Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2009

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 24, NWS Twin Cities, MN

June 18, 2009Douglas County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 18, 2009, 7:03 PM CDT for Douglas County, Minnesota. It was in force for 57 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 18, 2009, 7:03 PM CDT (00:03 UTC)
Expired: Jun 18, 2009, 8:00 PM CDT
In force: 57 min
Issued by: NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Douglas County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 190 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:04 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.

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 watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jun 18, 1:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	7 hr
Jun 18, 3:12 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 187 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: 1331 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -51 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1216 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 54 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 93 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.3
Supercell composite: 2.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS53 KMPX 190003
SVRMPX
MNC041-190100-
/O.NEW.KMPX.SV.W.0024.090619T0003Z-090619T0100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
703 PM CDT THU JUN 18 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  DOUGLAS COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 800 PM CDT

* AT 702 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF
  PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 65 MPH. THIS STORM WAS
  LOCATED 27 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MELBY...OR ABOUT 14 MILES NORTHEAST
  OF WHEATON...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  ROSE CITY...
  MELBY...
  OSAKIS...
  MILTONA...
  MILLERVILLE...
  KENSINGTON...
  GARFIELD...
  FORADA...
  EVANSVILLE...
  CARLOS...
  BRANDON...
  ALEXANDRIA...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS AND LARGE
DAMAGING HAIL. SEEK SHELTER NOW INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY
AWAY FROM WINDOWS

WIND DAMAGE WITH THIS STORM WILL OCCUR WELL AHEAD OF ANY RAIN OR
LIGHTNING. DO NOT WAIT FOR THE SOUND OF THUNDER BEFORE TAKING COVER.
SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT THURSDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN
EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA.

&&

LAT...LON 4611 9519 4611 9515 4577 9515 4576 9575
      4610 9576 4612 9520
TIME...MOT...LOC 0003Z 257DEG 20KT 4590 9623

$$

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS53 KMPX 190052
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
752 PM CDT THU JUN 18 2009

MNC041-190102-
/O.EXP.KMPX.SV.W.0024.000000T0000Z-090619T0100Z/
DOUGLAS MN-
752 PM CDT THU JUN 18 2009

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR DOUGLAS COUNTY EXPIRES AT 800
PM CDT...

SEVERE STORMS HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE AREA. 

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT THURSDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA.

LAT...LON 4611 9519 4611 9515 4577 9515 4576 9575
      4610 9576 4612 9520
TIME...MOT...LOC 0052Z 259DEG 33KT 4604 9537

$$

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 Jun 18, 6:30 PM CDT, 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 18, 6:30 PM CDT, 33 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
630 PM CDT THU JUN 18 2009

.UPDATED FOR AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW...

ACTIVE AFTERNOON/EVENING STARTING TO UNFOLD ACROSS CWA AS MOIST
AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS IS IN PLACE. THANKS TO MORNING MCS THAT WENT
ACROSS IOWA...SURFACE ANALYSIS IS A LITTLE MESSY...BUT THERE IS A
PSEUDO WARM FRONT FROM ALEXANDRIA...TO THE TWIN CITIES AND OVER TO
EAU CLAIRE. DEWPOINTS HAVE SURGED INTO THE UPPER 60S AND LOWER 70S
SOUTH OF THIS BOUNDARY AND CURRENT LAPS ANALYSIS SHOWS MLCAPES
AROUND 2500 J/KG IN WRN MN AND ALL GUIDANCE BUT NAM INCREASES
MLCAPES TO NEAR 4000 J/KG ACROSS SRN MN BY 00Z THIS EVENING. SHEER
IS FORECAST TO INCREASE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...AND WITH PRESSURE
FALLS CURRENTLY BEING SEEN ACROSS ERN SODAK...THIS STILL LOOKS
LIKELY. ALOFT...SEEING TWO SHORTWAVES NEAR THE AREA. THE FIRST IS
OVER SERN NODAK AND HAS HELPED KICK OFF SEVERE STORMS CURRENTLY
OVER THE NW CWA. ANOTHER WAVE CAN BE SEEN ACROSS SRN SODAK AND HAS
HAD A FIELD OF ACCUS ASSOCIATED WITH IT ALL DAY. AS THIS GETS INTO
THE CWA IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS...IT SHOULD HELP LEAD TO MORE
WIDESPREAD CONVECTION AS IT SHOULD HELP BREAK THE CAP SEEN ON THE
18Z SOUNDING FROM MPX. THIS ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY CONGEAL INTO AN
MCS OVER SE MN TONIGHT AS 20 TO 30 KT LLJ POKES UP FROM IOWA INTO
THAT AREA.

