Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 29, NWS Twin Cities, MN

August 8, 2009Anoka County, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this tornado warning at Aug 8, 2009, 8:49 PM CDT for Anoka County, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Minnesota. It was in force for 26 min. 5 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
Aug 8, 2009, 8:49 PM CDT (01:49 UTC)
Expired
Aug 8, 2009, 9:15 PM CDT
In force
26 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Anoka County, MN, Hennepin County, MN, Ramsey County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 31 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:49 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 8, 8:50 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUDPlymouth, MNFUNNEL SIGHTED AT INTERSECTION OF 494 AND HIGHWAY 55.
Aug 8, 8:55 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUDPlymouth, MNFUNNEL SIGHTED JUST EAST OF INTERSECTION OF 494 AND ROCKFORD ROAD.
Aug 8, 9:04 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUDPlymouth, MNFUNNEL CLOUD APPROACHING COUNTY ROAD 169 ALONG COUNTY ROAD 9.
Aug 8, 9:06 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGPlymouth, MNTWO AND ONE HALF INCHE TREES DOWN NEAR INTERSECTION OF 101N AND 26TH AVENUE.
Aug 8, 9:16 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG1 N New Brighton, MNTREE DOWN ACROSS PATH IN LONG LAKE PARK.

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

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Aug 8, 3:46 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 33 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 2009-08-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3715 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 2009-08-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 190 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
3715 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-17 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
841 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
190 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
163 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
3.8
Supercell composite
16.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS53 KMPX 090149
TORMPX
MNC003-053-123-090215-
/O.NEW.KMPX.TO.W.0029.090809T0149Z-090809T0215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
849 PM CDT SAT AUG 8 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN ANOKA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN HENNEPIN COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL           
  MINNESOTA...
  NORTHWESTERN RAMSEY COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 915 PM CDT

* AT 845 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO IN     
  SOUTHWEST PLYMOUTH. RADAR SHOWED THE TORNADIC STORM MOVING         
  NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  PLYMOUTH...
  MEDICINE LAKE...
  NEW HOPE...
  CRYSTAL...
  ROBBINSDALE...
  BROOKLYN PARK...
  BROOKLYN CENTER...
  COLUMBIA HEIGHTS...
  HILLTOP...
  FRIDLEY...
  SPRING LAKE PARK...
  NEW BRIGHTON...
  MOUNDSVIEW...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW
SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT SATURDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA AND NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN.

&&

LAT...LON 4517 9324 4506 9317 4497 9353 4505 9355
TIME...MOT...LOC 0147Z 245DEG 27KT 4502 9349

$$
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS53 KMPX 090209
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
909 PM CDT SAT AUG 8 2009

MNC003-053-123-090220-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0029.000000T0000Z-090809T0215Z/
ANOKA MN-HENNEPIN MN-RAMSEY MN-
909 PM CDT SAT AUG 8 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM CDT FOR 
NORTHWESTERN RAMSEY...EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEASSTERN HENNEPIN AND 
SOUTHERN ANOKA COUNTIES...

AT 906 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG 
ROTATION NEAR BROOKLYN CENTER...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

SPOTTERS WERE ALSO REPORTING A FUNNEL CLOUD IN A SECOND AREA... NEAR 
HIGHWAY 169 AND ROCKFORD ROAD IN THE WESTERN PORTION OF GOLDEN 
VALLEY.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
BROOKLYN CENTER...COLUMBIA HEIGHTS...HILLTOP...FRIDLEY...SPRING LAKE 
PARK...MOUNDS VIEW AND NEW BRIGHTON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OR PRODUCING TORNADOES AND LARGE DAMAGING
HAIL.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT SATURDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA AND NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN.

&&

LAT...LON 4501 9339 4510 9340 4517 9324 4506 9317
TIME...MOT...LOC 0207Z 240DEG 21KT 4509 9331

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 8, 8:31 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXHennepin29 min
Aug 8, 9:13 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXAnoka, Ramsey, Washington32 min
Aug 8, 9:43 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXWashington32 min
Aug 8, 10:01 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXWashington29 min
Aug 8, 10:14 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXWashington31 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Minnesota, 2009Every tornado warning in 2009Tornadoes 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.