Alert archive / North Dakota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2011

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 232, NWS Bismarck, ND

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

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 31, 2011, 10:49 PM CDT for Mercer County, Morton County, Oliver County, North Dakota. It was in force for 56 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, 10:49 PM CDT (03:49 UTC)
Expired: Jul 31, 2011, 11:45 PM CDT
In force: 56 min
Issued by: NWS Bismarck, ND
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.75 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

Counties Mercer County, ND, Morton County, ND, Oliver County, ND

The radar

The Bismarck radar (KBIS), 73 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:53 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, 3.8 hours before the alert went out and 77 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.

091 
WUUS53 KBIS 010349
SVRBIS
NDC057-059-065-010445-
/O.NEW.KBIS.SV.W.0232.110801T0349Z-110801T0445Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1049 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BISMARCK HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN MERCER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...
  NORTHWESTERN MORTON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...
  WESTERN OLIVER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...

* UNTIL 1145 PM CDT

* AT 1043 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 7 MILES
  EAST OF HEBRON AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  HANNOVER AROUND 1130 PM CDT.
  STANTON AROUND 1145 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

&&

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

LAT...LON 4697 10204 4746 10163 4732 10135 4729 10134
      4727 10125 4720 10112 4690 10152 4682 10182
TIME...MOT...LOC 0349Z 224DEG 29KT 4695 10185
WIND...HAIL 60MPH 1.75IN

$$

KINNEY

2 follow-up statements

824 
WWUS53 KBIS 010419
SVSBIS

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1119 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

NDC059-010429-
/O.CAN.KBIS.SV.W.0232.000000T0000Z-110801T0445Z/
MORTON ND-
1119 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN MORTON COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

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

LAT...LON 4708 10195 4746 10163 4732 10135 4729 10134
      4727 10126 4720 10112 4698 10140 4698 10142
      4698 10171
TIME...MOT...LOC 0419Z 224DEG 29KT 4710 10156

$$

NDC057-065-010445-
/O.CON.KBIS.SV.W.0232.000000T0000Z-110801T0445Z/
MERCER ND-OLIVER ND-
1119 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN OLIVER
AND EASTERN MERCER COUNTIES UNTIL 1145 PM CDT...

AT 1116 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL.  THIS 
STORM WAS LOCATED 7 MILES WEST OF HANNOVER MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 
MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BEULAH...HANNOVER...HAZEN...CENTER...FORT CLARK AND STANTON.

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.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR LARGE
HAIL AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE
TO A SHELTER...PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING AND AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.

&&

LAT...LON 4708 10195 4746 10163 4732 10135 4729 10134
      4727 10126 4720 10112 4698 10140 4698 10142
      4698 10171
TIME...MOT...LOC 0419Z 224DEG 29KT 4710 10156
WIND...HAIL <50MPH 1.00IN

$$

KINNEY

554 
WWUS53 KBIS 010436
SVSBIS

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1136 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

NDC057-065-010447-
/O.EXP.KBIS.SV.W.0232.000000T0000Z-110801T0445Z/
MERCER ND-OLIVER ND-
1136 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR WESTERN OLIVER AND EASTERN
MERCER COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 1145 PM CDT/1045 PM MDT/...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER POSES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY.

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

LAT...LON 4708 10195 4746 10163 4732 10135 4729 10134
      4727 10126 4720 10112 4698 10140 4698 10142
      4698 10171
TIME...MOT...LOC 0437Z 224DEG 29KT 4720 10141

$$

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, 10:27 PM CDT, 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 10:27 PM CDT, 22 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1027 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

.UPDATE...

UPDATE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH

&&

.DISCUSSION...

THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE NORTH WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LLJ.

&&

.AVIATION...

UNCHANGED.

&&

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

UPDATE...NH

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 31, 8:14 PM CDT, 2 hours 35 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, 2 hours 2 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 28 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, 1 hour 17 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, 1 hour 5 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, 45 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

Local storm report, Jul 31, 10:44 PM CDT, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1044 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

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

1043 PM     TSTM WND GST     CROWN BUTTE LAKE        46.87N 101.09W
07/31/2011  M60 MPH          MORTON             ND   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

KSIMOSKO

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, 10:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BIS	Mercer, Morton, Stark	46 min
Jul 31, 10:35 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BIS	Burleigh, Grant, Morton, Sioux	5 hr
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.