Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2001

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 203, NWS Grand Forks, ND

July 21, 2001Becker County, Otter Tail County, Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 21, 2001, 5:59 AM CDT for Becker County, Otter Tail County, Minnesota. It was in force for 46 min. 1 report 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
Jul 21, 2001, 5:59 AM CDT (10:59 UTC)
Expired
Jul 21, 2001, 6:45 AM CDT
In force
46 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Whole counties

Counties Becker County, MN, Otter Tail County, MN

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 156 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 11:00 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
Jul 21, 6:15 AM CDTHail 2New York Mills, 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
Jul 21, 3:45 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 11.0 hours before the alert went out and 260 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 00:00Z on 2001-07-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1957 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 00:00Z on 2001-07-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 24 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
1957 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-34 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
820 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
24 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
30 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
1.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS53 KFGF 211101
SVRFAR

MNC005-111-211145-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND-GRAND FORKS
559 AM CDT SAT JUL 21 2001

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...

  BECKER COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA AND
  OTTER TAIL COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA.

* UNTIL 645 AM CDT.

* AT 555 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  THE LEADING EDGE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING
  FROM 23 MILES NORTHEAST OF DETROIT LAKES TO 20 MILES EAST OF
  DETROIT LAKES TO 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF FERGUS FALLS TO 8 MILES
  SOUTH OF FERGUS FALLS...MOVEMENT WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...

  OTTERTAIL AT 600 AM CDT...
  FERGUS FALLS AT 605 AM CDT...
  BUTLER AT 605 AM CDT...
  NEW YORK MILLS AT 610 AM CDT AND
  MIDWAY AT 615 AM CDT.

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF 60 MPH WINDS

REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 AM CDT
SATURDAY MORNING FOR NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA AND SOUTHEAST NORTH
DAKOTA.


$$
DJK/RD

NNNN

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 Jul 21, 3:23 AM CDT, 2 hours 36 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 3:23 AM CDT, 2 hours 36 minutes before
FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
315 AM SAT JUL 21 2001

DISCUSSION IS LATE AND BRIEF DUE TO DERECHO MOVING THROUGH THE CWA
AT THIS TIME.

.CURRENT/MODEL DISCUSSION...DERECHO CURRENTLY MOVING THROUGH THE
CWFA WITH NUMEROUS WARNINGS. LIKE THE ETA MODEL FOR THE DETAILS.

.SHORT TERM...DERECHO WILL CONTINUE TO PROPAGATE TO THE EAST THROUGH
THE EARLY MORNING. AFTER THIS MOVES THROUGH...THUNDERSTORMS WILL END
ACROSS THE CWFA THIS MORNING...THEN RELSULT IN PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES
FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. COULD BE SOME WIDELY SCATTERED
REDEVELOPMENT IN THE AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY TOWARDS DEVILS LAKE.

.LONG TERM...A SIMILAR SITUATION SETTING UP FOR TONIGHT AS PREVIOUS
NIGHT. WITH FAVORABLE MID LEVEL FLOW WOULD EXPECT ANOTHER BOW ECHO
TO RUN ACROSS THE CWA. THINGS MAY BEGIN TO SETTLE DOWN AFTER SUNDAY
AS THE PATTERN TAKES ON A MORE BENIGN PATTERN. WILL NOT GO AHEAD AND
ISSUE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH AT THIS TIME...WILL LET NEXT SHIFT
EVALUATE THIS SITUATION LATER TODAY.

.FGF...NONE.

BRAZZELL

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 21, 5:25 AM CDT, 34 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA/GRAND FORKS
525 AM CDT SAT JUL 21 2001

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0221 AM    5 W NEW ROCKFORD          ND   70 MPH TSTM GUST
07/21/01   EDDY

0240 AM    3 E OBERON                ND   .75 INCH HAIL
07/21/01   BENSON

0345 AM    FINLEY                    ND   60 MPH TSTM GUST
07/21/01   STEELE

0437 AM    6 W ADA                   MN   64 MPH TSTM GUST
07/21/01   NORMAN                         RWIS SITE REPORT

NNNN
Special weather statement, Jul 21, 5:53 AM CDT, 6 minutes before
MNZ001>004-007>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-
024-026>030-038-039-049-052>054-211140-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
553 AM CDT SAT JUL 21 2001

...PORTIONS OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS EITHER BEEN CANCELLED
OR EXPIRED...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED OR EXPIRED FOR THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTH DAKOTA: TOWNER...BENSON...CAVALIER...
RAMSEY...EDDY...PEMBINA...WALSH...NELSON...GRAND FORKS...GRIGGS...
STEELE...TRAIL AND BARNES. IN MINNESOTA THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: KITTSON...
MARSHALL...BELTRAMI...PENNINGTON...RED LAKE...POLK.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CDT FOR
THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN NORTH DAKOTA: CASS...RANSOM...RICHLAND AND
SARGENT COUNTIES. IN MINNESOTA THE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9
AM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: NORMAN...MAHNOMEN...SOUTHERN
CLEARWATER...CLAY...BECKER...HUBBARD...WILKIN...OTTER TAIL...WADENA
AND GRANT COUNTIES.

DISCUSSION...LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES TO MOVE TO THE
EAST SOUTHEAST FROM CLEAR WATER TO WILKIN COUNTIES PRODUCING
MARGINAL SEVERE WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH. THIS SHOULD CONTINUE FOR THE
NEXT HOUR OR TWO BEFORE EXITING THE AREA.

BRAZZELL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 21, 4:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFClay, Wilkin58 min
Jul 21, 4:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFNorman58 min
Jul 21, 4:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBecker, Mahnomen67 min
Jul 21, 4:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFOtter Tail67 min
Jul 21, 5:16 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFClay, Norman44 min
Jul 21, 5:16 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFWilkin44 min
Jul 21, 5:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFGrant58 min
Jul 21, 5:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFHubbard, Wadena58 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 2001Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2001

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.