Alert archive / Minnesota / Special Weather Statements in 2020

Special Weather Statement, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 26, 2020Dakota County, Washington County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this special weather statement at May 26, 2020, 8:03 PM CDT for Dakota County, Washington County, Minnesota. It was in force for 87 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 26, 2020, 8:03 PM CDT (01:03 UTC)
Expired
May 26, 2020, 9:30 PM CDT
In force
87 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN

Counties Dakota County, MN, Washington County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 54 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:04 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

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 00:00Z, 1.1 hours before the alert went out and 381 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, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 00:00Z on 2020-05-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 214 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, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 00:00Z on 2020-05-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 85 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
214 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-74 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1783 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
85 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
90 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

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What forecasters said that day

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

NWS Twin Cities, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before this special weather statement went out at May 26, 2:44 PM CDT, 5 hours 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 26, 2:44 PM CDT, 5 hours 19 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
244 PM CDT Tue May 26 2020

.SHORT TERM...(This evening through Wednesday night)
Issued at 245 PM CDT Tue May 26 2020

Regional satellite, radar and surface observations indicated a
nearly stationary frontal boundary bisecting Minnesota this
afternoon. This frontal boundary will focus the heavier
precipitation axis as it slowly moves eastward overnight.

There is enough spin in the lower levels of the atmosphere along
this frontal boundary, and the corresponding surface low moving
northward across Iowa this afternoon, to be concern with a few
short lived tornadoes. Although the instability isn't strong,
there is enough to warrant isolated low top supercells in this
type of environment. By this evening, all of the supercells will
merge, or congeal into a complex of thunderstorms that will
produce very heavy rainfall due to abnormally high PWATs values
(Near or above record territory for this evening). Localized 2 to
3 inches of rainfall will fall where these storms train over the
same areas for an hour or two. By late tonight, most of the
activity will have moved northeast into the Lake Superior area.
Residual showers will linger across far eastern Minnesota/western
Wisconsin Wednesday morning, with more scattered thunderstorms
developing in west central Wisconsin by the mid/late afternoon.
These storms are not expected to severe but locally heavy rainfall
is likely.

.LONG TERM...(Thursday through Tuesday)
Issued at 230 PM CDT Tue May 26 2020

The large scale pattern looks to be somewhat progressive through the
longer term, with the upper trough that will be in place at the
start of the period moving east and given way to ridging for the
latter half of days. No significant precipitating systems appear in
the guidance, so overall it should be seasonably cool and dry to
start, with a warming trend from the weekend into early next week
with a few small chances of precipitation. Strong cold advection
will remain across the area Thursday into Thursday night, with a
decent pressure gradient keeping gusty northwest winds in place. A
weak shortwave trough embedded in the upper flow will slide by
mainly to our southwest Friday night into early Saturday, with a
chance for showers/thunderstorms in the far southwest portion of the
area. We'll get onto the backside of the surface high by Sunday,
with robust warm advection advertised by most of the guidance from
late Sunday though Monday. The next frontal passage looks to be in
the Monday night/Tuesday time frame, but it will be washing out as
it moves in and its associated shortwave trough tries to move
through the upper ridge. Some small PoPs seem warranted, but
moisture return looks somewhat limited ahead of it, so doesn't
appear to be too concerning at this point.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Wednesday afternoon)
Issued at 1215 PM CDT Tue May 26 2020

IFR/MVFR cigs remained across a good portion of MPX western CWA
which will likely lift during the afternoon. However, I am not
confident enough to go VFR from KRWF-KSTC-KAXN. Elsewhere, timing
of TSRA is the main concern with convection likely developing
somewhere in southern Mn between 20-22z and moving north/northeast
during the afternoon/evening. I wouldn't be surprised to see IFR
in +TSRA based on the amount of moisture in the atmosphere. The
best time frame for the worst conditions in TSRA will occur
between 20-02z, with mostly heavy SHRA afterwords. I didn't get
too specific beyond 06z as abundant moisture near the surface will
lead to widespread IFR/LIFR conditions if skies clear.

KMSP...

Timing of TSRA is the most critical part of this TAF period and
likely sometime between 20-22z. It could be sooner or later but
this is a good starting point. VFR/MVFR cigs will be in the
vicinity but likely lifting to VFR during the afternoon between
any convection. Overnight is conditional based on the amount of
convection and if sky cover decreases and allows for fog to form.
If fog forms, LIFR conditions are becoming likely.

/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/

Wed...Bcmg VFR. Wind W/NW at 5-10 kts.
Thu...VFR. Wind NW at 10-15 kts.
Fri...VFR. Wind NW at 5-10 kts.

&&

.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...None.
MN...None.
&&

SHORT TERM...JLT
LONG TERM...
AVIATION...JLT
Hazardous weather outlook, May 26, 4:00 PM CDT, 4 hours 3 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
400 PM CDT Tue May 26 2020

MNZ044-045-050>053-059>063-066>070-074>078-082>085-091>093-
WIZ014>016-023>028-272100-
Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Benton-Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-Wright-
Hennepin-Anoka-Ramsey-Washington-McLeod-Sibley-Carver-Scott-
Dakota-Brown-Nicollet-Le Sueur-Rice-Goodhue-Watonwan-Blue Earth-
Waseca-Steele-Martin-Faribault-Freeborn-Polk-Barron-Rusk-
St. Croix-Pierce-Dunn-Pepin-Chippewa-Eau Claire-
400 PM CDT Tue May 26 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central
Minnesota...east central Minnesota...south central Minnesota...
southeast Minnesota...northwest Wisconsin and west central
Wisconsin.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight.

Scattered thunderstorms are expected through this evening. There
is a Slight risk of severe thunderstorms over eastern, south central,
and southeastern Minnesota into western Wisconsin. Tornadoes and
damaging wind gusts will be possible with the strongest storms
over this area. Locally heavy rainfall is also possible where
multiple thunderstorms move over the same area, which could result
in areas of flash flooding.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN spotter activation may be needed through this evening.

MNZ041>043-047>049-054>058-064-065-073-272100-
Douglas-Todd-Morrison-Stevens-Pope-Stearns-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-
Chippewa-Kandiyohi-Meeker-Yellow Medicine-Renville-Redwood-
400 PM CDT Tue May 26 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central
Minnesota...southwest Minnesota and west central Minnesota.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight.

Scattered thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and evening.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN spotter activation is not expected to be needed.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 26, 5:34 PM CDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 26, 5:37 PM CDT, 2 hours 26 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 26, 5:53 PM CDT, 2 hours 10 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 26, 6:22 PM CDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 26, 6:45 PM CDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 26, 6:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 26, 7:13 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXDakota, Ramsey, Washington14 min
May 26, 7:47 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXRice28 min
May 26, 9:28 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXDakota, Washington92 min
May 27, 1:16 AM CDTDense Fog AdvisoryMPXChippewa, Douglas, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Meeker, Morrison and 8 more7 hr

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Minnesota, 2020Every special weather statement 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.