Alert archive / North Dakota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2020

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 116, NWS Bismarck, ND

July 2, 2020Dunn County, North Dakota

NWS Bismarck, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 2, 2020, 3:49 PM MDT for Dunn County, North Dakota. It was in force for 41 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 2, 2020, 3:49 PM MDT (21:49 UTC)
Expired
Jul 2, 2020, 4:30 PM MDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Bismarck, ND
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.25 in
Wind
60.0 mph

County Dunn County, ND

The radar

The Bismarck radar (KBIS), 155 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:51 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Rapid City, SD (KUNR), launched 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 366 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, Rapid City, SD at 12:00Z on 2020-07-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1543 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, Rapid City, SD at 12:00Z on 2020-07-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 51 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
1543 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-273 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1698 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
51 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
35 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Bismarck, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 2, 2:28 PM MDT, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 2, 2:28 PM MDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Bismarck ND
328 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2020

.SHORT TERM...(This evening through Friday)
Issued at 327 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2020

The main concern for the short term period is chances for severe
thunderstorms.

Closed upper low continues to spin over central Alberta with a
positively tilted ridge axis from the Great Lakes to Texas. A pre-
frontal surface trough is analyzed from near Mohall to Buffalo, SD,
and is a bit farther west than previously expected. Convection
initiation appears to be underway along/just ahead of the surface
trough in southwest North Dakota where SBCIN is eroding. SPC
mesoanalysis places up to 5000 J/kg SBCAPE and around 40 kts
effective bulk shear over the area. Initial storms should remain
discrete. Upscale growth into clusters/linear segments is possible,
but not a certainty due to weaker mid/upper level forcing, and right-
moving Bunkers vectors would likely move discrete supercells away
from the surface boundary. The main hazard is expected to be very
large hail, with damaging winds also possible. The tornado threat is
marginal at best, mainly due to relatively high LCLs, but still
greater than zero. It is unclear how far north and east the threat
for severe weather may expand, mainly due to capping concerns.

Further to the east, sub-severe convection has been percolating over
central North Dakota along a corridor of strong low level southerly
flow. Much greater CIN and weaker shear will likely keep this
activity below severe limits.

There is potential for the development of additional convection
overnight from southwest into central North Dakota on the nose of a
low level jet and associated low to mid level moisture transport.
Forcing may be aided by mid level shortwave energy. This potential
is likely highly contingent on the latitudinal placement of the
LLJ/moisture transport, which may be influenced by remnant outflow
boundaries from convection this afternoon and evening. MLCIN will
obviously be present at this time of day. But interestingly, the RAP
does show a weakening trend in the cap after midnight CDT. If air
parcels are able to break through the EML, MUCAPE and effective bulk
shear would promote a severe threat, which may continue into Friday
morning.

Details on timing and location of convection Friday and Friday night
remain murky at best. There is general agreement for active
southwest flow aloft topping a Central Plains ridge, with strong
moisture advection in low level southerly flow. The trend in CAMs
has been for mostly dry weather during the afternoon, while some
global models suggest meandering MCSs through the day. The potential
for early morning convection further complicates the picture and
decreases predictability. However, the environment over this time
period will generally contain steep lapse rates, CAPE greater than
2000 J/kg, effective shear greater than 30 kts, and precipitable
water greater than one inch. Any storm/complex of storms will be
capable of producing large hail, damaging wind, and torrential
rainfall. Of particular concern is the potential for training
convection as Corfidi vectors are oriented perpendicular to moisture
transport vectors, with mean 700-300 mb winds less than 30 kts.

.LONG TERM...(Friday night through Thursday)
Issued at 327 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2020

Above normal temperatures and chances for thunderstorms, some severe
with heavy rain, highlight the long term period.

Long range guidance continues to favor a stagnant weather pattern
through the middle of next week, with persistent Pacific Northwest
troughing and broad ridging from the Southern Plains to the Upper
Mississippi River Valley. This leaves the local area in an active
southwest to quasi-zonal flow pattern, with mostly above normal
temperatures, humid conditions, and daily chances for thunderstorms.
The hottest day is expected to be Independence Day, with afternoon
heat indices in the mid to upper 90s from south central North Dakota
into the James River Valley.

