Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2001

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 243, NWS Grand Forks, ND

July 31, 2001Lake of the Woods County, Roseau County, Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 31, 2001, 5:16 PM CDT for Lake of the Woods County, Roseau County, Minnesota. It was in force for 44 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reconstructed for it; the warning itself named whole counties, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 31, 2001, 5:16 PM CDT (22:16 UTC)
Expired
Jul 31, 2001, 6:00 PM CDT
In force
44 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

Counties Lake of the Woods County, MN, Roseau County, MN

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 184 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:15 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 31, 5:30 PM CDTHail 0.88Skime, MNThe hail damaged the awnings on a home.

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 31, 4:00 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

International Fa, MN (KINL), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 163 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, International Fa, MN at 12:00Z on 2001-07-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2851 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, International Fa, MN at 12:00Z on 2001-07-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 22 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
2851 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-13 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
485 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
22 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
179 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
7.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS53 KFGF 312217
SVRFAR

MNC077-135-312300-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND-GRAND FORKS
516 PM CDT TUE JUL 31 2001

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...

  WESTERN LAKE OF THE WOODS COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA   AND
  EASTERN ROSEAU COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA.

* UNTIL 600 PM CDT.

* AT 515 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES EAST OF TORFIN...OR ABOUT 17 MILES
  SOUTH OF ROSEAU...MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...

  PENCER AT 520 PM AND
  HAYES LAKE STATE PARK AT 530 PM.

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

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM TUESDAY EVENING FOR
NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA AND EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA.

LAT...LON 4868 9583 4857 9581 4855 9503 4880 9508


$$

7

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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 31, 3:25 PM CDT, 1 hour 51 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 3:25 PM CDT, 1 hour 51 minutes before
FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
325 PM CDT TUE JUL 31 2001

FORECAST CHALLENGE FOR TONIGHT AND WED IS PCPN. CURRENT SATELLITE
IMAGERY HAS ALL BUT SE CWFA CLOUDY. KMVX HAS SVR TSRA OVER N
CWFA...WITH OTHER TSRA TRYING TO GET ORGANIZED IN FRONTAL ZONE IN E
ND. LATEST MSAS SFC PRESSURE ANALYSIS HAS LOW PRESSURE CENTERED NEAR
MBG...WITH FRONT EXTENDING BET JMS-FAR TO GFK-DVL TO HCO. WHEN
COMPARING INITIALIZATION CONDITIONS TO MODELS...ETA INITIALIZED
BEST...BUT USED COMPROMISE SOLUTION AS NO MODEL HANDING SCENARIO
ENTIRELY. MODEL SOUNDINGS QUITE SATURATED WITH PW'S REMAINING AROUND
2.0 INCHES OVER CWFA THROUGH THE NIGHT. IN ADDITION...SFC LOW TRACKS
THROUGH CWFA OVERNIGHT...WITH GOOD 850 MB LLJ...NICE THETA-E
RIDGE...AS WELL AS A 700MB TROF AND UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE...ALL
SETTING SITES ON CWFA TO KEEP HEAVY RAIN AND SVR POTENTIAL TONIGHT.
WITH FFG VALUES FOR MAJORITY OF COUNTIES UNDER 2 INCHES...WILL KEEP
FFA OUT FOR CWFA TONIGHT...BUT WILL LET NIGHT SHIFT DETERMINE IF E
CWFA WILL NEED TO EXTEND FFA INTO WED. THANKS TO BIS AND DLH FOR
COORD.

FORECAST CHALLENGE FOR WED NIGHT AND THU IS TEMPS. STRONG CAA AHEAD
OF SFC HIGH WILL BRING BREEZY CONDITIONS TO CWFA ON WED. HIGH BUILDS
INTO CWFA BY 06Z THU...WITH GOOD 850 MB Q-VECTOR DIVERGENCE AND
WINDS GOING LIGHT AND VARIABLE...EXPECT TEMPS TO FALL INTO 55 TO 65
DEGREE RANGE. THEN ON THU...SFC HIGH MOVES E WITH SE-S RETURN FLOW
SETTING UP...ALLOWING TEMPS TO BUMP BACK INTO THE LOW TO MIDDLE 80S.

EXTENDED RANGE MODELS IN REASONABLY GOOD AGREEMENT IN SFC AND MID
LEVEL FEATURES THROUGH PERIOD IN BUILDING UPPER RIDGE INTO FORECAST
AREA. MODELS CONSISTENT IN SHOWING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVR DAKOTAS
WHICH MAY BRING CHC OF MAINLY NIGHTTIME TSRA THIS WEEKEND. FOLLOWING
THIS AN UPPER RIDGE BUILDS...SO WARM TEMPS AT 700MB MAY SQUELCH ANY
CHANCE FOR CONVECTION. FOR NOW WILL KEEP FCST DRY FOR EARLY NEXT
WEEK BECAUSE OF POTENTIAL CAPPING. AT OR ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPS TEMPS
TO CONTINUE WITH WARMEST TEMPS FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK.

.FGF...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FULL CWFA TONIGHT.

