North Dakota, 2001

High Wind in North Dakota, May 20, 2001

May 20, 2001 · NWS BIS · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A strong cold front swept across western and central North Dakota producing several hours of strong winds to the region.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 happened

The episode as NWS BIS wrote it up.

A strong cold front swept across western and central North Dakota producing several hours of strong winds to the region.

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 May 20, 1:45 AM CST, 10 hours 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 20, 1:45 AM CST, 10 hours 41 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
245 AM CDT SUN MAY 20 2001

UPR LVL LOW SPINNING THROUGH SASK ATTM WITH COLD FRONT FROM NEAR
KMOT TO KHEI. FRONT WILL EXIT ALL BUT MOST SOUTHEAST PORTION CWA
BEFORE PRESS TIME. MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT WITH MOVEMENT OF UPPER
LEVEL LOW AND ASSOC FRONTAL SYSTEM BUT WILL FOLLOW ETA AS COMPROMISE
TO FASTER NGM AND SLOWEST AVN. ALSO LIKE ETA 80H TEMP FIELD LATER
IN FORECAST. PROBLEMS TONIGHT ARE ONGOING CONVECTION...WIND ADVISORY
TODAY AND PRECIP CHANCES AND TYPE SUN NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING.
SERIOUS CONVECTION WILL EXIT CWA WITH FRONT. DRY SLOT OVER CENTRAL
ND TODAY WITH SHOWERS IN CAA AND WRAP-AROUND MOISTURE INCREASING
THROUGH TODAY AND  TONIGHT. WINDS ARE SLOWER TO INCREASE THIS MODEL
RUN AND SIGNIFICANTLY WEAKER SOUTHERN PORTION OF STATE WITH LINKAGE
ALOFT NOT AS GOOD. WILL BACK OFF TIMING BUT CONTINUE ADVISORY SOUTH
CENTRAL AND CONTINUE ADVISORY AS IS ELSEWHERE AS WINDS GUSTING
ALREADY KMLS AND KISN. CHANCE -SN ALSO CONTS ON TRACK WITH 80H TEMPS
TO -5 ON ETA NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA BY MON AM. PRECIP CONTS TO
LOOK LIGHT HOWEVER. BIG DIFFERENCES ALSO CONTINUE BETWEEN MRF AND ECMWF
HANDLING OF UNSEASONABLY COLD LOW IN ERN U.S. WITH MRF CLOSING OFF
REX BLOCK SOUTH OF GREAT LAKES AND AND EURO SOUTH OF HUDSON BAY.
WILL MAKE NO CHANGES AT PRESENT TIME.

.BIS...WIND ADVISORY TODAY WEST AND NORTH AND THIS AFTERNOON SOUTH CENTRAL.

HW

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Adams

When
May 20, 12:26 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Adams forecast zone
Measured
41 kt (47 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
46.097, -102.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Ward

When
May 20, 12:26 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Ward forecast zone
Measured
44 kt (51 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, McKenzie

When
May 20, 1:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
McKenzie forecast zone
Measured
44 kt (51 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
47.740, -103.395 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Burleigh

When
May 20, 3:38 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Burleigh forecast zone
Measured
37 kt (43 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
46.977, -100.469 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, McLean

When
May 20, 4:53 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
McLean forecast zone
Measured
44 kt (51 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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, May 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: 5243170, 5243174, 5243172, 5243171, 5243173.