Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2006

Tornado Warning 6, NWS Twin Cities, MN

August 1, 2006Watonwan County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this tornado warning at Aug 1, 2006, 7:03 PM CDT for Watonwan County, Minnesota. It was in force for 42 min. 6 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 1, 2006, 7:03 PM CDT (00:03 UTC)
Expired
Aug 1, 2006, 7:45 PM CDT
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Watonwan County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 130 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:03 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
Aug 1, 7:19 PM CDTTORNADO2 Sw Butterfield, MNIN PROGRESS AT 719 PM SOUTHWEST OF BUTTERFIELD. TORNADO ROPED OUT AT 722 PM. TORNADO HAD DEBRIS FIELD AS IT DISSIPATED. CHASER NOTED ANOTHER TORNADO APPEARED IMMINENT TO DEVELOP.
Aug 1, 7:19 PM CDTTORNADO3 S Butterfield, MNIN PROGRESS...BETWEEN BUTTERFIELD AND ODIN.
Aug 1, 7:43 PM CDTTORNADO3 S Butterfield, MNSTRUCTURAL DAMAGE REPORTED AT FARM HOUSE. CALLED IN AT 743 PM. UNKNOWN IF IT WAS THE SAME TORNADO AS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED. NO INJURIES.
Aug 1, 7:44 PM CDTTORNADO1 N South Branch, MNNEW TORNADO ON GROUND WITH DEBRIS NEAR COUNTY ROADS 27 AND 10. APPEARS TO BE MOVING EAST-SOUTHEAST.
Aug 1, 7:47 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUD1 N Odin, MNFUNNEL APPEARS LIKE IT WILL SOON REACH THE GROUND.
Aug 1, 7:48 PM CDTTORNADO4 S St James, MNSTRUCTURAL DAMAGE REPORTED AT FARM HOUSE. UNCERTAIN IF THIS WAS THE SAME TORNADO AS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED. DAMAGE CALLED IN AT 748 PM. NO INJURIES.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 129 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 2006-08-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 778 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 2006-08-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 215 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
778 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
476 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
215 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
479 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.1
Supercell composite
7.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS53 KMPX 020004
TORMPX
MNC165-020045-
/O.NEW.KMPX.TO.W.0006.060802T0003Z-060802T0045Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
703 PM CDT TUE AUG 1 2006

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WATONWAN COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 745 PM CDT

* AT 657 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO 5 MILES
  HORMSBY...OR ABOUT 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ST JAMES. RADAR SHOWED    
  THE TORNADIC STORM MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  ST JAMES...
  MADELIA...

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY.

LAT...LON 4408 9485 4384 9486 4385 9448 4410 9438

$$
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS53 KMPX 020015
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
712 PM CDT TUE AUG 1 2006

MNC165-020045-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-060802T0045Z/
WATONWAN MN-
712 PM CDT TUE AUG 1 2006

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CDT FOR WATONWAN
COUNTY...

AT 709 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION.   THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS 
LOCATED NEAR ECHOLS...OR ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ST JAMES...AND 
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE ST JAMES...MADELIA...GROGAN AND 
BUTTERFIELD.

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OR PRODUCING A BRIEF TORNADO 5 MILES 
WEST OF ORMSBY.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 4408 9485 4384 9486 4385 9448 4408 9440

$$
000 
WWUS53 KMPX 020026
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
722 PM CDT TUE AUG 1 2006

MNC165-020045-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-060802T0045Z/
WATONWAN MN-
722 PM CDT TUE AUG 1 2006

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CDT FOR WATONWAN
COUNTY...

AT 720 PM...A STORM SPOTTER REPORTED A TORNADO BETWEEN ODIN AND 
BUTTERFIELD.

AT 720 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING A TORNADO.   THE TORNADO PRODUCING SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR ECHOLS...OR ABOUT 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF 
ST JAMES...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.  ANOTHER STRONG STORM WAS 
MOVING INTO THE SOUTHWEST PART OF WATONWAN COUNTY WEST OF ODIN ONCE 
AGAIN.  THIS STORM COULD ALSO PRODUCE A TORNADO. 

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE ST JAMES...MADELIA AND
BUTTERFIELD.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW
SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 4408 9485 4384 9486 4385 9448 4408 9440

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 1, 7:39 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXWatonwan51 min
Aug 1, 7:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMartin59 min
Aug 1, 8:07 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXBlue Earth38 min
Aug 1, 8:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXFaribault44 min
Aug 1, 9:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBlue Earth, Faribault, Freeborn, Waseca61 min
Aug 1, 9:22 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMPXFaribault, Freeborn, Martin3 hr
Aug 1, 11:54 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMPXFaribault, Freeborn, Martin2 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Minnesota, 2006Every tornado warning in 2006Tornadoes in 2006

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.