105-600: The Minot Park District is the unit of the Minot, North Dakota municipal government responsible for maintaining city parks. The District is managed by a board of five directors elected by city voters to four year terms. The district also serves as the local forestry service, trimming and planting trees across the city. Through its efforts, Minot became a Tree City USA in 1992. 48°13′57″N 101°17′45″W / 48.23250°N 101.29583°W / 48.23250; -101.29583 This North Dakota –related article
210-472: A thunderstorm is blown through a mass of stationary, warm, moist air near the outflow boundary, resulting in a "rolling" effect (often exemplified through a roll cloud ). If low level wind shear is strong enough, the rotation can be turned vertically or diagonally and make contact with the ground. The result is a gustnado. They usually cause small areas of heavier rotational wind damage among areas of straight-line wind damage. A dust devil (also known as
315-505: A tornado passed over Minot and bore down in a coulee three miles (5 km) southeast of town. The tornado picked up Andy Botz's home and hurled it to the ground, killing his wife, breaking Botz's shoulder, and slightly injuring the two Botz children who were in the house. Minot and its surrounding area were wide open from 1905 to 1920. The population grew rapidly due to railroad construction and availability of unclaimed land. Nearly complete court records of Ward County and Minot document
420-517: A "rope tornado". When they rope out, the length of their funnel increases, which forces the winds within the funnel to weaken due to conservation of angular momentum . Multiple-vortex tornadoes can appear as a family of swirls circling a common center, or they may be completely obscured by condensation, dust, and debris, appearing to be a single funnel. In the United States, tornadoes are around 500 feet (150 m) across on average. However, there
525-496: A T0 for extremely weak tornadoes to T11 for the most powerful known tornadoes. Doppler weather radar data, photogrammetry , and ground swirl patterns ( cycloidal marks) may also be analyzed to determine intensity and award a rating. Tornadoes vary in intensity regardless of shape, size, and location, though strong tornadoes are typically larger than weak tornadoes. The association with track length and duration also varies, although longer track tornadoes tend to be stronger. In
630-441: A block of dark clouds, wider than the distance from the cloud base to the ground. Even experienced storm observers may not be able to tell the difference between a low-hanging cloud and a wedge tornado from a distance. Many, but not all major tornadoes are wedges. Tornadoes in the dissipating stage can resemble narrow tubes or ropes, and often curl or twist into complex shapes. These tornadoes are said to be "roping out", or becoming
735-454: A body of water (as a waterspout), tornadoes can turn white or even blue. Slow-moving funnels, which ingest a considerable amount of debris and dirt, are usually darker, taking on the color of debris. Tornadoes in the Great Plains can turn red because of the reddish tint of the soil, and tornadoes in mountainous areas can travel over snow-covered ground, turning white. Lighting conditions are
840-541: A continuous, deep rumbling, or an irregular sound of "noise". Since many tornadoes are audible only when very near, sound is not to be thought of as a reliable warning signal for a tornado. Tornadoes are also not the only source of such sounds in severe thunderstorms; any strong, damaging wind, a severe hail volley, or continuous thunder in a thunderstorm may produce a roaring sound. Tornadoes also produce identifiable inaudible infrasonic signatures. Unlike audible signatures, tornadic signatures have been isolated; due to
945-462: A few rotations per minute. Steam devils are very rare. They most often form from smoke issuing from a power plant's smokestack. Hot springs and deserts may also be suitable locations for a tighter, faster-rotating steam devil to form. The phenomenon can occur over water, when cold arctic air passes over relatively warm water. The Fujita scale , Enhanced Fujita scale (EF), and International Fujita scale rate tornadoes by damage caused. The EF scale
1050-435: A major factor in the appearance of a tornado. A tornado which is " back-lit " (viewed with the sun behind it) appears very dark. The same tornado, viewed with the sun at the observer's back, may appear gray or brilliant white. Tornadoes which occur near the time of sunset can be many different colors, appearing in hues of yellow, orange, and pink. Dust kicked up by the winds of the parent thunderstorm, heavy rain and hail, and
1155-551: A median household income of $ 75,545. Approximately 11.3% of the city's population lives at or below the poverty line . Minot has an estimated 66.6% employment rate, with 30.0% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 93.4% holding a high school diploma. The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (93.6%), Spanish (2.0%), Indo-European (1.6%), Asian and Pacific Islander (1.6%), and Other (1.2%). The median age in
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#17328919262211260-1012: A mesocyclone) waterspouts. Fair weather waterspouts are less severe but far more common, and are similar to dust devils and landspouts . They form at the bases of cumulus congestus clouds over tropical and subtropical waters. They have relatively weak winds, smooth laminar walls, and typically travel very slowly. They occur most commonly in the Florida Keys and in the northern Adriatic Sea . In contrast, tornadic waterspouts are stronger tornadoes over water. They form over water similarly to mesocyclonic tornadoes, or are stronger tornadoes which cross over water. Since they form from severe thunderstorms and can be far more intense, faster, and longer-lived than fair weather waterspouts, they are more dangerous. In official tornado statistics, waterspouts are generally not counted unless they affect land, though some European weather agencies count waterspouts and tornadoes together. A landspout , or dust-tube tornado ,
