Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 1, 2012Benton County, Morrison County, Stearns County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 1, 2012, 5:23 PM CDT for Benton County, Morrison County, Stearns County, Minnesota. It was in force for 37 min. 5 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 1, 2012, 5:23 PM CDT (22:23 UTC)
Expired
May 1, 2012, 6:00 PM CDT
In force
37 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.25 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Benton County, MN, Morrison County, MN, Stearns County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 124 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:26 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 1, 5:30 PM CDTHAIL 11 W Freeport, MN
May 1, 5:30 PM CDTHAIL 1.75Freeport, MN
May 1, 5:46 PM CDTHAIL 1.75Albany, MN
May 1, 5:48 PM CDTHAIL 1.75Albany, MNCOVERING GROUND WINDSHIELDS BROKEN ENTIRE CITY
May 1, 6:07 PM CDTHAIL 1.75St Stephen, 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 1, 2:59 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 122 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 2012-05-01Temperature 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°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2012-05-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 163 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1291 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
163 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
196 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.

191 
WUUS53 KMPX 012223
SVRMPX
MNC009-097-145-012300-
/O.NEW.KMPX.SV.W.0013.120501T2223Z-120501T2300Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
523 PM CDT TUE MAY 1 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN BENTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  SOUTHWESTERN MORRISON COUNTY IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  NORTH CENTRAL STEARNS COUNTY IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 600 PM CDT

* AT 522 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF
  PRODUCING HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS OF 60 MPH. THIS
  STORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTH OF UPSALA...OR ABOUT 21 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF LITTLE FALLS...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  ST ROSA...
  ALBANY...
  FREEPORT...
  NEW MUNICH...
  UPSALA...
  HOLDINGFORD...
  ELMDALE...
  ST STEPHEN...
  ROYALTON...
  SARTELL...
  RICE...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND LARGE HAIL. SEEK SHELTER NOW
INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT TUESDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA.

&&

LAT...LON 4589 9413 4562 9410 4561 9474 4576 9481
      4577 9465 4584 9465
TIME...MOT...LOC 2224Z 258DEG 23KT 4573 9458
WIND...HAIL 60MPH 1.25IN

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 1, 4:41 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXDouglas, Morrison, Pope, Stevens, Todd79 min
May 1, 4:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXPope, Stearns33 min
May 1, 4:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXSherburne, Stearns, Wright35 min
May 1, 4:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXPope, Stearns47 min
May 1, 4:46 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXPope, Stearns44 min
May 1, 5:07 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXSherburne, Stearns, Wright38 min
May 1, 5:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXChippewa, Lac qui Parle, Yellow Medicine67 min
May 1, 5:09 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXStearns36 min
May 1, 5:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXRedwood, Yellow Medicine32 min
May 1, 5:38 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXSherburne37 min
May 1, 5:44 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXBenton, Sherburne, Stearns46 min
May 1, 6:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXRedwood52 min
May 1, 6:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXIsanti, Sherburne46 min
May 1, 6:25 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXBenton, Sherburne35 min
May 1, 6:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBrown, Redwood62 min
May 1, 6:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBenton, Mille Lacs, Sherburne34 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 2012Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.