North Dakota, 2001

Funnel Cloud in North Dakota, July 20, 2001

July 20, 2001 · NWS BIS · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 funnel cloud, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 Bismarck, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 20, 2:15 PM CST, 7 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 20, 2:15 PM CST, 7 hours 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
315 PM CDT FRI JUL 20 2001

MAIN CONCERN WL BE SEVERE WX OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS.
MODELS IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT EJECTING SEVERAL SHORT WAVE
SYSTEM THRU THE REGION TONIGHT THRU SATURDAY NIGHT.

THE FIRST OF THE SHORT WAVES FORECAST TO REACH WESTERN ND
LATER THIS AFTERNOON THE MOVE EAST...SOUTHEAST REACHING
NORTHEASTERN SD LATE TONIGHT. THE SECOND SHORT WAVE FORECAST
TO REACH WESTERN ND EARLY SATURDAY AND MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
CWA DURING THE DAY AND THE THIRD REACHES WESTERN ND SATURDAY
NIGHT AND MOVES ACROSS THE REGION OVERNIGHT REACHING THE EASTERN
AREAS OF THE STATE EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.

WITH A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE THE SHORT WAVE SYSTEMS MOVING
THRU WILL ADD FUEL TO TSRA POTENTIAL THRU SATURDAY NIGHT. A SURFACE
BOUNDRY WILL ADD LIFT FOR THE CONVECTION.

DRIER AIR AND SUBSIDENCE FORECAST TO ADVECT OVER THE WRN CWA SUNDAY
AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY. THIS WILL BRING COOLER AND LESS HUMID AIR
BACK INTO THE AREA.

.BIS...NONE.
RGT

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 20, 5:52 PM CST, 3 hours 53 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND

652 PM CDT FRI JUL 20 2001

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...

           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0425 PM    6 S WILDROSE              ND   4.5 INCH HAIL

07/20/01   WILLIAMS                       REPORTED BY STORM

                                          SPOTTER.

0435 PM    7 S NOONAN                ND   1.75 INCH HAIL

07/20/01   DIVIDE                         REPORTED BY LAW

                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

0455 PM    4 N MC GREGOR             ND   FUNNEL CLOUD

07/20/01   DIVIDE                         REPORTED BY LAW

                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

0505 PM    15 S COLUMBUS             ND   .25 INCH HAIL

07/20/01   BURKE                          REPORTED BY LAW

                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 6:24 PM CST, 3 hours 21 minutes before
NDZ001-009-017-210120-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
723 PM CDT (623 PM MDT) FRI JUL 20 2001

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...

AT 720 PM CDT...AREA OBSERVATIONS AND RADARS INDICATED A LINE OF
STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS EXTREME NORTHEAST
MONTANA. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE INTO DIVIDE...WILLIAMS AND MCKENZIE
COUNTIES BY 800 PM CDT (7OO PM MDT). FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL ARE ALL
POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. ANYONE OUTDOORS THIS EVENING IN
DIVIDE...MCKENZIE AND WILLIAMAS COUTIES SHOULD PAY CLOSE ATTENTION
TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY TO TAKE SHELTER
IF STORM APPROACH.

MR

NNN
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 6:27 PM CST, 3 hours 18 minutes before
NDZ001-009-017-210120-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
723 PM CDT (623 PM MDT) FRI JUL 20 2001

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...

AT 720 PM CDT...AREA OBSERVATIONS AND RADARS INDICATED A LINE OF
STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS EXTREME NORTHEAST
MONTANA. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE INTO DIVIDE...WILLIAMS AND MCKENZIE
COUNTIES BY 800 PM CDT (700 PM MDT). FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL ARE ALL
POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. ANYONE OUTDOORS THIS EVENING IN
DIVIDE...MCKENZIE AND WILLIAMS COUNTIES SHOULD PAY CLOSE ATTENTION
TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY TO TAKE SHELTER
IF STORM APPROACH.

MR

NNNN
Local storm report, Jul 20, 8:32 PM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND

932 PM CDT FRI JUL 20 2001

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...

           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0905 PM    8 WNW CHARBONNEAU         ND   60 MPH TSTM GUST

07/20/01   MCKENZIE                       REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

0911 PM    (ISN)SLOULIN FLD WILLISTO ND   68 MPH TSTM GUST

07/20/01   WILLIAMS
Local storm report, Jul 20, 8:51 PM CST, 54 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND

951 PM CDT FRI JUL 20 2001

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...

           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0911 PM    (ISN)SLOULIN FLD WILLISTO ND   .88 INCH HAIL

07/20/01   WILLIAMS
Local storm report, Jul 20, 9:14 PM CST, 31 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND

1014 PM CDT FRI JUL 20 2001

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...

           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0958 PM    4 N BEACH                 ND   60 MPH TSTM GUST

07/20/01   GOLDEN VALLEY                  REPORTED BY LAW

                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

1005 PM    WATFORD CITY              ND   58 MPH TSTM GUST

07/20/01   MCKENZIE                       REPORTED BY LAW

                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

@RUKWBCeKDENWWUS30 KBIS 210315
LSRBIS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1014 PM CDT FRI JUL 20 2001

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0958 PM    4 N BEACH                 ND   60 MPH TSTM GUST
07/20/01   GOLDEN VALLEY                  REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

1005 PM    WATFORD CITY              ND   58 MPH TSTM GUST
07/20/01   MCKENZIE                       REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
TURNER

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.

Funnel Cloud, Mountrail

When
July 20, 9:45 PM CST
Where
Mountrail County, 2 mi NW of New Town
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
48.201, -102.356 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sheriff reported seeing two funnels. None touched down.

What these are

Funnel Cloud
A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Dakota in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, 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: 5257126.