1365-413: A probe measured a 100- millibar (100 hPa ; 3.0 inHg ) pressure decrease. The pressure dropped gradually as the vortex approached then dropped extremely rapidly to 850 mbar (850 hPa ; 25 inHg ) in the core of the violent tornado before rising rapidly as the vortex moved away, resulting in a V-shape pressure trace. Temperature tends to decrease and moisture content to increase in
1470-404: A recognizable life cycle which begins when increasing rainfall drags with it an area of quickly descending air known as the rear flank downdraft (RFD). This downdraft accelerates as it approaches the ground, and drags the supercell's rotating mesocyclone towards the ground with it. As the mesocyclone lowers below the cloud base, it begins to take in cool, moist air from the downdraft region of
1575-436: A small cloud of debris near the ground. Tornadoes may be obscured completely by rain or dust. These tornadoes are especially dangerous, as even experienced meteorologists might not see them. Small, relatively weak landspouts may be visible only as a small swirl of dust on the ground. Although the condensation funnel may not extend all the way to the ground, if associated surface winds are greater than 64 km/h (40 mph),
1680-473: A time. Lows below 0 °F (−18 °C) occur on about 39 days during the winter, while temperatures reach 90 °F (32 °C) on 14 days per summer, and in some years reach 100 °F (38 °C). The average annual snowfall total is 42.5 inches (108 cm). As of the 2022 American Community Survey , there are 21,161 estimated households in Minot with an average of 2.21 persons per household. The city has
1785-617: A tornado impacts. A tornado may be much stronger than its damage-based rating indicates if its strongest winds occur away from suitable damage indicators, such as in an open field. Outside Tornado Alley , and North America in general, violent tornadoes are extremely rare. This is apparently mostly due to the lesser number of tornadoes overall, as research shows that tornado intensity distributions are fairly similar worldwide. A few significant tornadoes occur annually in Europe, Asia, southern Africa, and southeastern South America. The United States has
1890-707: A tornado touches the surface and returns to the baseline level when the tornado dissipates. In many cases, intense tornadoes and thunderstorms exhibit an increased and anomalous dominance of positive polarity CG discharges. Luminosity has been reported in the past and is probably due to misidentification of external light sources such as lightning, city lights, and power flashes from broken lines, as internal sources are now uncommonly reported and are not known to ever have been recorded. In addition to winds, tornadoes also exhibit changes in atmospheric variables such as temperature , moisture , and atmospheric pressure . For example, on June 24, 2003, near Manchester, South Dakota ,
1995-583: A tornado. Tornadoes normally rotate cyclonically (when viewed from above, this is counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern ). While large-scale storms always rotate cyclonically due to the Coriolis effect , thunderstorms and tornadoes are so small that the direct influence of the Coriolis effect is negligible, as indicated by their large Rossby numbers . Supercells and tornadoes rotate cyclonically in numerical simulations even when
2100-601: A vote to break a tie. City Manager Harold Stewart handles the city's day-to-day affairs. Minot uses the council–manager system of government. Seven councilmen are elected from 7 city wards to four-year terms. Elections are arranged such that one councilman from each ward is elected every even-numbered year. The mayor is elected to a four-year term as well; the last mayoral election was in 2022. All city offices are nonpartisan. City elections are held in June in North Dakota , along with
2205-762: A whirlwind) resembles a tornado in that it is a vertical swirling column of air. However, they form under clear skies and are no stronger than the weakest tornadoes. They form when a strong convective updraft is formed near the ground on a hot day. If there is enough low-level wind shear, the column of hot, rising air can develop a small cyclonic motion that can be seen near the ground. They are not considered tornadoes because they form during fair weather and are not associated with any clouds. However, they can, on occasion, result in major damage. Small-scale, tornado-like circulations can occur near any intense surface heat source. Those that occur near intense wildfires are called fire whirls . They are not considered tornadoes, except in
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#17328919262212310-468: A widely accepted theory for how most tornadoes form, live, and die, it does not explain the formation of smaller tornadoes, such as landspouts, long-lived tornadoes, or tornadoes with multiple vortices. These each have different mechanisms which influence their development—however, most tornadoes follow a pattern similar to this one. A multiple-vortex tornado is a type of tornado in which two or more columns of spinning air rotate about their own axes and at
2415-458: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Minot, North Dakota Minot ( / ˈ m aɪ n ɒ t / MY -not ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County , North Dakota , United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately 15 miles (24 km) north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at
2520-407: Is a tornado not associated with a mesocyclone. The name stems from their characterization as a "fair weather waterspout on land". Waterspouts and landspouts share many defining characteristics, including relative weakness, short lifespan, and a small, smooth condensation funnel that often does not reach the surface. Landspouts also create a distinctively laminar cloud of dust when they make contact with
