Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 30, NWS Sioux Falls, SD

April 18, 2004Murray County, Nobles County, Rock County, Minnesota

NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 18, 2004, 5:11 PM CDT for Murray County, Nobles County, Rock 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: Apr 18, 2004, 5:11 PM CDT (22:11 UTC)
Expired: Apr 18, 2004, 6:00 PM CDT
In force: 49 min
Issued by: NWS Sioux Falls, SD
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Murray County, MN, Nobles County, MN, Rock County, MN

The radar

The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 66 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:14 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
Apr 18, 5:20 PM CDT	TORNADO	2 Sw Adrian, MN
Apr 18, 5:20 PM CDT	TORNADO	2 Sw Adrian, MN
Apr 18, 5:20 PM CDT	TORNADO	2 Sw Adrian, MN

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

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
Apr 18, 2:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr
Apr 18, 4:40 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 227 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: 680 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -274 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 697 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 61 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 361 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 401 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 4.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

115 
WUUS53 KFSD 182211
SVRFSD
MNC101-105-133-182300-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
511 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SIOUX FALLS HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN MURRAY COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA
  NOBLES COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA
  SOUTHEAST ROCK COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA

* UNTIL 600 PM CDT

* AT 509 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS AND
  LARGE HAIL.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR ELLSWORTH...OR ABOUT 10
  MILES SOUTHEAST OF LUVERNE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  RUSHMORE AROUND 520 PM CDT
  LISMORE AROUND 525 PM CDT
  WILMONT AROUND 530 PM CDT
  FULDA AROUND 545 PM CDT
  SLAYTON AROUND 550 PM CDT

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD PREPARE
FOR DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 58 MPH...LARGE HAIL...HEAVY RAINS AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

LAT...LON 4349 9625 4350 9586 4383 9545 4403 9580

$$
RSR

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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 18, 3:35 PM CDT, 1 hour 36 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 18, 3:35 PM CDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR SOUTHEAST SD/SOUTHWEST MN/NORTHWEST IA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
335 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004

.DISCUSSION...

ONGOING WX AND WL KEEP THIS SHORT. MAIN PBLM TONIGHT WL BE SVR
STORMS AND WND THIS EVE. UPPER LOW LIFTING NEWD ACRS SD AND
INTERACTING ALONG FNT TO TRIGGER TRW. ALSO SCT TRW BEHIND FNT ...BUT
THESE WL LIKELY DISSPIATE TOWARDS SS WITH MAIN FOCUS OF TRW SHIFTING
EWD ALONG FNT. WL CONT WIND ADVY FOR PARTS OF SW MN...NW IA AND NE
NEB THIS EVE.

ANOTHER S/W WILL MOVE ACRS CWA TUE AND TUES NIGHT WITH UPPER WAVE
HAVING MOR NEG TILT. SO WUD EXPECT A BETTER CHC OF RAIN WITH THIS
SYS AND HAVE GONE LIKELY FOR POPS ON TUES. TEMPS WL BE COOLER TUES
WITH CLOUDS AND PRECIP..WITH ABOVE NORM TEMPS ON MON...BUT STILL
MUCH COOLER THAN TODAY.

ANOTHER S/W ACRS CNTRL AND SRN PLAINS THU MAY CLIP SERN CWA WITH A
CHC OF RW-. DRY FRI INTO SUN WITH A WARMING TREND.
&&

.FSD...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SD...WIND ADVY UNTIL 01Z ZONES 071
MN...WIND ADVY UNTIL 01Z ZONES 072-080-081-089-090.
IA...WIND ADVY UNTIL 01Z ZONES 001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032
NE...WIND ADVY UNTIL 01Z ZONES 013-014.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 18, 10:55 AM CDT, 6 hours 16 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1055 AM CDT SUN APR 18 2004

SDZ038>040-050-052>071-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097-098-
IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-NEZ013-014-191200-
AURORA-BEADLE-BON HOMME-BROOKINGS-BRULE-BUENA VISTA IA-
CHARLES MIX-CHEROKEE IA-CLAY-CLAY IA-COTTONWOOD MN-DAKOTA NE-
DAVISON-DICKINSON IA-DIXON NE-DOUGLAS-GREGORY-HANSON-HUTCHINSON-
IDA IA-JACKSON MN-JERAULD-KINGSBURY-LAKE-LINCOLN-LINCOLN MN-
LYON IA-LYON MN-MCCOOK-MINER-MINNEHAHA-MOODY-MURRAY MN-NOBLES MN-
OBRIEN IA-OSCEOLA IA-PIPESTONE MN-PLYMOUTH IA-ROCK MN-SANBORN-
SIOUX IA-TURNER-UNION-WOODBURY IA-YANKTON-

