Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 19, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 22, 2011Chisago County, Washington County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this tornado warning at May 22, 2011, 3:10 PM CDT for Chisago County, Washington County, Minnesota. It was in force for 35 min. 4 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
May 22, 2011, 3:10 PM CDT (20:10 UTC)
Expired
May 22, 2011, 3:45 PM CDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Chisago County, MN, Washington County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 78 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:14 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
May 22, 3:19 PM CDTTORNADO3 Ese Forest Lake, MN
May 22, 3:23 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUD5 Ene Forest Lake, MN
May 22, 3:25 PM CDTTORNADO2 Wsw Chisago City, MNCAUGHT ON VIDEO NR CR36 AND IVYWOOD TRAIL
May 22, 3:42 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUDLindstrom, MN

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
May 22, 12:07 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 80 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 12:00Z on 2011-05-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 20 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 12:00Z on 2011-05-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 207 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
20 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-103 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
981 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
207 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
243 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

191 
WFUS53 KMPX 222010
TORMPX
MNC025-163-222045-
/O.NEW.KMPX.TO.W.0019.110522T2010Z-110522T2045Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
310 PM CDT SUN MAY 22 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN CHISAGO COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  NORTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 345 PM CDT

* AT 309 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD
  NEAR THE FOREST LAKE AIRPORT...OR ABOUT 4 MILES NORTH OF HUGO.
  RADAR SHOWED THE SEVERE STORM MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  FOREST LAKE...
  CHISAGO CITY...
  LINDSTROM...
  CENTER CITY...
  SHAFER...

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 800 PM CDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR
SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA AND NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN.

&&

LAT...LON 4545 9291 4545 9265 4520 9286 4520 9302
TIME...MOT...LOC 2010Z 212DEG 30KT 4523 9296

$$

JLT
2 follow-up statements
130 
WWUS53 KMPX 222016
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
316 PM CDT SUN MAY 22 2011

MNC025-163-222045-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0019.000000T0000Z-110522T2045Z/
CHISAGO MN-WASHINGTON MN-
316 PM CDT SUN MAY 22 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWESTERN WASHINGTON
AND SOUTHEASTERN CHISAGO COUNTIES UNTIL 345 PM CDT...

AT 315 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO NEAR THE 
INTERSTATE 35E AND 35W INTERSECTION...MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 
MPH. PEOPLE IN FOREST LAKE TAKE COVER NOW! 

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CHISAGO CITY...LINDSTROM...CENTER CITY AND SHAFER.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT TAKE SHELTER UNDER HIGHWAY OVERPASSES. AS A LAST
RESORT... EITHER PARK YOUR VEHICLE AND STAY PUT...OR ABANDON YOUR
VEHICLE AND LIE DOWN IN A LOW LYING AREA.

&&

LAT...LON 4545 9291 4545 9265 4520 9286 4520 9302
TIME...MOT...LOC 2016Z 212DEG 30KT 4527 9292

$$

JLT
413 
WWUS53 KMPX 222025
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
325 PM CDT SUN MAY 22 2011

MNC163-222038-
/O.CAN.KMPX.TO.W.0019.000000T0000Z-110522T2045Z/
WASHINGTON MN-
325 PM CDT SUN MAY 22 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

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

LAT...LON 4545 9291 4545 9265 4530 9278 4530 9298
TIME...MOT...LOC 2023Z 204DEG 29KT 4532 9290

$$

MNC025-222045-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0019.000000T0000Z-110522T2045Z/
CHISAGO MN-
325 PM CDT SUN MAY 22 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN CHISAGO
COUNTY UNTIL 345 PM CDT...

AT 323 PM CDT...LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD 5 MILES EAST 
NORTHEAST OF FOREST LAKE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. EARLIER THIS 
STORM PRODUCED A BRIEF TOUCHDOWN NEAR THE INTERSTATE 35E/35W 
JUNCTION. 

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CHISAGO CITY...LINDSTROM...CENTER CITY AND SHAFER.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT TAKE SHELTER UNDER HIGHWAY OVERPASSES. AS A LAST
RESORT... EITHER PARK YOUR VEHICLE AND STAY PUT...OR ABANDON YOUR
VEHICLE AND LIE DOWN IN A LOW LYING AREA.

&&

LAT...LON 4545 9291 4545 9265 4530 9278 4530 9298
TIME...MOT...LOC 2023Z 204DEG 29KT 4532 9290

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 21, 7:00 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXAnoka, Hennepin45 min
May 21, 7:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXHennepin, Wright51 min
May 21, 7:25 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXAnoka35 min
May 21, 7:46 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXPope44 min
May 21, 8:00 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryMPXAnoka, Hennepin, Wright3 hr
May 21, 8:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMartin39 min
May 21, 8:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMartin61 min
May 21, 8:59 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXTodd61 min
May 21, 9:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXTodd64 min
May 21, 9:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXWatonwan50 min
May 21, 9:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXRedwood48 min
May 21, 10:12 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXYellow Medicine48 min
May 21, 10:26 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXRedwood34 min
May 21, 10:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBrown, Martin, Redwood, Watonwan62 min
May 21, 10:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXChippewa, Pope, Renville, Stevens, Swift47 min
May 22, 12:46 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXLe Sueur, Rice, Steele, Waseca44 min
May 22, 10:57 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXDakota, Goodhue, Rice48 min
May 22, 11:02 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXAnoka, Hennepin, Ramsey43 min
May 22, 12:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXLe Sueur, Rice, Steele, Waseca52 min
May 22, 12:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXCarver, Le Sueur, Scott52 min
May 22, 1:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXDakota, Goodhue, Rice, Steele67 min
May 22, 1:35 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXHennepin40 min
May 22, 2:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXGoodhue40 min
May 22, 2:10 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXAnoka, Hennepin, Ramsey35 min
May 22, 2:24 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXAnoka, Hennepin, Ramsey36 min
May 22, 2:45 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXAnoka, Ramsey, Washington30 min
May 22, 3:34 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXChisago41 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Minnesota, 2011Every tornado warning in 2011Tornadoes 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.