2625-411: Is a wide range of tornado sizes. Weak tornadoes, or strong yet dissipating tornadoes, can be exceedingly narrow, sometimes only a few feet or couple meters across. One tornado was reported to have a damage path only 7 feet (2.1 m) long. On the other end of the spectrum, wedge tornadoes can have a damage path a mile (1.6 km) wide or more. A tornado that affected Hallam, Nebraska on May 22, 2004,
2730-572: Is almost entirely land; the Mouse River, its oxbow lakes, and a few creeks take up just 0.14% of the city's area. The elevation of the river at the city center is 1,540 feet (470 m) above sea level . The valley sits 160 feet (49 m) below the surrounding plains; the elevation at the Minot International Airport on North Hill is 1,716 feet (523 m). The city has several small horseshoe-shaped oxbow lakes within its limits near
2835-418: Is also commonly referred to as a "twister" or the old-fashioned colloquial term cyclone . A tornado is a violently rotating column of air, in contact with the ground, either pendant from a cumuliform cloud or underneath a cumuliform cloud, and often (but not always) visible as a funnel cloud. For a vortex to be classified as a tornado, it must be in contact with both the ground and the cloud base. The term
2940-458: Is at 48°14′15.41″N 101°16′44.42″W / 48.2376139°N 101.2790056°W / 48.2376139; -101.2790056 (48.2376127, -101.2790043), about 110 miles (180 km) north of Bismarck . The Mouse River , or Souris River, runs through the city west to east. Important cities in the region for which Minot is the trading center include Burlington , Velva , Garrison , Stanley , Bottineau , Rugby , and New Town . Minot
3045-526: Is held in July annually, in Minot. Nearly all recreation areas however are closed during the long winters. The local high school hockey teams use the ice rink located in the Fair Grounds. The ice rink is also turned into the location of the rodeo. Apple Grove Golf Course, and Souris Valley Golf Course are located in Minot. The mayor of Minot is Tom Ross. As mayor he chairs the 7-member City Council, but only casts
3150-437: Is no break in activity, this is considered a tornado outbreak (although the term "tornado outbreak" has various definitions). A period of several successive days with tornado outbreaks in the same general area (spawned by multiple weather systems) is a tornado outbreak sequence, occasionally called an extended tornado outbreak. Most tornadoes take on the appearance of a narrow funnel , a few hundred meters (yards) across, with
3255-447: Is not precisely defined; for example, there is disagreement as to whether separate touchdowns of the same funnel constitute separate tornadoes. Tornado refers to the vortex of wind, not the condensation cloud. A tornado is not necessarily visible; however, the intense low pressure caused by the high wind speeds (as described by Bernoulli's principle ) and rapid rotation (due to cyclostrophic balance ) usually cause water vapor in
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3360-412: The 2020 census , Minot is the state's fourth-most populous city and a trading center for a large part of northern North Dakota , southwestern Manitoba , and southeastern Saskatchewan . Founded in 1886 during the construction of James J. Hill's Great Northern Railway , Minot is also known as "Magic City", commemorating its remarkable growth in size over a short time. Minot is the principal city of
3465-668: The Latin tonāre 'to thunder'). The metathesis of the r and o in the English spelling was influenced by the Spanish tornado (past participle of tornar 'to twist, turn,', from Latin tornō 'to turn'). The English word has been reborrowed into Spanish, referring to the same weather phenomenon. Tornadoes' opposite phenomena are the widespread, straight-line derechos ( / d ə ˈ r eɪ tʃ oʊ / , from Spanish : derecho Spanish pronunciation: [deˈɾetʃo] , 'straight'). A tornado
3570-571: The Minot metropolitan area , a metropolitan area that covers McHenry , Renville , and Ward counties and had a combined population of 77,546 at the 2020 census . Minot came into existence in 1886, after the Great Northern Railway laid track through the area. A tent town sprang up overnight, as if by "magic", giving Minot its first nickname, the Magic City; in the next five months, the population increased to over 5,000, further bolstering
3675-699: The Missouri River , about fifty miles (80 km) south. In 1969, a severe flood on the Souris River devastated Minot in April. Afterward, the Army Corps of Engineers straightened the river's path through the city and built several flood control structures. On January 18, 2002, a severe train derailment west of the city sent a gigantic cloud of anhydrous ammonia toward Minot and Burlington . One man died and many of Minot's citizens were sickened and severely injured by
3780-429: The downtown area soon led people to nickname Minot "Little Chicago". Smugglers used a network of tunnels (some previously built for heating or deliveries) to transport and conceal illicit cargo entering from Canada. The 1950s saw a large influx of federal funding into the region, with the construction of Minot Air Force Base (1956–1957) thirteen miles (21 km) north of the city, and Garrison Dam (1947–1953) on
3885-459: The equator and are less common at high latitudes . Other tornado-like phenomena that exist in nature include the gustnado , dust devil , fire whirl , and steam devil . Tornadoes occur most frequently in North America (particularly in central and southeastern regions of the United States colloquially known as Tornado Alley ; the United States has by far the most tornadoes of any country in
3990-406: The "funnel cloud" term is strictly defined as a rotating cloud which is not associated with strong winds at the surface, and condensation funnel is a broad term for any rotating cloud below a cumuliform cloud. Tornadoes often begin as funnel clouds with no associated strong winds at the surface, and not all funnel clouds evolve into tornadoes. Most tornadoes produce strong winds at the surface while
