Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2011

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 54, NWS Grand Forks, ND

July 4, 2011Grant County, Otter Tail County, Wilkin County, Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 4, 2011, 11:31 PM CDT for Grant County, Otter Tail County, Wilkin County, Minnesota. It was in force for 59 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 4, 2011, 11:31 PM CDT (04:31 UTC)
Expired: Jul 5, 2011, 12:30 AM CDT
In force: 59 min
Issued by: NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 0.75 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

Counties Grant County, MN, Otter Tail County, MN, Wilkin County, MN

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 189 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:32 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 4, 7:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Aberdeen, SD (KABR), launched 00:00Z, 4.5 hours before the alert went out and 221 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: 3256 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -52 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1088 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 94 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 150 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.3
Supercell composite: 9.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

097 
WUUS53 KFGF 050431
SVRFGF
MNC051-111-167-050530-
/O.NEW.KFGF.SV.W.0054.110705T0431Z-110705T0530Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1131 PM CDT MON JUL 4 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  GRANT COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  SOUTHWESTERN OTTER TAIL COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  SOUTHEASTERN WILKIN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 1230 AM CDT

* AT 1127 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
  OF 60 MPH. THE STORM WAS LOCATED 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF WESTERN...OR
  8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FERGUS FALLS...MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 20
  MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  NASHUA AROUND 1140 PM CDT.
  DALTON AROUND 1145 PM CDT.
  WENDELL AROUND 1155 PM CDT.
  ASHBY AROUND 1205 AM CDT.

THEREAFTER SOME OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
INCLUDE ELBOW LAKE...ERDAHL...HERMAN AND HOFFMAN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.

&&

LAT...LON 4612 9580 4577 9577 4578 9623 4603 9624
      4604 9644 4616 9648 4639 9594
TIME...MOT...LOC 0431Z 326DEG 19KT 4616 9613
WIND...HAIL 60MPH <.75IN

$$

VOELKER

2 follow-up statements

386 
WWUS53 KFGF 050458
SVSFGF

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1158 PM CDT MON JUL 4 2011

MNC051-111-167-050530-
/O.CON.KFGF.SV.W.0054.000000T0000Z-110705T0530Z/
GRANT MN-WILKIN MN-OTTER TAIL MN-
1158 PM CDT MON JUL 4 2011

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWESTERN
OTTER TAIL...SOUTHEASTERN WILKIN AND GRANT COUNTIES IN WEST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA UNTIL 1230 AM CDT...

AT 1155 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF
60 MPH.  THE STORM WAS LOCATED 4 MILES EAST OF WENDELL...OR 16 MILES
SOUTH OF FERGUS FALLS...MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  ASHBY AROUND 1205 AM CDT.
  ELBOW LAKE AND NORCROSS AROUND 1210 AM CDT.
  ERDAHL AROUND 1220 AM CDT.
  HERMAN AROUND 1225 AM CDT.

THEREAFTER SOME OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
INCLUDE HOFFMAN AND BARRETT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.

&&

LAT...LON 4612 9580 4577 9577 4578 9623 4603 9624
      4604 9644 4616 9648 4639 9594
TIME...MOT...LOC 0458Z 326DEG 19KT 4604 9602

$$

VOELKER

289 
WWUS53 KFGF 050533
SVSFGF

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1233 AM CDT TUE JUL 5 2011

MNC051-111-167-050543-
/O.EXP.KFGF.SV.W.0054.000000T0000Z-110705T0530Z/
GRANT MN-WILKIN MN-OTTER TAIL MN-
1233 AM CDT TUE JUL 5 2011

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN OTTER TAIL...
SOUTHEASTERN WILKIN AND GRANT COUNTIES IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA HAS
EXPIRED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER POSES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY.
HOWEVER SMALL HAIL IS STILL POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.

LAT...LON 4612 9580 4577 9577 4578 9623 4603 9624
      4604 9644 4616 9648 4639 9594
TIME...MOT...LOC 0458Z 326DEG 19KT 4604 9602

$$

VOELKER

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 Grand Forks, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 4, 8:15 PM CDT, 3 hours 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 4, 8:15 PM CDT, 3 hours 16 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
815 PM CDT MON JUL 4 2011

.SHORT TERM...FORECAST CHALLENGE FOR UPDATE WILL BE POTENTIAL FOR
SOUTHWESTWARD STORM DEVELOPMENT ALONG CONVECTION.

ABBREVIATED DISCUSSION WITH ONGOING SEVERE STORMS. COLD FRONT
ROUGHLY BISECTING FA FROM NE-SW WITH SEVERE SO FAR THIS EVENING
LIMITED TO NORTHERN HALF OF FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS FA IN ZONE OF
FAVORABLE UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE WITH JET MAXIMA. MORE STORMS
BEGINNING TO GO ACROSS SOUTHERN VALLEY. CONVECTION SHOULD CONTINUE
TO PROPAGATE SE AHEAD OF APPROACHING BOUNDARY. HAVE ADJUSTED
POPS/CLOUD TRENDS ACCORDINGLY. REMAINDER OF FORECAST UNCHANGED.

&&

.AVIATION...

STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO PROPAGATE SE MAINLY ACROSS SOUTHERN HALF OF
FA REMAINDER OF THE EVENING. STRONGER STORMS MAY PRODUCE MVFR VSBY
IN RAIN ALONG WITH SEVERE LEVEL HAIL AND WIND.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...

