Alert archive / North Dakota / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 18, NWS Bismarck, ND

June 26, 2009McLean County, North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this tornado warning at Jun 26, 2009, 5:51 PM CDT for McLean County, North Dakota. It was in force for 24 min. 2 reports 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: Jun 26, 2009, 5:51 PM CDT (22:51 UTC)
Expired: Jun 26, 2009, 6:15 PM CDT
In force: 24 min
Issued by: NWS Bismarck, ND
Area: Storm-based polygon

County McLean County, ND

The radar

The Bismarck radar (KBIS), 81 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:52 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
Jun 26, 5:55 PM CDT	HAIL 1	4 Se Riverdale, ND	ALSO 1.35 INCHES OF RAIN IN ONE HOUR
Jun 26, 6:00 PM CDT	HAIL 0.88	5 S Riverdale, ND

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 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, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 84 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 262251
TORBIS
NDC055-262315-
/O.NEW.KBIS.TO.W.0018.090626T2251Z-090626T2315Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BISMARCK HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL MCLEAN COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...

* UNTIL 615 PM CDT

* AT 549 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
  STORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF STANTON...OR 47 MILES
  NORTHWEST OF BISMARCK...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* THIS TORNADIC STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  UNDERWOOD AROUND 615 PM CDT.

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.

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE LARGE
DAMAGING HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS WELL AWAY FROM THE
STORM CENTER.

&&

LAT...LON 4733 10137 4738 10137 4739 10139 4741 10141
      4742 10141 4762 10109 4744 10090 4731 10135
TIME...MOT...LOC 2251Z 235DEG 18KT 4739 10131

$$

HEINERT

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS53 KBIS 262259
SVSBIS

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

NDC055-262315-
/O.CON.KBIS.TO.W.0018.000000T0000Z-090626T2315Z/
MCLEAN ND-
559 PM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL
MCLEAN COUNTY...

AT 558 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO 
WAS LOCATED 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF UNDERWOOD...OR 47 MILES NORTHWEST 
OF BISMARCK...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  UNDERWOOD AROUND 615 PM CDT.

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.

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE LARGE
DAMAGING HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS WELL AWAY FROM THE 
STORM CENTER. 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.

&&

LAT...LON 4733 10137 4738 10137 4739 10139 4741 10141
      4742 10141 4762 10109 4744 10090 4731 10135
TIME...MOT...LOC 2258Z 237DEG 10KT 4739 10129

$$

HEINERT

000 
WWUS53 KBIS 262308
SVSBIS

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

NDC055-262315-
/O.CON.KBIS.TO.W.0018.000000T0000Z-090626T2315Z/
MCLEAN ND-
608 PM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL
MCLEAN COUNTY...

AT 608 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
UNDERWOOD...OR 47 MILES NORTHWEST OF BISMARCK...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
10 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  UNDERWOOD AROUND 615 PM CDT.

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.

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE LARGE
DAMAGING HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS WELL AWAY FROM THE
STORM CENTER.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 4733 10137 4738 10137 4739 10139 4741 10141
      4742 10141 4762 10109 4744 10090 4731 10135
TIME...MOT...LOC 2309Z 237DEG 10KT 4741 10124

$$

HEINERT

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 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 26, 4:20 AM CDT, 13 hours 31 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, 13 hours 7 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, 5:26 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BIS	Pierce, Sheridan, Wells	34 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, 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.