Minnesota, 2001

Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, July 21, 2001

July 21, 2001 · NWS FGF · 13 events in 7 counties and zones

12 thunderstorm wind, 1 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$23,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
13

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.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Grand Forks, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 21, 2:23 AM CST, 1 hour 14 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 2:23 AM CST, 1 hour 14 minutes before
FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
315 AM SAT JUL 21 2001

DISCUSSION IS LATE AND BRIEF DUE TO DERECHO MOVING THROUGH THE CWA
AT THIS TIME.

.CURRENT/MODEL DISCUSSION...DERECHO CURRENTLY MOVING THROUGH THE
CWFA WITH NUMEROUS WARNINGS. LIKE THE ETA MODEL FOR THE DETAILS.

.SHORT TERM...DERECHO WILL CONTINUE TO PROPAGATE TO THE EAST THROUGH
THE EARLY MORNING. AFTER THIS MOVES THROUGH...THUNDERSTORMS WILL END
ACROSS THE CWFA THIS MORNING...THEN RELSULT IN PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES
FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. COULD BE SOME WIDELY SCATTERED
REDEVELOPMENT IN THE AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY TOWARDS DEVILS LAKE.

.LONG TERM...A SIMILAR SITUATION SETTING UP FOR TONIGHT AS PREVIOUS
NIGHT. WITH FAVORABLE MID LEVEL FLOW WOULD EXPECT ANOTHER BOW ECHO
TO RUN ACROSS THE CWA. THINGS MAY BEGIN TO SETTLE DOWN AFTER SUNDAY
AS THE PATTERN TAKES ON A MORE BENIGN PATTERN. WILL NOT GO AHEAD AND
ISSUE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH AT THIS TIME...WILL LET NEXT SHIFT
EVALUATE THIS SITUATION LATER TODAY.

.FGF...NONE.

BRAZZELL

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 57 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:34 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Norman

When
July 21, 3:37 AM CST
Where
Norman County, 6 mi W of Ada
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
47.300, -96.650

A 64 mph wind gust was measured at a Minnesota DOT RWIS site.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clay

When
July 21, 3:45 AM CST
Where
Clay County, Dilworth
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.883, -96.700

Tree branches were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clay

When
July 21, 4:30 AM CST
Where
Clay County, Hawley
Property damage
$500
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.883, -96.317

A large tree was blown down at the Hawley Golf Course.

Thunderstorm Wind, Otter Tail

When
July 21, 4:30 AM CST
Where
Otter Tail County, Pelican Lake
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.683, -96.033

Trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Otter Tail

When
July 21, 4:42 AM CST
Where
Otter Tail County, Vergas
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.667, -95.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Otter Tail

When
July 21, 4:44 AM CST
Where
Otter Tail County, Fergus Falls
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.283, -96.067

Thunderstorm Wind, Becker

When
July 21, 4:45 AM CST
Where
Becker County, 2 mi S of Detroit Lakes
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.783, -95.833

The Soo Pass Ranch was holding its Spirit Fest concert south of Detroit Lakes. The strong wind knocked over chairs, vendor booths, and sound equipment.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilkin

When
July 21, 4:45 AM CST
Where
Wilkin County, Tenney
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.050, -96.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Becker

When
July 21, 4:47 AM CST
Where
Becker County, Cormorant
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.733, -96.067

Thunderstorm Wind, Becker

When
July 21, 4:50 AM CST to 5:00 AM CST
Where
Becker County, 10 mi NE of Detroit Lakes
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.917, -95.683

Hail, Otter Tail

When
July 21, 5:15 AM CST
Where
Otter Tail County, New York Mills
Measured
2 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.517, -95.383

Thunderstorm Wind, Wadena

When
July 21, 5:15 AM CST
Where
Wadena County, 3 mi SE of Wadena
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.417, -95.083

Thunderstorm Wind, Hubbard

When
July 21, 5:15 AM CST
Where
Hubbard County, 7 mi N of Park Rapids
Property damage
$500
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.017, -95.067

Tree branches were blown down.

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.
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

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, July 2001

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: 5259966, 5259967, 5259968, 5259969, 5259970, 5259971, 5259972, 5259973, 5259974, 5259975, 5259976, 5259977, 5259978.