Alert archive / North Dakota / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 11, NWS Bismarck, ND

June 18, 2008McLean County, Mercer County, North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this tornado warning at Jun 18, 2008, 3:53 PM CDT for McLean County, Mercer County, North Dakota. It was in force for 21 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, 3:53 PM CDT (20:53 UTC)
Expired: Jun 18, 2008, 4:14 PM CDT
In force: 21 min
Issued by: NWS Bismarck, ND
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties McLean County, ND, Mercer County, ND

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this tornado 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 12:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 104 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1653 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 85 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 107 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: -0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS53 KBIS 182053
TORBIS
NDC055-057-182130-
/O.NEW.KBIS.TO.W.0011.080618T2053Z-080618T2130Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
353 PM CDT WED JUN 18 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BISMARCK HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL MCLEAN COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...
  NORTHEASTERN MERCER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...

* UNTIL 430 PM CDT OR 330 PM MDT

* AT 252 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR LAKE
  SAKAKAWEA STATE PARK...OR 50 MILES SOUTH OF MINOT...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 6 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  FORT STEVENSON STATE PARK BY 430 PM CDT...

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 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 4772 10129 4759 10110 4748 10144 4752 10152
TIME...MOT...LOC 2053Z 236DEG 5KT 4752 10144

$$
PJA

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS53 KBIS 182114
SVSBIS

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

NDC055-057-182125-
/O.CAN.KBIS.TO.W.0011.000000T0000Z-080618T2130Z/
MCLEAN ND-MERCER ND-
415 PM CDT WED JUN 18 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN MERCER AND CENTRAL MCLEAN
COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM HAS WEAKENED AND NO LONGER POSES A
SIGNIFICANT RISK OF A TORNADO.

LAT...LON 4772 10129 4759 10110 4748 10144 4752 10152
TIME...MOT...LOC 2115Z 236DEG 5KT 4754 10140

$$
PJA

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at Jun 18, 2:45 PM CDT, 1 hour 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 18, 2:45 PM CDT, 1 hour 8 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, 4:46 AM CDT, 11 hours 7 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, 2:49 PM CDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before

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

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

0244 PM     HAIL             5 S RIVERDALE           47.42N 101.37W
06/18/2008  M0.75 INCH       MCLEAN             ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

VROLLER

Local storm report, Jun 18, 2:53 PM CDT, 1 hour before

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

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

0252 PM     HAIL             WESTHOPE                48.91N 101.02W
06/18/2008  M0.75 INCH       BOTTINEAU          ND   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

VROLLER

Local storm report, Jun 18, 2:55 PM CDT, 58 minutes before

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

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

0240 PM     HAIL             WESTHOPE                48.91N 101.02W
06/18/2008  E0.88 INCH       BOTTINEAU          ND   PUBLIC

            PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN.

&&

NHEINERT

Local storm report, Jun 18, 3:02 PM CDT, 51 minutes before

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

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

0301 PM     HAIL             4 NW LANDA              48.94N 100.97W
06/18/2008  M1.00 INCH       BOTTINEAU          ND   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

VROLLER

Local storm report, Jun 18, 3:13 PM CDT, 40 minutes before

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

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

0255 PM     HAIL             RIVERDALE               47.50N 101.37W
06/18/2008  M0.88 INCH       MCLEAN             ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            HAILED FOR 15 MINUTES

&&

VROLLER

Local storm report, Jun 18, 3:25 PM CDT, 28 minutes before

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

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

0320 PM     HAIL             WESTHOPE                48.91N 101.02W
06/18/2008  E1.25 INCH       BOTTINEAU          ND   CO-OP OBSERVER

&&

NHEINERT

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 17, 7:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Williams	46 min
Jun 17, 7:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Divide, Williams	52 min
Jun 17, 8:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Williams	63 min
Jun 17, 9:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McKenzie, Williams	66 min
Jun 18, 1:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Morton, Oliver	48 min
Jun 18, 2:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McLean, Mercer	54 min
Jun 18, 2:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Bottineau	58 min
Jun 18, 2:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McLean, Mercer	51 min
Jun 18, 2:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McLean, Mercer	49 min
Jun 18, 3:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Bottineau	60 min
Jun 18, 3:35 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BIS	Bottineau	3 hr
Jun 18, 3:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McLean, Mercer	43 min
Jun 18, 3:52 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Bottineau	23 min
Jun 18, 3:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Divide	65 min
Jun 18, 4:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Bottineau, McHenry, Pierce, Rolette	59 min
Jun 18, 4:18 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BIS	McLean, Mercer	3 hr
Jun 18, 4:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McLean, Mercer, Oliver	50 min
Jun 18, 4:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McHenry	30 min
Jun 18, 4:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McKenzie	62 min
Jun 18, 5:01 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McHenry, Ward	59 min
Jun 18, 5:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Burleigh, McLean, Mercer, Oliver	61 min
Jun 18, 5:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Bottineau, McHenry, Pierce, Rolette	59 min
Jun 18, 5:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Ward	66 min
Jun 18, 5:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Burleigh, Emmons, Morton	46 min
Jun 18, 5:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Adams, Grant, Sioux	57 min
Jun 18, 5:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	McLean, Mercer, Oliver	37 min
Jun 18, 5:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Billings, Dunn, McKenzie	61 min
Jun 18, 5:57 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Morton, Oliver	33 min
Jun 18, 6:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Burleigh, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver	50 min
Jun 18, 6:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McHenry, Ward	62 min
Jun 18, 6:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Burleigh, McLean, Mercer, Oliver	30 min
Jun 18, 6:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Burleigh, Morton, Oliver	33 min
Jun 18, 6:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Morton	62 min
Jun 18, 6:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Grant, Morton	61 min
Jun 18, 6:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Adams	40 min
Jun 18, 6:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Billings, Dunn, Stark	26 min
Jun 18, 6:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Burleigh, Emmons, McLean, Morton, Oliver	62 min
Jun 18, 6:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Burleigh, McLean, Mercer, Oliver	31 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Dakota, 2008 Every tornado warning in 2008 Tornadoes 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.