Alert archive / North Dakota / Tornado Warnings in 1999

Tornado Warning 31, NWS Grand Forks, ND

July 22, 1999Nelson County, North Dakota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this tornado warning at Jul 22, 1999, 5:48 AM CDT for Nelson County, North Dakota. It was in force for 32 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 22, 1999, 5:48 AM CDT (10:48 UTC)
Expired
Jul 22, 1999, 6:20 AM CDT
In force
32 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Whole counties

County Nelson County, ND

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 22, 3:45 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Bismarck Municip, ND (KBIS), launched 00:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 228 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, Bismarck Municip, ND at 00:00Z on 1999-07-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3546 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, Bismarck Municip, ND at 00:00Z on 1999-07-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 112 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
3546 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1477 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
112 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
123 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.4
Supercell composite
15.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KFAR 221048 RRA
TORFAR
NDC063-221120-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
548 AM CDT THU JUL 22 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN NELSON COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA

* UNTIL 620 AM CDT

* AT 546 AM CDT... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  A TORNADO 13 MILES NORTHEAST OF DEVILS LAKE...MOVING EAST AT 35
  MPH.
|
* THE TORNADO WILL REMAIN IN RURAL AREAS NORTH OF LAKOTA

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO THE SAFEST PLACE IS A BASEMENT.
GET UNDER A STAIRWAY OR A PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.

GODON

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at Jul 22, 3:25 AM CDT, 2 hours 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 22, 3:25 AM CDT, 2 hours 23 minutes before
FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
325 AM CDT THU JUL 22 1999

FCST CHALLENGE: SVR TSTM THREAT TODAY...QPF.

MODEL SELECTION: ETA CARRYING THE BALL THIS WEEK. CLOSED SFC LOW
PLACEMENT AT 06Z HANDLED WELL BY ETA ALG WITH LOW LEVEL INSTABILITY
PARAMETERS. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ETA AND NGM ON
INITIALIZATION OF DOUBLE VORT PULLING NEWD FROM MT/AB FRONT RANGE.
ETA MAINTAINS STRENGTH OF SRN VORT AND PULLS SIG UVVS THROUGH ND
INTO NWRN MN THROUGH 24HRS.

NEAR TERM: SFC LOW DEEPENING IN SWRN ND WITH SFC BOUNDARY THROUGH
NRN ND TO NRN RRV. DEWPTS IN UPER 60S TO LOW 70S ACROSS NRN FGF CWFA
WITH SFC BASED LIS STILL IN MINUS 5 OR 6 RANGE. THETAE RIDGE IN
CNTRL ND LEANING EWD INTO NWRN MN BY 18Z. MODERATE INSTABILITY
EXISTS NOW...AND WITH SIG UVVS PROGGED TO TRACK THROUGH TDY EXPECT
STRONG TO SVR TSTM ACTIVITY MOST AREAS. FIRST THREAT AREA WILL BE
NERN ND THIS AM AS BOW ECHO PATTERN MOVES ACROSS NRN ND. LOW LEVEL
SHEAR PROFILE AND INSTABILITIES WILL SUPPORT SUPPERCELL DEVLPMNT
THROUGH MIDDAY WHILE 50KT MID LEVEL JET IS TRACKING ACROSS ND ATTM.
MODERATE INSTABILITIES CONTINUE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...HOWEVER LOW
LEVEL SHEAR PROFILES DIMINISH SOMEWHAT. EXPECT SVR THREAT TO SHIFT
INTO NWRN MN THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

MID TERM: RIDGE REBOUNDS SLIGHTLY OVR CNTRL ND AND THETAE RIDGE
ROCKS BACK TO CNTRL AND ERN ND...WAITING FOR NEXT IMPULSE IN THE
FLOW. FRIDAY LOOKS TO BE A BETWEEN SYSTEMS DAY THOUGH THERE WILL BE
LITTLE RELIEF FROM THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY.

EXTENDED: NOT MUCH TIME TO LOOK DEEP INTO EXTENDED. 00Z AVN
CONTINUES TO TARGET SAT PM AND SUNDAY AS NEXT TSTM DAY...WITH LITTLE
FOCUSED ACTIVITY FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY.

COORD WITH SPC...BIS AND MSP

.FGF...SVR TSTM WATCH 568 FOR NORTHEAST ND AND EXTREME NW MN UNTIL
9AM CDT.

GUST

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 22, 5:30 AM CDT, 18 minutes before
MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052-053-221400-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
530 AM CDT WED JUL 22 1999

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS MORNING IN NORTHEASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...

SYNOPSIS...A BOW ECHO WILL TRAVEL ACROSS NORTHERN NORTH DAKOTA INTO
NORTHWEST MINNESOTA THIS MORNING. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL
SUPPORT THIS SYSTEM AS IT MOVES ALONG A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH. ADDITIONAL
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AS VERY MOIST AND WARM
AIR KEEPS THE AREA QUITE UNSTABLE.

AREA OF CONCERN...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR
NORTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA INTO EXTREME NORTHWEST MINNESOTA THIS MORNING
UNTIL 9 AM CDT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR ADDITIONAL SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING IN NORTHWEST
MINNESOTA.

TIME...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 9 AM CDT. ADDITIONAL SEVERE
ACTIVITY FROM NOON UNTIL 9PM CDT.

TYPE OF HAZARD...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND AND POSSIBLE TORNADOS.

GUST
Special weather statement, Jul 22, 5:30 AM CDT, 18 minutes before
MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052-053-221400-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
530 AM CDT WED JUL 22 1999

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS MORNING IN NORTHEASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...

SYNOPSIS...A BOW ECHO WILL TRAVEL ACROSS NORTHERN NORTH DAKOTA INTO
NORTHWEST MINNESOTA THIS MORNING. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL
SUPPORT THIS SYSTEM AS IT MOVES ALONG A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH. ADDITIONAL
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AS VERY MOIST AND WARM
AIR KEEPS THE AREA QUITE UNSTABLE.

AREA OF CONCERN...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR
NORTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA INTO EXTREME NORTHWEST MINNESOTA THIS MORNING
UNTIL 9 AM CDT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR ADDITIONAL SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING IN NORTHWEST
MINNESOTA.

TIME...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 9 AM CDT. ADDITIONAL SEVERE
ACTIVITY FROM NOON UNTIL 9PM CDT.

TYPE OF HAZARD...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND AND POSSIBLE TORNADOS.

GUST

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 22, 3:49 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBenson, Eddy46 min
Jul 22, 4:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFRamsey, Towner47 min
Jul 22, 5:11 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFRamsey34 min
Jul 22, 5:25 AM CDTTornado WarningFGFRamsey35 min
Jul 22, 5:56 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFGriggs34 min
Jul 22, 6:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBarnes, Cass31 min
Jul 22, 6:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBarnes, Cass46 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Dakota, 1999Every tornado warning in 1999Tornadoes 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.