News DetailRecap of yesterday's tornadoes in ND
Posted At: August 27, 2007 @ 3:10 AM
Posted By: Reed Timmer
Related Categories: Tornadoes
Seven tornadoes were reported over central and eastern North Dakota yesterday, with substantial damage reported in the town of Northwood, ND, in Grand Forks County at around 8:50 pm CDT. Sadly, there has been 1 fatality reported with the Northwood tornado with multiple mobile homes destroyed. About 30 minutes earlier, a photogenic stovepipe tornado touched down in Logan County, ND, southeast of Bismark, just north of the town of Napolean. Shown below is a picture of the tornado taken by local resident, Spike Foster.
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I just ran across this thread. Actually that evening I was already on the road probably @ the same time as Andy and John. I don't recall the setup that day in fact I didn't even log the bust report on my website. I had to escape the metro traffic out out of the S Metro versus both Andy and John being in the N. Metro so my route was directly out of the Metro on the South End eventually, heading North/West to about the same target area. I did'nt go as far West as by the time I arrived the front (I don't recall the setup but, I assume it was on a CF) has swept to the spot I was at. A single cell popped just behind me after dark I debated tailing it versus leading it, but, it was pitch black out and I wanted to get home. I did do local spotting by the time it hit the twin cities I believe it was an MCS causing 1+ million in damage in the TC primarily a wind event. I drove around the Bloomington, MN area spotting locally. Our area (10x10 block area) had been hard hit during the Aug 11th storms resulting in a 7.8k storm damage claim and a 1.7k car claim when a tree feel on the front of the hood and some small hail damage. I went out chasing that same evening.
That is an amazing shot, right in town too. supercells in south ND right now.
WoW!! I took a lil nap at midnight, I got up at 3:30 right before the lil bit of storm came over! It rained pretty good for about 20min or so! I jumped in the dodge and rolled down to Skyline pkwy just a few miles down the road. I took some crappy vid of the lightning as it passed over NW WI.
That is one hell of a pic!
Wow nice elephent trunk..... I wish I was in that!
Hello everyone! Saturday night, a tornado touch down in Quebec, in the little town of Beauceville.
http://lcn.canoe.com/lcn/infos/regional/archives/2007/08/20070826-201719.html
Nobody hurt and just a little dammage.
I was tracking that tornado on GR2, As the radar site was only about 13 miles from the tornado, I got a very very clear signal on the tornado, At its max, I have +85 against -43 Knots. Im guessing EF2 maybe EF3 Tornado.
Looks like it could be a good day around here, although we need the sun to come out and destabilize things a bit.
Here is some pics from storm last night near Steinbach Manitoba.
Forgive the quality... It was my first chase and I know nothing about cameras.
http://i13.tinypic.com/6akplrk.jpg
http://i16.tinypic.com/6fuezy9.jpg
Here is a link to a quick vid of the same storm near Richer Manitoba.
Again, the quality isn't good. Used my still cam for it and ran out of room on the card.
http://www.youtube.com/v/M1rMf4jodnc
Next season I will be prepared.
Just found this:
The following are the preliminary severe events in Manitoba reported
to Environment Canada up to 10:30 PM Sunday.
Time of event location of event event type and comments
============= ================= =======================
6:50 PM CDT schoenwiese twoonie sized hail
7:03 PM Anola quarter sized hail
7:15 PM just southwest of Altona golfball sized hail
7:22 PM Gretna wind gusts to 100 km/h
7:32 PM just south of Beauséjour large funnel cloud. No
Confirmation of it
Touching down or damage.
7:36 PM 10 km north of Whitemouth loonie sized hail.
7:55 PM Steinbach quarter to twoonie
Sized hail and a
Funnel cloud reported.
8:24 PM lonesand Nickel sized hail.
wow that looks like a mean one, almost as beautifull as kate hudson....
I know lastnite i said i i would post the Mesoscale Disscussion, and Severe weather watch boxes placefiles so here they are...
Mesoscale Discussions: http://grlevel3.tornadocentral.com/mcd.txt
Severe watch boxes: http://grlevel3.tornadocentral.com/validww.txt
Also i have a spotternetwork placefile...which shows all the active spotters/that have logged in through www.spotternetwork.org, If the spotter has gps in there vehicle, and have integrated it with SN then you can tracvk there movements on radar...I'm genuinly surprised Reed hasnt joined/gps'ed through spotternetwork...allowing us to monitor there movements on the radar itself...anyways here the placefile for this.
Spotternetwork: http://www.spotternetwork.org/grlevelx.txt
Hope everyone can put these to use!!
I figure i better post how to place them into your gr3...
