Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 66, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 18, 2012Stearns County, Todd County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 18, 2012, 11:13 PM CDT for Stearns County, Todd County, Minnesota. It was in force for 47 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 18, 2012, 11:13 PM CDT (04:13 UTC)
Expired
May 19, 2012, 12:00 AM CDT
In force
47 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.25 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Stearns County, MN, Todd County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 147 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:14 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
May 18, 11:24 PM CDTHAIL 1.753 S Sauk Centre, MNHAIL AND STRONG WINDS REPORTED TOGETHER
May 18, 11:35 PM CDTHAIL 1Sauk Centre, MN
May 18, 11:36 PM CDTHAIL 1Sauk Centre, MN
May 18, 11:42 PM CDTHAIL 1.25Sauk Centre, MNWINDS GUST TO NEAR 40 MPH. A COUPLE INCHES OF HAIL ON THE GROUND
May 18, 11:50 PM CDTHAIL 15 N Sauk Centre, MNHAIL COVERING THE GROUND

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

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 4.2 hours before the alert went out and 145 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 00:00Z on 2012-05-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 20 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 00:00Z on 2012-05-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 9 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
20 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-98 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
3382 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
9 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
63 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.

118 
WUUS53 KMPX 190413
SVRMPX
MNC145-153-190500-
/O.NEW.KMPX.SV.W.0066.120519T0413Z-120519T0500Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1113 PM CDT FRI MAY 18 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN STEARNS COUNTY IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  SOUTH CENTRAL TODD COUNTY IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT

* AT 1111 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF
  PRODUCING HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS OF 60 MPH. THIS
  STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR ELROSA AND MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  MEIRE GROVE...
  MELROSE...
  SAUK CENTRE...

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 4583 9509 4583 9477 4558 9483 4559 9508
TIME...MOT...LOC 0413Z 186DEG 15KT 4563 9495
WIND...HAIL 60MPH 1.25IN

$$
1 follow-up statement
273 
WWUS53 KMPX 190431
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1131 PM CDT FRI MAY 18 2012

MNC145-153-190500-
/O.CON.KMPX.SV.W.0066.000000T0000Z-120519T0500Z/
STEARNS MN-TODD MN-
1131 PM CDT FRI MAY 18 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL
TODD AND NORTHWESTERN STEARNS COUNTIES UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT...

AT 1124 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES SOUTH
OF SAUK CENTRE.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR SAUK CENTRE AND MOVING NORTH 
AT 20 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  SAUK CENTRE AND WEST UNION.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS
STORM...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...WHICH CAN
SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGE WINDOWS...SIDING AND VEHICLES. DAMAGING WINDS
ARE ALSO EXPECTED...WHICH CAN UPROOT TREES AND DOWN POWER LINES. SEEK
SHELTER NOW INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&&

LAT...LON 4567 9508 4583 9509 4583 9477 4566 9481
TIME...MOT...LOC 0431Z 186DEG 15KT 4570 9494
WIND...HAIL 60MPH 1.75IN

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 18, 8:21 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXRedwood39 min
May 18, 9:34 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXKandiyohi41 min
May 18, 9:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXKandiyohi45 min
May 18, 10:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXStearns27 min
May 18, 11:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXTodd23 min
May 19, 4:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXRenville32 min
May 19, 5:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMcLeod, Renville, Sibley58 min
May 19, 5:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXCarver, Hennepin, Wright52 min
May 19, 6:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXAnoka, Hennepin43 min
May 19, 6:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXHennepin, Sherburne27 min
May 19, 6:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXAnoka, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Washington54 min
May 19, 6:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXAnoka, Hennepin, Isanti38 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.