4095-790: The Arts. Nearly 40% of the city's residents are of Scandinavian ancestry, and every October since 1977, Minot has been the host to the Norsk Høstfest , North America's largest Scandinavian-American festival. Scandinavian Heritage Park is located in Minot. Scandinavian Heritage Park features remembrances and replicas from each of the Scandinavian countries: Norway , Sweden and Denmark , as well as Finland and Iceland . The Minot Park District operates seventeen parks with various facilities; Corbett Field , home to American Legion, high school and college baseball; Optimist soccer complex; MAYSA ice arena;
4200-422: The Coriolis effect is neglected. Low-level mesocyclones and tornadoes owe their rotation to complex processes within the supercell and ambient environment. Approximately 1 percent of tornadoes rotate in an anticyclonic direction in the northern hemisphere. Typically, systems as weak as landspouts and gustnadoes can rotate anticyclonically, and usually only those which form on the anticyclonic shear side of
4305-560: The RFD also reaches the ground, fanning outward and creating a gust front that can cause severe damage a considerable distance from the tornado. Usually, the funnel cloud begins causing damage on the ground (becoming a tornado) within a few minutes of the RFD reaching the ground. Many other aspects of tornado formation (such as why some storms form tornadoes while others do not, or what precise role downdrafts, temperature, and moisture play in tornado formation) are still poorly understood. Initially,
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4410-405: The RFD, now an area of cool surface winds, begins to wrap around the tornado, cutting off the inflow of warm air which previously fed the tornado. The flow inside the funnel of the tornado is downward, supplying water vapor from the cloud above. This is contrary to the upward flow inside hurricanes, supplying water vapor from the warm ocean below. Therefore, the energy of the tornado is supplied from
4515-513: The Sertoma Complex which has 8 softball fields; Souris Valley Golf Course, and an indoor tennis complex. The city's largest parks are Roosevelt Park and Oak Park . Roosevelt Park Zoo is one of the top zoos in the region. Dogs are allowed in Roosevelt Park, a sign is posted at the entrance confirming this. A "bark park" for dogs opened in the summer of 2005. The North Dakota State Fair
4620-529: The UK (around 33, 0.00013/km , 0.00034/sq mi per year), although those are of lower intensity, briefer and cause minor damage. Tornadoes kill an average of 179 people per year in Bangladesh, the most in the world. Reasons for this include the region's high population density, poor construction quality, and lack of tornado safety knowledge. Other areas of the world that have frequent tornadoes include South Africa,
4725-501: The air to condense into cloud droplets due to adiabatic cooling . This results in the formation of a visible funnel cloud or condensation funnel. There is some disagreement over the definition of a funnel cloud and a condensation funnel. According to the Glossary of Meteorology , a funnel cloud is any rotating cloud pendant from a cumulus or cumulonimbus, and thus most tornadoes are included under this definition. Among many meteorologists,
4830-457: The audible sound depends on atmospheric conditions and topography. The winds of the tornado vortex and of constituent turbulent eddies , as well as airflow interaction with the surface and debris, contribute to the sounds. Funnel clouds also produce sounds. Funnel clouds and small tornadoes are reported as whistling, whining, humming, or the buzzing of innumerable bees or electricity, or more or less harmonic, whereas many tornadoes are reported as
4935-456: The base's northern perimeter. Tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud . It is often referred to as a twister , whirlwind or cyclone , although the word cyclone is used in meteorology to name a weather system with a low-pressure area in
5040-537: The case of the Tri-State Tornado. A 2007 reanalysis of the path suggests that the tornado may have begun 15 miles (24 km) further west than previously thought. Tornadoes can have a wide range of colors, depending on the environment in which they form. Those that form in dry environments can be nearly invisible, marked only by swirling debris at the base of the funnel. Condensation funnels that pick up little or no debris can be gray to white. While traveling over
5145-544: The case of violent tornadoes, only a small portion of the path is of violent intensity, most of the higher intensity from subvortices . In the United States, 80% of tornadoes are EF0 and EF1 (T0 through T3) tornadoes. The rate of occurrence drops off quickly with increasing strength—less than 1% are violent tornadoes (EF4, T8 or stronger). Current records may significantly underestimate the frequency of strong (EF2-EF3) and violent (EF4-EF5) tornadoes, as damage-based intensity estimates are limited to structures and vegetation that
5250-934: The center around which, from an observer looking down toward the surface of the Earth, winds blow counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern. Tornadoes come in many shapes and sizes, and they are often (but not always) visible in the form of a condensation funnel originating from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud, with a cloud of rotating debris and dust beneath it. Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 180 kilometers per hour (110 miles per hour), are about 80 meters (250 feet) across, and travel several kilometers (a few miles) before dissipating. The most extreme tornadoes can attain wind speeds of more than 480 kilometers per hour (300 mph), can be more than 3 kilometers (2 mi) in diameter, and can stay on
