Alert archive / North Dakota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 113, NWS Bismarck, ND

June 18, 2008Mercer County, North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 18, 2008, 10:01 PM MDT for Mercer County, North Dakota. It was in force for 29 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Jun 18, 2008, 10:01 PM MDT (04:01 UTC)
Expired: Jun 18, 2008, 10:30 PM MDT
In force: 29 min
Issued by: NWS Bismarck, ND
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Mercer County, ND

The radar

The Bismarck radar (KBIS), 127 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:04 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.

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, 4.0 hours before the alert went out and 131 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: 882 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -33 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1600 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 75 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 69 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.1
Supercell composite: 1.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS53 KBIS 190400
SVRBIS
NDC057-190430-
/O.NEW.KBIS.SV.W.0113.080619T0401Z-080619T0430Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1001 PM MDT WED JUN 18 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BISMARCK HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN MERCER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...

* UNTIL 1030 PM MDT

* AT 959 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL.  THIS
  STORM WAS LOCATED OVER EXTREME NORTHWESTERN MERCER COUNTY...OR 56
  MILES NORTHEAST OF DICKINSON...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  RURAL CENTRAL MERCER COUNTY AT 1020 PM MDT

IF ON OR NEAR A LAKE...GET OUT OF THE WATER AND MOVE INDOORS OR
INSIDE A VEHICLE. REMEMBER...LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE OUT TO 15 MILES
FROM THE PARENT THUNDERSTORM. IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE
ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. MOVE TO SAFE SHELTER NOW. DONT BE
CAUGHT ON THE WATER IN A THUNDERSTORM

LAT...LON 4750 10220 4754 10220 4758 10210 4757 10205
      4756 10202 4754 10202 4753 10194 4742 10164
      4730 10201 4749 10221
TIME...MOT...LOC 0401Z 317DEG 26KT 4751 10205

$$

HEINERT

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS53 KBIS 190434
SVSBIS

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1133 PM CDT WED JUN 18 2008

NDC057-190443-
/O.EXP.KBIS.SV.W.0113.000000T0000Z-080619T0430Z/
MERCER ND-
1033 PM MDT WED JUN 18 2008

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN MERCER COUNTY HAS
EXPIRED...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM HAS WEAKENED AND NO LONGER POSES A 
SIGNIFICANT THREAT. SMALL HAIL AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN CAN STILL BE 
EXPECTED NORTH OF ZAP AND WEST OF BEULAH BAY OVER THE NEXT 30 
MINUTES.

LAT...LON 4750 10220 4754 10220 4758 10210 4757 10205
      4756 10202 4754 10202 4753 10194 4742 10164
      4730 10201 4749 10221
TIME...MOT...LOC 0401Z 317DEG 26KT 4708 10280

$$

HAMILTON

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 Bismarck, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jun 18, 1:45 PM MDT, 8 hours 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 18, 1:45 PM MDT, 8 hours 16 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
245 PM CDT WED JUN 18 2008

.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG A LINE FROM NORTH OF
MINOT...SOUTH INTO SOUTH DAKOTA. THIS IS ALONG A SURFACE FRONT
WHERE DEW POINTS HAVE POOLED AND TEMPERATURES HAVE WARMED TO NEAR
80 DEGREES. THIS HAS INCREASED THE CAPE WITH MID LEVEL CAPES OF
1000 TO 1500 J/KG. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ALONG
THE FRONT AND MOVE SLOWLY EAST THROUGH THIS EVENING. WILL KEEP A
CHANCE OF TSTMS TO THE WEST OF THE FRONT...AS THERE HAVE BEEN A
FEW THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOPED IN NORTHEAST MONTANA. THE
THUNDERSTORMS IN CENTRAL ND WILL LIKELY BE SEVERE AT TIMES WITH
LARGE HAIL...AND A POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN.

BY THURSDAY MORNING...THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE NOW OVER THE STATE
WILL RETROGRADE WEST BACK OVER MONTANA...BUT WITH LOW AMPLITUDE.
A WEAK SHORT WAVE MOVING OVER THE RIDGE MAY BE STRONG ENOUGH TO
AID INSTABILITY TO AID IN TSTM FORMATION IN THE AFTERNOON AND WILL
KEEP A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS IN THE FORECAST.

BY FRIDAY THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL SHARPEN OVER CENTRAL MONTANA
AND SHOULD CAUSE INCREASED STABILITY OVER THE AREA WHICH SHOULD
CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE BORDER
AREAS. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN SEASONABLE THROUGH SUNDAY.

.LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...
WARM WEATHER TO CONTINUE WITH ANOTHER POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER MAKER
SUNDAY NIGHT AS BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF HAVE A LOW LEVEL JET/H85
SOUTH WINDS OF 35KT ACROSS THE CWA...GOOD PRODUCER FOR ELEVATED
CONVECTION. AN INCOMING COLD FRONT AND UPPER WAVE WILL BRING SHOWERS
AND TSTMS ACROSS THE CWA FROM WEST DURING THE DAY SUNDAY...THEN
SPREAD INTO OUR CENTRAL ZONES SUNDAY NIGHT. THREAT OF SEVERE TSTMS
CONTINUE MONDAY ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EAST. PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE TO WORK WITH AS DEWPOINTS WILL BE AROUND 60F AHEAD OF THE
COLD FRONT. BROAD RIDGING CONTINUES TUESDAY INTO INTO THURSDAY WITH
DISTURBANCES RIDING OVER THE TOP OF THE RIDGE...WHICH WILL CREATE
ADDITIONAL CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND TSTMS.
&&

