Alert archive / North Dakota / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 14, NWS Bismarck, ND

June 18, 20084 counties in North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this tornado warning at Jun 18, 2008, 6:15 PM CDT for 4 counties in North Dakota. It was in force for 30 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, 6:15 PM CDT (23:15 UTC)
Expired: Jun 18, 2008, 6:45 PM CDT
In force: 30 min
Issued by: NWS Bismarck, ND
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Burleigh County, ND, McLean County, ND, Mercer County, ND, Oliver County, ND

The radar

The Bismarck radar (KBIS), 53 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:16 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 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 watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jun 18, 4:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Bismarck Municip, ND (KBIS), launched 12:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 57 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 182315
TORBIS
NDC015-055-057-065-182345-
/O.NEW.KBIS.TO.W.0014.080618T2315Z-080618T2345Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BISMARCK HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EXTREME WEST CENTRAL BURLEIGH COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH
  DAKOTA...
  EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL MCLEAN COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH
  DAKOTA...
  EXTREME EAST CENTRAL MERCER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...
  EASTERN OLIVER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...

* UNTIL 645 PM CDT 545 PM MDT

* AT 611 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR FORT
  CLARK...OR 36 MILES NORTHWEST OF BISMARCK...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20
  MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CROSS RANCH STATE PARK BY 635 PM CDT...
  7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SANGER BY 640 PM CDT...
  7 MILES WEST OF PRICE BY 645 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.

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE
HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT
WEDNESDAY EVENING/900 PM MDT WEDNESDAY EVENING/ FOR WESTERN NORTH
DAKOTA.

LAT...LON 4721 10145 4734 10127 4711 10080 4698 10108
      4698 10124
TIME...MOT...LOC 2315Z 311DEG 18KT 4719 10124

$$
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, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 18, 2:45 PM CDT, 3 hours 30 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, 13 hours 29 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, 4:59 PM CDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before

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

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

0456 PM     HAIL             RIVERDALE               47.50N 101.37W
06/18/2008  M1.50 INCH       MCLEAN             ND   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            ONGOING HAIL

&&

VROLLER

Local storm report, Jun 18, 5:16 PM CDT, 59 minutes before

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

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

0503 PM     HAIL             STANTON                 47.32N 101.38W
06/18/2008  M1.00 INCH       MERCER             ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            HAILED FOR 10 MINUTES

&&

VROLLER

Local storm report, Jun 18, 5:53 PM CDT, 22 minutes before

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

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

0548 PM     HAIL             STANTON                 47.32N 101.38W
06/18/2008  M2.75 INCH       MERCER             ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            GOLFBALL TO BASEBALL SIZED HAIL

&&

VROLLER

Local storm report, Jun 18, 5:58 PM CDT, 17 minutes before

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

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

0551 PM     HAIL             7 N MINOT               48.33N 101.30W
06/18/2008  E1.75 INCH       WARD               ND   BROADCAST MEDIA

0553 PM     HAIL             5 N MINOT               48.31N 101.30W
06/18/2008  E1.00 INCH       WARD               ND   BROADCAST MEDIA

&&

NHEINERT

Local storm report, Jun 18, 6:02 PM CDT, 13 minutes before

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

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

0601 PM     HAIL             10 N FAIRFIELD          47.33N 103.22W
06/18/2008  M1.00 INCH       MCKENZIE           ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL

&&

KSIMOSKO

Local storm report, Jun 18, 6:14 PM CDT, 1 minute before

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

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

0602 PM     HAIL             7 SE STANTON            47.25N 101.28W
06/18/2008  M2.50 INCH       MERCER             ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            HAILED FOR 9 MINUTES GOLFBALL TO TENNIS BALL SIZE

&&

VROLLER

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, 3:53 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	McLean, Mercer	21 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, 6:27 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.