5355-493: The circulation is considered a tornado. A tornado with a nearly cylindrical profile and relatively low height is sometimes referred to as a "stovepipe" tornado. Large tornadoes which appear at least as wide as their cloud-to-ground height can look like large wedges stuck into the ground, and so are known as "wedge tornadoes" or "wedges". The "stovepipe" classification is also used for this type of tornado if it otherwise fits that profile. A wedge can be so wide that it appears to be
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#17328919262215460-557: The city has an area of 27.734 square miles (71.83 km ), of which 27.701 square miles (71.75 km ) is land and 0.033 square miles (0.09 km ) is water. Minot is commonly divided into three major sections: North Hill , the Mouse River Valley and South Hill . North Hill is the area roughly north of Eleventh Avenue North and Northwest Avenue. South Hill is a broad area south and west of Valley Street and Fifth Avenue South. West of Sixth Street West, South Hill dips sharply to
5565-580: The city was 33.0 years. As of the 2020 census , there were 48,377 people, 21,152 households, and 11,385 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,774.9 inhabitants per square mile (685.3/km ). There were 23,447 housing units at an average density of 860.3 inhabitants per square mile (332.2/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 79.68% White , 5.17% African American , 2.89% Native American , 1.88% Asian , 0.19% Pacific Islander , 2.03% from some other races, and 8.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 6.83% of
5670-450: The city. The population density was 2,513.1 inhabitants per square mile (970.3/km ). There were 16,475 housing units at an average density of 1,132.3 inhabitants per square mile (437.2/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 93.18% White , 1.34% African American , 2.76% Native American , 0.62% Asian , 0.07% Pacific Islander , 0.49% from some other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.47% of
5775-418: The cloud above. As the RFD completely wraps around and chokes off the tornado's air supply, the vortex begins to weaken, becoming thin and rope-like. This is the "dissipating stage", often lasting no more than a few minutes, after which the tornado ends. During this stage, the shape of the tornado becomes highly influenced by the winds of the parent storm, and can be blown into fantastic patterns. Even though
5880-428: The darkness of night are all factors that can reduce the visibility of tornadoes. Tornadoes occurring in these conditions are especially dangerous, since only weather radar observations, or possibly the sound of an approaching tornado, serve as any warning to those in the storm's path. Most significant tornadoes form under the storm's updraft base , which is rain-free, making them visible. Also, most tornadoes occur in
5985-414: The descending rear flank downdraft (RFD) in a cyclonic supercell. On rare occasions, anticyclonic tornadoes form in association with the mesoanticyclone of an anticyclonic supercell, in the same manner as the typical cyclonic tornado, or as a companion tornado either as a satellite tornado or associated with anticyclonic eddies within a supercell. Tornadoes emit widely on the acoustics spectrum and
6090-524: The efforts of storm spotters . There are several scales for rating the strength of tornadoes. The Fujita scale rates tornadoes by damage caused and has been replaced in some countries by the updated Enhanced Fujita Scale . An F0 or EF0 tornado, the weakest category, damages trees, but not substantial structures. An F5 or EF5 tornado, the strongest category, rips buildings off their foundations and can deform large skyscrapers . The similar TORRO scale ranges from T0 for extremely weak tornadoes to T11 for
6195-496: The failure of mass media, specifically local radio stations, to disseminate information in an emergency. The 2011 Souris River flood caused extensive damage throughout the Souris River Valley. On June 21, 2011, KXMC-TV reported that a flood of historic proportions was imminent in the valley, largely due to large dam releases upstream. Around 12,000 people were evacuated. On June 26, flooding exceeded previous records when
6300-401: The first mesocyclone and associated tornado dissipate, the storm's inflow may be concentrated into a new area closer to the center of the storm and possibly feed a new mesocyclone. If a new mesocyclone develops, the cycle may start again, producing one or more new tornadoes. Occasionally, the old (occluded) mesocyclone and the new mesocyclone produce a tornado at the same time. Although this is
6405-453: The flood and children who lived in the Lincoln neighborhood then attended Longfellow Elementary. There are four middle schools in the system. The three in Minot are grades 6–8: Jim Hill in the south, Erik Ramstad in the north, and Central Middle School downtown. Memorial Middle School on Minot AFB is named for fallen veterans of the U.S. armed forces . The school was built in the mid-1960s on
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#17328919262216510-461: The gas, causing one of the worst major chemical accidents of the country. In early 2006, court cases were heard in Minneapolis , Minnesota , against Canadian Pacific Railway , the owner of the derailed train. The anhydrous ammonia spill was the largest such spill in U.S. history. Eric Klinenberg used the incident in his book Fighting for Air: The Battle to Control America's Media as an example of
6615-528: The ground for more than 100 km (62 mi). Various types of tornadoes include the multiple-vortex tornado , landspout , and waterspout . Waterspouts are characterized by a spiraling funnel-shaped wind current, connecting to a large cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud. They are generally classified as non- supercellular tornadoes that develop over bodies of water, but there is disagreement over whether to classify them as true tornadoes. These spiraling columns of air frequently develop in tropical areas close to