FOR FRIDAY...ANOTHER STRONG SHORTWAVE IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH
THE AREA DURING THE DAY WHILE PUSHING A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE CWA.
BOTH OF THESE FEATURES WILL BEGIN MOVING ACROSS MN IN THE MORNING
AND BE NEAR THE MN/WI BORDER BY THE AFTERNOON. MLCAPES ARE AGAIN
FORECAST TO BE AROUND 3000 J/KG...WILL SEE ANOTHER CHANCE FOR
SEVERE WEATHER...THOUGH THIS TIME SEVERE CHANCES WILL BE BEST
ACROSS SE MN AND WI. STORM CHANCES WILL WILL FINALLY DIMINISH ON
SATURDAY AS SHORTWAVE RIDGE MOVES OVERHEAD AND MID AND UPPER
LEVELS DRY OUT. TO GO ALONG WITH WITH THE DRYING OUT...WARM UP
WILL BEGIN AND WILL START SEEING HIGHS IN THE MID AND UPPER 80S.

NEXT SHOT FOR THUNDERSTORMS LOOKS TO BE SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT AS
ALL MODELS BRING SHORTWAVE AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THE SUBTROPICAL
RIDGE. NAM AND ECMWF ARE FURTHEST EAST WITH THIS WAVE AND GENERATE
SOME LIGHT QPF ACROSS THE CWA. GFS TAKES MOST OF THIS ENERGY
ACROSS THE DAKOTAS AND GENERATES VERY LITTLE PRECIP OVER THE MPX
CWA. WITH THE SHORTWAVE MOVING THROUGH DURING THE AFTERNOON...
FELT THERE IS ENOUGH SUPPORT TO HAVE 20 TO 30 POPS ACROSS AREA
SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT.

GOING INTO NEXT WEEK...SUBTROPICAL RIDGE BUILDS INTO AREA MONDAY
AND TUESDAY...WHICH SHOULD ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO WARM INTO THE 90S
AND PUSH THUNDERSTORM STORM ACTIVITY TO THE NORTH OF THE CWA.
TUESDAY NIGHT...SHORTWAVE MOVING ACROSS NRN MANITOBA WILL PUSH A
COLD FRONT INTO THE CWA. GFS AND ECMWF STALL THIS FRONT OUT ACROSS
THE AREA WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WHICH MAY LEAD TO ANOTHER ROUND OF
PRIMARILY NOCTURNAL MCS TYPE ACTIVITY FOR THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.

&&

.AVIATION.../00Z TAF ISSUANCE/
CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL OVER FA IS THE MAIN CONCERN THIS EVENING.
VIGOROUS WAVE LIFTING INTO NORTHWEST MN AT THIS TIME...WILL CONTINUE
THE MCS DEVELOPMENT OVER THIS REGION OF THE STATE.  THIS WILL MOVE
EAST AFFECTING MAINLY NORTHER TAF SITES/KAXN/KSTC/.  FURTHER
DEVELOPMENT WILL AFFECT EASTERN FA MAINLY AFTER 02Z...WITH ANOTHER
MCS EXPECTED TO DEVELOPMENT FARTHER EAST/SOUTHEAST OVERNIGHT.
THICKNESS PROGS SHOULD MOVE ANY MCS MORE OFF INTO WI/IL LATE
TONIGHT.  EXPECT THINGS TO QUIET DOWN THEN LATER TONIGHT WITH FOG
POSSIBLE LOWERING TO AT LEAST MVFR...ESPECIALLY AT SITES THAT SEE TRSA
THIS EVENING.  APPEARS NEXT WAVE/UPPER LOW TO MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN
MN FRIDAY.  COULD SEE MORE DEVELOPMENT AS WINDS SHIFT MOVE
WEST/NORTHWEST IN THE AFTERNOON...PRIMARILY IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON
OVER EASTERN AREAS.

