Alert archive / North Dakota / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 17, NWS Bismarck, ND

June 26, 2009Pierce County, Sheridan County, Wells County, North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this tornado warning at Jun 26, 2009, 5:26 PM CDT for Pierce County, Sheridan County, Wells County, North Dakota. It was in force for 34 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 26, 2009, 5:26 PM CDT (22:26 UTC)
Expired: Jun 26, 2009, 6:00 PM CDT
In force: 34 min
Issued by: NWS Bismarck, ND
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Pierce County, ND, Sheridan County, ND, Wells 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 watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jun 26, 2:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Bismarck Municip, ND (KBIS), launched 12:00Z, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 147 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: 783 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -269 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1257 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 141 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 159 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: -0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS53 KBIS 262226
TORBIS
NDC069-083-103-262300-
/O.NEW.KBIS.TO.W.0017.090626T2226Z-090626T2300Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
526 PM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BISMARCK HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL PIERCE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...
  NORTHEASTERN SHERIDAN COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...
  NORTHWESTERN WELLS COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...

* UNTIL 600 PM CDT

* AT 524 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
  STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR MARTIN...OR 57 MILES WEST OF DEVILS LAKE...
  AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

* THIS TORNADIC STORM WILL AFFECT MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHEASTERN
  SHERIDAN...NORTHWESTERN WELLS AND SOUTH CENTRAL PIERCE COUNTIES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 4815 9996 4809 9984 4803 9984 4801 9981
      4798 9980 4784 9980 4773 10002 4784 10023
TIME...MOT...LOC 2226Z 218DEG 11KT 4786 10004

$$

SIMOSKO

3 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS53 KBIS 262238
SVSBIS

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
538 PM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

NDC069-083-103-262300-
/O.CON.KBIS.TO.W.0017.000000T0000Z-090626T2300Z/
SHERIDAN ND-WELLS ND-PIERCE ND-
538 PM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CDT FOR SOUTHERN
PIERCE...NORTHWESTERN WELLS AND NORTHEASTERN SHERIDAN COUNTIES...

AT 536 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR SELZ...OR 54 MILES
WEST OF DEVILS LAKE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  SELZ.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

&&

LAT...LON 4815 9996 4809 9984 4803 9984 4801 9981
      4798 9980 4784 9980 4773 10002 4784 10023
TIME...MOT...LOC 2238Z 218DEG 11KT 4787 9998

$$

SIMOSKO

000 
WWUS53 KBIS 262245
SVSBIS

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
545 PM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

NDC083-262255-
/O.CAN.KBIS.TO.W.0017.000000T0000Z-090626T2300Z/
SHERIDAN ND-
545 PM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN SHERIDAN COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

LAT...LON 4782 9996 4784 10005 4815 9996 4809 9984
      4803 9984 4801 9981 4798 9980 4784 9980
TIME...MOT...LOC 2245Z 218DEG 11KT 4789 9996

$$

NDC069-103-262300-
/O.CON.KBIS.TO.W.0017.000000T0000Z-090626T2300Z/
WELLS ND-PIERCE ND-
545 PM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CDT FOR SOUTHERN
PIERCE AND NORTHWESTERN WELLS COUNTIES...

AT 544 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR SELZ...OR 53 MILES
WEST OF DEVILS LAKE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF
  NORTHWESTERN WELLS AND SOUTH CENTRAL PIERCE COUNTIES.

LAT...LON 4782 9996 4784 10005 4815 9996 4809 9984
      4803 9984 4801 9981 4798 9980 4784 9980
TIME...MOT...LOC 2245Z 218DEG 11KT 4789 9996

$$

SIMOSKO

000 
WWUS53 KBIS 262258
SVSBIS

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
558 PM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

NDC069-103-262308-
/O.EXP.KBIS.TO.W.0017.000000T0000Z-090626T2300Z/
WELLS ND-PIERCE ND-
558 PM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHERN PIERCE AND EXTREME NORTHWESTERN
WELLS COUNTIES EXPIRES AT 600 PM CDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

VERY HEAVY RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY.

&&

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED
AREA.

LAT...LON 4782 9996 4784 10005 4815 9996 4809 9984
      4803 9984 4801 9981 4798 9980 4784 9980
TIME...MOT...LOC 2258Z 218DEG 11KT 4792 9992

$$

SIMOSKO

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 26, 4:20 AM CDT, 13 hours 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 26, 4:20 AM CDT, 13 hours 6 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
420 AM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

.SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT
AT 3 AM CDT THIS MORNING A SURFACE TROUGH HAS MOVED INTO WESTERN
NORTH DAKOTA. THE TROUGH IS FORECAST TO MOVE SLOWLY EAST...TO
CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA BY EARLY AFTERNOON...AND TO THE RED RIVER
VALLEY BY MIDNIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE
TO DEVELOP IN THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL WITH ISOLATED
DEVELOPMENT ELSEWHERE AND ARE LIKELY TO PERSIST THROUGH THE
MORNING WITH INCREASED DEVELOPMENT IN THE AFTERNOON. THE NAM AND
GFS BOTH SHOW HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATER AND A K INDEX 35 OR HIGHER
ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...LEADING
TO POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN FROM THUNDERSTORMS. THE GFS INDICATES
700 MB WINDS OF 10 TO 15 KTS AND THE LAYER STORM MOTION WINDS ARE
EQUALLY LIGHT INDICATING SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS.
CONSEQUENTLY...WILL ISSUE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR CENTRAL AND
PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. IN ADDITION...APPEARS THAT
STRONG CAPE WITH LITTLE CIN POINTS TOWARD POTENTIALLY SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS. COLD ADVECTION BEHIND THE TROUGH TONIGHT INTO
SATURDAY WILL COOL THE TEMPS BUT COULD SEE SOME THUNDERSHOWERS IN
THE AFTERNOON DUE TO CONVECTION IN THE COOLER AIRMASS. RIDGING
ALOFT WILL KEEP SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY DRY.

.LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...
EXTENDED PERIOD WILL BEGIN WITH UPPER LOWS OVER WESTERN CANADA AND
THE GREAT LAKES ON MONDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN A FRONTAL SYSTEM
PASSAGE MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY ASSOCIATED WITH THE WESTERN
CANADIAN UPPER LOW. TRAILING COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO BE THE FOCUS FOR
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS INTO TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. MAIN
DYNAMICS NORTH OF THE REGION BUT RELATIVELY STRONG MID LEVEL FLOW
SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS.

.AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS ALL TAF SITES FRIDAY
MORNING. AT 12Z...A COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO EXTEND FROM MANITOBA
ACROSS NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA INTO SOUTHEAST MONTANA. THIS FRONT
WILL MOVE SLOWLY EAST TODAY AND WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS MAINLY CENTRAL AND EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE AND SLOW MOVING FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL MAKE HEAVY RAIN A
POSSIBILITY. THIS THREAT WILL OCCUR OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA AFTER 4 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT. UNTIL THEN THE
EARLY PERIOD OF THE TAFS WILL BE VFR WITH WIDELY SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY ACROSS THE NORTH.

&&

.BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING
FOR NDZ005-013-022-023-025-034>037-042-045>048-050-051.

&&

TSW/WAA

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 26, 4:44 AM CDT, 12 hours 42 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
444 AM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

NDZ001>004-009>012-017>021-031>033-040-041-043-044-270945-
DIVIDE-BURKE-RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-WARD-MCHENRY-
MCKENZIE-DUNN-MERCER-OLIVER-MCLEAN-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-
SLOPE-HETTINGER-BOWMAN-ADAMS-
444 AM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009 /344 AM MDT FRI JUN 26 2009/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
NORTH DAKOTA...NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH
DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED TODAY AND
TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY AND TUESDAY
NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

NDZ005-013-022-023-025-034>037-042-045>048-050-051-270945-
ROLETTE-PIERCE-SHERIDAN-WELLS-FOSTER-MORTON-BURLEIGH-KIDDER-
STUTSMAN-GRANT-SIOUX-EMMONS-LOGAN-LA MOURE-MCINTOSH-DICKEY-
444 AM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009 /344 AM MDT FRI JUN 26 2009/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHEAST NORTH
DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA BY EARLY
AFTERNOON...THE SLOWLY EAST INTO THE RED RIVER VALLEY TONIGHT.
WARM MOIST AIR OVER THE AREA WILL HELP PRODUCE SLOW MOVING
THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A FLASH
FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR LATE AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY AND TUESDAY
NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 25, 9:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McKenzie, Williams	55 min
Jun 26, 1:09 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McKenzie, Mountrail, Williams	66 min
Jun 26, 4:25 AM CDT	Flash Flood Watch	BIS	Burleigh, Dickey, Emmons, Foster, Grant, Kidder and 8 more	24 hr
Jun 26, 2:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Rolette	32 min
Jun 26, 4:48 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Sheridan, Wells	27 min
Jun 26, 5:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Hettinger, Slope, Stark	60 min
Jun 26, 5:16 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Pierce, Sheridan, Wells	29 min
Jun 26, 5:21 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Wells	24 min
Jun 26, 5:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Dunn	34 min
Jun 26, 5:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	McLean, Mercer	58 min
Jun 26, 5:51 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	McLean	24 min
Jun 26, 6:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Adams, Grant, Hettinger	25 min
Jun 26, 6:13 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	McLean	32 min
Jun 26, 6:22 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Dunn, McLean, Mercer	53 min
Jun 26, 6:22 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Grant, Hettinger	23 min
Jun 26, 6:23 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Mercer, Oliver	37 min
Jun 26, 6:42 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Grant	33 min
Jun 26, 6:42 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	McLean, Sheridan	48 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Dakota, 2009 Every tornado warning in 2009 Tornadoes in 2009

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.