6720-479: The ground, due to their differing mechanics from true mesoform tornadoes. Though usually weaker than classic tornadoes, they can produce strong winds which could cause serious damage. A gustnado , or gust front tornado , is a small, vertical swirl associated with a gust front or downburst . Because they are not connected with a cloud base, there is some debate as to whether or not gustnadoes are tornadoes. They are formed when fast-moving cold, dry outflow air from
6825-583: The immediate vicinity of a tornado. Tornadoes often develop from a class of thunderstorms known as supercells. Supercells contain mesocyclones , an area of organized rotation a few kilometers/miles up in the atmosphere, usually 1.6–9.7 km (1–6 miles) across. Most intense tornadoes (EF3 to EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale ) develop from supercells. In addition to tornadoes, very heavy rain, frequent lightning, strong wind gusts, and hail are common in such storms. Most tornadoes from supercells follow
6930-519: The interior of British Columbia , and western New Brunswick are also tornado-prone. Tornadoes also occur across northeastern Mexico. The United States averages about 1,200 tornadoes per year, followed by Canada, averaging 62 reported per year. NOAA's has a higher average 100 per year in Canada. The Netherlands has the highest average number of recorded tornadoes per area of any country (more than 20, or 0.00048/km , 0.0012/sq mi annually), followed by
7035-513: The largest employers in the city are: Minot's economy predominantly centers around the Air Force Base 13 miles (21 km) north of town, making the city's economy more robust than other cities of its size due to its large service area. ING/ReliaStar established a service center in Minot in December 1998. Minot has seen a significant increase in population and infrastructure investments in
7140-531: The last several years with the expanding drilling (using hydrofracking ) of oil in the Bakken Formation and Three Forks Groups . The State of North Dakota has a website detailing daily oil activity. Minot's arts community includes an art museum, a symphony orchestra , an opera company, a city band, several dance and theater troupes: over 40 organizations claim membership in the Minot Area Council on
7245-402: The late afternoon, when the bright sun can penetrate even the thickest clouds. There is mounting evidence, including Doppler on Wheels mobile radar images and eyewitness accounts, that most tornadoes have a clear, calm center with extremely low pressure, akin to the eye of tropical cyclones . Lightning is said to be the source of illumination for those who claim to have seen the interior of
7350-718: The long-distance propagation of low-frequency sound, efforts are ongoing to develop tornado prediction and detection devices with additional value in understanding tornado morphology, dynamics, and creation. Tornadoes also produce a detectable seismic signature, and research continues on isolating it and understanding the process. Tornadoes emit on the electromagnetic spectrum , with sferics and E-field effects detected. There are observed correlations between tornadoes and patterns of lightning. Tornadic storms do not contain more lightning than other storms and some tornadic cells never produce lightning at all. More often than not, overall cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning activity decreases as
7455-480: The median income for a household was $ 32,218, and the median income for a family was $ 42,804. Males had a median income of $ 30,283 versus $ 20,023 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 18,011. About 8.8% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over. According to the City's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,
7560-538: The most powerful known tornadoes. The International Fujita scale is also used to rate the intensity of tornadoes and other wind events based on the severity of the damage they cause. Doppler radar data, photogrammetry , and ground swirl patterns ( trochoidal marks) may also be analyzed to determine intensity and assign a rating. The word tornado comes from the Spanish tronada (meaning 'thunderstorm', past participle of tronar 'to thunder', itself in turn from
7665-405: The most tornadoes of any country, nearly four times more than estimated in all of Europe, excluding waterspouts. This is mostly due to the unique geography of the continent. North America is a large continent that extends from the tropics north into arctic areas, and has no major east–west mountain range to block air flow between these two areas. In the middle latitudes , where most tornadoes of
7770-416: The nickname. The town site was chosen by the railroad to be placed on the land of homesteader Erik Ramstad , who was convinced to relinquish his claim and became one of the city leaders. The town was named after Henry Minot , a Great Northern investor, ornithologist , and friend of Hill. Its Arikara name is niwaharít sahaáhkat , and its Hidatsa name is maagada'ashish ("Plum Coulee "). The city
7875-449: The plateau north of it are called North Hill and the southern rise and plateau south of it are called South Hill. Minot experiences a warm-summer humid continental climate ( Köppen : Dfb ). Like Central Asia , it exhibits great temperature variation. Summers range from warm to moderately hot, with frequent thunderstorm activity. Winters are typically bitterly cold and snowy, with high winds and below-freezing temperatures for weeks at
7980-497: The population. The most populous ancestry groups in the city are German (40.8%), Norwegian (32.3%), Irish (8.7%), English (5.4%), Swedish (4.2%) and French (3.2%). There were 15,520 households, of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. Of all households 32.5% were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who
8085-440: The population. There were 17,863 households, of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.1% were non-families. Of all households 34.9% were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
