Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Grand Forks, ND

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

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this tornado warning at Jun 3, 2012, 6:44 PM CDT for Marshall County, Minnesota; Walsh County, North Dakota. It was in force for 46 min. 3 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
Jun 3, 2012, 6:44 PM CDT (23:44 UTC)
Expired
Jun 3, 2012, 7:30 PM CDT
In force
46 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Marshall County, MN, Walsh County, ND

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 89 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:46 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, 7:02 PM CDTTORNADO 03 Ene Warsaw, NDA PERSISTENT FUNNEL WAS VIEWED FROM EXIT 168 ON INTERSTATE 29. INTERMITTENT TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS OCCURRED ALONG ABOUT A 3 MILE PATH TO NEAR 5 E OF WARSAW BY 709 PM CDT. SEVERAL TREE LIMBS WERE SNAPPED AND BRANCHES SCATTERED IN AT LEAST THREE SETS OF SHELTER BELT
Jun 3, 7:05 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUD11 Ese Minto, NDPERSISTENT WALL CLOUD WITH FUNNEL AS VIEWED FROM EXIT 168 ON INTERSTATE 29. PERSISTENT ROTATION LIKELY PASSED OVER THE RED RIVER INTO MARSHALL COUNTY.
Jun 3, 7:20 PM CDTTORNADO 15 Wnw Alvarado, MNTHIS TORNADO TRACKED TO THE EAST-SOUTHEAST FOR ABOUT 3 MILES TO AROUND 2 WSW OF ALVARADO BY 729 PM CDT. THE TORNADO SNAPPED SEVERAL TREES AND LIMBS WHILE SCATTERING BRANCHES FROM AT LEAST 3 SETS OF SHELTER BELTS ALONG ITS PATH. SHINGLES WERE TORN FROM FARM BUI

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, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 275 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.

551 
WFUS53 KFGF 032344
TORFGF
MNC089-NDC099-040030-
/O.NEW.KFGF.TO.W.0005.120603T2344Z-120604T0030Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 730 PM CDT

* AT 642 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THE STORM WAS
  LOCATED 3 MILES SOUTH OF OAKWOOD...OR 6 MILES EAST OF GRAFTON...
  MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE TORNADIC STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  WARSAW AROUND 650 PM CDT.
  BIG WOODS AROUND 705 PM CDT.
  ALVARADO AROUND 725 PM CDT.

FOR MOTORISTS ON INTERSTATE 29...THE TORNADIC STORM WILL BE
BETWEEN...MILE MARKER 175 AROUND 650 PM CDT...AND MILE MARKER 169
AROUND 655 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 4826 9667 4818 9705 4834 9745 4847 9718
TIME...MOT...LOC 2344Z 298DEG 22KT 4838 9726

$$

TG
3 follow-up statements
867 
WWUS53 KFGF 040000
SVSFGF

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

MNC089-NDC099-040030-
/O.CON.KFGF.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-120604T0030Z/
MARSHALL MN-WALSH ND-
700 PM CDT SUN JUN 3 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWESTERN MARSHALL
COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...AND SOUTHEASTERN WALSH COUNTY IN
NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL 730 PM CDT...

AT 656 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 2 MILES NORTHEAST
OF BIG WOODS...OR 17 MILES EAST OF GRAFTON...MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST
AT 30 MPH.

THE TORNADIC STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  ALVARADO AROUND 710 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 4844 9711 4826 9667 4818 9705 4829 9732
TIME...MOT...LOC 0000Z 302DEG 25KT 4832 9703

$$

TG
929 
WWUS53 KFGF 040011
SVSFGF

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

NDC099-040021-
/O.CAN.KFGF.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-120604T0030Z/
WALSH ND-
711 PM CDT SUN JUN 3 2012

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

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

LAT...LON 4826 9667 4818 9705 4824 9713 4842 9710
TIME...MOT...LOC 0011Z 302DEG 27KT 4827 9701

$$

MNC089-040030-
/O.CON.KFGF.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-120604T0030Z/
MARSHALL MN-
711 PM CDT SUN JUN 3 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWESTERN MARSHALL
COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA UNTIL 730 PM CDT...

AT 709 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 4 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF BIG WOODS...OR 20 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GRAFTON...MOVING TO THE
SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

QUARTER SIZE HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. 

THE TORNADIC STORM WILL AFFECT MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHWESTERN
MARSHALL COUNTY...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS ALVARADO.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 4826 9667 4818 9705 4824 9713 4842 9710
TIME...MOT...LOC 0011Z 302DEG 27KT 4827 9701

$$

TG
735 
WWUS53 KFGF 040028
SVSFGF

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

MNC089-040038-
/O.EXP.KFGF.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-120604T0030Z/
MARSHALL MN-
728 PM CDT SUN JUN 3 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN MARSHALL COUNTY IN NORTHWEST
MINNESOTA WILL EXPIRE AT 730 PM CDT...

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

LAT...LON 4826 9667 4818 9705 4824 9713 4842 9710
TIME...MOT...LOC 0028Z 302DEG 27KT 4820 9685

$$

TG

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 3, 6:12 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFKittson, Marshall48 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.