Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2002

Tornado Warning 19, NWS Grand Forks, ND

August 11, 2002Mahnomen County, Norman County, Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this tornado warning at Aug 11, 2002, 7:56 PM CDT for Mahnomen County, Norman County, 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
Aug 11, 2002, 7:56 PM CDT (00:56 UTC)
Expired
Aug 11, 2002, 8:45 PM CDT
In force
49 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Mahnomen County, MN, Norman County, MN

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 11, 8:00 PM CDTThunderstorm WindBejou, MNBranches were blown down.
Aug 11, 8:00 PM CDTThunderstorm WindRanum, MNLarge trees were blown down.
Aug 11, 8:05 PM CDTTornado F0Bejou, MNA brief touchdown pulled up tin on a barn roof.

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
Aug 11, 6:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

International Fa, MN (KINL), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 236 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 2002-08-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 204 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 2002-08-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 40 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
204 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-162 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1684 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
40 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
139 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

542 
WFUS53 KFGF 120056
TORFAR
MNC087-107-120145-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS
756 PM CDT SUN AUG 11 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...

  MAHNOMEN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA AND   
  NORTHEASTERN NORMAN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA.

* UNTIL 845 PM CDT.

* AT 750 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
  RANUM...OR ABOUT 44 MILES NORTH OF DETROIT LAKES...MOVEMENT WAS TO
  THE EAST AT 45 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...

  BEJOU AT 800 PM...
  BEAULIEU AT 810 PM AND
  ISLANDLAKE AT 820 PM.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO
ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A STURDY BUILDING.

LAT...LON 4750 9622 4732 9618 4730 9563 4749 9557


DTR

NNNN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 11, 7:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFClay, Norman48 min
Aug 11, 7:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBecker, Clearwater, Mahnomen54 min
Aug 11, 8:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFPolk23 min
Aug 11, 8:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBecker, Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard59 min
Aug 11, 8:53 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFBeltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard52 min
Aug 11, 9:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFOtter Tail, Wadena38 min
Aug 11, 11:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFGrant45 min
Aug 12, 12:19 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFOtter Tail56 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Minnesota, 2002Every tornado warning in 2002Tornadoes 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.