North Dakota, 1998

Tornadoes and Hail in North Dakota, May 13 to 30, 1998

May 13 to 30, 1998 · NWS BIS · 40 events in 18 counties and zones

27 hail, 9 tornado, 4 thunderstorm wind, 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$555,000
Crop damage
$380,000
Events
40

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.

The radar

The Bismarck radar (KBIS), 166 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:03 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

27 hail, 9 tornado, 4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Hettinger

When
May 13, 4:05 PM MST to 4:20 PM MST
Where
Hettinger County, 5 mi NW of New England
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
46.580, -102.920

Hail, Dunn

When
May 13, 4:20 PM MST
Where
Dunn County, 1 mi S of Killdeer
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
47.350, -102.770

Hail, Stark

When
May 13, 4:30 PM MST
Where
Stark County, 13 mi S of Dickinson
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
46.700, -102.780

Tornado, Stark

When
May 13, 5:18 PM MST
Where
Stark County, 8 mi NE of Richardton
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
20 yd
Coordinates
46.970, -102.200

Brief touch down. Location is also 10 northwest of Hebron.

Tornado, Morton

When
May 13, 6:35 PM CST to 6:45 PM CST
Where
Morton County, Glen Ullin to 2 mi N of Glen Ullin
Rating
F1
Path length
3 mi
Path width
100 yd
Property damage
$500,000
Coordinates
46.820, -101.880

The tornado damage was confined to the west side of town while downburst winds and hail affected the east side. Several buildings at the airport and golf coarse were destroyed as well as garages and grain bins. Numerous trees and power lines were downed. The first severe weather outbreak of the season saw numerous funnel cloud, tornado and hail reports. Thunderstorms developed late in the afternoon along a warm front which extended from Dickinson to Devils Lake. Most of the storms moved northeast and produced heavy rain and pea size hail. Those storms that moved east produced the severe weather.

Hail, Morton

When
May 13, 7:15 PM CST to 7:28 PM CST
Where
Morton County, 14 mi NW of Mandan
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
46.980, -101.120

Tornado, Oliver

When
May 13, 7:45 PM CST
Where
Oliver County, 16 mi SE of Center
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
20 yd
Coordinates
46.950, -101.070

Brief touch down

Hail, Burleigh

When
May 13, 8:00 PM CST to 8:30 PM CST
Where
Burleigh County, 10 mi SE of Wilton
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
47.070, -100.650

Hail, Oliver

When
May 13, 8:05 PM CST
Where
Oliver County, 2 mi S of Price
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
47.050, -100.950

Tornado, Burleigh

When
May 13, 8:10 PM CST to 8:30 PM CST
Where
Burleigh County, Wilton to 1 mi E of Wilton
Rating
F0
Path length
6 mi
Path width
100 yd
Coordinates
47.150, -100.820

Tornado up and down along path

Hail, McLean

When
May 13, 10:00 PM CST
Where
McLean County, Max
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$3,000
Crop damage
$5,000
Coordinates
47.820, -101.300

Newspaper reported slight damage to house and a field of grain.

Hail, Sheridan

When
May 14, 4:55 PM CST to 5:10 PM CST
Where
Sheridan County, 8 mi NW of McClusky
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
47.570, -100.570

Tornado, Ward

When
May 17, 4:18 PM CST
Where
Ward County, 3 mi W of Carpio
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
20 yd
Coordinates
48.450, -101.820

Brief touch down reported by deputy.

Tornado, Renville

When
May 17, 4:23 PM CST
Where
Renville County, 5 mi SW of Grano
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
20 yd
Coordinates
48.570, -101.670

Brief touch down reported by deputy.

Tornado, Renville

When
May 17, 5:20 PM CST
Where
Renville County, 5 mi W of Glenburn
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
20 yd
Coordinates
48.520, -101.330

Brief touch down as seen from the Minot Air Force Base.

Hail, Bottineau

When
May 17, 5:22 PM CST
Where
Bottineau County, Lansford
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
48.630, -101.370

Hail, Ward

When
May 17, 5:50 PM CST
Where
Ward County, 10 mi S of Minot
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
48.080, -101.280

Hail, McHenry

When
May 17, 6:30 PM CST to 6:50 PM CST
Where
McHenry County, 6 mi SW of Upham
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
48.520, -100.820

Thunderstorm Wind, McHenry

When
May 17, 7:00 PM CST
Where
McHenry County, Upham
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage
$40,000
Coordinates
48.580, -100.720

New machine shop destroyed, equipment in shop OK.

Tornado, McHenry

When
May 17, 7:20 PM CST
Where
McHenry County, 1 mi N of Balfour
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
20 yd
Coordinates
47.970, -100.530

Brief touch down reported by deputy.

