Alert archive / North Dakota / Tornado Warnings in 1999

Tornado Warning 6, NWS Grand Forks, ND

June 6, 1999Walsh County, North Dakota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this tornado warning at Jun 6, 1999, 2:35 PM CDT for Walsh County, North Dakota. It was in force for 35 min. 4 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
Jun 6, 1999, 2:35 PM CDT (19:35 UTC)
Expired
Jun 6, 1999, 3:10 PM CDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Whole counties

County Walsh County, ND

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 98 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:35 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
Jun 6, 2:40 PM CDTTornado F2Lankin, NDA 54x108 foot building and a shed were destroyed by the tornado. One tractor inside was moved and the building doors were wrapped around the cab. Shingles from the barn were impaled in the swather. Some of the farm equipment was overturned and some boards w
Jun 6, 2:40 PM CDTTornado F0Lankin, NDA large pine tree was sheared off, a tin roof torn off a school shed, a glass patio door was blown out, and a large metal dumpster was flipped over.
Jun 6, 3:07 PM CDTTornado F0Park River, NDSeveral touchdowns were reported.
Jun 6, 3:20 PM CDTTornado F0Edinburg, NDTwin tornadoes were reported.

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
Jun 6, 12:30 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Bismarck Municip, ND (KBIS), launched 12:00Z, 7.6 hours before the alert went out and 286 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 12:00Z on 1999-06-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 338 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 12:00Z on 1999-06-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 107 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
338 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-27 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
874 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
107 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
138 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KFAR 061935 RRA
TORFAR
NDC099-062010-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
235 PM CDT SUN JUN 6 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN WALSH COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA

* UNTIL 310 PM CDT

* AT 235 PM CDT... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  A TORNADO 30 MILES EAST OF DEVILS LAKE OR 14 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
  ADAMS... MOVING NORTHWEST AT 25 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL REMAIN IN RURAL AREAS

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO
ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A STURDY BUILDING.

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 Jun 6, 2:00 PM CDT, 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 6, 2:00 PM CDT, 35 minutes before
FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
200 PM CDT SUN JUN 06 1999

.SHORT TERM...
WILL MAKE THIS QUICK DUE TO ISOLD SVR WX IN CWFA.  SFC LOW LOCATED BTWN
DVL/BIS ATTM MOVING NNE WITH LOWEST PRESSURE FALLS INDICATING SFC LOW
WILL BE SW OF YWG BY 00Z.  AVN IS THE PREFERRED MODEL. WARM FRONT LIFTED
NORTH AND LOCATED FROM JUST SOUTH OF DVL TO NORTH OF GFK...WITH
SUPERCELLS DEVELOPING ALONG IT.  DRY LINE SURGE MOVING INTO WRN
MN...WITH SATELLITE SHOWING CU FROM THIS LINE NR A CKN-DTL-AXN LINE.
NOT MUCH ACTIVITY WITH THIS YET...BUT STORMS SHOULD FIRE ALONG THIS
BOUNDARY SOON.  IN DRY SLOT AREA...
GFK-FAR UNCERTAIN HOW MUCH STORMS...IF ANY...WILL FORM.

EXPECT ACTIVITY TO MOVE OUT EARLY...FOLLOWED BY SOME BACKWASH CLOUDS.
COULD BE SOME LEFTOVER SHOWERS IN ERN ND BUT ATTM WILL GO DRY AS UPR
LOW DRIFTS NORTH KEEPING MUCH OF THE BACKWASH SHOWERS IN WRN/CNTRL ND.

.LONGER TERM...
MONDAY WILL BE A QUIET BUT STILL WARM DAY AS AIRMASS
CHANGES LITTLE.  FWC/FAN MOS LOOKS GOOD.

