Alert archive / North Dakota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2011

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 231, NWS Bismarck, ND

July 31, 2011Mercer County, Morton County, Stark County, North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 31, 2011, 10:26 PM CDT for Mercer County, Morton County, Stark County, North Dakota. It was in force for 46 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: Jul 31, 2011, 10:26 PM CDT (03:26 UTC)
Expired: Jul 31, 2011, 11:12 PM CDT
In force: 46 min
Issued by: NWS Bismarck, ND
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.5 in
Wind: 50.0 mph

Counties Mercer County, ND, Morton County, ND, Stark County, ND

The radar

The Bismarck radar (KBIS), 101 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:29 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
Jul 31, 5:44 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Bismarck Municip, ND (KBIS), launched 00:00Z, 3.4 hours before the alert went out and 106 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: 5391 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -56 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1026 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 111 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 243 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 5.9
Supercell composite: 30.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

619 
WUUS53 KBIS 010326
SVRBIS
NDC057-059-089-010430-
/O.NEW.KBIS.SV.W.0231.110801T0326Z-110801T0430Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1026 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BISMARCK HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN MERCER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...
  NORTHWESTERN MORTON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...
  EASTERN STARK COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...

* UNTIL 1130 PM CDT/1030 PM MDT/

* AT 925 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL. 
  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 11 MILES SOUTH OF RICHARDTON...OR 27 MILES
  SOUTHEAST OF DICKINSON...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  HEBRON AROUND 1110 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM CDT MONDAY
MORNING/MIDNIGHT MDT MONDAY MORNING/ FOR SOUTHERN NORTH DAKOTA.

LAT...LON 4671 10245 4701 10220 4702 10214 4707 10214
      4712 10210 4699 10177 4698 10176 4696 10170
      4671 10205 4672 10209 4668 10209 4664 10215
TIME...MOT...LOC 0326Z 215DEG 18KT 4674 10226
WIND...HAIL <50MPH 1.50IN

$$

KINNEY

2 follow-up statements

321 
WWUS53 KBIS 010345
SVSBIS

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1045 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

NDC057-059-089-010430-
/O.CON.KBIS.SV.W.0231.000000T0000Z-110801T0430Z/
MERCER ND-STARK ND-MORTON ND-
1045 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWESTERN
MORTON...NORTHEASTERN STARK AND SOUTHWESTERN MERCER COUNTIES UNTIL
1130 PM CDT/1030 PM MDT/...

AT 1043 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE DESTRUCTIVE HAIL UP TO
TENNIS BALL SIZE...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS 
STORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES EAST OF HEBRON MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF
NORTHEASTERN STARK...NORTHWESTERN MORTON AND SOUTHWESTERN MERCER
COUNTIES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. TORNADOES CAN
DEVELOP QUICKLY FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. ALTHOUGH NOT IMMEDIATELY
LIKELY...IF A TORNADO IS SPOTTED ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF
SAFETY INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL
INTERIOR ROOM.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE
IMMEDIATELY FOR LARGE DESTRUCTIVE HAIL CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&&

LAT...LON 4691 10228 4701 10220 4702 10214 4707 10214
      4712 10210 4696 10170 4671 10205
TIME...MOT...LOC 0345Z 228DEG 29KT 4691 10190
WIND...HAIL 60MPH 2.50IN

$$

KINNEY

095 
WWUS53 KBIS 010412
SVSBIS

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1112 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

NDC057-059-089-010422-
/O.CAN.KBIS.SV.W.0231.000000T0000Z-110801T0430Z/
MERCER ND-STARK ND-MORTON ND-
1112 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN MORTON...
NORTHEASTERN STARK AND SOUTHWESTERN MERCER COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

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

ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE...AND A TORNADO 
WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT.

LAT...LON 4691 10228 4701 10220 4702 10214 4707 10214
      4712 10210 4696 10170 4671 10205
TIME...MOT...LOC 0412Z 228DEG 29KT 4706 10166

$$

KINNEY

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 Bismarck, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 31, 8:10 PM CDT, 2 hours 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 8:10 PM CDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
810 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

.UPDATE...

EXPIRED HEAT ADVISORY HEADLINES.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

HAVE ALLOWED THE HEAT ADVISORY TO EXPIRE AT 8 PM CDT. HEAT INDICES
CONTINUE TO DROP THIS EVENING AS TEMPERATURES COOL. THE AERIAL
COVERAGE OF 100 DEGREES WAS GREATER THAN EXPECTED...AND WILL NEED
TO CONSIDER THIS FOR MONDAY AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING WHEN
ADDITIONAL HEAT HEADLINES (ADVISORY AND/OR EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING)
WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED.

ALL OTHER UPDATES MINOR WITH FORECAST FOR NOW ON TRACK.

&&

.AVIATION...

UNCHANGED FROM PREVIOUS DISCUSSION.

&&

.BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.

