Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2021

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 140, NWS Twin Cities, MN

December 15, 2021Rice County, Steele County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Dec 15, 2021, 7:18 PM CST for Rice County, Steele County, Minnesota. It was in force for 42 min. 3 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: Dec 15, 2021, 7:18 PM CST (01:18 UTC)
Expired: Dec 15, 2021, 8:00 PM CST
In force: 42 min
Issued by: NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Possible
Hail: 0.75 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

Counties Rice County, MN, Steele County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 80 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:16 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
Dec 15, 7:25 PM CST	TSTM WND GST 75	1 Wnw Morristown, MN
Dec 15, 7:28 PM CST	TSTM WND GST 75	6 Ssw Owatonna, MN	HIGHWAY SIGN AND ELECTRONIC MESSAGE BOARD BLOWN DOWN ON I-35.
Dec 15, 7:33 PM CST	TORNADO	2 Nnw Blooming Prairie, MN	A NARROW PATH OF MOSTLY TREE DAMAGE WAS FOUND JUST TO THE WEST OF SE 89TH AVE. AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM WAS OVERTURNED, SOME FARM OUTBUILDINGS WERE DAMAGED, AND A SMALL SHED WAS TOSSED. THE TORNADO TRACKED NORTH 6.5 MILES, HAD A MAX WIND OF 80 MPH AND WAS 75 YARDS

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Dec 15, 1:23 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr
Dec 15, 5:30 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 81 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: 633 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -55 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 770 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 75 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 443 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 470 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 5.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

648 
WUUS53 KMPX 160118
SVRMPX
MNC131-147-160200-
/O.NEW.KMPX.SV.W.0140.211216T0118Z-211216T0200Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
718 PM CST Wed Dec 15 2021

The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
  Steele County in south central Minnesota...
  Rice County in south central Minnesota...

* Until 800 PM CST.

* At 718 PM CST, severe thunderstorms were located along a line
  extending from near St. Peter to near Janesville to near New
  Richland, moving northeast at 55 mph.

  HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Severe thunderstorms will be near...
  Morristown around 730 PM CST.
  Warsaw around 735 PM CST.

Other locations in the path of these severe thunderstorms include
Owatonna, Faribault, Dundas and Northfield.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CST for south central
Minnesota. A Tornado Watch also remains in effect until 1100 PM CST
for south central Minnesota.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CST for south central
Minnesota. A Tornado Watch also remains in effect until 1100 PM CST
for south central Minnesota.

&&

LAT...LON 4385 9341 4419 9341 4420 9352 4432 9352
      4447 9328 4447 9304 4385 9305
TIME...MOT...LOC 0118Z 225DEG 48KT 4433 9391 4410 9362 4386 9341 

TORNADO...POSSIBLE
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

Dye

2 follow-up statements

685 
WWUS53 KMPX 160130
SVSMPX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
730 PM CST Wed Dec 15 2021

MNC131-147-160200-
/O.CON.KMPX.SV.W.0140.000000T0000Z-211216T0200Z/
Steele MN-Rice MN-
730 PM CST Wed Dec 15 2021

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CST
FOR STEELE AND RICE COUNTIES...

At 729 PM CST, severe thunderstorms were located along a line
extending from near Le Center to near Waterville to near Ellendale,
moving northeast at 55 mph.

HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Trained weather spotters recorded a wind gust of 74 MPH 
         near Morristown.

IMPACT...Expect considerable tree damage. Damage is likely to mobile 
         homes, roofs, and outbuildings.

These severe storms will be near...
  Morristown and Warsaw around 735 PM CST.

Other locations in the path of these severe thunderstorms include
Owatonna, Faribault, Northfield and Dundas.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CST for south central
Minnesota. A Tornado Watch also remains in effect until 1100 PM CST
for south central Minnesota.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

&&

LAT...LON 4385 9341 4419 9341 4420 9352 4432 9352
      4447 9328 4447 9304 4385 9305
TIME...MOT...LOC 0129Z 225DEG 48KT 4441 9380 4418 9351 4394 9330 

TORNADO...POSSIBLE
THUNDERSTORM DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...70 MPH

$$

Dye

711 
WWUS53 KMPX 160154
SVSMPX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
754 PM CST Wed Dec 15 2021

MNC131-147-160202-
/O.EXP.KMPX.SV.W.0140.000000T0000Z-211216T0200Z/
Steele MN-Rice MN-
754 PM CST Wed Dec 15 2021

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR STEELE AND RICE COUNTIES WILL
EXPIRE AT 800 PM CST...
    
The storms which prompted the warning have moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CST for south central
Minnesota. A Tornado Watch also remains in effect until 1100 PM CST
for south central Minnesota.

LAT...LON 4385 9341 4419 9341 4420 9352 4432 9352
      4447 9328 4447 9304 4385 9305
TIME...MOT...LOC 0152Z 225DEG 48KT 4460 9353 4437 9324 4413 9303 

$$

Dye

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Dec 15, 6:40 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Faribault, Freeborn	50 min
Dec 15, 6:55 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MPX	Faribault, Freeborn	35 min
Dec 15, 7:07 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Blue Earth, Le Sueur, Waseca	38 min
Dec 15, 7:48 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Dakota, Goodhue, Rice	30 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 2021 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2021

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.