Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 38, NWS Twin Cities, MN

July 3, 2012Sherburne County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this tornado warning at Jul 3, 2012, 2:15 AM CDT for Sherburne County, Minnesota. It was in force for 30 min. 1 report 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
Jul 3, 2012, 2:15 AM CDT (07:15 UTC)
Expired
Jul 3, 2012, 2:45 AM CDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Sherburne County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 65 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:18 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
Jul 3, 2:20 AM CDTHAIL 0.8811 Sw Princeton, MNNEAR ORROCK MN.

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, 7.3 hours before the alert went out and 64 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 2012-07-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2216 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 2012-07-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 41 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
2216 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-59 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2064 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
116 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
5.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

169 
WFUS53 KMPX 030715
TORMPX
MNC141-030745-
/O.NEW.KMPX.TO.W.0038.120703T0715Z-120703T0745Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
215 AM CDT TUE JUL 3 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SHERBURNE COUNTY IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 245 AM CDT

* AT 213 AM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A STORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO. THE MOST DANGEROUS PART OF THE STORM WAS 5 MILES SOUTH OF
  SANTIAGO...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  SANTIAGO...
  CLEAR LAKE...
  ZIMMERMAN...

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 4535 9351 4534 9352 4540 9398 4556 9404
      4556 9351
TIME...MOT...LOC 0715Z 281DEG 32KT 4547 9380

$$

JC
2 follow-up statements
300 
WWUS53 KMPX 030730
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
230 AM CDT TUE JUL 3 2012

MNC141-030745-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0038.000000T0000Z-120703T0745Z/
SHERBURNE MN-
230 AM CDT TUE JUL 3 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN SHERBURNE COUNTY
UNTIL 245 AM CDT...

AT 227 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS STORM
WAS LOCATED 5 MILES WEST OF ZIMMERMAN...OR 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
PRINCETON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  ZIMMERMAN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TORNADOES ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHT. TAKE COVER NOW.

&&

LAT...LON 4555 9351 4536 9351 4534 9352 4535 9365
      4538 9386 4556 9373 4556 9352
TIME...MOT...LOC 0731Z 293DEG 31KT 4540 9364

$$

JPC
557 
WWUS53 KMPX 030738
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
238 AM CDT TUE JUL 3 2012

MNC141-030753-
/O.EXP.KMPX.TO.W.0038.000000T0000Z-120703T0745Z/
SHERBURNE MN-
238 AM CDT TUE JUL 3 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EASTERN SHERBURNE COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT
245 AM CDT...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER POSES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR
PROPERTY...HOWEVER GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN ARE STILL POSSIBLE WITH
THIS THUNDERSTORM.

LAT...LON 4555 9351 4536 9351 4534 9352 4535 9365
      4538 9386 4556 9373 4556 9352
TIME...MOT...LOC 0738Z 293DEG 31KT 4537 9357

$$

JPC

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 3, 12:12 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXTodd48 min
Jul 3, 12:22 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXTodd38 min
Jul 3, 12:55 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMille Lacs, Morrison, Todd65 min
Jul 3, 1:46 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXRedwood, Renville44 min
Jul 3, 2:02 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBenton, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Stearns28 min
Jul 3, 2:36 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXWright39 min
Jul 3, 2:42 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXAnoka, Chisago, Ramsey48 min
Jul 3, 2:53 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXHennepin37 min
Jul 3, 3:25 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXAnoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Washington50 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.