NG/AMV

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 31, 1:53 PM CDT, 3 hours 23 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA/GRAND FORKS
153 PM CDT TUE JUL 31 2001

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

0350 AM    3 E BUXTON                ND   WIND DAMAGE
07/31/01   TRAILL                         LARGE TREE DOWN

0357 AM    HALSTAD                   MN   67 MPH TSTM GUST
07/31/01   NORMAN

0417 AM    HAWLEY                    MN   .88 INCH HAIL
07/31/01   CLAY

0425 AM    GENTILLY                  MN   WIND DAMAGE
07/31/01   POLK                           4-5 INCH DIAMETER LIMBS
                                          DOWN

0425 AM    CROOKSTON                 MN   WIND DAMAGE
07/31/01   POLK                           4-5 INCH DIAMETER LIMBS
                                          DOWN

0515 AM    1 NE SKIME                MN   WIND DAMAGE
07/31/01   ROSEAU                         LARGE TREES DOWN

0515 AM    4 NW GRYGLA               MN   WIND DAMAGE
07/31/01   MARSHALL                       LARGE TREES DOWN

0600 AM    1 W CLEMENTSON            MN   WIND DAMAGE
07/31/01   LAKE OF THE WOODS              ROOF BLOWN OFF TRAILER
                                          HOME, 20 INCH DIAMETER
                                          TREES DOWN

1000 AM    COOPERSTOWN               ND   WIND DAMAGE
07/31/01   GRIGGS                         6 TO 8 INCH BRANCHES DOWN

1055 AM    COOPERSTOWN               ND   FLOODING
07/31/01   GRIGGS                         CITY PARK FLOODED, STREET
                                          FLOODING 2 FOOT DEEP
                                          DOWNTOWN

1100 AM    15 NE FINLEY              ND   WIND DAMAGE
07/31/01   STEELE                         4 INCH BRANCHES DOWN

1108 AM    HATTON                    ND   WIND DAMAGE
07/31/01   TRAILL                         5 INCH BRANCHES DOWN

1130 AM    GRAND FORKS               ND   WIND DAMAGE
07/31/01   GRAND FORKS                    12 INCH DIAMETER TREES
                                          DOWN

1130 AM    7 SW GRAND FORKS          ND   .75 INCH HAIL
07/31/01   GRAND FORKS

1132 AM    FISHER                    MN   WIND DAMAGE
07/31/01   POLK                           POWER POLES BLOWN DOWN

1150 AM    3 S ANGUS                 MN   WIND DAMAGE
07/31/01   POLK                           NUMEROUS TREES DOWN

1215 PM    1 SW WYLIE                MN   .75 INCH HAIL
07/31/01   RED LAKE

1220 PM    THIEF RIVER FALLS         MN   72 MPH TSTM GUST
07/31/01   PENNINGTON                     NUMEROUS LARGE TREES DOWN,
                                          DAVIS WIND SENSOR REPORT

1223 PM    THIEF RIVER FALLS         MN   .75 INCH HAIL
07/31/01   PENNINGTON

1235 PM    4 W MAVIE                 MN   WIND DAMAGE
07/31/01   PENNINGTON                     SEVERAL LARGE LIMBS DOWN

1245 PM    15 SW GRYGLA              MN   .75 INCH HAIL
07/31/01   PENNINGTON                     ALONG COUNTY LINE

1245 PM    2 NE MAVIE                MN   .75 INCH HAIL
07/31/01   PENNINGTON                     ALONG COUNTY LINE

1245 PM    15 SW GRYGLA              MN   .75 INCH HAIL
07/31/01   MARSHALL                       ALONG COUNTY LINE
Local storm report, Jul 31, 5:15 PM CDT, 1 minute before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA/GRAND FORKS
515 PM CDT TUE JUL 31 2001

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

0425 AM    12 ESE ADA                MN   WIND DAMAGE
07/31/01   NORMAN                         LARGE BRANCHES DOWN IN
                                          TWIN VALLEY

0445 AM    HALSTAD                   MN   WIND DAMAGE
07/31/01   NORMAN                         DOWNED POWER POLES

0455 AM    1 E GULLY                 MN   WIND DAMAGE
07/31/01   POLK                           TREES DOWN ALONG HWY 92

0230 PM    5 NW GRYGLA               MN   .75 INCH HAIL
07/31/01   MARSHALL                       HAIL FOR 5 MINUTES

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 31, 4:11 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFNorman, Polk34 min
Jul 31, 4:11 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFPennington, Red Lake34 min
Jul 31, 4:11 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFMarshall34 min
Jul 31, 4:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFPennington, Polk, Red Lake28 min
Jul 31, 4:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBeltrami, Kittson, Marshall, Roseau28 min
Jul 31, 4:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFClearwater28 min
Jul 31, 5:37 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBeltrami, Lake of the Woods38 min
Jul 31, 11:21 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFPolk39 min
Jul 31, 11:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFPennington, Polk, Red Lake48 min
Jul 31, 12:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFMarshall64 min
Jul 31, 12:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFPennington32 min
Jul 31, 12:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBeltrami, Lake of the Woods59 min
Jul 31, 1:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFPennington, Polk25 min
Jul 31, 1:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFMarshall40 min
Jul 31, 1:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFLake of the Woods31 min
Jul 31, 2:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBeltrami, Marshall30 min
Jul 31, 4:35 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFGFMarshall6 hr
Jul 31, 4:39 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFGFPolk4 hr
Jul 31, 4:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFPolk51 min
Jul 31, 5:39 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFBeltrami, Lake of the Woods36 min
Jul 31, 6:05 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFGFBeltrami, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, Roseau6 hr
Jul 31, 6:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFClay32 min
Jul 31, 6:15 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFLake of the Woods30 min
Jul 31, 6:23 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFGFPennington, Polk, Red Lake6 hr
Jul 31, 6:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFNorman36 min
Jul 31, 6:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFPolk, Red Lake36 min
Jul 31, 6:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFNorman32 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.