Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2017

Tornado Warning 32, NWS Twin Cities, MN

August 16, 2017Blue Earth County, Nicollet County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this tornado warning at Aug 16, 2017, 4:37 PM CDT for Blue Earth County, Nicollet County, Minnesota. It was in force for 23 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: Aug 16, 2017, 4:37 PM CDT (21:37 UTC)
Expired: Aug 16, 2017, 5:00 PM CDT
In force: 23 min
Issued by: NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

Counties Blue Earth County, MN, Nicollet County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 84 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:40 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
Aug 16, 4:52 PM CDT	TORNADO	1 E Nicollet, MN	REPORTED BY COUNTY DISPATCH CENTER. OBSERVED NEAR HWY 99 JUST EAST OF NICOLLET.
Aug 16, 4:58 PM CDT	TORNADO	1 S Nicollet, MN	6 TREE BRANCHES DOWN AND STREET SIGNS BENT OVER ABOUT 1 MILE S OF NICOLLET.

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, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 83 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: 81 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -110 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 638 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 215 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 208 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

456 
WFUS53 KMPX 162137
TORMPX
MNC013-103-162200-
/O.NEW.KMPX.TO.W.0032.170816T2137Z-170816T2200Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
437 PM CDT WED AUG 16 2017

The National Weather Service in The Twin Cities has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  North central Blue Earth County in south central Minnesota...
  Southeastern Nicollet County in south central Minnesota...

* Until 500 PM CDT
    
* At 437 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Judson, or 9 miles west of Mankato, 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...
  Nicollet around 450 PM CDT. 

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Judson
and Oshawa.

This includes the following highways...
 U.S. Highway 14 between mile markers 113 and 126.
 U.S. Highway 169 near mile marker 50.

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 4415 9407 4415 9421 4433 9435 4433 9411
TIME...MOT...LOC 2137Z 163DEG 20KT 4419 9417 

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

$$

jrb

2 follow-up statements

452 
WWUS53 KMPX 162145
SVSMPX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
445 PM CDT WED AUG 16 2017

MNC013-162155-
/O.CAN.KMPX.TO.W.0032.000000T0000Z-170816T2200Z/
Blue Earth MN-
445 PM CDT WED AUG 16 2017

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL BLUE EARTH 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 4420 9414 4421 9423 4420 9424 4421 9424
      4433 9435 4433 9411 4421 9408 4418 9409
      4418 9413
TIME...MOT...LOC 2145Z 163DEG 20KT 4423 9419 

$$

MNC103-162200-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0032.000000T0000Z-170816T2200Z/
Nicollet MN-
445 PM CDT WED AUG 16 2017

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN NICOLLET COUNTY...
    
At 445 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Judson, or 10 miles northwest of Mankato, 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...
  Nicollet around 450 PM CDT. 

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Oshawa.

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 4420 9414 4421 9423 4420 9424 4421 9424
      4433 9435 4433 9411 4421 9408 4418 9409
      4418 9413
TIME...MOT...LOC 2145Z 163DEG 20KT 4423 9419 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

jrb

528 
WWUS53 KMPX 162155
SVSMPX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
455 PM CDT WED AUG 16 2017

MNC103-162200-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0032.000000T0000Z-170816T2200Z/
Nicollet MN-
455 PM CDT WED AUG 16 2017

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL
NICOLLET COUNTY...
    
At 454 PM CDT, a confirmed tornado was located over Nicollet, or 12
miles east of New Ulm, moving north at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Damaging tornado. 

SOURCE...Law enforcement confirmed tornado. 

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 tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
central Nicollet County.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

To repeat, a tornado is on the ground. 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 4424 9423 4433 9433 4433 9416 4424 9416
TIME...MOT...LOC 2154Z 163DEG 20KT 4428 9421 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

jrb

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 16, 5:09 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MPX	Nicollet, Sibley	36 min
Aug 16, 5:14 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	MPX	Nicollet	46 min
Aug 16, 5:35 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	MPX	Sibley	55 min
Aug 16, 6:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	MPX	Sibley	40 min
Aug 16, 6:29 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MPX	McLeod, Sibley	46 min
Aug 16, 6:31 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MPX	Le Sueur, Rice	44 min
Aug 16, 6:41 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MPX	Sibley	38 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Minnesota, 2017 Every tornado warning in 2017 Tornadoes in 2017

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.