Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 47, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 30, 2008Blue Earth County, Watonwan County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 30, 2008, 2:58 PM CDT for Blue Earth County, Watonwan County, Minnesota. It was in force for 47 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: May 30, 2008, 2:58 PM CDT (19:58 UTC)
Expired: May 30, 2008, 3:45 PM CDT
In force: 47 min
Issued by: NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Blue Earth County, MN, Watonwan County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 103 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:04 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 30, 3:33 PM CDT	HAIL 0.25	Vernon Center, MN

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

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

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 102 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: 12 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -413 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 505 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 150 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 143 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: -0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS53 KMPX 301958
SVRMPX
MNC013-165-302045-
/O.NEW.KMPX.SV.W.0047.080530T1958Z-080530T2045Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
258 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL BLUE EARTH COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  NORTHEASTERN WATONWAN COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 345 PM CDT

* AT 255 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM...
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
  OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES WEST OF MADELIA...AND
  MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MADELIA...
  LAKE CRYSTAL...

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR
DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. SEEK SHELTER NOW INSIDE A STURDY
STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

LAT...LON 4411 9416 4410 9391 4388 9404 4399 9455
      4411 9452
TIME...MOT...LOC 1958Z 279DEG 29KT 4403 9445

$$

MTF

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS53 KMPX 302017
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
317 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

MNC013-165-302045-
/O.CON.KMPX.SV.W.0047.000000T0000Z-080530T2045Z/
BLUE EARTH MN-WATONWAN MN-
317 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 345 PM CDT
FOR EAST CENTRAL WATONWAN AND CENTRAL BLUE EARTH COUNTIES...

AT 312 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 9
MILES WEST OF VERNON CENTER...OR ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
MADELIA...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE VERNON CENTER AND GOOD
THUNDER.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR
DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. SEEK SHELTER NOW INSIDE A STURDY
STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

DOPPLER RADAR HAS INDICATED SOME WEAK ROTATION WITHIN THIS STORM.
WHILE NOT IMMEDIATELY LIKELY...A TORNADO MAY STILL DEVELOP. IF A
TORNADO IS SPOTTED...ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IN A
STURDY STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM.

LAT...LON 4396 9439 4396 9440 4396 9442 4397 9448
      4409 9436 4409 9392 4388 9404
TIME...MOT...LOC 2017Z 279DEG 29KT 4400 9429

$$

MTF

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 Twin Cities, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 30, 2:20 PM CDT, 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 30, 2:20 PM CDT, 38 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
220 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

.DISCUSSION...

TIGHT VORT MAX CURRENTLY IN MOVING OUT OF EXT SE NODAK TOWARD WC MN
HAS BEGUN TO SPAWN CONVECTION AHEAD OF IT IN SW/WC MN WHERE SUN HAS
ALLOWED AIRMASS TO DESTABALIZE.  MSAS SB LIFTED INDEX VALUES IN THE
B4 TO B7 RANGE. EXPECT CONVECTION TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN
COVERAGE WITH MAINLY HAIL EXPECTED OUT OF THE STRONGER CORES. RATHER
COLD MID LEVEL TEMPERATURES WITH B15 TO B17 500 MB TEMPERATURES
MOVING INTO AREA WITH COLD UPPER TROF.  CONVECTION SHOULD DIMINISH
EARLY EVENING IN WC MN WITH PASSAGE OF VORT...BUT WILL PROBABLY SEE
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EAST UNTIL AROUND MIDNIGHT.

WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS UPSTREAM VORT DROPPING OUT OF ALBERTA INTO
SASKETCHEWAN WHICH WILL BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY TO N CWA ON SATURDAY. WITH MID LEVEL
TEMPERATURES REMAINING COLD MAY SEE A FEW HAILERS AGAIN IN THE
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN FOR SUNDAY BRINGING A DRY DAY BUT
ANOTHER WAVE IN FAIRLY ACTIVE UPPER AIR PATTERN WILL BRING A RETURN
TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ON MONDAY.   QUITE A
DIFFERENCE AND ECMWF SOLUTIONS ON MID WEEK UPPER AIR PATTERN WITH
GFS BRINGING DEEP CLOSED LOW PRESSURE INTO IOWA AND ECMWF HOLDING
ENERGY BACK FARTHER WEST...BUT BOTH DO PAINT A PRETTY WET SOLUTION.
CONTINUED TO USE A BROAD BRUSH ON POPS GIVEN UNCERTAINTY OF MODELS.

&&

.AVIATION.../18Z TAF ISSUANCE/
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH/VORTICITY MAXIMA DROPPING SOUTHEAST INTO
NORTHWEST CWA THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING.  THIS SHOULD GENERATE SCT/BKN
TSRA ACROSS MAINLY WESTERN TAF SITES DURING THIS PERIOD.  LATER
START TIME IN THE KMSP AREA AS ACTIVITY DROPS SOUTHEAST. SOME HAIL
AND WND PSBL IN THE STRONGER CELLS.  THIS SHOULD GRADUALLY WANE
DURING THE EVENING AS TROUGH MOVES THROUGH AND SHOWERS DISSIPATE
AFTER HEATING/INSTABILITY DECREASES.  IF CLOUDS CLEAR WESTERN
AREAS...COULD SEE SOME LIGHT FOG OVER THE WESTERN REGION AS THE SFC
HIGH BUILDS SOUTHEAST OVER THE REGION.  OTHER THAN THAT...SOME
CUMULUS WILL REDEVELOP SATURDAY MORNING...WITH MORE SCT TSRA
DEVELOPING IN THE AFTERNOON AS THE NEXT TROUGH SWINGS THROUGH.