8190-490: The population. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18, 6.3% were under 5 years of age, and 13.7% were 65 and older. There were 21,152 households, of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.1% were non-families. Of all households 34.9% were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who
8295-582: The prevalence and different types of criminal activity, and offer strong support for the epithet "crime capitol of North Dakota". State attorney general William Langer helped clean up the town in 1917–1920, but by the time Prohibition arrived in the 1920s, Minot had become a center of illegal activities associated with the High Third district, exacerbated because the city was a supply hub of Al Capone 's liquor smuggling operations. The hotbed of alcohol bootlegging , prostitution, and opium dens that sprang up in
8400-406: The rare case where they connect to a pyrocumulus or other cumuliform cloud above. Fire whirls usually are not as strong as tornadoes associated with thunderstorms. They can, however, produce significant damage. A steam devil is a rotating updraft between 50-and-200-metre wide (160 and 660 ft) that involves steam or smoke. These formations do not involve high wind speeds, only completing
8505-494: The record-holding tornado for path length—the Tri-State Tornado , which affected parts of Missouri , Illinois , and Indiana on March 18, 1925—was on the ground continuously for 219 miles (352 km). Many tornadoes which appear to have path lengths of 100 miles (160 km) or longer are composed of a family of tornadoes which have formed in quick succession; however, there is no substantial evidence that this occurred in
8610-501: The river crested at 1,561.7 feet (476.0 m) above sea level , three feet (0.9 m) above the previous record set in 1881. It is estimated that 20% of Minot sustained damage from the flood; this figure includes over 4,100 homes that were in some way affected, 2,376 extensively damaged, and 805 damaged beyond repair. Burlington was also severely damaged during this time. According to the United States Census Bureau ,
8715-616: The river, created by the Mouse's meandering course. The city is laid out on a grid-based street system. Streets run north-south and avenues run east-west. Streets are numbered by their block distance east or west of Main Street. Avenues are numbered north and south of Central Avenue. There are four city quadrants (NW, SW, SE, NE) to designate the location of any address. Main Street addresses are designated North and South. Central Avenue addresses are designated East and West. The grid system carries over into
8820-499: The rural areas of Ward County , making the county one of only three that do not follow the statewide grid system (the others are Burleigh County and Grand Forks County ). The Mouse River divides the city approximately in half, north and south. The valley rises to the plains both north and south of the river. Although there are names for certain features of these hills, such as Anthony Hill on South Hill, there are no general names for these topographical features. The northern rise and
8925-520: The same mesocyclone. The satellite tornado may appear to " orbit " the larger tornado (hence the name), giving the appearance of one, large multi-vortex tornado. However, a satellite tornado is a distinct circulation, and is much smaller than the main funnel. A waterspout is defined by the National Weather Service as a tornado over water. However, researchers typically distinguish "fair weather" waterspouts from tornadic (i.e. associated with
9030-400: The same time revolve around a common center. A multi-vortex structure can occur in almost any circulation, but is very often observed in intense tornadoes. These vortices often create small areas of heavier damage along the main tornado path. This is a phenomenon that is distinct from a satellite tornado , which is a smaller tornado that forms very near a large, strong tornado contained within
9135-417: The sounds are caused by multiple mechanisms. Various sounds of tornadoes have been reported, mostly related to familiar sounds for the witness and generally some variation of a whooshing roar. Popularly reported sounds include a freight train, rushing rapids or waterfall, a nearby jet engine, or combinations of these. Many tornadoes are not audible from much distance; the nature of and the propagation distance of
9240-460: The southerly flow to its east. This unique topography allows for frequent collisions of warm and cold air, the conditions that breed strong, long-lived storms throughout the year. A large portion of these tornadoes form in an area of the central United States known as Tornado Alley . This area extends into Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairie Provinces , although southeast Quebec ,
9345-461: The southwest. South Hill's limits are less clearly defined than North Hill's. Though the neighborhood levels out past 16th Street South, the name South Hill is generally applied to all areas south up to the city limits. Neighborhoods in the Mouse River Valley include Bel Air , Downtown , Eastwood Park , Oak Park and West Minot . Minot is on the Drift Prairie of northwestern North Dakota . It
9450-705: The state primary election . The Northwest Area Water Supply (NAWS) has had disputes with the Canadian government over a plan calling for water to be pumped from Lake Sakakawea , then to Minot for treatment, and then to large stretches of Northwest North Dakota. The Minot Public Schools system operates ten elementary schools (K–5) in the city: Bel Air, Edison, John Hoeven, Lewis and Clark, Longfellow, McKinley Roosevelt, Perkett, Sunnyside, and Washington. The district also operates Bell Elementary, about five miles southeast of Minot. Jefferson Elementary closed in 2003. The old Washington Elementary building closed in 2007 and
9555-409: The storm. The convergence of warm air in the updraft and cool air causes a rotating wall cloud to form. The RFD also focuses the mesocyclone's base, causing it to draw air from a smaller and smaller area on the ground. As the updraft intensifies, it creates an area of low pressure at the surface. This pulls the focused mesocyclone down, in the form of a visible condensation funnel. As the funnel descends,
