Alert archive / North Dakota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 185, NWS Grand Forks, ND

August 8, 2002Walsh County, North Dakota; Marshall County, Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 8, 2002, 9:59 PM CDT for Walsh County, North Dakota; Marshall County, Minnesota. It was in force for 46 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: Aug 8, 2002, 9:59 PM CDT (02:59 UTC)
Expired: Aug 8, 2002, 10:45 PM CDT
In force: 46 min
Issued by: NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Marshall County, MN, Walsh County, ND

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 100 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:59 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
Aug 8, 10:15 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind	Grafton, ND	Tree limbs were blown down.
Aug 8, 10:30 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind	Stephen, MN	Trees were blown down.
Aug 8, 10:40 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind	Stephen, MN	Trees were blown down.

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 nearest sounding before it

Bismarck Municip, ND (KBIS), launched 00:00Z, 3.0 hours before the alert went out and 329 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 863 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -27 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1927 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 20 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 49 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

335 
WUUS53 KFGF 090259
SVRFAR
MNC089-NDC099-090345-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS
959 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...

  EAST CENTRAL WALSH COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND
  NORTHWESTERN MARSHALL COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA.

* UNTIL 1045 PM CDT.

* AT 954 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF BIG WOODS...OR ABOUT 13
  MILES SOUTHEAST OF GRAFTON...MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25
  MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...

  STEPHEN AT 1025 PM.

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

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM FRIDAY
MORNING FOR NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA AND EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA.

LAT...LON 4836 9731 4823 9711 4854 9658 4853 9692


8

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 Aug 8, 9:30 PM CDT, 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 8, 9:30 PM CDT, 29 minutes before

FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
930 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2002

FORECASTS ALREADY UPDATED FOR EXPIRATION OF ONE WATCH AND ISSUANCE
OF ANOTHER. ISOLATED TSTORMS ARE REFUSING TO WEAKEN FROM SEVERE
LEVELS NORTHEASTWARD FROM GFK BUT THEY CAN BE HANDLED WITH WARNINGS
RATHER THAN A WATCH TOO. NEW WATCH SOUTHWARD FROM GFK LOOKS GOOD
WITH CAP FINALLY BEGINNING TO BREAK.

RESPONSIBLE SHORTWAVES FOR THUNDERSTORM CLUSTERS...ONE EXITING TO
CANADA AND THE NEXT IN CENTRAL PARTS OF ND/SD LOOK AS IF THEY ARE
WEAKENING IN 12Z MODELS. BUT THE LATTER LOOKS VERY HEALTHY AND ABOUT
TO ENCOUNTER A MORE POTENT SOURCE OF MOISTURE AND GOOD LOW LEVEL
CONVERGENCE ALONG WITH STRONG UPPER DIFFLUENCE.

.FGF...FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF AREA TONIGHT...AND FOR PARTS OF NW AND
WC MN FRI. SEVERE TSTM WATCH 584 EXPIRED AT 900 PM. SEVERE TSTM WATCH
586 ISSUED TIL 200 AM CDT.
GV

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 8, 7:22 PM CDT, 2 hours 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS, ND
722 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2002

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

0305 PM    4 NW SOUTHAM              ND   .75 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   RAMSEY

0330 PM    3 W BARTLET               ND   .88 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   RAMSEY

0415 PM    8 W VALLEY CITY           ND   1.00 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   BARNES

0450 PM    FINLEY                    ND   WIND DAMAGE
08/08/02   STEELE                         BUILDING UNDER
                                          CONSTRUCTION COLAPSED.
                                          ESTIMATED 75 MPH WINDS.

0450 PM    FINLEY                    ND   .75 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   STEELE

0515 PM    COLGATE                   ND   .75 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   STEELE

0530 PM    7 E HOPE                  ND   .88 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   STEELE

0542 PM    1 S EMERADO               ND   .75 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   GRAND FORKS

0542 PM    1 S EMERADO               ND   60 MPH WIND GUST
08/08/02   GRAND FORKS

0550 PM    7 E GRAND FORKS AFB       ND   .75 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   GRAND FORKS

0555 PM    GRAND FORKS               ND   .88 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   GRAND FORKS                    @ FGF WFO.

