Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 1999
Tornado Warning 46, NWS Grand Forks, ND
NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this tornado warning at Aug 22, 1999, 9:30 PM CDT for Otter Tail County, Minnesota. It was in force for 35 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
- Aug 22, 1999, 9:30 PM CDT (02:30 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 22, 1999, 10:05 PM CDT
- In force
- 35 min
- Issued by
- NWS Grand Forks, ND
- Area
- Whole counties
County Otter Tail County, MN
The radar
The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 175 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:32 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 22, 9:40 PM CDT | Hail 0.75 | Pelican Rapids, MN | |
| Aug 22, 9:40 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelican Rapids, MN | The strong wind blew in a screened in porch. |
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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 22, 7:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 2.5 hours before the alert went out and 239 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
- 956 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -3 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1032 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 13 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 32 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 99 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KFAR 230231 RRA TORFAR MNC111-230305- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND 930 PM CDT SUN AUG 22 1999 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... NORTHWESTERN OTTER TAIL COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA * UNTIL 1005 PM CDT * AT 930 PM CDT... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DETROIT LAKES OR 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF PELICAN RAPIDS... MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. * THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR... PELICAN RAPIDS AT 942 PM CDT ERHARD AT 951 PM CDT THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A STURDY BUILDING. KENNEDY
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 Aug 22, 9:15 PM CDT, 15 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 22, 9:15 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND 915 PM CDT SUN AUG 22 1999 ...CONTINUED SEVERE WX IS FORECAST CONCERN... BUSY NIGHT WITH LINE OF SVR TSRA MOVING THRU CWA. REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...STRONG WINDS...TORRENTIAL RAINS AND ONE ISOLATED TOR. SFC TROF WITH FEW LO CENTERS NOW ALIGNED EAST OF RRV WITH IMPRESSIVE MOISTURE POOLING ALONG IT (70+ TD/S AND H85 THETA RIDGE UP TO 340K). BEHIND THIS IS ACTUAL CDFNT WITH SHIFT TO GUSTY NW WIND AND RAPID DROP IN TD/S WITH FEW MORE ISOLD -TSRA. KMVX 88D SHOWS LINE FROM NEAR ROX TO NEAR FSE EXTENDING SW TO ND/MN BORDER. MSAS SHOWS SWATH OF LLVL CAA PUSHING SE THRU ND WITH WEAKER WAA EAST OF RRV. OVERALL INSTABILITIES...MOISTURE...WAA PROFILE AND CONVERGENCE IN MN JUST A NOTCH BELOW WHAT IT HAS BEEN IN ERN ND THRU EVE SO EXPECT LESSENING SVR THREAT...ALTHO AS LINE MOVES THRU ISOLATED WIND/HAIL EVENTS STILL POSSIBLE. IR LOOP INDICATING STRONG U/L CIRCULATION SPINNING SE TOWARD KMOT WITH ADDL -SHRA REPORTED THIS EVENING IN COOLING AIR ALOFT NEAR CYEN. WILL THEREFORE KEEP MENTION OF SCT SHRA FOR OVERNIGHT PERIOD ESP IN NRN SECTIONS. O/W VARIABLE CLOUDS AS VORT MAX GENERATES CLOUD COVER AS IT HEADS OUR WAY BEHIND TEMPORARY CLEARING BEHIND CONVECTION. WILL CANCEL WATCH FOR ND PART OF CWA AFTER THIS ISSUANCE AND KEEP IT FOR MN SIDE ATTM. THEREFORE WILL UPDATE ND ZONES NOW AND BRIEFLY HOLD OFF FOR MN AND UPDATE LATER AS LINE MOVES THRU. NO CHANGES EXPECTED TO TEMPS/WINDS FOR OVERNIGHT PENDING LAST MINUTE REVIEW. .FGF...SVR TSTM WATCH 652 UNTIL 11 PM CDT FOR CLAY...PENNINGTON... KITTSON...POLK...RED LAKE...MARSHALL...NORMAN...ROSEAU...WILKIN. SVR TSTM WATCH 653 UNTIL 1 AM CDT FOR REST OF MN CWA. SOROKA
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 22, 3:45 PM CDT, 5 hours 45 minutes before
MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024- 026>030-038-039-049-052-053-222330- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND 345 PM CDT SUN AUG 22 1999 ...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... SYNOPSIS...A VIGOROUS UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON PUSHING A COLD FRONT INTO THE REGION. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS IS FORECAST TO REMAIN IN PLACE OVER EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. AS THE FRONT MOVES CLOSER...THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS ARE FORECAST TO BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD BY LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS THEY MOVE INTO NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. AREA OF CONCERN...EXTREME NORTHWEST MINNESOTA THIS AFTERNOON. ALL OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TIME...345 PM TO MIDNIGHT. TYPE OF HAZARD...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. GUST
Special weather statement, Aug 22, 3:45 PM CDT, 5 hours 45 minutes before
MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024- 026>030-038-039-049-052-053-222330- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND 345 PM CDT SUN AUG 22 1999 ...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... SYNOPSIS...A VIGOROUS UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON PUSHING A COLD FRONT INTO THE REGION. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS IS FORECAST TO REMAIN IN PLACE OVER EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. AS THE FRONT MOVES CLOSER...THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS ARE FORECAST TO BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD BY LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS THEY MOVE INTO NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. AREA OF CONCERN...EXTREME NORTHWEST MINNESOTA THIS AFTERNOON. ALL OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TIME...345 PM TO MIDNIGHT. TYPE OF HAZARD...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. GUST
Special weather statement, Aug 22, 9:15 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
NDZ006>008-014>016-024-026>030-038-039-049-052-053-230225- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND 915 PM CDT SUN AUG 22 1999 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELLED FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA... A TROF OF LOW PRESSURE THAT MOVED ACROSS THE STATE AND TRIGGERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAS EDGED JUST EAST OF THE RED RIVER VALLEY. AS SUCH...THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER IN EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA HAS ENDED. A FEW MORE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ANOTHER RUMBLE OF THUNDER ARE STILL POSSIBLE DURING THE REST OF THE NIGHT AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE SWINGS INTO EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...BUT NO ADDITIONAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED. SOROKA
Special weather statement, Aug 22, 9:15 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
NDZ006>008-014>016-024-026>030-038-039-049-052-053-230225- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND 915 PM CDT SUN AUG 22 1999 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELLED FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA... A TROF OF LOW PRESSURE THAT MOVED ACROSS THE STATE AND TRIGGERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAS EDGED JUST EAST OF THE RED RIVER VALLEY. AS SUCH...THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER IN EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA HAS ENDED. A FEW MORE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ANOTHER RUMBLE OF THUNDER ARE STILL POSSIBLE DURING THE REST OF THE NIGHT AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE SWINGS INTO EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...BUT NO ADDITIONAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED. SOROKA
The office that day
Everything else NWS Grand Forks, ND issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 22, 8:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Red Lake | 33 min |
| Aug 22, 9:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Becker | 32 min |
| Aug 22, 10:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Wilkin | 34 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Minnesota, 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.