9660-462: The students moved to a new building that was renovated from an old health care center. There are also two elementary schools (K–6) on the Minot Air Force Base : Dakota and North Plains. The 2011 flood resulted in the relocation of Erik Ramstad Middle School and the closure of Lincoln Elementary, as both buildings were damaged beyond economical repair. Longfellow Elementary was expanded after
9765-422: The timber Gassman Coulee Bridge near Minot. A passenger train, just three minutes away from crossing the bridge when it collapsed, was able to stop just in time to avoid disaster. Until a new trestle, this time made of steel, was built in 1899, the railroad ferried passengers across the coulee using wagons and buggies that transported them to another train parked on the other side of the coulee. On July 22, 1920,
9870-421: The tornado has a good source of warm, moist air flowing inward to power it, and it grows until it reaches the "mature stage". This can last from a few minutes to more than an hour, and during that time a tornado often causes the most damage, and in rare cases can be more than 1.6 km (1 mile) across. The low pressured atmosphere at the base of the tornado is essential to the endurance of the system. Meanwhile,
9975-427: The tornado is dissipating, it is still capable of causing damage. The storm is contracting into a rope-like tube and, due to conservation of angular momentum , winds can increase at this point. As the tornado enters the dissipating stage, its associated mesocyclone often weakens as well, as the rear flank downdraft cuts off the inflow powering it. Sometimes, in intense supercells, tornadoes can develop cyclically . As
10080-434: The visible funnel is still above the ground, so it is difficult to discern the difference between a funnel cloud and a tornado from a distance. Occasionally, a single storm will produce more than one tornado, either simultaneously or in succession. Multiple tornadoes produced by the same storm cell are referred to as a "tornado family". Several tornadoes are sometimes spawned from the same large-scale storm system. If there
10185-581: The world occur, the Rocky Mountains block moisture and buckle the atmospheric flow , forcing drier air at mid-levels of the troposphere due to downsloped winds, and causing the formation of a low pressure area downwind to the east of the mountains. Increased westerly flow off the Rockies force the formation of a dry line when the flow aloft is strong, while the Gulf of Mexico fuels abundant low-level moisture in
10290-624: The world). Tornadoes also occur in South Africa , much of Europe (except most of the Alps), western and eastern Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh and adjacent eastern India, Japan, the Philippines, and southeastern South America (Uruguay and Argentina). Tornadoes can be detected before or as they occur through the use of pulse-Doppler radar by recognizing patterns in velocity and reflectivity data, such as hook echoes or debris balls , as well as through
10395-405: Was 2,346.1 inhabitants per square mile (905.8/km ). There were 18,744 housing units at an average density of 1,075.4 per square mile (415.2/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 90.16% White , 2.28% African American , 3.25% Native American , 0.92% Asian , 0.10% Pacific Islander , 0.64% from some other races, and 2.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.73% of
10500-433: Was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 33.8 years. 21.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 14% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.7% were from 25 to 44; 23.2% were from 45 to 64; and 15% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female. As of the 2000 census , there were 36,567 people, 15,520 households, and 9,265 families residing in
10605-431: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24. The median age in the city was 33.8 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 65.5% of residents were aged 19–64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.9% male and 48.1% female. As of the 2010 census , there were 40,888 people, 17,863 households, and 9,978 families residing in the city. The population density
10710-438: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.90. In the city the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males. As of 2000
10815-580: Was an update to the older Fujita scale, by expert elicitation , using engineered wind estimates and better damage descriptions. The EF scale was designed so that a tornado rated on the Fujita scale would receive the same numerical rating, and was implemented starting in the United States in 2007. An EF0 tornado will probably damage trees but not substantial structures, whereas an EF5 tornado can rip buildings off their foundations leaving them bare and even deform large skyscrapers . The similar TORRO scale ranges from
10920-463: Was incorporated on July 16, 1887. The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (Soo Line) later built a line from Valley City to Canada. While initially their plan was to cross the Souris River at Burlington , local interests and arguments convinced them otherwise; landholders along the new route donated the right-of-way, and the Soo Line reached Minot in 1893. In 1898 a tornado destroyed
11025-488: Was up to 2.5 miles (4.0 km) wide at the ground, and a tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31, 2013, was approximately 2.6 miles (4.2 km) wide, the widest on record. In the United States, the average tornado travels on the ground for 5 miles (8.0 km). However, tornadoes are capable of both much shorter and much longer damage paths: one tornado was reported to have a damage path only 7 feet (2.1 m) long, while
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