1. Open gr3
2. Select the windows panel(from the top)
3. From there select showplacefile manager
4. When the new/smaller window opens, select the folder icon.
5. Insert any ONE(must do one at a time) of the links i posted above...
6. Hit OK
7. Make sure both check boxes next to the link are checked...
8. Repeat to add any others.
I tried to make these directions dummy proof...so if u have any problems...just ask...and i'm sure me or someone can help you...
Looks POSSIBLY later active....Reed seeing as the post was from 4:10a.m. I dont think your making the trip?
As i said before the Cap, and morning clouds seem to be the main factor today...but if something pops...its gonna be "AAAAAAAAAAAAA" and "jhfjdkbjfgjsbfisdgjsdb"
Hey all! Whats on tap for later??
Great pictures and video Strike! Incredible lightning frequency there.
Everyone ignoring me? lol.
Heres a sidenote...Kenny from severe studios posted on there site a while back that they are going to be featured by the weather channel in a upcoming show in the fall...i dont know if this is still the plan BUT IF IT IS THEY ARE FILMING TODAY.
Which makes me wonder the questions that i posted on there site.
Strike your video, and pictures, are awesome...I dont see any obvious quality issues with them...then again i wasn't looking for quality issues...i was looking for tornados and funnels.
Hey Strike! Nice vid!! literally looks like hell! I have a crappy lil cam too! I know how you feel! for some reason, I can't see your photos!=( ??
This blog was loading up so fast last night I couldn't keep up with all the posts! That was great!!
Was driving through that storm on our way back to Winnipeg. Approx 8:30pm we were driving through Thompson, ND and ended up taking shelter at a hotel in Grand Forks for a while till things blew over...the lightening show was incredible!
We heard about Northwood on the radio as we were driving....unfortunate about the fatality.
Thats incredible Michelle!! I was gonna head that way last night, but decided to hold back! I wish I coulda seen it b4 dark!
They gave the Northwood tornado in North Dakota a EF3/EF4 rating...
How is tonight looking up near SD, ND, MN areas...severestudios was talking about chasing tonight but the hazardous weather outlooks for those areas dont seem all that bad...hopefully it will fire so we can get some cam views...just not like last nite with the fatalities...
When are these damn clouds going to break? It better be soon!
The Grand Forks Herald has a number of stories about the Northwood tornado on its site, along with photos of the damage from last night and this morning.
http://www.grandforksherald.com/
Very Impressive Photo
Interesting deal in fargo storms moving northeast, but surface level clouds moving south.
The RUC is showing some impressive parameters for west-central/southwest MN and extreme northeast SD later today....but a very strong cap. If a storm fires it could be huge.
EF3/EF4!!!!!
Awesome photo by Spike Foster! Lookit that thing! Judging by the light, he must have been to the southeast of it so hopefully didn't lose any of his buildings.
PS, Ben thanks!
Wow.....big difference in CINH models since last night. Last night the WRF was indicating a cap breaking by 0z......now saying that a very strong cap will be in place. How can a model change that much in that short amount of time? Morning clouds and showers I suppose?
Jon
AT 157 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
NAPOLEON...OR ABOUT 54 MILES EAST OF BISMARCK...AND MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
Nice photos strike, thanks for sharing
Going to try loading up the vid now.
Mynameisben thanks for those placefiles, nice to have watchboxes and now it's much easier to see where the spotter are. The spottersnetwork homepage has always been slow for me.
Strike NICE Photo :) Check out this one
http://www.stormtrack.org/humor/wrf/
I think I'm gonna head to Mille Lacs area in a min!
I really wanna catch something before I have to work tomorrow!
Think I will charge up the camcorders and just hang out
here and wait for storms to come my way. My luck though the nasty stuff will wait till after dark.
Looks like Hwy 210 ought to take you right to it Brady?
Yes sir!! I can see lightning to the west!! Hear thunder!!
I'm out!!
Anyone see the Valley city cell? with the TVS...Looks good.
The way it's tracking to the NW, Hwy 210 ought to put you just a hair south of it by the time you meet up... looks great!
Hey joe TWC said that they are going to survay that tornado in grandforks today or tonight! i'me gussing an EF3
I wonder what the job title is for the person who gets to go out to the damage path and determine a tornado's rating. Sounds like an interesting and exciting job!
Does anyone know what cell Brady is going after?
Hey Joe...typically meteorologists from the local NWS offices conduct the surveys..for the significant tornadoes they are usually very experienced tornado damage surveyors...but for the minor hoses they will often send out interns.
Looks elevated right now ben..maybe it will become surface based later on in the afternoon...but I doubt it right now.
Well i'me not sure who dose that..... but I do know it's FUN
hay reed sent you another Email
I think Brady wants to collide with the nearest available cell... I think he's aiming for the one that is about to pass north of Brainerd
Well depending on where Brady is, he is probably seeing cool stuff...BUT, does anyone else notice these storms struggling? Or is it just me?