NEXT 50H UPPER TROF DROPS INTO THE PAC NORTHWEST ON TUESDAY WITH NEXT
SHORT WAVE ROUNDING THE BEND INTO THE CNTRL ROCKIES.  THIS WILL CAUSE
THE NEXT SFC LOW FORM IN WRN NE WITH AVN TRACKING IT NNE INTO CNTRL ND
BY 72 HRS (12Z WED) LIKE THE PRESENT SYSTEM.  THIS LOOKS GOOD.

WILL BRING IN LOW POP ON TUESDAY DUE TO WARM ADVECTION...O/W DRY.

.EXTENDED...
PRECIP WILL BE ADDED TO TUESDAY NIGHT PERIOD IN RESPONSE TO NEXT STRONG
PIECE OF ENERGY EJECTING OUT OF WESTERN TROF. GOOD WAA AND LOW LEVEL JET
SHOULD ENABLE TSRA TO BREAK OUT DURING NIGHT...WITH COLD FRONTAL
PASSAGE DURING WED AS MID LEVEL FLO FLATTENS OUT SOMEWHAT BEHIND IT.
QUESTION AFTER THAT SYSTEM IS EXTENT OF PATTERN CHANGE. NOGAPS/CANADIAN
AND TO A SLOWER/LESSER EXTENT MRF PUSH STUBBORN EASTERN RIDGE A TAD
EAST AFTER MID-WEEK SYSTEM. THIS WOULD POINT TOWARD MOISTURE AXIS AND
OVERNIGHT MCS FORMATION TO OCCUR MORE OVER MO/IA TOWARD GREAT LAKES
INSTEAD OF NRN PLAINS. IN THIS REGIME...WEAK HI PRES SHOULD BE ABLE TO
NOSE DOWN FROM CANADA...KEEPING IT DRY WITH TEMPS NEAR SEASONABLE
THU-FRI.

.FGF...TOR WATCH NORTH OF A VALLEY CITY-FARGO-WADENA LINE UNTIL 6 PM
CDT.

RIDDLE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 6, 11:25 AM CDT, 3 hours 10 minutes before
MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052-053-062000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1125 AM CDT SUN JUN 06 1999

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
THIS AFTERNOON...

...THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER HAS DIMINISHED FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...

SYNOPSIS...LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE FROM NORTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA
TOWARD THE DEVILS LAKE AREA BY THIS EVENING.  A DRY LINE OR SURFACE
TROUGH WAS LOCATED FROM NEAR FARGO TO WEST OF ALEXANDRIA AT 11 AM. THIS
DRY LINE WILL MOVE NORTHEAST THROUGH NORTHWEST MINNESOTA THIS AFTERNOON
CAUSING THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP AND BECOME SEVERE.

AREA OF CONCERN...THE GREATEST THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS FOR
THAT PART OF MINNESOTA EAST OF A BAUDETTE TO THIEF RIVER FALLS TO FERGUS
FALLS LINE.  THIS INCLUDES PARK RAPIDS AND BEMIDJI.   THERE IS A
DIMINISHED CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS THE RED RIVER VALLEY THIS
AFTERNOON ALTHOUGH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE.

TIME...1 PM UNTIL 6 PM.

TYPE OF HAZARD...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE THE PRIMARY THREAT.
THESE STORMS ONCE THEY FORM WILL MOVE VERY QUICKLY TO THE NORTH AND
NORTHEAST.

RIDDLE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 6, 1:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFEddy35 min
Jun 6, 1:33 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFEddy32 min
Jun 6, 1:43 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFBenson, Eddy32 min
Jun 6, 1:51 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFRamsey34 min
Jun 6, 1:57 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFNelson, Ramsey33 min
Jun 6, 2:26 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFRamsey34 min
Jun 6, 2:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBenson36 min
Jun 6, 3:04 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFCavalier36 min
Jun 6, 3:09 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFWalsh36 min
Jun 6, 3:21 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFPembina34 min
Jun 6, 3:38 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFCavalier32 min
Jun 6, 4:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFPembina36 min
Jun 6, 4:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFCavalier35 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.