Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 20, NWS Sioux Falls, SD

May 4, 2012Jackson County, Minnesota

NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued this tornado warning at May 4, 2012, 2:58 PM CDT for Jackson County, Minnesota. It was in force for 32 min. 2 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 4, 2012, 2:58 PM CDT (19:58 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 2012, 3:30 PM CDT
In force
32 min
Issued by
NWS Sioux Falls, SD
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Jackson County, MN

The radar

The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 139 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:02 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 4, 3:05 PM CDTTORNADO5 Se Lakefield, MNBRIEF TOUCHDOWN
May 4, 3:27 PM CDTHAIL 0.885 Nne Jackson, 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 4, 2:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 182 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 2012-05-04Temperature 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, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2012-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -52 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1101 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-52 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
15 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.

387 
WFUS53 KFSD 041958
TORFSD
MNC063-042030-
/O.NEW.KFSD.TO.W.0020.120504T1958Z-120504T2030Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
258 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SIOUX FALLS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN JACKSON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 330 PM CDT

* AT 258 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
  TRACKING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH A HISTORY OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO. THIS TORNADIC STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR LAKEFIELD...OR 9
  MILES WEST OF JACKSON...AND MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

  
* THIS TORNADIC STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  JACKSON AROUND 310 PM CDT...

WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL ARE ALSO POSSIBLE 
WITH THIS STORM.

OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE ALPHA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 4350 9486 4351 9506 4357 9529 4367 9529
      4370 9485 4351 9485
TIME...MOT...LOC 1958Z 273DEG 26KT 4361 9511

$$

SCHUMACHER
1 follow-up statement
550 
WWUS53 KFSD 042024
SVSFSD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
324 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

MNC063-042034-
/O.EXP.KFSD.TO.W.0020.000000T0000Z-120504T2030Z/
JACKSON MN-
324 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN JACKSON COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT
330 PM CDT...

THE TORNADO THREAT HAS DIMINISHED...THEREFORE THE TORNADO WARNING HAS
EXPIRED. HOWEVER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT
FOR THE AREA.

ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE...AND A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT.

LAT...LON 4350 9486 4351 9506 4357 9529 4367 9529
      4370 9485 4351 9485
TIME...MOT...LOC 2024Z 273DEG 26KT 4360 9485

$$

SCHUMACHER

The office that day

Everything else NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 1:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDMurray, Nobles47 min
May 4, 2:06 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDJackson, Nobles24 min
May 4, 2:18 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDJackson, Nobles27 min
May 4, 2:24 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDJackson36 min
May 4, 2:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDCottonwood, Jackson32 min
May 4, 3:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDJackson24 min
May 4, 3:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDJackson37 min
May 4, 3:48 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFSDJackson, Nobles5 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Minnesota, 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.