Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 7, NWS Twin Cities, MN

April 21, 2012Chippewa County, Swift County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this tornado warning at Apr 21, 2012, 3:29 PM CDT for Chippewa County, Swift County, Minnesota. It was in force for 46 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
Apr 21, 2012, 3:29 PM CDT (20:29 UTC)
Expired
Apr 21, 2012, 4:15 PM CDT
In force
46 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Chippewa County, MN, Swift County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 153 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:29 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
Apr 21, 3:55 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUD5 Nw Clara City, MNNICKEL HAIL ALSO REPORTED AROUND THIS TIME. TIME IS ESTIMATED.

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 12:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 150 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 2012-04-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 2012-04-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 33 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1566 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
33 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
85 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.

204 
WFUS53 KMPX 212029
TORMPX
MNC023-151-212115-
/O.NEW.KMPX.TO.W.0007.120421T2029Z-120421T2115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
329 PM CDT SAT APR 21 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN CHIPPEWA COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  SOUTH CENTRAL SWIFT COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 415 PM CDT

* AT 325 PM CDT...LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A TORNADO 14 MILES
  NORTHWEST OF GLUEK...OR ABOUT 7 MILES EAST OF BIG BEND CITY. RADAR
  SHOWED THE TORNADIC STORM MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  GLUEK...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
STURDY SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST
DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

&&

LAT...LON 4515 9526 4493 9539 4506 9576 4521 9570
TIME...MOT...LOC 2029Z 302DEG 20KT 4511 9565

$$
2 follow-up statements
523 
WWUS53 KMPX 212041
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
341 PM CDT SAT APR 21 2012

MNC023-151-212115-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-120421T2115Z/
CHIPPEWA MN-SWIFT MN-
341 PM CDT SAT APR 21 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL SWIFT AND
EASTERN CHIPPEWA COUNTIES IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA UNTIL 415 PM
CDT...

AT 339 PM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED SEVERAL FUNNEL CLOUDS 
NEAR GLUEK AND NORTH OF GLUEK. THIS STORM PRODUCING THE FUNNEL 
CLOUDS WAS LOCATED 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF GLUEK...OR 11 MILES 
NORTHEAST OF MONTEVIDEO...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  GLUEK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 4504 9568 4520 9563 4515 9526 4493 9539
TIME...MOT...LOC 2040Z 302DEG 20KT 4507 9558

$$
613 
WWUS53 KMPX 212058
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
358 PM CDT SAT APR 21 2012

MNC151-212111-
/O.CAN.KMPX.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-120421T2115Z/
SWIFT MN-
358 PM CDT SAT APR 21 2012

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

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

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 4502 9563 4509 9556 4506 9531 4493 9539
TIME...MOT...LOC 2056Z 302DEG 20KT 4501 9549

$$

MNC023-212115-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-120421T2115Z/
CHIPPEWA MN-
358 PM CDT SAT APR 21 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN CHIPPEWA COUNTY IN
WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA UNTIL 415 PM CDT...

AT 353 PM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A TORNADO.  THIS
TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR GLUEK...OR 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF
MONTEVIDEO...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

MULTIPLE REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS AND BRIEF TOUCHDOWNS HAVE BEEN 
RECEIVED IN NORTHERN CHIPPEWA COUNTY BETWEEN 330 PM CDT AND 355 PM 
CDT.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  GLUEK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 4502 9563 4509 9556 4506 9531 4493 9539
TIME...MOT...LOC 2056Z 302DEG 20KT 4501 9549

$$

CLF

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 21, 1:50 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXStevens55 min
Apr 21, 2:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXStevens14 min
Apr 21, 2:28 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXChippewa, Douglas, Pope, Redwood, Swift62 min
Apr 21, 3:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBrown, Redwood38 min
Apr 21, 3:33 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXRedwood28 min
Apr 21, 4:09 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXChippewa, Kandiyohi, Renville36 min
Apr 21, 4:21 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXPope39 min
Apr 21, 4:49 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXRenville41 min
Apr 21, 5:01 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXMartin, Watonwan44 min
Apr 21, 5:53 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXMartin37 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.