Tornadoes and Hail in North Dakota, July 4, 1978

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in North Dakota, July 4, 1978
Start: 1978-07-04T02:30
End: 1978-07-04T23:40
Location: North Dakota

July 4, 1978 · NWS NG · 26 events in 18 counties and zones

17 thunderstorm wind, 5 tornado, 4 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 5
Injuries: 35
Property damage: $2.5 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 26

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

17 thunderstorm wind, 5 tornado, 4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Golden Valley

When: July 4, 2:30 AM CST
Where: Golden Valley County
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Coordinates: 46.920, -103.830

Thunderstorm Wind, Williams

When: July 4, 3:10 AM CST
Where: Williams County
Coordinates: 48.150, -102.830

Thunderstorm Wind, Williams

When: July 4, 3:15 AM CST
Where: Williams County
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph)
Coordinates: 48.180, -103.630

Thunderstorm Wind, Stark

When: July 4, 3:26 AM CST
Where: Stark County
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Coordinates: 46.800, -102.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Mountrail

When: July 4, 3:45 AM CST
Where: Mountrail County
Coordinates: 48.300, -102.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Bowman

When: July 4, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Bowman County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 46.180, -103.420

Thunderstorm Wind, McKenzie

When: July 4, 8:00 PM CST
Where: McKenzie County
Coordinates: 47.800, -103.280

Tornado, Stark

When: July 4, 8:08 PM CST
Where: Stark County
Rating: F0
Path width: 33 yd
Coordinates: 47.030, -102.420

Thunderstorm Wind, Stark

When: July 4, 8:10 PM CST
Where: Stark County
Coordinates: 46.850, -102.200

Hail, Morton

When: July 4, 8:14 PM CST
Where: Morton County
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 46.820, -101.830

Tornado, Grant

When: July 4, 8:34 PM CST
Where: Grant County
Rating: F4
Path length: 26 mi
Path width: 250 yd
Deaths: 5 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 35 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 46.400, -101.880

Thunderstorm Wind, Hettinger

When: July 4, 8:50 PM CST
Where: Hettinger County
Coordinates: 46.380, -102.320

Tornado, Ward

When: July 4, 9:40 PM CST
Where: Ward County
Rating: F0
Path width: 33 yd
Coordinates: 48.230, -101.130

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When: July 4, 9:50 PM CST
Where: Grant County
Coordinates: 46.370, -101.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When: July 4, 9:50 PM CST
Where: Grant County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 46.420, -101.570

Hail, McHenry

When: July 4, 9:55 PM CST
Where: McHenry County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 48.070, -100.930

Thunderstorm Wind, McHenry

When: July 4, 9:55 PM CST
Where: McHenry County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 48.070, -100.930

Thunderstorm Wind, Burleigh

When: July 4, 10:14 PM CST
Where: Burleigh County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 46.680, -100.750

Tornado, Pierce

When: July 4, 10:15 PM CST
Where: Pierce County
Rating: F1
Path length: 5.9 mi
Path width: 33 yd
Property damage: $30
Coordinates: 48.320, -100.180

Thunderstorm Wind, Pierce

When: July 4, 10:55 PM CST
Where: Pierce County
Coordinates: 48.370, -99.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Emmons

When: July 4, 11:03 PM CST
Where: Emmons County
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Coordinates: 46.270, -100.230

Tornado, Ramsey

When: July 4, 11:23 PM CST
Where: Ramsey County
Rating: F0
Path width: 33 yd
Coordinates: 48.270, -99.180

Hail, Logan

When: July 4, 11:30 PM CST
Where: Logan County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.500, -99.770

Thunderstorm Wind, Cavalier

When: July 4, 11:30 PM CST
Where: Cavalier County
Coordinates: 48.670, -98.820

Thunderstorm Wind, Ramsey

When: July 4, 11:30 PM CST
Where: Ramsey County
Coordinates: 48.100, -98.850

Hail, McIntosh

When: July 4, 11:40 PM CST
Where: McIntosh County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.030, -99.370

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Dakota in 1978 Every state in 1978 This day in weather history The tornado archive for North Dakota, 1978

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10082848, 10082849, 10082850, 10082851, 10082852, 10082853, 10082854, 10082855, 10082856, 10082857, 10082858, 10082859, 10082860, 10082861, 10082862, 10082863, 10082864, 10082865, 10082866, 10082867, 10082868, 10082869, 10082870, 10082871, 10082872, 10082873.