPENING ATMOSPHERE LEFT BEHIND. AREA OF NVA HELPING SKIES TO BREAK OUT IN FAR SOUTHERN ZONES WITH SOME CU FILLING IN...AS DEEP SOUTHERLY FLOW TRANSPORTS SIG MOISTURE INTO CWA IN FORM OF 10 G/KG MIXING RATIOS AND PWATS NEAR .8. GRADIENT STILL STRONG BUT SLACKENING A BIT IN WESTERN CWA. ETA WAS A BIT BETTER IN PLACEMENT OF MORNING U/A FEATURE AND MOISTURE...SO WILL FOLLOW SHORT TERM. .SHORT TERM... ADAP ALREADY INDICATING LI/S TO -4 IN SW CWA AND TONGUE OF POS THETE ADVECTION EXTENDING SW TO NE THRU ERN ND. CAPES TO NEAR 1000 J/KG EXPECTED TO SURGE INTO SOUTHERN ND THIS EVE IN CONJUNCTION WITH INFLUX OF HI THETA-E AIR AND IMPRESSIVE LOW LEVEL JET. 50+ TD/S ALREADY IN PLACE FOR AMPLE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. STRONG BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE CONVERGENCE ALONG WITH NEXT WAVE OF U/L ENERGY ROUNDING TROF WILL HELP FIRE STORMS TO OUR WSW (IN CLEAR ZONE) AND STORM MOTION SHOULD RIDE THEM NNE TONIGHT. APPEARS FAVORED AREAS FOR CONVECTION ARE SE ND AND THEN ARCING NE TOWARD GFK...ESP SECOND HALF OF NIGHT AS THETA E-RIDGE POKES IN THIS DIRECTION. FURTHER EAST...STRONGER PART OF LOW LEVEL JET COMBINING WITH PWATS INCREASING TO 1 AND BETTER LOW LEVEL SHEAR COULD ALSO HELP IGNITE TSRA LATER. WILL KEEP THE LIKELY POPS WEST AND GO TO MORE CHANCY EAST. MODEST CAPES IN MOST OF THE AREA AND OVERALL LIMITED SHEAR EXPECTED TO CURTAIL LARGE SEVERE THREAT...ALTHO LOW WBZ LEVELS AND STRONG MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES WITH TOTAL TOTALS AROUND 50 MAKE SCATTERED SEVERE CELLS POSSIBLE AND ANY TSRA COULD MIX HIGHER WINDS DOWN BEFORE SOUNDING SATURATES TUES. .LONG TERM... SIG RAIN AMOUNTS POSSIBLE THIS PERIOD AS VERY SLOW MOVING TROF PERSISTS OVER CENTRAL STATES WITH JET ENERGY CONTINUING TO DIVE DOWN ON ITS WESTERN EDGE THRU AT LEAST F+42. EXPECT MORE CONCENTRATED SEVERE THREAT TO SHIFT MAINLY SOUTH OF CWA TUESDAY...AS BEST JET ENERGY FOCUSES STRONGER SFC LO TO FORM NEAR NEB AS NORTHERN CIRCULATION WEAKENS AS PER PREFERRED ETA. APPROACH OF SLOW MOVING SFC TROF HOWEVER WILL FOCUS IMPRESSIVE BOUNDARY CONVERGENCE TUES AFTN INTO WED AS TIGHT BAROCLINIC ZONE/STRONG H85-H7 FRONTOGENESIS APPROACHES FROM WEST LEADING TO LARGE UVM FIELD. ALTHO BEST SEVERE PARAMETERS SOUTH TOMORROW...LEFTOVER BOUNDARIES FROM OVERNIGHT TSRA AND ENHANCED U/L DIVERGENCE WILL LEAD TO SOME EMBEDDED TSRA...ESPECIALLY EAST OF RRV. ALL OF CWA IN LINE FOR DECENT SOAKING AS PERSISTENT UVM COMBINES WITH SATURATED ATMOSPHERE BY AFTERNOON WITH K INDICES APPROACHING 40 AND PWATS OVER 1 IN EAST ON STRONG SSE FLO. INVERTED TROF STILL CLOSE TO RRV BY 12Z WED WITH ENHANCED CONVERGENCE MEANS MORE OVERUNNING RAINS TO PERSIST WITH SEVERE THUNDER CHANCES LESSENING PAST TUESDAY. TEMPS COOLING A BIT EACH DAY AND WILL STICK CLOSER TO COOLER FWC THAN WARMER FAN AS GRADIENT SLACKENS IN COMPARISON TO PAST FEW DAYS. .EXTENDED...MID RANGE MODELS IN REASONABLE AGREEMENT EARLY ON. MRF FASTEST WITH DEVELOPMENT OF CLOSED 5H LOW OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS...WITH UKMET AND SEP CLOSING LOW SLIGHTLY LATER...WITH THE FORMER FURTHER NORTH AND THE LATTER FURTHER EAST. ECMWF FAILS TO CLOSE OFF LOW...BUT KEEPS 5H TROF JUST WEST OF THE FA. BIGGEST DIFFERENCE SHOWS UP LATER ON WHERE MRF KEEPS LOW OVER NRN PLAINS...AND THEN RETIRGRADES THIS FEATURE BACK WEST AS IT ATTEMPTS TO PHASE LOW WITH NEXT 5H TROF MOVING INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. PREFER EURO/CANADIAN MODELS SOLUTIONS OF KEEPING THESE FEATURES DISTINCT. ALTHOUGH EACH DIFFER ON POSITION/STRENGTH OF THIS FEATURE...WITH PROXIMITY OF 5H LOW/TROF WILL KEEP CHC OF SHOWERS CONTINUING WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. ONCE TROF AXIS PASSES THROUGH FA LATE THURSDAY REGION TO DRY OUT. BROAD TROF OVER PACIFIC NORETHWEST TO SHARPEN AS MAIN ENERGY SLIDES DOWN WEST COAST...RESULTING IN RIDGING JUST WEST OF REGION. NORTHERLY FLOW AT SFC TO KEEP REGION CLOSE TO SEASONAL AVERAGES. .FGF...NONE SOROKA/TURNER
