Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Twin Cities, MN

April 15, 2012McLeod County, Sibley County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this tornado warning at Apr 15, 2012, 5:23 PM CDT for McLeod County, Sibley County, Minnesota. It was in force for 37 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: Apr 15, 2012, 5:23 PM CDT (22:23 UTC)
Expired: Apr 15, 2012, 6:00 PM CDT
In force: 37 min
Issued by: NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties McLeod County, MN, Sibley County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 61 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:24 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Apr 15, 5:26 PM CDT	TORNADO	2 Sw Brownton, MN
Apr 15, 5:32 PM CDT	TORNADO	2 Ne Biscay, MN	CURRENTLY ON THE GROUND.

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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Apr 15, 3:37 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 59 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 502 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 79 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 125 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 222 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.

603 
WFUS53 KMPX 152223
TORMPX
MNC085-143-152300-
/O.NEW.KMPX.TO.W.0002.120415T2223Z-120415T2300Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
523 PM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL MCLEOD COUNTY IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL SIBLEY COUNTY IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 600 PM CDT

* AT 520 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO NEAR
  BROWNTON...OR OVER BROWNTON. RADAR SHOWED THE TORNADIC STORM MOVING
  NORTH AT 40 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  HUTCHINSON...
  BROWNTON...
  BISCAY...
  SUMTER...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW! IF YOU WAIT
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT SUNDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN.

&&

LAT...LON 4497 9444 4497 9420 4472 9422 4468 9442
TIME...MOT...LOC 2223Z 186DEG 35KT 4478 9432

$$

JLT

4 follow-up statements

911 
WWUS53 KMPX 152225
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
525 PM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

MNC143-152240-
/O.CAN.KMPX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-120415T2300Z/
SIBLEY MN-
525 PM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SIBLEY COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

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

LAT...LON 4469 9442 4484 9444 4497 9444 4497 9420
      4480 9421 4475 9421 4472 9422 4470 9429
      4468 9443
TIME...MOT...LOC 2225Z 189DEG 39KT 4481 9431

$$

MNC085-152300-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-120415T2300Z/
MCLEOD MN-
525 PM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL MCLEOD COUNTY
UNTIL 600 PM CDT...

AT 524 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO.  THIS
TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR BISCAY...OR 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
HUTCHINSON...MOVING NORTH AT 45 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  HUTCHINSON AND BISCAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY HIDE THIS TORNADO. DO NOT WAIT TO SEE OR HEAR THE
TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW.

&&

LAT...LON 4469 9442 4484 9444 4497 9444 4497 9420
      4480 9421 4475 9421 4472 9422 4470 9429
      4468 9443
TIME...MOT...LOC 2225Z 189DEG 39KT 4481 9431

$$

JLT

494 
WWUS53 KMPX 152234
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
534 PM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

MNC085-152300-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-120415T2300Z/
MCLEOD MN-
534 PM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL MCLEOD COUNTY
UNTIL 600 PM CDT...

AT 529 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO NEAR 
BISCAY. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR BISCAY...OR NEAR 
HUTCHINSON...MOVING NORTH AT 45 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHERN MCLEOD COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TO REPEAT...A TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. 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.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN THE TWIN CITIES.

&&

LAT...LON 4476 9438 4484 9444 4497 9444 4497 9420
      4481 9421 4476 9423
TIME...MOT...LOC 2234Z 189DEG 39KT 4491 9428

$$

MTF

123 
WWUS53 KMPX 152250
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
550 PM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

MNC085-152300-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-120415T2300Z/
MCLEOD MN-
550 PM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL MCLEOD COUNTY
UNTIL 600 PM CDT...

AT 547 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS STORM
WAS LOCATED NEAR BISCAY...OR 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HUTCHINSON...MOVING
NORTH AT 50 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  HUTCHINSON.

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.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN THE TWIN CITIES.

&&

LAT...LON 4476 9434 4496 9439 4497 9420 4481 9421
      4476 9423
TIME...MOT...LOC 2249Z 199DEG 42KT 4483 9430

$$

JRB

919 
WWUS53 KMPX 152300
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
600 PM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

MNC085-152315-
/O.EXP.KMPX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-120415T2300Z/
MCLEOD MN-
600 PM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL MCLEOD COUNTY HAS EXPIRED...

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

ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE...AND A TORNADO 
WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN THE TWIN CITIES.

LAT...LON 4476 9434 4496 9439 4497 9420 4481 9421
      4476 9423
TIME...MOT...LOC 2300Z 199DEG 42KT 4495 9423

$$

JRB

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 15, 4:02 AM CDT	Wind Advisory	MPX	Blue Earth, Chippewa, Douglas, Faribault, Freeborn, Kandiyohi and 11 more	33 hr
Apr 15, 4:02 AM CDT	Wind Advisory	MPX	Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, Freeborn, Le Sueur, McLeod and 8 more	33 hr
Apr 15, 12:05 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Benton, Chisago, Douglas, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs and 6 more	55 min
Apr 15, 3:28 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Yellow Medicine	62 min
Apr 15, 4:19 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Brown	41 min
Apr 15, 4:20 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Chippewa, Yellow Medicine	40 min
Apr 15, 4:52 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MPX	Renville, Sibley	26 min
Apr 15, 4:54 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Nicollet	36 min
Apr 15, 5:23 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Blue Earth, Le Sueur	52 min
Apr 15, 5:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MPX	McLeod, Sibley	16 min
Apr 15, 5:43 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MPX	Carver, McLeod, Wright	32 min
Apr 15, 5:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Wright	21 min
Apr 15, 6:30 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Hennepin	30 min
Apr 15, 6:59 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Anoka, Ramsey, Washington	31 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Minnesota, 2012 Every tornado warning in 2012 Tornadoes 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.