NWS Is saying this tornado was near 1 mile wide.
Strong EF3 - Weak EF4. 0.8 Miles wide.
THE DYNAMICS LOOK NUTS FOR TODAY - ITS WEDGEFEST TIME :D
I just called Brady... turns out he's heading south on 35, just passed Moose Lake, and is thinking about heading to St. Cloud in hopes something fires up later.
REED... any chance you could give ol Brady a call? He would surely appreciate it!
If anyone has any ideas on where to steer Brady, pipe up! He's got a serious jones for tube!
Hey Joe, I'd say stay north cuz the line doesn't seem to be moving to the east very fast.
I smell another line/MCS after dark.
I was at the State fair all day and you can see the extreme instability. Literally see it- in the freaking statosphere, lol. Thermonuclear CAP in place holding everything several thousand feet off the ground. Plus it has been very overcast much of the day so we have not had a ton of heating to break it. The times the sun did come out it quickly became an oven but now it is VERY overcast.
Hope Brady gets on a storm!
The park rapids cell has hit 3.50inch hail!!!
Hey everyone! Hope all is well! Great pics and videos guys!
David, I hope your right:) Cross thy fingers.
Andrew, I also know what you mean! I was out playing paintball yesterday, and I could pretty well see the instability in the atmosphere! No need for gadgets in that instance!
I think that Brady should have gotten off at Moose Lake, and taken 27/73 to 73 North...and then went to Cromwell, to observe the severe warned cell...
hey just managed to get on....great pic of yesterdays tornado there
Just called Brady... he just passed through the town of Milaca, about 25 miles NE of St. Cloud. I let him know what you guys said about the cap holding strong, and that everything keeps rolling north of Brainerd. Since he doesn't have internet in the Brady-Mobile he appreciates the help! Said he's thinking about getting something to eat then figuring out where to go from there.
Hey Joe, pass the message on to Brady that the cap in East Central SD is weakening, the mesoanalysis, shows a SBCAPE at -50CINH, and 5500 CAPE over brookings, Hamil, duel, and coddington counties... and i believe SIG torn is 7...this would move his was if something forms...if he hangs around.
Since the cap seems "out of control" and the storms seem to be moving toward Duluth (where he started) he's now turning north on 25 up to Brainerd, then will follow 210 back to Duluth.
Tornado up near Beausejour, MB too. Couple people (whose name sounds really familiar for some reason) got the photos of the debris cloud along with the funnel
In his quest for a tube, i think that may be a bad move, if he heads back.
The Cravens/brooks severe parameter is 120over where he is, and the Supercell composite is 20.
Ben, I'll dial him up and read him your posts.
I hate to rain on anyone's parade, but...
"FARTHER SOUTH THE 21Z RAOB FROM MINNEAPOLIS SHOWS A VERY STOUT
CAPPING INVERSION ASSOCIATED WITH A WARM EML OVER SRN MN...EVEN WHEN
MODIFIED FOR TEMPERATURES NEAR 90. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH LATEST
VISIBLE IMAGERY WHICH SHOWS MORE STABLE STRATIFORM RATHER THAN
CUMULUS CLOUDS DEVELOPING ALONG SEWD ADVANCING OUTFLOW BOUNDARY. IT
THEREFORE APPEARS IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO INITIATE SURFACE BASED
STORMS WITHIN THE AXIS OF STRONG INSTABILITY.
Excerpt from the latest MD discussion from SPC.
Another case where we have strong parameters but it looks like the cap is going to win.
Ben, I passed it on to him... he said "Thanks!" He was still at the junction of 23 & 25. He said he's going to head north to Brainerd anyway, but that I would call him if you or anyone sees something promising that would convince him to turn around!
He also said things are looking "creepy" in the distance and he sees lightning.
Andrew look at the mesoanalysis on the SPC, the CINH is only -25 in SW MN...how is that a stout cap? it was -250 earlier...
Andrew I didn't see your last post until I had already hung up, but he knows from before that you are in the cap-looks-too-strong camp
I am not saying nothing is going to fire off tonight!!
All I am saying is I smell another blob/MCS/line, not discrete, surface-based storms, because the area of strongest instability is stoutly capped. Ben, all I am doing is repeating what the SPC is saying, this isn't MY forecast, because I wouldn't have a clue what is going to happen by myself.
Sorry Andrew, wasn't trying to jump your back...re-reading it, it does seem like it though.
Joe, That cell he is seeing is going to pass just north of Brainard...but i would suggest to him trying to get on it ASAP, because he can/could follow it back his way...if he sits and waits it could crap.