&&

UPDATE...NH

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 31, 8:14 PM CDT, 2 hours 12 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
814 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-020115-
DIVIDE-BURKE-RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-ROLETTE-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-WARD-
MCHENRY-PIERCE-MCKENZIE-DUNN-MERCER-OLIVER-MCLEAN-SHERIDAN-WELLS-
FOSTER-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-MORTON-BURLEIGH-KIDDER-
STUTSMAN-SLOPE-HETTINGER-GRANT-BOWMAN-ADAMS-SIOUX-EMMONS-LOGAN-
LA MOURE-MCINTOSH-DICKEY-
814 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011 /714 PM MDT SUN JUL 31 2011/

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

THERE REMAINS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WEST AND CENTRAL. SOME
THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH A THREAT OF LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WIND. ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL AND
SOUTHEAST...THERE IS AN INCREASED CHANCE FOR AN ISOLATED TORNADO
OR TWO NEAR A NORTHWARD ADVANCING WARM FRONT THROUGH THIS
EVENING.

FOR LATER TONIGHT...THE WARM FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH AND A LOW
LEVEL JET WILL DEVELOP WHICH WILL PROMOTE A BETTER CHANCE FOR
WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS OVER A LARGER AREA...SOME OF WHICH COULD
BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

FOR MONDAY...A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE FROM WEST TO EAST.
THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD
FRONT. SOME THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN COULD BECOME SEVERE MONDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. PRIOR TO THE COLD FRONT MOVING
THROUGH...HEAT INDICES MAY REACH 100 TO 105 DEGREES OVER PORTIONS
OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES.

THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS AND COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SEVERE
WEATHER TO THE BISMARCK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 1-800-247-0212.

NH

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 31, 8:47 PM CDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
847 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

NDZ037-010245-
STUTSMAN-
847 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...

AT 843 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR JAMESTOWN...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

NICKEL SIZE HAIL...WINDS GREATER THAN 30 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH
THIS STORM.

* THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  JAMESTOWN NOW...
  YPSILANTI AND SPIRITWOOD BY 900 PM CDT...

GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW
AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK
SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED.

HEINERT

Local storm report, Jul 31, 9:21 PM CDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
921 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

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

0855 PM     HAIL             5 S REEDER              46.03N 102.94W
07/31/2011  M2.00 INCH       ADAMS              ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            HAIL LASTED AROUND 5 MINUTES.

&&

JTAEGER

Local storm report, Jul 31, 9:32 PM CDT, 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
932 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

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

0915 PM     TSTM WND GST     50 W SELFRIDGE          46.04N 101.97W
07/31/2011  E80 MPH          SIOUX              ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            WIND GUST TORE A SMALL DECK OFF OF A HOUSE.

&&

JTAEGER

Local storm report, Jul 31, 9:44 PM CDT, 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
944 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

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

0944 PM     HAIL             5 W MOTT                46.37N 102.43W
07/31/2011  M1.00 INCH       HETTINGER          ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            50 MPH WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN.

&&

JVINING

Local storm report, Jul 31, 10:04 PM CDT, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1004 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

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

1000 PM     TSTM WND GST     15 S ELGIN              46.19N 101.85W
07/31/2011  E60 MPH          GRANT              ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            OCCURED FROM 935 - 1035 PM CDT/835 - 935 PM MDT.

&&

JMETZ

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 31, 8:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Adams, Grant, Sioux	57 min
Jul 31, 8:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Adams, Bowman, Hettinger	55 min
Jul 31, 9:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Adams, Grant, Hettinger, Morton	65 min
Jul 31, 9:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Adams, Grant, Hettinger	63 min
Jul 31, 10:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Burleigh, Grant, Morton, Oliver	60 min
Jul 31, 10:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Grant, Hettinger, Morton	47 min
Jul 31, 10:35 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BIS	Burleigh, Grant, Morton, Sioux	5 hr
Jul 31, 10:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Mercer, Morton, Oliver	56 min
Jul 31, 11:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Burleigh, Emmons, Kidder, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan	60 min
Jul 31, 11:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Burleigh, McHenry, McLean, Mercer, Oliver, Sheridan and 1 more	64 min
Jul 31, 11:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Burleigh, Emmons, Kidder, Logan, McLean, Sheridan and 1 more	54 min
Aug 1, 12:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Foster, Kidder, Stutsman, Wells	64 min
Aug 1, 12:53 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Foster, Wells	52 min
Aug 1, 1:02 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Pierce	28 min
Aug 1, 1:07 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Foster, Stutsman, Wells	53 min
Aug 1, 1:28 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Emmons, Logan, McIntosh	47 min
Aug 1, 2:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Dickey, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh	64 min
Aug 1, 3:00 AM CDT	Heat Advisory	BIS	Burleigh, Dickey, Emmons, Foster, Grant, Kidder and 5 more	16 hr
Aug 1, 4:14 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BIS	Foster, Kidder, Sheridan, Stutsman, Wells	13 hr
Aug 1, 1:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Adams, Bowman	49 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Dakota, 2011 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2011

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.