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA...
SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...NORTHWEST IOWA...AND NORTHEAST NEBRASKA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS...
LOW PRESSURE AND A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS EASTERN SOUTH
DAKOTA AND INTO SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA TODAY. THE FRONT WILL THEN
MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REST OF SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...FAR
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA...EXTREME NORTHEAST NEBRASKA...AND
NORTHWEST IOWA THIS EVENING. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED
NEAR THE COLD FRONT. WHILE THERE IS JUST A CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS...ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP ALONG AND EAST OF THE
COLD FRONT COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS. THE GREATEST RISK OF SEVERE STORMS WILL BE IN SOUTHWEST
MINNESOTA.

WIND AND FOG...
STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON IN
NORTHWEST IOWA...SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF
SOUTH DAKOTA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST NEBRASKA. WIND ADVISORIES
HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THESE AREAS. SUSTAINED WINDS SHOULD
GENERALLY BE FROM 30 TO 40 MPH...BUT WINDS MAY GUST AS HIGH AS 50
TO 55 IN NORTHWEST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA.

FIRE DANGER...
WARM TEMPERATURES...DRY VEGETATION...RELATIVE HUMIDITIES DROPPING
TO 30 TO 35 PERCENT...AND STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE TO CAUSE A
VERY HIGH TO EXTREME FIRE DANGER. THE WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST IN
NORTHWEST IOWA AND PARTS OF SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...WHERE SOUTHWEST
WINDS MAY GUST AS HIGH AS 50 TO 55 MPH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE POSSIBLE AFTER 4 PM.

&&

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT
WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/FSD. THIS INCLUDES THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS
WEATHER OUTLOOK.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 18, 4:58 PM CDT, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
458 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0455 PM     HAIL             ADRIAN                  43.63N 95.93W
04/18/2004  0.88 INCH        NOBLES             MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

CPJ

Local storm report, Apr 18, 5:00 PM CDT, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
500 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0458 PM     HAIL             6 S MARION              43.34N 97.26W
04/18/2004  1.75 INCH        TURNER             SD   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

CPJ

Local storm report, Apr 18, 5:02 PM CDT, 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
502 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0452 PM     TORNADO          5 SW PARKER             43.35N 97.21W
04/18/2004                   TURNER             SD   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

CHAPMAN

Local storm report, Apr 18, 5:03 PM CDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
503 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0503 PM     HAIL             ROCK RAPIDS             43.43N 96.17W
04/18/2004  0.75 INCH        LYON               IA   AIRPLANE PILOT

&&

CPJ

Local storm report, Apr 18, 5:08 PM CDT, 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
508 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0502 PM     TSTM WND GST     ROCK RAPIDS             43.43N 96.17W
04/18/2004  60 MPH           LYON               IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

CPJ

Local storm report, Apr 18, 5:09 PM CDT, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
509 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0506 PM     TORNADO          2 SE INWOOD             43.27N 96.41W
04/18/2004                   LYON               IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

CPJ

The office that day

Everything else NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 17, 11:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FSD	Rock	26 min
Apr 18, 12:08 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FSD	Lincoln	37 min
Apr 18, 12:44 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FSD	Lincoln	31 min
Apr 18, 12:55 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FSD	Pipestone	20 min
Apr 18, 1:15 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FSD	Lincoln, Lyon	45 min
Apr 18, 5:16 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FSD	Nobles	44 min
Apr 18, 5:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FSD	Rock	26 min
Apr 18, 5:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FSD	Lincoln, Lyon	46 min
Apr 18, 5:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FSD	Lincoln, Lyon	44 min
Apr 18, 5:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FSD	Cottonwood	28 min
Apr 18, 5:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FSD	Nobles	35 min
Apr 18, 6:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FSD	Cottonwood, Murray	43 min
Apr 18, 6:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FSD	Jackson	36 min
Apr 18, 6:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FSD	Lyon	30 min
Apr 18, 6:35 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FSD	Cottonwood	25 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 2004 Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.