Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 25, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 2, 20124 counties in Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 2, 2012, 6:20 PM CDT for 4 counties in Minnesota. It was in force for 55 min. 7 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 2, 2012, 6:20 PM CDT (23:20 UTC)
Expired
May 2, 2012, 7:15 PM CDT
In force
55 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Blue Earth County, MN, Le Sueur County, MN, Nicollet County, MN, Waseca County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 78 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:24 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 2, 6:27 PM CDTHAIL 14 Wnw Mankato, MN
May 2, 6:27 PM CDTHAIL 1.253 Wnw Mankato, MN
May 2, 6:35 PM CDTHAIL 1.253 Wnw Mankato, MN
May 2, 6:36 PM CDTHAIL 1.252 Wnw Mankato, MN
May 2, 6:37 PM CDTHAIL 12 Nne Mankato, MN
May 2, 6:40 PM CDTHAIL 22 N North Mankato, MN
May 2, 6:45 PM CDTHAIL 2.52 N North Mankato, 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 2, 5:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC4 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 77 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 2012-05-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 4 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 2012-05-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 144 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
4 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-280 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
847 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
144 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
109 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.

852 
WUUS53 KMPX 022320
SVRMPX
MNC013-079-103-161-030015-
/O.NEW.KMPX.SV.W.0025.120502T2320Z-120503T0015Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
620 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN BLUE EARTH COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  SOUTHWESTERN LE SUEUR COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  SOUTHEASTERN NICOLLET COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  NORTHWESTERN WASECA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 715 PM CDT

* AT 619 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF
  PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS OF 60 MPH. THIS
  STORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES WEST OF NORTH MANKATO...OR ABOUT 8 MILES
  WEST OF MANKATO...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  MANKATO...
  NORTH MANKATO...
  EAGLE LAKE...
  ST CLAIR...
  PEMBERTON...
  JANESVILLE...
  ELYSIAN...

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.

&&

LAT...LON 4428 9363 4399 9372 4412 9419 4424 9420
TIME...MOT...LOC 2321Z 266DEG 21KT 4418 9413
WIND...HAIL 60MPH 1.00IN

$$
2 follow-up statements
930 
WWUS53 KMPX 022336
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
636 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

MNC013-079-103-161-030015-
/O.CON.KMPX.SV.W.0025.000000T0000Z-120503T0015Z/
LE SUEUR MN-NICOLLET MN-WASECA MN-BLUE EARTH MN-
636 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEASTERN
BLUE EARTH...NORTHWESTERN WASECA...EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN NICOLLET AND
SOUTHWESTERN LE SUEUR COUNTIES UNTIL 715 PM CDT...

AT 633 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL...AND
DAMAGING WINDS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR NORTH
MANKATO...OR NEAR MANKATO...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MANKATO...EAGLE LAKE...ST CLAIR...PEMBERTON...JANESVILLE...
  ELYSIAN...MADISON LAKE AND GREENLAND.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES PER
HOUR...LARGE HAIL...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO
AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.

&&

LAT...LON 4410 9411 4425 9403 4428 9363 4399 9372
TIME...MOT...LOC 2336Z 266DEG 21KT 4419 9401
WIND...HAIL 60MPH 1.25IN

$$
995 
WWUS53 KMPX 030015
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
715 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

MNC013-079-103-161-030030-
/O.EXP.KMPX.SV.W.0025.000000T0000Z-120503T0015Z/
LE SUEUR MN-NICOLLET MN-WASECA MN-BLUE EARTH MN-
715 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN BLUE EARTH...
NORTHWESTERN WASECA...EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN NICOLLET AND SOUTHWESTERN
LE SUEUR COUNTIES HAS EXPIRED...

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

ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE...AND A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM CDT.

LAT...LON 4410 9411 4425 9403 4428 9363 4399 9372
TIME...MOT...LOC 0015Z 266DEG 21KT 4420 9369

$$

JRB

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 1, 7:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXSherburne, Stearns, Wright52 min
May 1, 7:23 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXIsanti, Kanabec52 min
May 1, 7:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXCarver, McLeod, Sibley51 min
May 1, 7:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXChisago, Isanti, Kanabec45 min
May 1, 7:55 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXAnoka50 min
May 1, 8:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXAnoka, Chisago, Isanti37 min
May 1, 8:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBrown, Nicollet, Sibley66 min
May 1, 8:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBrown, Redwood25 min
May 1, 9:24 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXNicollet, Sibley51 min
May 1, 10:11 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXBlue Earth, Faribault, Le Sueur, Martin, Nicollet49 min
May 1, 11:12 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXFreeborn, Rice, Steele, Waseca48 min
May 2, 5:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBlue Earth, Brown, Watonwan53 min
May 2, 5:50 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXBlue Earth, Brown, Nicollet, Watonwan40 min
May 2, 6:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXGoodhue, Rice, Steele60 min
May 2, 6:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBrown, Redwood60 min
May 2, 6:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXLe Sueur, Rice, Steele, Waseca47 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.