Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Grand Forks, ND

June 3, 2012Kittson County, Marshall County, Minnesota; Pembina County, Walsh County, North Dakota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this tornado warning at Jun 3, 2012, 6:12 PM CDT for Kittson County, Marshall County, Minnesota; Pembina County, Walsh County, North Dakota. It was in force for 48 min. 1 report 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
Jun 3, 2012, 6:12 PM CDT (23:12 UTC)
Expired
Jun 3, 2012, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Kittson County, MN, Marshall County, MN, Pembina County, ND, Walsh County, ND

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 111 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:14 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
Jun 3, 6:16 PM CDTTORNADO13 Wnw Stephen, MNTHIS TORNADO CONTINUED FROM NORTHEASTERN WALSH COUNTY INTO MARSHALL COUNTY. IT TRACKED INTERMITTENTLY FOR ABOUT 3 MORE MILES TO ABOUT 10 WNW OF STEPHEN BY 625 PM CDT. SEVERAL TREE LIMBS WERE SNAPPED AND BRANCHES WERE SCATTERED FROM AT LEAST TWO SHELTER BELTS A

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

International Fa, MN (KINL), launched 12:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 262 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, International Fa, MN at 12:00Z on 2012-06-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, International Fa, MN at 12:00Z on 2012-06-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 56 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1899 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
56 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
131 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

658 
WFUS53 KFGF 032312
TORFGF
MNC069-089-NDC067-099-040000-
/O.NEW.KFGF.TO.W.0004.120603T2312Z-120604T0000Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
612 PM CDT SUN JUN 3 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN KITTSON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...
  WESTERN MARSHALL COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...
  SOUTHEASTERN PEMBINA COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA...
  NORTHEASTERN WALSH COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA...

* UNTIL 700 PM CDT

* AT 609 PM CDT...STORM SPOTTERS OBSERVED AND NATIONAL WEATHER
  SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO. THE DANGEROUS STORM WAS 
  LOCATED NEAR DRAYTON...OR 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF GRAFTON. RADAR     
  SHOWED THE TORNADO WAS MOVING TO THE   SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE TORNADIC STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  DONALDSON AROUND 635 PM CDT.
  STEPHEN AROUND 645 PM CDT.
  ARGYLE AROUND 655 PM CDT.
  FLORIAN AND ENGLUND AROUND 700 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A STURDY BUILDING.

&&

LAT...LON 4847 9653 4825 9670 4851 9733 4867 9721
TIME...MOT...LOC 2311Z 298DEG 22KT 4855 9715

$$

TG
2 follow-up statements
725 
WWUS53 KFGF 032325
SVSFGF

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
625 PM CDT SUN JUN 3 2012

NDC067-032335-
/O.CAN.KFGF.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-120604T0000Z/
PEMBINA ND-
625 PM CDT SUN JUN 3 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN PEMBINA COUNTY IN NORTHEAST
NORTH DAKOTA IS CANCELLED...

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

LAT...LON 4847 9653 4825 9670 4847 9721 4863 9710
TIME...MOT...LOC 2325Z 299DEG 35KT 4846 9695

$$

MNC069-089-NDC099-040000-
/O.CON.KFGF.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-120604T0000Z/
KITTSON MN-MARSHALL MN-WALSH ND-
625 PM CDT SUN JUN 3 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN MARSHALL AND
SOUTHWESTERN KITTSON COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...AND
NORTHEASTERN WALSH COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL 700 PM
CDT...

AT 623 PM CDT...STORM SPOTTERS OBSERVED AND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO. THE DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED 5
MILES WEST OF STEPHEN...OR 20 MILES EAST OF GRAFTON...MOVING TO THE
SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. 

THE TORNADIC STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  STEPHEN AROUND 630 PM CDT.
  ARGYLE AROUND 640 PM CDT.
  FLORIAN AND ENGLUND AROUND 645 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A STURDY BUILDING.

&&

LAT...LON 4847 9653 4825 9670 4847 9721 4863 9710
TIME...MOT...LOC 2325Z 299DEG 35KT 4846 9695

$$

TG
614 
WWUS53 KFGF 032339
SVSFGF

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
639 PM CDT SUN JUN 3 2012

NDC099-032347-
/O.CAN.KFGF.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-120604T0000Z/
WALSH ND-
639 PM CDT SUN JUN 3 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN WALSH COUNTY IN NORTHEAST
NORTH DAKOTA IS CANCELLED...

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

LAT...LON 4859 9697 4847 9653 4825 9670 4843 9711
TIME...MOT...LOC 2337Z 299DEG 35KT 4840 9680

$$

MNC069-089-040000-
/O.CON.KFGF.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-120604T0000Z/
KITTSON MN-MARSHALL MN-
639 PM CDT SUN JUN 3 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN MARSHALL AND SOUTH
CENTRAL KITTSON COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA UNTIL 700 PM CDT...

AT 632 PM CDT...STORM SPOTTERS OBSERVED AND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO. THE DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED 2
MILES SOUTH OF STEPHEN...OR 25 MILES EAST OF GRAFTON...MOVING TO THE
SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

A TORNADO TOUCHDOWN WAS REPORTED NEAR DRAYTON. 

THE TORNADIC STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  FLORIAN AND ENGLUND AROUND 645 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A STURDY BUILDING.

&&

LAT...LON 4859 9697 4847 9653 4825 9670 4843 9711
TIME...MOT...LOC 2337Z 299DEG 35KT 4840 9680

$$

TG

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 3, 6:44 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFMarshall46 min
Jun 3, 5:00 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementFGFPembina30 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Minnesota, 2012Tornado Warnings in North Dakota, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes in 2012

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.