MINOR TO MODERATE FLOODING CONTINUES ALONG PORTIONS OF THE RED
RIVER AND ON THE SHEYENNE RIVER IN NORTH DAKOTA DUE TO HEAVY
RAINFALL IN PAST WEEKS. SEVERAL LOCATIONS FINALLY FELL BELOW THEIR
RESPECTIVE FLOOD STAGES...INCLUDING THE SHEYENNE RIVER AT BOTH
KINDRED AND HARWOOD...AND THE BUFFALO RIVER AT DILWORTH. WEST
FARGO IS THE ONLY LOCATION ALONG THE SHEYENNE RIVER THAT IS STILL
ABOVE FLOOD STAGE...AND THE ONLY OTHER FLOODING IN THE REGION IS
ON THE MAINSTEM RED RIVER.

WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THESE SHOULD HAVE LITTLE IMPACT ON THE
CURRENT AND FORECAST TRENDS. GENERALLY ONE THIRD INCH OF RAIN IS
FORECAST THE NEXT 24 HOURS. WHILE ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE LIKELY
WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS THE AREAL COVERAGE SHOULD NOT BE ENOUGH TO
RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE CURRENT TRENDS OR FORECASTS.

&&

.FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ND...NONE.
MN...NONE.
&&

VOELKER

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 4, 5:22 AM CDT, 18 hours 9 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
522 AM CDT MON JUL 4 2011

MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-051030-
WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-KITTSON-ROSEAU-LAKE OF THE WOODS-
WEST MARSHALL-EAST MARSHALL-NORTH BELTRAMI-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-
EAST POLK-NORTH CLEARWATER-SOUTH BELTRAMI-MAHNOMEN-
SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-WILKIN-
WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-WADENA-GRANT-TOWNER-CAVALIER-
PEMBINA-BENSON-RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH-EDDY-NELSON-GRAND FORKS-
GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-RICHLAND-
WESTERN WALSH-
522 AM CDT MON JUL 4 2011

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA...WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT. SOUTHERLY WINDS THROUGHOUT THE DAY
TODAY WILL CONTINUE TO BRING MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR INTO THE AREA.
A COLD FRONT MOVING INTO NORTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA LATE THIS
AFTERNOON WILL HELP SET OFF THUNDERSTORMS IN THAT AREA...WITH THE
STORMS MOVING SOUTH AND EASTWARD AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES. LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE THE MAIN
THREATS. THE BEST CHANCES FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE IN THE 3 PM
TO MIDNIGHT TIME FRAME. THE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE INTO
SOUTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA DURING THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS...WITH STRONG WINDS THE PRIMARY THREAT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT.

JR

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 4, 10:06 PM CDT, 1 hour 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1006 PM CDT MON JUL 04 2011

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

1002 PM     TORNADO          5 NW MAPLETON           46.94N 97.13W
07/04/2011                   CASS               ND   911 CALL CENTER

            PUBLIC REPORT OF A TORNADO 5 NW OF MAPLETON RELAYED
            THROUGH DISPATCH.

&&

GUST

Local storm report, Jul 4, 10:08 PM CDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1008 PM CDT MON JUL 04 2011

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

1005 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     8 NW FARGO              46.96N 96.94W
07/04/2011                   CASS               ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED NORTHWEST OF FARGO MOVING TOWARDS
            THE FARGO AREA.

&&

GUST

Local storm report, Jul 4, 10:46 PM CDT, 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1046 PM CDT MON JUL 04 2011

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

1045 PM     TSTM WND GST     3 E BARNESVILLE         46.65N 96.35W
07/04/2011  E60 MPH          CLAY               MN   AMATEUR RADIO

            WINDS ESTIMATED AT 50 TO 60 MPH.

&&

GUST

Local storm report, Jul 4, 10:57 PM CDT, 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1057 PM CDT MON JUL 04 2011

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

1035 PM     HAIL             1 N DOWNER              46.77N 96.49W
07/04/2011  E0.75 INCH       CLAY               MN   PUBLIC

            VERY HEAVY RAIN AND A FEW DIME TO PENNY SIZED HAIL.

&&

GUST

Local storm report, Jul 4, 11:07 PM CDT, 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1107 PM CDT MON JUL 04 2011

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

1030 PM     HAIL             2 NE LEONARD            46.67N 97.22W
07/04/2011  E1.00 INCH       CASS               ND   PUBLIC

            A FEW DIME TO QUARTER SIZED HAIL IN BRIEF HEAVY RAIN.

&&

GUST

Local storm report, Jul 4, 11:19 PM CDT, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1119 PM CDT MON JUL 04 2011

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

1107 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 NNW ROTHSAY           46.50N 96.30W
07/04/2011  M63 MPH          WILKIN             MN   MESONET

            MEASURED AT THE MNDOT RWIS SITE ALONG INTERSTATE 94.

&&

GUST

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 4, 7:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Marshall, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake	56 min
Jul 4, 7:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Beltrami, Clearwater, Lake of the Woods	48 min
Jul 4, 7:55 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FGF	Polk, Red Lake	50 min
Jul 4, 8:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Norman, Polk	58 min
Jul 4, 8:50 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FGF	Norman, Polk	40 min
Jul 4, 9:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Clay, Norman	63 min
Jul 4, 9:21 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FGF	Clay	39 min
Jul 4, 9:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Clay	65 min
Jul 4, 10:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Clay, Otter Tail, Wilkin	61 min
Jul 5, 12:40 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Grant	26 min
Jul 5, 3:12 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	FGF	Grant, Otter Tail, Wilkin	9 hr
Jul 5, 4:06 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	FGF	Wilkin	8 hr
Jul 5, 4:24 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FGF	Wilkin	22 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 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.