Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 16, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 31, 2008Anoka County, Ramsey County, Washington County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this tornado warning at May 31, 2008, 7:18 PM CDT for Anoka County, Ramsey County, Washington County, Minnesota. 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
May 31, 2008, 7:18 PM CDT (00:18 UTC)
Expired
May 31, 2008, 7:48 PM CDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Anoka County, MN, Ramsey County, MN, Washington County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 51 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:19 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.

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 31, 2:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 54 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2008-06-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 137 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2008-06-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 61 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 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
137 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-23 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2074 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
61 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
153 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS53 KMPX 010019
TORMPX
MNC003-123-163-010100-
/O.NEW.KMPX.TO.W.0016.080601T0018Z-080601T0100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
718 PM CDT SAT MAY 31 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN ANOKA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...  
  WEST CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...        
  NORTHERN RAMSEY COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 800 PM CDT

* AT 714 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A STORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO. THE MOST DANGEROUS PART OF THE STORM WAS 3 MILES SOUTH OF
  HAM LAKE...OR ABOUT OVER BLAINE...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 41 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  LEXINGTON...
  CIRCLE PINES...
  LINO LAKES...
  CENTERVILLE...
  ARDEN HILLS...
  SHOREVIEW...
  NORTH OAKS...
  ROSEVILLE...
  VADNAIS HEIGHTS...
  LITTLE CANADA...
  WHITE BEAR LAKE...
  GEM LAKE...

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
STURDY SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST
DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

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 ALWAYS 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 4507 9282 4497 9311 4522 9329 4530 9317
TIME...MOT...LOC 0018Z 319DEG 36KT 4519 9315

$$

MDB
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS53 KMPX 010033
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
733 PM CDT SAT MAY 31 2008

MNC003-123-163-010100-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0016.000000T0000Z-080601T0100Z/
ANOKA MN-WASHINGTON MN-RAMSEY MN-
733 PM CDT SAT MAY 31 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR NORTHERN
RAMSEY...CENTRAL WASHINGTON AND SOUTHEASTERN ANOKA COUNTIES...

AT 730 PM CDT...A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED IN NEAR NEW BRIGHTON.

AT 728 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THE TORNADIC
THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR NORTH OAKS...OR ABOUT 3 MILES NORTHEAST
OF SHOREVIEW...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 41 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE LEXINGTON...GEM LAKE...WHITE
BEAR LAKE...VADNAIS HEIGHTS...SHOREVIEW...ROSEVILLE...NORTH ST
PAUL...NORTH OAKS...MAHTOMEDI AND WILLERNIE.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
STURDY SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST
DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

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 ALWAYS 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 4507 9282 4497 9311 4522 9329 4530 9317
TIME...MOT...LOC 0033Z 319DEG 36KT 4508 9305

$$

MDB
000 
WWUS53 KMPX 010048 RRA
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
748 PM CDT SAT MAY 31 2008

MNC003-123-163-010058-
/O.CAN.KMPX.TO.W.0016.000000T0000Z-080601T0100Z/
ANOKA MN-WASHINGTON MN-RAMSEY MN-
748 PM CDT SAT MAY 31 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHERN RAMSEY...CENTRAL WASHINGTON AND
SOUTHEASTERN ANOKA COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THE SEVERE STORM HAD MOVED OUT OF THE 
WARNED AREA. THEREFORE...THE TORNADO WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

THE SEVERE STORM AND TORNADO HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED AREA.
THEREFORE...THE TORNADO WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 4507 9282 4497 9311 4522 9329 4530 9317
TIME...MOT...LOC 0048Z 319DEG 36KT 4496 9292

$$

MDB

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 31, 7:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXDakota44 min
May 31, 7:23 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXWashington32 min
May 31, 7:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXSibley19 min
May 31, 7:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXGoodhue43 min
May 31, 7:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXRamsey, Washington47 min
May 31, 8:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXGoodhue41 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.