Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 161, NWS Grand Forks, ND
NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 31, 2002, 10:11 PM CDT for 4 counties in Minnesota. It was in force for 49 min. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 31, 2002, 10:11 PM CDT (03:11 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 31, 2002, 11:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 49 min
- Issued by
- NWS Grand Forks, ND
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
Counties Marshall County, MN, Pennington County, MN, Polk County, MN, Red Lake County, MN
The radar
The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 121 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 31, 10:52 PM CDT | Hail 0.88 | Mc Intosh, MN | |
| Jul 31, 11:05 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind | Mc Intosh, MN | Tree damage was reported in the town of McIntosh. |
| Jul 31, 11:10 PM CDT | Hail 1.75 | Mc Intosh, 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.
Did it verify
Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.
Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.
The watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 31, 6:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 7 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
International Fa, MN (KINL), launched 00:00Z, 3.2 hours before the alert went out and 201 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
- 1707 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -48 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1366 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 50 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 20 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 88 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.1
- Supercell composite
- 1.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
480 WUUS53 KFGF 010311 SVRFAR MNC089-113-119-125-010400- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS 1010 PM CDT WED JUL 31 2002 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... EASTERN MARSHALL COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA... PENNINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA... EASTERN POLK COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA AND RED LAKE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. * UNTIL 1100 PM CDT. * AT 1007 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THE LEADING EDGE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 19 MILES NORTHEAST OF THIEF RIVER FALLS TO 30 MILES SOUTH OF THIEF RIVER FALLS...MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 40 MPH. THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS OVER 60 MPH. * SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... PLUMMER AT 1015 PM... GOODRIDGE AT 1020 PM... HIGH LANDING AT 1025 PM AND ROLAND AT 1030 PM. REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM THURSDAY MORNING FOR NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA AND EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. LAT...LON 4844 9598 4761 9640 4751 9560 4835 9562 06 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 31, 8:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 16 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 8:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before
FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND 855 PM CDT WED JUL 31 2002 FORECAST CHALLENGE FOR TONIGHT IS SEVERE WEATHER. KMVX HAS NUMEROUS SEVERE STORMS MOVING THROUGH E ND INTO NW MN. WITH COLD FRONT EXTENDING THROUGH ND ALONG A LANGDON TO BAKER TO BISMARCK LINE... STILL HAVE A LONG TIME TO GO BEFORE EXPECT SEVERE TO BE OUT OF AREA. WITH WATCH OVER DEVILS LAKE AREA EXPECTED TO EXPIRE AT 9 PM...AND LINE OF SEVERE CLOSE TO EXIT THAT AREA...TIMING FOR WATCH EXPIRATION LOOKS GOOD. REMAINDER OF AREA STILL UNDER SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 1 AM...WITH LOADED GUN SOUNDINGS...STRONG SURFACE BOUNDARY... JET SUPPORT...DARKENING ON WATER VAPOR STARTING TO SHOW UP...ETC ...SO WATCH FOR REMAINDER OF AREA UNTIL 1 AM STILL LOOKS GOOD. CONSEQUENTLY...CURRENT FORECAST WELL IN HAND. WILL ONLY NEED TO MAKE MINOR CHANGES. .FGF...NONE. NG
In the hours before
Local storm report, Jul 31, 6:21 PM CDT, 3 hours 50 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS, ND
621 PM CDT WED JUL 31 2002
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0600 PM 3 S LEEDS ND TORNADO
07/31/02 BENSON BRIEF TOUCHDOWN REPORTED 3
MILES SOUTH OF LEEDS BY
SPOTTER
0611 PM LEEDS ND 2.00 INCH HAIL
07/31/02 BENSON
MELocal storm report, Jul 31, 7:47 PM CDT, 2 hours 24 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS, ND
747 PM CDT WED JUL 31 2002
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0639 AM CHURCHS FERRY ND .75 INCH HAIL
07/31/02 RAMSEY
0610 PM 5 N LEEDS ND 1.75 INCH HAIL
07/31/02 BENSON
0618 PM LEEDS ND 1.00 INCH HAIL
07/31/02 BENSON
0618 PM 4 E LEEDS ND 2.00 INCH HAIL
07/31/02 BENSON
0627 PM CHURCHS FERRY ND .75 INCH HAIL
07/31/02 RAMSEY
0720 PM 2 N DEVILS LAKE ND .75 INCH HAIL
07/31/02 RAMSEY WALL CLOUD
0720 PM MADDOCK ND 1.00 INCH HAIL
07/31/02 BENSON GROUND COVERED TOTALLY
WHITE
0730 PM 2 NW DEVILS LAKE ND 1.00 INCH HAIL
07/31/02 RAMSEY
MELocal storm report, Jul 31, 7:47 PM CDT, 2 hours 24 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS, ND
747 PM CDT WED JUL 31 2002
...CORRECTED TIME OF FIRST REPORT...
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0639 PM CHURCHS FERRY ND .75 INCH HAIL
07/31/02 RAMSEY
0610 PM 5 N LEEDS ND 1.75 INCH HAIL
07/31/02 BENSON
0618 PM LEEDS ND 1.00 INCH HAIL
07/31/02 BENSON
0618 PM 4 E LEEDS ND 2.00 INCH HAIL
07/31/02 BENSON
0627 PM CHURCHS FERRY ND .75 INCH HAIL
07/31/02 RAMSEY
0720 PM 2 N DEVILS LAKE ND .75 INCH HAIL
07/31/02 RAMSEY WALL CLOUD
0720 PM MADDOCK ND 1.00 INCH HAIL
07/31/02 BENSON GROUND COVERED TOTALLY
WHITE
0730 PM 2 NW DEVILS LAKE ND 1.00 INCH HAIL
07/31/02 RAMSEY
METhe office that day
Everything else NWS Grand Forks, ND issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 31, 8:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Kittson | 46 min |
| Jul 31, 8:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Marshall | 39 min |
| Jul 31, 9:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Beltrami | 44 min |
| Jul 31, 10:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Beltrami | 29 min |
| Jul 31, 11:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Clearwater, Polk | 30 min |
| Aug 1, 12:00 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Becker, Hubbard | 45 min |
| Aug 1, 12:39 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Wadena | 36 min |
| Aug 1, 1:33 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF | Clay, Norman | 42 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 2002Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2002
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.