Forecast instability and shear parameters along with climatology
suggest any round of thunderstorms has the potential to include
severe weather. This thinking is supported by CIPS analogs, which
bring relatively higher probabilities (at least 15 percent) of
severe weather into at least part of North Dakota every single day.
Of greater concern may be the potential for heavy rain. Periods of
strong low level moisture transport are forecast to intercept east-
northeastward propagating MCSs in an environment with above normal
precipitable water and deep warm-cloud layers. This potential threat
looks to be maximized Saturday afternoon through Sunday night.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Friday afternoon)
Issued at 115 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2020

Scattered thunderstorms are possible through the forecast period,
mainly across southwest and central ND. Beyond this evening,
predictability of timing and location of storms is too low to
include a mention in the TAFs. Expect periods of IFR to LIFR
visibility, sporadic gusty winds, and possibly hail within
thunderstorms. Outside of storms, VFR conditions should prevail.
Southerly winds around 15-20 kts, gusting near 30 kts will
continue across central ND this afternoon, with lighter westerly
winds to the west. Winds will become light and variable overnight,
then southeasterly around 10 kts by Friday afternoon.

&&

.BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...Hollan
LONG TERM...Hollan
AVIATION...Hollan
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 2, 2:34 PM MDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Bismarck ND
334 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2020

NDZ003>005-010>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-032045-
Renville-Bottineau-Rolette-Mountrail-Ward-McHenry-Pierce-McKenzie-
Dunn-Mercer-Oliver-McLean-Sheridan-Wells-Foster-Golden Valley-
Billings-Stark-Morton-Burleigh-Kidder-Stutsman-Slope-Hettinger-
Grant-Bowman-Adams-Sioux-Emmons-Logan-La Moure-McIntosh-Dickey-
334 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2020 /234 PM MDT Thu Jul 2 2020/

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central
North Dakota, northwest North Dakota, south central North Dakota,
southeast North Dakota, and southwest North Dakota.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight

There is a chance of thunderstorms this afternoon through tonight.
Some storms may be severe across the southwest and central, with
large hail up to golf ball size and damaging winds to 70 mph.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday

Numerous thunderstorms are forecast across western and central
North Dakota Friday through Sunday. Heavy rain is possible with
any storm, especially across central parts of the state. Severe
weather is also possible.

Daily chances for thunderstorms continue Monday through
Wednesday. Some storms may be severe.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters are encouraged to report severe weather, including heavy
rainfall, to the National Weather Service in Bismarck.

NDZ001-002-009-032045-
Divide-Burke-Williams-
334 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northwest North
Dakota.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight

The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday

Numerous thunderstorms are forecast across western and central
North Dakota Friday through Sunday. Heavy rain is possible with
any storm, especially across central parts of the state. Severe
weather is also possible.

Daily chances for thunderstorms continue Monday through
Wednesday. Some storms may be severe.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters are encouraged to report severe weather, including heavy
rainfall, to the National Weather Service in Bismarck.

Hollan

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 2, 3:41 PM MDT, 8 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

The office that day

Everything else NWS Bismarck, ND issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 1, 6:06 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBISWells39 min
Jul 1, 6:41 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBISWells34 min
Jul 1, 6:51 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBISWells39 min
Jul 1, 7:10 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBISWilliams50 min
Jul 2, 3:41 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBISStark49 min
Jul 2, 4:08 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISHettinger, Stark67 min
Jul 2, 4:30 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISDunn, McLean, Mercer45 min
Jul 2, 4:47 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISMcLean, Mountrail, Ward43 min
Jul 2, 4:56 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISHettinger, Stark64 min
Jul 2, 5:06 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISDunn, Mercer54 min
Jul 2, 5:23 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISHettinger, Slope, Stark35 min
Jul 2, 5:29 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBISMountrail, Renville, Ward46 min
Jul 2, 5:44 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBISGrant46 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Dakota, 2020Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2020

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.