Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2004

Tornado Warning 37, NWS Grand Forks, ND

July 12, 2004Becker County, Otter Tail County, Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this tornado warning at Jul 12, 2004, 10:55 PM CDT for Becker County, Otter Tail County, Minnesota. It was in force for 65 min. 33 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 12, 2004, 10:55 PM CDT (03:55 UTC)
Expired
Jul 13, 2004, 12:00 AM CDT
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Becker County, MN, Otter Tail County, MN

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 148 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:59 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 12, 11:13 PM CDTTORNADO4 W Cormorant, MN
Jul 12, 11:13 PM CDTTORNADO4 W Cormorant, MN
Jul 12, 11:15 PM CDTHAIL 22 S Cormorant, MN
Jul 12, 11:15 PM CDTHAIL 22 S Cormorant, MN
Jul 12, 11:15 PM CDTHAIL 22 S Cormorant, MN
Jul 12, 11:15 PM CDTHAIL 22 S Cormorant, MN
Jul 12, 11:15 PM CDTHAIL 22 S Cormorant, MN
Jul 12, 11:15 PM CDTHAIL 2.51 S Cormorant, MN
Jul 12, 11:15 PM CDTHAIL 2.51 S Cormorant, MN
Jul 12, 11:15 PM CDTHAIL 2.51 S Cormorant, MN
Jul 12, 11:15 PM CDTHAIL 2.51 S Cormorant, MN
Jul 12, 11:15 PM CDTHAIL 2.51 S Cormorant, MN
Jul 12, 11:15 PM CDTTORNADO7 Wnw Dunvilla, MN
Jul 12, 11:15 PM CDTTORNADO7 Wnw Dunvilla, MN
Jul 12, 11:25 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG2 W Dunvilla, MNTREE DOWN ON HOUSE.
Jul 12, 11:25 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG2 W Dunvilla, MNTREE DOWN ON HOUSE.
Jul 12, 11:25 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG2 W Dunvilla, MNTREE DOWN ON HOUSE.
Jul 12, 11:25 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG2 W Dunvilla, MNTREE DOWN ON HOUSE.
Jul 12, 11:25 PM CDTTORNADO2 W Dunvilla, MNDAMAGE WITH 70+ MPH WINDS REPORTED.TREES COVERING STATE ROAD 34.
Jul 12, 11:25 PM CDTTORNADO2 W Dunvilla, MNDAMAGE WITH 70+ MPH WINDS REPORTED.TREES COVERING STATE ROAD 34.
Jul 12, 11:25 PM CDTTORNADO2 W Dunvilla, MNDAMAGE WITH 70+ MPH WINDS REPORTED.TREES COVERING STATE ROAD 34.
Jul 12, 11:25 PM CDTTORNADO2 W Dunvilla, MNDAMAGE WITH 70+ MPH WINDS REPORTED.TREES COVERING STATE ROAD 34.
Jul 12, 11:25 PM CDTTORNADO2 W Dunvilla, MNDAMAGE WITH 70+ MPH WINDS REPORTED.TREES COVERING STATE ROAD 34.
Jul 12, 11:40 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG2 W Dunvilla, MNTREE DOWN ON HOUSE.
Jul 12, 11:42 PM CDTHAIL 2.5Vergas, MN
Jul 12, 11:42 PM CDTHAIL 2.5Vergas, MN
Jul 12, 11:42 PM CDTHAIL 2.5Vergas, MN
Jul 12, 11:42 PM CDTHAIL 2.5Vergas, MN
Jul 12, 11:42 PM CDTHAIL 2.5Vergas, MN
Jul 12, 11:45 PM CDTHAIL 2.51 S Cormorant, MN
Jul 12, 11:45 PM CDTHAIL 2.51 S Cormorant, MN
Jul 12, 11:45 PM CDTHAIL 2.51 S Cormorant, MN
Jul 12, 11:45 PM CDTHAIL 2.51 S Cormorant, MN

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 12, 9:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 3.9 hours before the alert went out and 265 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2004-07-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1267 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2004-07-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 47 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
1267 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-73 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1215 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
47 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
174 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
2.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS53 KFGF 130355
TORFGF
MNC005-111-130500-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS
1055 PM CDT MON JUL 12 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...

  SOUTHWESTERN BECKER COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
  NORTHWESTERN OTTER TAIL COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA

* UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT.

* AT 1050 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION 16 MILES WEST OF
  CORMORANT...OR ABOUT 21 MILES EAST OF FARGO...MOVING TO THE
  SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...

  CORMORANT AT 1115 PM...
  DUNVILLA AT 1125 PM...
  LAKE LIDA AT 1130 PM AND
  MAPLEWOOD STATE PARK AT 1135 PM.

THIS SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING TORNADOES AND GOLF 
BALL SIZE HAIL.

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 4650 9591 4661 9616 4685 9615 4672 9563
          4664 9570 4652 9581

$$
DK

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 12, 8:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFLake of the Woods56 min
Jul 12, 10:02 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFClay58 min
Jul 12, 10:19 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFClay41 min
Jul 12, 10:59 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFClay46 min
Jul 13, 12:00 AM CDTTornado WarningFGFOtter Tail, Wadena60 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Minnesota, 2004Every tornado warning in 2004Tornadoes in 2004

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.