Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 162, NWS Grand Forks, ND

July 31, 2002Beltrami County, Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 31, 2002, 10:31 PM CDT for Beltrami County, Minnesota. It was in force for 29 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jul 31, 2002, 10:31 PM CDT (03:31 UTC)
Expired
Jul 31, 2002, 11:00 PM CDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Beltrami County, MN

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 204 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:32 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.

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 31, 6:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

International Fa, MN (KINL), launched 00:00Z, 3.5 hours before the alert went out and 125 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 00:00Z on 2002-08-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1707 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, International Fa, MN at 00:00Z on 2002-08-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 20 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
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

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

881 
WUUS53 KFGF 010331
SVRFAR
MNC007-010400-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS
1030 PM CDT WED JUL 31 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...

  EAST CENTRAL BELTRAMI COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA.

* UNTIL 1100 PM CDT.

* AT 1027 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES SOUTH OF SAUM...OR ABOUT 29 MILES NORTH
  OF BEMIDJI...MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 30 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...

  KELLIHER AT 1050 PM.

DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND TORNADOES ARE ALL
POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. SEEK SHELTER IN A REINFORCED
BUILDING IMMEDIATELY.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM THURSDAY
MORNING FOR NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA AND EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA.

LAT...LON 4795 9484 4778 9478 4782 9442 4805 9442

23
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 36 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 8:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 36 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, 4 hours 10 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

ME
Local storm report, Jul 31, 7:47 PM CDT, 2 hours 44 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

ME
Local storm report, Jul 31, 7:47 PM CDT, 2 hours 44 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

ME

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 31, 8:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFKittson46 min
Jul 31, 8:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFMarshall39 min
Jul 31, 9:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBeltrami44 min
Jul 31, 10:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFMarshall, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake49 min
Jul 31, 11:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFClearwater, Polk30 min
Aug 1, 12:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBecker, Hubbard45 min
Aug 1, 12:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFWadena36 min
Aug 1, 1:33 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFClay, Norman42 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.