Uh oh... there's those three disturbing letters again... M C S. lol Duck in cover! ;)
I agree Andrew, it's not looking like anything WANTS to build, as much as it COULD. The atmosphere is being wishy-washy again :(
Yep, he's Brainerd-bound at this time. Sounds like he wants to catch the stuff that keeps rolling across up there
The satellite picture shows things very well right now for those of you who watch satellite. Instead of puffy towering cumulus waiting to blow up there is a big blanket of grey goo covering everything.
So... if I understand this right, at least around me, the cap is already really strong, we needed lots of sunlight and heat today to break it, and we didn't get it.
Further southwest it's clear and hot, so I have no idea what the chances are down in Southwest MN/Eastern SD.
I would say the next few hours on the SD/MN border are make or break...lately, i have seen more chasers coming online and heading toward the Willimar area. Those chasers being Andrew Revering, and John Wetter.
Joe i would urge him to try and get on that cell ASAP. Tell him it never hurts to just drive toward the storm and worry about finding his way home later. The storm will push him east if he tries to stay on the front fringe...and keeps repositioning.
And now Chris White is in hot pursuit of the other two chasers.
Well Ben, that is an interesting data point, isn't it. I just called Brady to alert him to those chasers moving toward Willmar. He was tempted to head on down, but since he has to work tomorrow - and it's getting dark soon - he decided turn east on 210 out of Brainerd and hope for some hail/lightning at least. Wonder what those guys are aiming for down there?
I believe they are all aiming for possible initiation...Willimar has major routes going out North, south, east and west...makes for a good town to sit and wait.
Joe, just a guess, I think they might be hoping for storms firing out ahead of the cold front. It's a pretty obvious front on radar, stretching all the way from MN through SD into Nebraska.
It looks like any time storms could start firing on that thing, it looks beefy.
Aw, but what the heck do I know? Maybe Reed can update us.
Well if Brady is anywhere north of Brainard, then he is experiencing gusty 40-50mph winds, and hail up to 1.25in, not mention tons of rain. Hope he had fun, tried to help with my in put.
Well, it's official.
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day1otlk.html
Brady, yer getting home just in time!! Looks like you have the best chance of anyone tonight of seeing good stuff.
Does anyone know if Brady has a camera/video camera?
And does anyone know where exactly he is?
Andrew Revering and John Wetter (those two vehicles parked in Willmar) are both with "Sky5Max Storm Trackers" out of Minneapolis, apparently. Maybe they'll just get dinner & head on home.
I agree Andrew. Looking at the IR sat loops and seems to me that the south end of the line is dying and the north is getting stronger and headed right for Duluth.
Yeah Andrew, i pretty much expected that, however watch out for isolated storms to form on the front POSSIBLY.
In other news Severe Studios filmed with The Weather Channel today, for a show in the fall, stay tuned for an airing date.
Woulda been nice if they would have had a actual chase with TWC today.
Hahaha, just talked with Brady to give him the scoop on that new SPC outlook that Andrew found. He's a happy camper now. He's on 210 east of Crosby somewhere, and has got storm all around him, wind, crazy looking clouds, etc. He's going to hang out for awhile then head on home to wait for more!
Chris White (the third guy near Willmar) is now heading back East...
Wow! Looks like I missed some things... lol
Last I checked, Severestudios live feed was up and running. I haven't checked in awhile, so idk...
Good luck guys!!
I'm off for the nite, have a good one!
AJ
=( I think I drove around it Joe! =(
I'm fired! I shoulda done 210! =(
I need a better cam too! =(
It doesn't look like its over yet!!
Hey Ben! you were right I shoulda stayed in foley and hung out!! Live and learn i guess!
There you are! Thought maybe you went down into Wisconsin again. At least you saw something... the whole s. part of the state went bust
Foley? Naww, nothing went through there until much later on! That line you see now is the same line you were in on 210. It moved east then swung down to where you see it now
Brady tell me Duluth at least got some RAIN????
YES WE DID!! Andrew!!
And still are! Thanx for all the help Joe!!
We'll get em next time!!
Its still boomin around here pretty good!
I'm gonna buzz down the road and see if i can get some of this lightning over the lake!
Wow nice pic guys!!
Hope everyone was safe!! I'm quite excited we are having a Lunar eclipse tonight!!!
I was fully prepared to nowcast you, through the backroads...and into the path...using google maps.
I still think my idea of hitting Cromwell, and moving north a bit would have been your best bet, because at the time, you were in the general area, and the storm was still 30-40minutes out, this would have given you plenty of time to position where you want too. When the storms moved through just north of there, they were producing anywhere from 1.25-1.75in hail.
Brady did u get any pics/vid?
Congrats on a successful chase Brady!
TIME FOR THE LUNAR ECLIPSE!!