Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2015

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 16, 2015Chippewa County, Swift County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this tornado warning at May 16, 2015, 5:05 PM CDT for Chippewa County, Swift County, Minnesota. It was in force for 25 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
May 16, 2015, 5:05 PM CDT (22:05 UTC)
Expired
May 16, 2015, 5:30 PM CDT
In force
25 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

Counties Chippewa County, MN, Swift County, MN

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 16, 5:37 PM CDTTORNADO2 Nw Murdock, MNTRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED TORNADO TOUCHDOWN 2 MILES NW OF MURDOCK.

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, 10.1 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 2015-05-16Temperature 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 2015-05-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 128 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
853 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
128 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
166 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.

759 
WFUS53 KMPX 162205
TORMPX
MNC023-151-162230-
/O.NEW.KMPX.TO.W.0004.150516T2205Z-150516T2230Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
505 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 530 PM CDT
    
* AT 505 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR GLUEK...OR 12 MILES NORTHEAST OF
  MONTEVIDEO...MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH.

  HAZARD...TORNADO. 

  SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION. 

  IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT 
           SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. 
           DAMAGE TO ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR.  TREE 
           DAMAGE IS LIKELY. 

* THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  KERKHOVEN AND MURDOCK AROUND 530 PM CDT.

OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE DE
GRAFF AND GLUEK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...IN A
MOBILE HOME...OR IN A VEHICLE...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL
SHELTER AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 4530 9557 4522 9525 4518 9525 4495 9542
      4502 9566
TIME...MOT...LOC 2205Z 200DEG 22KT 4506 9551 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$
2 follow-up statements
566 
WWUS53 KMPX 162222
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
522 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 2015

MNC023-162232-
/O.CAN.KMPX.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-150516T2230Z/
CHIPPEWA MN-
522 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 2015

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN CHIPPEWA COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...
    
THE TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT 
OF THE WARNED AREA. THEREFORE THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 4530 9557 4522 9525 4518 9525 4515 9527
      4515 9561 4516 9562
TIME...MOT...LOC 2222Z 191DEG 21KT 4516 9553 

$$

MNC151-162230-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-150516T2230Z/
SWIFT MN-
522 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 530 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN SWIFT COUNTY...
    
AT 522 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DE GRAFF...OR 17 MILES NORTHEAST OF
MONTEVIDEO...MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH.

HAZARD...TORNADO. 

SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION. 

IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT 
         SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. DAMAGE 
         TO ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR.  TREE DAMAGE IS 
         LIKELY. 

THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  MURDOCK AROUND 530 PM CDT.

OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE DE
GRAFF.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...IN A
MOBILE HOME...OR IN A VEHICLE...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL
SHELTER AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 4530 9557 4522 9525 4518 9525 4515 9527
      4515 9561 4516 9562
TIME...MOT...LOC 2222Z 191DEG 21KT 4516 9553 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$
482 
WWUS53 KMPX 162228
SVSMPX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
528 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 2015

MNC151-162237-
/O.EXP.KMPX.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-150516T2230Z/
SWIFT MN-
528 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 2015

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN SWIFT COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT
530 PM CDT...
                
THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER APPEARS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.
THEREFORE THE WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR WEST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA.

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

LAT...LON 4530 9557 4522 9525 4518 9525 4515 9527
      4515 9561 4516 9562
TIME...MOT...LOC 2226Z 200DEG 22KT 4516 9553 

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 16, 12:07 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXKandiyohi38 min
May 16, 3:58 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXYellow Medicine32 min
May 16, 4:01 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXChippewa29 min
May 16, 4:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXChippewa, Yellow Medicine44 min
May 16, 4:29 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXLac qui Parle16 min
May 16, 4:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXLac qui Parle31 min
May 16, 5:12 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXStevens33 min
May 16, 5:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXChippewa25 min
May 16, 5:39 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedMPXSwift36 min
May 16, 5:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXChippewa, Swift17 min
May 16, 5:52 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedMPXChippewa, Swift23 min
May 16, 6:11 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXSwift34 min
May 16, 6:21 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXRenville39 min
May 16, 6:41 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXPope, Swift34 min
May 16, 6:54 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXMeeker36 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Minnesota, 2015Every tornado warning in 2015Tornadoes in 2015

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.