Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 18, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 2, 2012Rice County, Steele County, Waseca County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this tornado warning at May 2, 2012, 7:32 PM CDT for Rice County, Steele County, Waseca County, Minnesota. It was in force for 28 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 2, 2012, 7:32 PM CDT (00:32 UTC)
Expired
May 2, 2012, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
28 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Rice County, MN, Steele County, MN, Waseca County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 68 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:33 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, 7:36 PM CDTHAIL 1.251 Sw Faribault, MN
May 2, 7:42 PM CDTHAIL 1Faribault, 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 00:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 69 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 2012-05-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 84 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 2012-05-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 21 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
84 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-59 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1937 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
21 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
134 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

105 
WFUS53 KMPX 030032
TORMPX
MNC131-147-161-030100-
/O.NEW.KMPX.TO.W.0018.120503T0032Z-120503T0100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
732 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL RICE COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  NORTHWESTERN STEELE COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  EXTREME NORTHEASTERN WASECA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 800 PM CDT

* AT 728 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A STORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO. THE MOST DANGEROUS PART OF THE STORM WAS NEAR WARSAW...OR
  OVER WARSAW...AND MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  FARIBAULT...
  WARSAW...
  MORRISTOWN...
  DEERFIELD...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON RADAR...IT MEANS THAT
STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY ALREADY
BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY.

&&

LAT...LON 4436 9322 4418 9320 4415 9346 4427 9346
TIME...MOT...LOC 0033Z 252DEG 11KT 4424 9336

$$
2 follow-up statements
908 
WWUS53 KMPX 030044
SVSMPX

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

MNC147-030059-
/O.CAN.KMPX.TO.W.0018.000000T0000Z-120503T0100Z/
STEELE MN-
744 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN STEELE COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

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

LAT...LON 4426 9330 4430 9322 4428 9320 4420 9320
      4420 9321 4420 9329
TIME...MOT...LOC 0044Z 252DEG 11KT 4425 9331

$$

MNC131-030100-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0018.000000T0000Z-120503T0100Z/
RICE MN-
744 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL RICE COUNTY
UNTIL 800 PM CDT...

AT 742 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS STORM
WAS LOCATED NEAR WARSAW...OR NEAR FARIBAULT...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHERN RICE COUNTY.

LAT...LON 4426 9330 4430 9322 4428 9320 4420 9320
      4420 9321 4420 9329
TIME...MOT...LOC 0044Z 252DEG 11KT 4425 9331

$$

JRB
935 
WWUS53 KMPX 030050
SVSMPX

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

MNC131-030104-
/O.CAN.KMPX.TO.W.0018.000000T0000Z-120503T0100Z/
RICE MN-
750 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL RICE COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED AND MOVED OUT OF
THE WARNED AREA...HOWEVER LARGE HAIL IS STILL OCCURRING WITH THIS 
THUNDERSTORM.

IN ADDITION...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY REDEVELOP...AND A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM CDT.

LAT...LON 4426 9330 4430 9322 4428 9320 4420 9320
      4420 9321 4420 9329
TIME...MOT...LOC 0049Z 260DEG 23KT 4424 9316

$$

JRB

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 2, 7:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBrown63 min
May 2, 7:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXGoodhue61 min
May 2, 7:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXGoodhue, Rice, Steele60 min
May 2, 7:51 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryMPXGoodhue, Rice3 hr
May 2, 7:58 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXNicollet62 min
May 2, 8:22 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMPXGoodhue3 hr
May 2, 8:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXGoodhue33 min
May 2, 8:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXGoodhue29 min
May 2, 9:08 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXLac qui Parle52 min
May 2, 9:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXChippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift50 min
May 2, 10:01 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXChippewa, Lac qui Parle44 min
May 2, 10:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXPope, Stevens, Swift48 min
May 2, 10:25 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXChippewa, Lac qui Parle35 min
May 2, 10:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXPope, Swift50 min
May 2, 11:00 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXChippewa45 min
May 2, 11:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXChippewa, Kandiyohi59 min
May 3, 12:47 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXMeeker, Stearns58 min
May 3, 1:05 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMeeker55 min
May 3, 1:59 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXAnoka, Carver, Hennepin, Sherburne, Wright76 min
May 3, 6:24 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXDouglas, Todd36 min
May 3, 6:49 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXDouglas, Morrison, Todd41 min
May 3, 7:34 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBenton, Morrison41 min
May 3, 7:57 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXScott48 min
May 3, 8:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXLe Sueur, Rice, Scott59 min
May 3, 9:00 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXWright45 min
May 3, 9:37 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXAnoka, Carver, Hennepin, Ramsey38 min
May 3, 10:12 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXLe Sueur48 min
May 3, 10:22 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXDakota, Washington56 min
May 3, 10:36 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXWashington30 min
May 3, 10:55 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXGoodhue, Rice50 min
May 3, 3:05 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXSteele, Waseca40 min
May 3, 3:37 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXSteele38 min
May 3, 4:25 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXFaribault50 min
May 3, 6:19 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXWaseca26 min
May 3, 6:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXWaseca20 min

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.