.AVIATION...OUTSIDE OF THUNDERSTORMS...VFR CONDITIONS NEXT 24HR.
HOWEVER...SHOWERS AND TSTMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING MAY
CREATE BRIEF MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES IN HEAVY RAIN AND
POSSIBLY SOME HAIL. SOME THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO HAVE STRONG WINDS
GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO 35KT. THREAT FOR TSTMS WILL CONTINUE INTO
THURSDAY...BUT AREAL COVERAGE SHOULD BE LESS THURSDAY AFT/EVE.

&&

.BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

TSW/KS

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 18, 3:46 AM MDT, 18 hours 15 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
446 AM CDT WED JUN 18 2008

NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-191000-
DIVIDE-BURKE-RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-ROLETTE-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-WARD-
MCHENRY-PIERCE-MCKENZIE-DUNN-MERCER-OLIVER-MCLEAN-SHERIDAN-WELLS-
FOSTER-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-MORTON-BURLEIGH-KIDDER-
STUTSMAN-SLOPE-HETTINGER-GRANT-BOWMAN-ADAMS-SIOUX-EMMONS-LOGAN-
LA MOURE-MCINTOSH-DICKEY-
446 AM CDT WED JUN 18 2008 /346 AM MDT WED JUN 18 2008/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
NORTH DAKOTA...NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH
DAKOTA...SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A GOOD CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT IS LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. SOME LOCALES MAY RECEIVE HEAVY
RAINFALL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

SLIGHT CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR THURSDAY...THEN SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH
TUESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

JV

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 18, 7:47 PM MDT, 2 hours 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
847 PM CDT WED JUN 18 2008

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

0842 PM     HAIL             TURTLE LAKE             47.52N 100.89W
06/18/2008  E0.88 INCH       MCLEAN             ND   STORM CHASER

&&

NHEINERT

Local storm report, Jun 18, 8:13 PM MDT, 1 hour 48 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
913 PM CDT WED JUN 18 2008

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

0909 PM     HAIL             MINOT                   48.23N 101.30W
06/18/2008  M1.00 INCH       WARD               ND   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            PEA TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL WAS ONGOING AT THE TIME OF THE
            REPORT

&&

VJENSEN

Local storm report, Jun 18, 8:21 PM MDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
921 PM CDT WED JUN 18 2008

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

0919 PM     HAIL             MINOT                   48.23N 101.30W
06/18/2008  M1.00 INCH       WARD               ND   PUBLIC

            SOUTHSIDE OF MINOT

&&

VROLLER

Local storm report, Jun 18, 8:58 PM MDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
958 PM CDT WED JUN 18 2008

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

0920 PM     HAIL             WILTON                  47.16N 100.78W
06/18/2008  E0.75 INCH       MCLEAN             ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            PEA TO PENNY SIZE HAIL ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN.

&&

NHEINERT

Local storm report, Jun 18, 9:00 PM MDT, 1 hour 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1000 PM CDT WED JUN 18 2008

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

0955 PM     HAIL             SELFRIDGE               46.04N 100.92W
06/18/2008  E1.00 INCH       SIOUX              ND   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            DIME TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL.

&&

SWICHE

Local storm report, Jun 18, 9:16 PM MDT, 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1016 PM CDT WED JUN 18 2008

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

1015 PM     HAIL             3 S SELFRIDGE           46.00N 100.92W
06/18/2008  M1.75 INCH       SIOUX              ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

NHEINERT

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 18, 6:01 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Burleigh, Morton, Oliver	29 min
Jun 18, 6:11 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Bottineau, Renville, Ward	64 min
Jun 18, 6:13 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McHenry, McLean, Sheridan, Ward	62 min
Jun 18, 6:21 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Grant, Morton	24 min
Jun 18, 6:29 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Morton	31 min
Jun 18, 6:35 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McKenzie	55 min
Jun 18, 6:40 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Grant, Morton	35 min
Jun 18, 6:47 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Grant, Morton	43 min
Jun 18, 6:55 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Burleigh, Morton	35 min
Jun 18, 6:56 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Sheridan, Wells	64 min
Jun 18, 6:58 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, McLean, Morton, Oliver	62 min
Jun 18, 7:32 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Emmons, Grant, Morton, Sioux	58 min
Jun 18, 7:44 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Burleigh, McLean, Sheridan	61 min
Jun 18, 7:56 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Sioux	49 min
Jun 18, 8:10 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McHenry, Ward	50 min
Jun 18, 8:17 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Burleigh, McLean	48 min
Jun 18, 8:22 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Mountrail	38 min
Jun 18, 8:27 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Emmons, Grant, Morton, Sioux	63 min
Jun 18, 9:31 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McLean, Mercer	29 min
Jun 19, 1:04 PM MDT	River Flood Warning	BIS	McKenzie, Williams	22 days
Jun 19, 2:06 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Burke, Renville, Ward	39 min
Jun 19, 2:44 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Renville, Ward	46 min
Jun 19, 5:20 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McHenry, McLean, Ward	55 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Dakota, 2008 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2008

Sources

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