0555 PM    GRAND FORKS               ND   59 MPH WIND GUST
08/08/02   GRAND FORKS                    @ FGF WFO.

0600 PM    6 W GRAND FORKS           ND   62 MPH WIND GUST
08/08/02   GRAND FORKS                    @ KGFK AIRPORT.

0605 PM    EAST GRAND FORKS          MN   WIND DAMAGE
08/08/02   POLK                           TREE DAMAGE, 4-5 DIA.

0625 PM    6 S BLABON                ND   .75 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   STEELE

0625 PM    6 S BLABON                ND   60 MPH WIND GUST
08/08/02   STEELE

0645 PM    6 NE HOPE                 ND   1.00 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   STEELE

Local storm report, Aug 8, 8:06 PM CDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS, ND
806 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2002

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

0305 PM    4 NW SOUTHAM              ND   .75 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   RAMSEY

0330 PM    3 W BARTLET               ND   .88 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   RAMSEY

0415 PM    8 W VALLEY CITY           ND   1.00 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   BARNES

0450 PM    FINLEY                    ND   WIND DAMAGE
08/08/02   STEELE                         BUILDING UNDER
                                          CONSTRUCTION COLAPSED
                                          ESTIMATED 75 MPH WINDS

0450 PM    FINLEY                    ND   .75 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   STEELE

0515 PM    COLGATE                   ND   .75 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   STEELE

0530 PM    7 E HOPE                  ND   .88 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   STEELE

0542 PM    1 S EMERADO               ND   .75 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   GRAND FORKS

0542 PM    1 S EMERADO               ND   60 MPH WIND GUST
08/08/02   GRAND FORKS

0550 PM    7 E GRAND FORKS AFB       ND   .75 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   GRAND FORKS

0555 PM    GRAND FORKS               ND   .88 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   GRAND FORKS                    FGF WFO

0555 PM    GRAND FORKS               ND   59 MPH WIND GUST
08/08/02   GRAND FORKS                    FGF WFO

0600 PM    6 W GRAND FORKS           ND   62 MPH WIND GUST
08/08/02   GRAND FORKS                    KGFK AIRPORT

0605 PM    EAST GRAND FORKS          MN   WIND DAMAGE
08/08/02   POLK                           TREE DAMAGE...4-5 INCH DIA

0625 PM    6 S BLABON                ND   .75 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   STEELE

0625 PM    6 S BLABON                ND   60 MPH WIND GUST
08/08/02   STEELE

0645 PM    6 NW HOPE                 ND   1.00 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   STEELE

Local storm report, Aug 8, 9:35 PM CDT, 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS, ND
935 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2002

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

0855 PM    GRAND FORKS               ND   .88 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   GRAND FORKS                    NWS EMPLOYEE

0900 PM    GRAND FORKS               ND   .75 INCH HAIL
08/08/02   GRAND FORKS                    KGFK POLICE DEPT

0931 PM    ROSEAU                    MN   67 MPH TSTORM WIND
08/08/02   ROSEAU                         AWOS REPORT

DP

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 8, 7:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Traill	37 min
Aug 8, 7:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FGF	Traill	45 min
Aug 8, 7:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Grand Forks	44 min
Aug 8, 8:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Grand Forks	38 min
Aug 8, 10:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Benson, Eddy	41 min
Aug 8, 11:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Griggs	40 min
Aug 8, 11:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Benson, Nelson, Ramsey	60 min
Aug 8, 11:26 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FGF	Benson	49 min
Aug 8, 11:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Steele	46 min
Aug 9, 12:19 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Cavalier, Ramsey	41 min
Aug 9, 12:21 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	FGF	Walsh	6 hr
Aug 9, 12:24 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Towner	51 min
Aug 9, 12:56 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Pembina	49 min
Aug 9, 12:59 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Cavalier	46 min
Aug 8, 7:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Roseau	41 min
Aug 8, 8:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FGF	Polk	48 min
Aug 8, 8:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Polk	49 min
Aug 8, 10:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Beltrami, Lake of the Woods	47 min
Aug 8, 10:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Kittson	39 min
Aug 9, 12:08 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Roseau	52 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Dakota, 2002 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 2002 Every 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.