Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 57, NWS Grand Forks, ND

July 16, 2008Marshall County, Pennington County, Polk County, Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this tornado warning at Jul 16, 2008, 9:26 PM CDT for Marshall County, Pennington County, Polk County, Minnesota. It was in force for 64 min. 1 report 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
Jul 16, 2008, 9:26 PM CDT (02:26 UTC)
Expired
Jul 16, 2008, 10:30 PM CDT
In force
64 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Marshall County, MN, Pennington County, MN, Polk County, MN

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 106 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:26 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
Jul 16, 9:45 PM CDTHAIL 0.885 W Newfolden, MN

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

The nearest sounding before it

International Fa, MN (KINL), launched 00:00Z, 2.4 hours before the alert went out and 242 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, International Fa, MN at 00:00Z on 2008-07-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 49 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, International Fa, MN at 00:00Z on 2008-07-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 125 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 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
49 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-8 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
795 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
125 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
219 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS53 KFGF 170226
TORFGF
MNC089-113-119-170330-
/O.NEW.KFGF.TO.W.0057.080717T0226Z-080717T0330Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
926 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN MARSHALL COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...
  NORTHWESTERN PENNINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF THIEF RIVER FALLS...
  NORTH CENTRAL POLK COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 1030 PM CDT

* AT 921 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 5 MILES
  NORTHEAST OF ARGYLE...OR 31 MILES EAST OF GRAFTON...MOVING TO THE
  SOUTHEAST AT 32 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  OLD MILL STATE PARK AT 935 PM CDT...
  RADIUM AT 940 PM CDT...
  VIKING AT 955 PM CDT...
  CARPENTERS CORNER AT 1000 PM CDT...

THIS STORM HAS A WALL CLOUD AND A HISTORY OF PERIODIC FUNNEL CLOUDS. 
THE TORNADO MAY BE HIDDEN BY RAIN. THIS STORM ALSO HAS A HISTORY OF 
PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL. 

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A STURDY BUILDING.

LAT...LON 4854 9651 4807 9597 4795 9666 4837 9695
      4853 9675
TIME...MOT...LOC 0225Z 307DEG 28KT 4836 9670

$$

PJS/TG
3 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS53 KFGF 170246
SVSFGF

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
946 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2008

MNC089-113-119-170330-
/O.CON.KFGF.TO.W.0057.000000T0000Z-080717T0330Z/
PENNINGTON MN-MARSHALL MN-POLK MN-
945 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1030 PM CDT FOR WESTERN
MARSHALL...NORTHWESTERN PENNINGTON AND NORTH CENTRAL POLK COUNTIES...

AT 940 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THE TORNADO WAS LOCATED
3 MILES SOUTH OF OLD MILL STATE PARK...OR 23 MILES NORTHWEST OF THIEF
RIVER FALLS...MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 33 MPH. THIS STORM ALSO HAS 
A HISTORY OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL. 

* THE TORNADO WILL BE ABOUT...
  VIKING AND CARPENTERS CORNER BY 1000 PM CDT...
  ROSEWOOD BY 1005 PM CDT...
  ROSEWOOD BY 1010 PM CDT...
  DAKOTA JUNCTION BY 1015 PM CDT...

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO THE SAFEST PLACE IS A BASEMENT.
GET UNDER A STAIRWAY OR A PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.

LAT...LON 4854 9651 4807 9597 4795 9666 4837 9695
      4853 9675
TIME...MOT...LOC 0245Z 309DEG 28KT 4829 9651

$$

PJS/TG
000 
WWUS53 KFGF 170303
SVSFGF

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1003 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2008

MNC119-170313-
/O.CAN.KFGF.TO.W.0057.000000T0000Z-080717T0330Z/
POLK MN-
1003 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL POLK COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

AT 1003 PM CDT...TORNADO MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED AREA IN EXTREME
NORTH CENTRAL POLK COUNTY. SO THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 4807 9597 4800 9635 4834 9665 4846 9641
TIME...MOT...LOC 0303Z 293DEG 31KT 4823 9628

$$

MNC089-113-170330-
/O.CON.KFGF.TO.W.0057.000000T0000Z-080717T0330Z/
PENNINGTON MN-MARSHALL MN-
1003 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1030 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL
MARSHALL AND NORTHWESTERN PENNINGTON COUNTIES...

AT 958 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THE TORNADO WAS LOCATED
4 MILES NORTHEAST OF VIKING...OR 12 MILES NORTHWEST OF THIEF RIVER
FALLS...MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 36 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  DAKOTA JUNCTION AND THIEF RIVER FALLS BY 1015 PM CDT...

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A STURDY BUILDING.

LAT...LON 4807 9597 4800 9635 4834 9665 4846 9641
TIME...MOT...LOC 0303Z 293DEG 31KT 4823 9628

$$
SPEICHER
000 
WWUS53 KFGF 170323
SVSFGF

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1023 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2008

MNC089-113-170330-
/O.CON.KFGF.TO.W.0057.000000T0000Z-080717T0330Z/
PENNINGTON MN-MARSHALL MN-
1020 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1030 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL
MARSHALL AND NORTHWESTERN PENNINGTON COUNTIES...

AT 1016 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A 
WEAKENING THUNDERSTORM LOCATED 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF DAKOTA 
JUNCTION...OR 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF THIEF RIVER FALLS...MOVING TO THE 
SOUTHEAST AT 36 MPH.

THE STORM HAS WEAKENED AND IS NO LONGER CONSIDERED TORNADIC...SO THE 
WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 1030 PM CDT. 

LAT...LON 4807 9597 4800 9635 4834 9665 4846 9641
TIME...MOT...LOC 0320Z 293DEG 31KT 4817 9608

$$
SPEICHER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 16, 7:38 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFKittson67 min
Jul 16, 8:39 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFKittson, Marshall51 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Minnesota, 2008Every tornado warning in 2008Tornadoes 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.