Hazardous weather outlook, May 3, 6:45 PM CDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024- 026>030-038-039-049-052-053-031400- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS 645 PM CDT MON MAY 3 1999 ...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA... .SYNOPSIS...AN UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE EXITING THE AREA OVER SOUTHERN CANADA THIS EVENING HAS BEEN PRODUCING WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH HAVE BEEN SEVERE FOR A BRIEF TIME OVER NORTHERN BELTRAMI COUNTY. AS THIS ACTIVITY SUBSIDES THROUGH THE EVENING ALL EYES WILL TURN TO ANOTHER...EVEN STRONGER DISTURBANCE OVER NORTHERN COLORADO. THIS DISTURBANCE WILL RACE NORTHEAST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AND MAY TOUCH OF A ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA INTO SOUTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM FOR RANSOM AND SARGENT COUNTIES. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. BRAZZELL
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 3, 6:45 PM CDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024- 026>030-038-039-049-052-053-031400- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS 645 PM CDT MON MAY 3 1999 ...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA... .SYNOPSIS...AN UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE EXITING THE AREA OVER SOUTHERN CANADA THIS EVENING HAS BEEN PRODUCING WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH HAVE BEEN SEVERE FOR A BRIEF TIME OVER NORTHERN BELTRAMI COUNTY. AS THIS ACTIVITY SUBSIDES THROUGH THE EVENING ALL EYES WILL TURN TO ANOTHER...EVEN STRONGER DISTURBANCE OVER NORTHERN COLORADO. THIS DISTURBANCE WILL RACE NORTHEAST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AND MAY TOUCH OF A ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA INTO SOUTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM FOR RANSOM AND SARGENT COUNTIES. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. BRAZZELL
Special weather statement, May 3, 6:45 PM CDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024- 026>030-038-039-049-052-053-031400- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS 645 PM CDT MON MAY 3 1999 ...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA... .SYNOPSIS...AN UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE EXITING THE AREA OVER SOUTHERN CANADA THIS EVENING HAS BEEN PRODUCING WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH HAVE BEEN SEVERE FOR A BRIEF TIME OVER NORTHERN BELTRAMI COUNTY. AS THIS ACTIVITY SUBSIDES THROUGH THE EVENING ALL EYES WILL TURN TO ANOTHER...EVEN STRONGER DISTURBANCE OVER NORTHERN COLORADO. THIS DISTURBANCE WILL RACE NORTHEAST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AND MAY TOUCH OF A ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA INTO SOUTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM FOR RANSOM AND SARGENT COUNTIES. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. BRAZZELL
Special weather statement, May 3, 8:22 PM CDT, 18 minutes before
MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024- 026>030-038-039-049-052-053-040600- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS 645 PM CDT MON MAY 3 1999 ...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA... .SYNOPSIS...AN UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE EXITING THE AREA OVER SOUTHERN CANADA THIS EVENING HAS BEEN PRODUCING WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH HAVE BEEN SEVERE FOR A BRIEF TIME OVER NORTHERN BELTRAMI COUNTY. AS THIS ACTIVITY SUBSIDES THROUGH THE EVENING ALL EYES WILL TURN TO ANOTHER...EVEN STRONGER DISTURBANCE OVER NORTHERN COLORADO. THIS DISTURBANCE WILL RACE NORTHEAST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AND MAY TOUCH OF A ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA INTO SOUTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM FOR RANSOM AND SARGENT COUNTIES. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THES*E STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. BRAZZELL
The office that day
Everything else NWS Grand Forks, ND issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 9:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Towner | 35 min |
| May 4, 2:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Towner | 35 min |
| May 4, 2:41 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Benson | 34 min |
| May 3, 7:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Lake of the Woods | 32 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Dakota, 1999Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1999
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.