&&

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

MPG/DWE

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 18, 2:30 PM CDT, 4 hours 33 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
230 PM CDT THU JUN 18 2009

MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-
191930-
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-
230 PM CDT THU JUN 18 2009

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY IN THE OUTLOOK AREA THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS...INCLUDING TORNADOES...ACROSS SOUTHERN INTO CENTRAL
MINNESOTA AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THIS INCLUDES THE AREA GENERALLY
FROM ALEXANDRIA...TO THE SOUTHERN TWIN CITIES METRO AREA...TO RED
WING AND SOUTHWARD. THE PRIMARY THREATS IN THE MODERATE RISK AREA
INCLUDE TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND LOCALIZED
FLASH FLOODING. ELSEWHERE...ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WESTERN
WISCONSIN... THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. IN THIS AREA...LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
WINDS...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE THE PRIMARY THREATS. THIS
SEVERE WEATHER SETUP IS IN PLACE BECAUSE OF A VERY UNSTABLE
AIRMASS ACROSS THE AREA AHEAD OF A SLOW MOVING TROUGH OF LOW
PRESSURE IN THE EASTERN DAKOTAS TRACKING TOWARD WESTERN MINNESOTA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY ON FRIDAY ACROSS THE OUTLOOK
AREA. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE DURING THE
AFTERNOON ACROSS EASTERN MINNESOTA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 18, 5:39 PM CDT, 1 hour 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
539 PM CDT THU JUN 18 2009

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

0528 PM     HAIL             3 SE BOWLUS             45.79N 94.36W
06/18/2009  M1.50 INCH       MORRISON           MN   PUBLIC

            RELAYED VIA 911 CENTER

&&

CARLYON

Local storm report, Jun 18, 5:41 PM CDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
541 PM CDT THU JUN 18 2009

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

0541 PM     HAIL             RICE                    45.75N 94.23W
06/18/2009  M1.75 INCH       BENTON             MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

CARLYON

Local storm report, Jun 18, 5:43 PM CDT, 1 hour 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
543 PM CDT THU JUN 18 2009

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

0541 PM     TSTM WND GST     RICE                    45.75N 94.23W
06/18/2009  M52 MPH          BENTON             MN   MESONET

            US HWY 10 MILE POST 192

&&

CARLYON

Local storm report, Jun 18, 5:51 PM CDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
551 PM CDT THU JUN 18 2009

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

0445 PM     HAIL             4 WNW HOLDINGFORD       45.75N 94.55W
06/18/2009  E1.50 INCH       STEARNS            MN   PUBLIC

&&

TRH

Local storm report, Jun 18, 6:02 PM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
602 PM CDT THU JUN 18 2009

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

0558 PM     HAIL             8 E RICE                45.75N 94.06W
06/18/2009  M0.88 INCH       BENTON             MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

CARLYON

Local storm report, Jun 18, 6:12 PM CDT, 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
612 PM CDT THU JUN 18 2009

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

0607 PM     HAIL             5 N GILMAN              45.81N 93.95W
06/18/2009  M1.00 INCH       BENTON             MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

CARLYON

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 18, 7:32 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Morrison	43 min
Jun 18, 7:48 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Todd	42 min
Jun 18, 8:24 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Todd	51 min
Jun 18, 8:28 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Lac qui Parle	47 min
Jun 18, 8:37 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Stearns	38 min
Jun 18, 8:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Stearns	54 min
Jun 18, 8:57 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Morrison	48 min
Jun 18, 9:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Sherburne, Stearns, Wright	47 min
Jun 18, 11:43 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Pope	62 min
Jun 19, 1:00 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Stearns	45 min
Jun 19, 1:45 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Benton	30 min
Jun 19, 2:54 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Pope	66 min
Jun 19, 4:07 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Pope	38 min
Jun 19, 4:44 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Pope	61 min
Jun 19, 4:50 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Stearns	55 min
Jun 19, 5:36 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Meeker, Wright	54 min
Jun 19, 6:22 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Hennepin, Wright	38 min
Jun 19, 6:39 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Hennepin, Wright	21 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 2009 Every severe thunderstorm warning 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.