&&

.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...NONE.
WI...NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, May 30, 10:34 AM CDT, 4 hours 24 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1034 AM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-
311200-
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-
BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-
KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-
YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA-
REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-
WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-POLK-BARRON-RUSK-
ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-EAU CLAIRE-
1034 AM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER MOST OF THE OUTLOOK
AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY EVENING...AS AN
UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE TROUGH MOVES FROM NORTH DAKOTA ACROSS
MINNESOTA. SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS COULD PRODUCE HAIL AND
GUSTY WINDS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS WEST CENTRAL INTO SOUTH CENTRAL
MINNESOTA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THE WEATHER PATTERN WILL REMAIN ACTIVE...WITH A POTENTIAL FOR
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MOST OF NEXT WEEK. THUNDERSTORMS
ARE IN THE FORECAST SATURDAY...MONDAY AND TUESDAY... AND AGAIN
NEXT THURSDAY. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER IS UNCERTAIN AT THIS
TIME...BUT THE GREATEST RISK OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPEARS TO
BE ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 30, 10:51 AM CDT, 4 hours 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1051 AM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

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

1048 AM     HEAVY RAIN       1 ESE ST JOSEPH         45.56N 94.31W
05/30/2008  M1.30 INCH       STEARNS            MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

BAP

Special weather statement, May 30, 2:09 PM CDT, 49 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
209 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

MNZ075-082-083-302015-
BLUE EARTH-NICOLLET-WATONWAN-
209 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR BLUE EARTH...NICOLLET AND WATONWAN
COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM CDT...

AT 208 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
CLUSTERS OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM REDWOOD
FALLS TO SPRINGFIELD TO COMFREY AND WINDOM. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING
EAST AT 34 MPH.

ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...

  ST. JAMES.
  MADELIA.
  LAKE CRYSTAL.
  NICOLLET.
  COURTLAND.
  DARFUR.
  BUTTERFIELD.
  GROGAN.
  KLOSSNER.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL
TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS
CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.

MDB

Local storm report, May 30, 2:38 PM CDT, 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
238 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

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

0215 PM     HAIL             SPRINGFIELD             44.24N 94.98W
05/30/2008  E0.50 INCH       BROWN              MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            DIME SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED.

&&

MCS

Special weather statement, May 30, 2:38 PM CDT, 20 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
238 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

MNZ047-048-302045-
POPE-STEVENS-
238 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR POPE AND STEVENS COUNTIES UNTIL 345
PM CDT...

AT 238 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF MORRIS...OR 5 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF DONNELLY. THIS STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

PEOPLE IN EASTERN STEVENS AND POPE COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF
MORRIS...CYRUS AND STARBUCK...SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION
CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE
APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL
TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS
CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.

MDB

Local storm report, May 30, 2:56 PM CDT, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
256 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

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

0145 PM     HAIL             3 SW WABASSO            44.37N 95.30W
05/30/2008  M1.00 INCH       REDWOOD            MN   PUBLIC

0200 PM     HAIL             1 S WABASSO             44.39N 95.25W
05/30/2008  M1.00 INCH       REDWOOD            MN   PUBLIC

&&

MCS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 29, 9:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Blue Earth, Faribault, Martin, Watonwan	49 min
May 29, 9:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Kandiyohi, Redwood, Renville	16 min
May 30, 1:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Brown, Redwood	50 min
May 30, 1:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Brown	49 min
May 30, 2:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Watonwan	40 min
May 30, 2:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Brown	31 min
May 30, 3:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Pope, Stevens	54 min
May 30, 3:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Stevens	46 min
May 30, 3:24 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MPX	Pope	36 min
May 30, 3:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Blue Earth, Le Sueur, Rice	63 min
May 30, 3:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Kandiyohi, Swift	58 min
May 30, 3:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Blue Earth, Faribault, Martin, Watonwan	54 min
May 30, 3:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Steele	28 min
May 30, 3:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Pope	39 min
May 30, 3:58 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MPX	Pope	27 min
May 30, 4:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Rice	27 min
May 30, 4:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Brown, Nicollet	53 min
May 30, 4:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Kandiyohi, Pope, Stearns, Swift	52 min
May 30, 4:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Faribault, Freeborn	51 min
May 30, 4:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Carver, McLeod	57 min
May 30, 4:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Kandiyohi, Meeker	61 min
May 30, 4:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Nicollet	62 min
May 30, 5:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Carver, McLeod, Scott, Sibley	43 min
May 30, 5:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Carver, McLeod, Meeker, Wright	50 min
May 30, 5:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Carver, Scott, Sibley	45 min
May 30, 6:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Carver, McLeod	37 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.