Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 31, NWS Twin Cities, MN

July 1, 2011Benton County, Sherburne County, Stearns County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this tornado warning at Jul 1, 2011, 6:20 PM CDT for Benton County, Sherburne County, Stearns County, Minnesota. It was in force for 25 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
Jul 1, 2011, 6:20 PM CDT (23:20 UTC)
Expired
Jul 1, 2011, 6:45 PM CDT
In force
25 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Benton County, MN, Sherburne County, MN, Stearns County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 101 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:22 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
Jul 1, 6:20 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG2 Nnw St Cloud, MNDOWNBURST WINDS OF 65 TO 70 MPH BEGAN HITTING THE NORTHERN PORTION OF ST CLOUD. HUNDREDS OF TREES WERE TOPPLED OR BROKEN ACROSS SEVERAL SQUARE MILES NEAR THE HOSPITAL.
Jul 1, 6:23 PM CDTTORNADO5 Wsw St Cloud, MNTORNADO RATED EF-0. IT TOUCHED DOWN JUST NORTHEAST OF THE INTERSECTION OF I-94 AND HIGHWAY 23. DOZENS OF TREES WERE BROKEN... TOPPLED OR PUSHED OVER AS THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST. IT DISSIPATED IN WAITE PARK...ABOUT 1.5 MILES WEST OF THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHW
Jul 1, 6:32 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGE Sauk Rapids, MNNUMEROUS TREES DOWN
Jul 1, 6:38 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGSauk Rapids, MNBENTON DRIVE BEING CLOSED DUE TO TREES IN ROADWAY.

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
Jul 1, 2:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 100 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 2011-07-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3970 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 2011-07-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 5 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
3970 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-245 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1089 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
5 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
21 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

774 
WFUS53 KMPX 012320
TORMPX
MNC009-141-145-012345-
/O.NEW.KMPX.TO.W.0031.110701T2320Z-110701T2345Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
620 PM CDT FRI JUL 1 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  BENTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  NORTHWESTERN SHERBURNE COUNTY IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  EASTERN STEARNS COUNTY IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 645 PM CDT

* AT 617 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A STORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO. THE MOST DANGEROUS PART OF THE STORM WAS NEAR ROCKVILLE...
  OR ABOUT 2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PLEASANT LAKE...AND MOVING NORTH AT
  40 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  ST CLOUD...
  PLEASANT LAKE...
  LUXEMBURG...
  COLD SPRING...
  ST JOSEPH...
  WAITE PARK...
  COLLEGEVILLE...
  SAUK RAPIDS...
  SARTELL...
  ST STEPHEN...
  PARENT...
  MAYHEW...
  RICE...
  GILMAN...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON RADAR...IT MEANS THAT
STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY ALREADY
BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY.

&&

LAT...LON 4577 9438 4577 9377 4544 9406 4544 9444
TIME...MOT...LOC 2320Z 202DEG 36KT 4550 9429

$$

JLT
1 follow-up statement
246 
WWUS53 KMPX 012333
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
633 PM CDT FRI JUL 1 2011

MNC009-141-145-012345-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0031.000000T0000Z-110701T2345Z/
BENTON MN-SHERBURNE MN-STEARNS MN-
633 PM CDT FRI JUL 1 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEASTERN STEARNS...
NORTHWESTERN SHERBURNE AND BENTON COUNTIES UNTIL 645 PM CDT...

AT 631 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS STORM
WAS LOCATED NEAR SARTELL...OR NEAR ST CLOUD...MOVING NORTH AT 40 MPH.

IN ADDITION...AT APPROXIMATELY 620 PM EDT...STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS 
REPORTED IN ROCKFORD WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  ST STEPHEN...PARENT...MAYHEW...RICE...GILMAN...FOLEY...RONNEBY AND
  OPOLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY HIDE THIS TORNADO. DO NOT WAIT TO SEE OR HEAR THE
TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW.

&&

LAT...LON 4577 9438 4577 9377 4544 9406 4544 9444
TIME...MOT...LOC 2333Z 202DEG 36KT 4562 9422

$$

JLT

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 1, 4:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBrown, Redwood, Renville, Yellow Medicine55 min
Jul 1, 4:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMeeker, Wright59 min
Jul 1, 4:37 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXRedwood, Renville23 min
Jul 1, 4:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXChippewa, Kandiyohi, Redwood, Renville, Sibley67 min
Jul 1, 4:57 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXRedwood, Renville33 min
Jul 1, 4:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBenton, Morrison, Stearns61 min
Jul 1, 5:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXKandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, Renville, Sibley, Stearns and 1 more62 min
Jul 1, 5:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXAnoka, Isanti, Sherburne, Wright48 min
Jul 1, 5:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBenton, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison67 min
Jul 1, 5:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXAnoka, Benton, Hennepin, Isanti, Meeker, Mille Lacs and 3 more53 min
Jul 1, 6:02 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXCarver, Hennepin, Scott43 min
Jul 1, 6:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBenton, Morrison, Stearns29 min
Jul 1, 6:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXAnoka, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs63 min
Jul 1, 6:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXAnoka, Benton, Chisago, Hennepin, Isanti, Kanabec and 5 more63 min
Jul 1, 6:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMartin33 min
Jul 1, 6:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBlue Earth, Brown, Nicollet34 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.