Hail, McHenry

When
May 17, 7:25 PM CST
Where
McHenry County, 9 mi NE of Drake
Measured
2.5 in hail
Coordinates
48.020, -100.230

Hail, Bottineau

When
May 17, 7:30 PM CST
Where
Bottineau County, Willow City
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
48.600, -100.280

Hail, Pierce

When
May 17, 7:45 PM CST
Where
Pierce County, 12 mi SW of Rugby
Measured
2.5 in hail
Coordinates
48.250, -100.170

Reported by law enforcement at Red Lake.

Hail, Pierce

When
May 17, 7:45 PM CST
Where
Pierce County, Rugby
Measured
2 in hail
Property damage
$4,000
Coordinates
48.370, -99.980

Damage to car windows and house siding.

Hail, McHenry

When
May 17, 7:50 PM CST
Where
McHenry County, 9 mi NE of Drake
Measured
2 in hail
Coordinates
48.020, -100.230

Tornado, Pierce

When
May 17, 7:55 PM CST to 8:13 PM CST
Where
Pierce County, Rugby to 8 mi S of Rugby
Rating
F0
Path length
10 mi
Path width
100 yd
Coordinates
48.370, -100.150

Reported by North Dakota Highway Patrol.

Hail, Pierce

When
May 17, 8:10 PM CST
Where
Pierce County, Barton
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
48.500, -100.170

Hail, Pierce

When
May 17, 8:11 PM CST to 8:31 PM CST
Where
Pierce County, 5 mi NW of Rugby
Measured
1.25 in hail
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
48.420, -100.070

Hail, Wells

When
May 17, 8:30 PM CST
Where
Wells County, Bremen
Measured
2.5 in hail
Crop damage
$125,000
Coordinates
47.750, -99.370

Crop damage near Bremen reported by farmer.

Hail, Mercer

When
May 27, 2:30 PM MST
Where
Mercer County, 5 mi SW of Stanton
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
47.270, -101.470

Hail occurred with 44 knot wind (51 mph).

Hail, McLean

When
May 27, 4:15 PM CST to 4:20 PM CST
Where
McLean County, Wilton to 2 mi of Wilton
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
47.180, -100.830

Hail, Burleigh

When
May 27, 4:20 PM CST to 4:30 PM CST
Where
Burleigh County, Wilton
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
47.170, -100.800

Damage mostly at truck stop on highway 83.

Thunderstorm Wind, Burleigh

When
May 27, 4:49 PM CST
Where
Burleigh County, 7 mi SE of Regan
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
47.080, -100.430

Hail, Burleigh

When
May 27, 5:15 PM CST to 5:30 PM CST
Where
Burleigh County, Wing to 1 mi E of Wing
Measured
1.25 in hail
Crop damage
$100,000
Coordinates
47.130, -100.270

Total path was 10 miles long and 4 miles wide and extended from 1 mile east of Wing to 1 east of Tuttle.

Hail, Kidder

When
May 27, 5:30 PM CST to 5:45 PM CST
Where
Kidder County, Tuttle to 5 mi E of Tuttle
Measured
1.25 in hail
Property damage
$2,000
Crop damage
$150,000
Coordinates
47.150, -100.080

Total path was 10 miles long and 4 miles wide and extended from 1 mile east of Wing to 1 east of Tuttle.Estimate of crop damage calculated with help of county extension office.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mountrail

When
May 27, 6:08 PM CST
Where
Mountrail County, 8 mi NW of Stanley
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
48.400, -102.500

Hail, Stutsman

When
May 27, 7:16 PM CST
Where
Stutsman County, 2 mi N of Cleveland
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
46.920, -99.120

Hail, Ward

When
May 27, 7:25 PM CST
Where
Ward County, Minot to 4 mi N of Minot
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
48.270, -101.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Stutsman

When
May 27, 7:56 PM CST
Where
Stutsman County, Jamestown
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates
46.900, -98.700

Jamestown airport ASOS reported 49 knots (56 mph).

Hail, Stark

When
May 30, 2:00 AM MST to 3:00 AM MST
Where
Stark County, 10 mi W of Richardton
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
46.880, -102.530

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Dakota in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for North Dakota, 1998Warnings in North Dakota, May 1998

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: 5630606, 5630455, 5630458, 5630459, 5630460, 5630604, 5630456, 5630605, 5630461, 5630457, 5630709, 5630607, 5630579, 5630580, 5630581, 5630587, 5630582, 5630603, 5630610, 5630583, 5630585, 5630584, 5630588, 5630602, 5630609, 5630586, 5630589, 5630590, 5630600, 5630591, 5630596, 5630597, 5630592, 5630598, 5630599, 5630601, 5630593, 5630594, 5630595, 5630608.