Tornado and Hail in Minnesota, July 14, 2003

Name: Tornado and Hail in Minnesota, July 14, 2003
Start: 2003-07-14T14:15
End: 2003-07-14T21:30
Location: Minnesota

July 14, 2003 · NWS FGF · 14 events in 7 counties and zones

11 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 14

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 14, 8:35 AM CST, 5 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 14, 8:35 AM CST, 5 hours 40 minutes before

FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
935 AM CDT MON JUL 14 2003

SURFACE TROUGH STILL SITTING IN CENTRAL ND/SD AS MESOETA REDEVELOPS
THE LOW LEVEL THETA-E RIDGE JUST WEST OF REDEVLOPING CONVECTION OVER
SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF ND. BIS 12Z SOUNDING IS STILL JUICY UP TO 750
MB WHERE THE WIND SHEARS TO WESTERLY FLOW. MEANWHILE THE UPPER JET
CORE APPROACHING FROM WEST/NORTHWEST AND ITS DIRECTIONAL SHEAR WILL
PUT NORTHWEST/WEST CENTRAL MN UNDER THE GUN THROUGH MID-DAY FOR
HIGHEST CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDER THOUGH WOULDN/T RULE OUT ISOLATED
SEVERE ANYWHERE IF SUFFICIENT HEATING IS ACHIEVED THIS AFTERNOON.

ZONES/GRIDS LOOK WELL HANDLED ATTM AND WILL NOT CHANGE MUCH AND
MIGHT NOT UPDATE ZONES EXCEPT TO MAKE WORDING MORE CURRENT...WILL
NOT REMOVE MENTION OF SEVERE. FLOOD POTENTIAL IS APPARENTLY NOT
ESPECIALLY HIGH AFTER A WHOLE NIGHT OF CONVECTION...BUT COULDN/T
DEAL WITH ANOTHER ROUND. ISOLATED HEAVY CELLS MAY BE A PROBLEM.

WILL NEED TO LOOK MORE CLOSELY AT THUNDER POTENTIAL ON WED/THU ALSO
IN AFTERNOON PACKAGE. SPC SHOWS MOST OF AREA IN SLIGHT RISK THOUGH
OUR POPS CONFINE THUNDER TO SOUTHERN PORTION. GFS HAS TRIED TO
DEVELOP AN MCS ON THU TO TRACK ALONG CANADA/NORTH DAKOTA BORDER...
LASTEST RUN WEAKENS IT AND TURNS IT SOUTHEAST UPON ARRIVAL. MOISTURE
SOURCE APPEARS TO DEPEND LARGELY ON DEVELOPING SURFACE LOW IN CO/WY
TO GIVE IT A BOOST NORTHWARD.

.FGF...NONE.

GV

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 14, 5:31 AM CST, 8 hours 44 minutes before

MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-141430-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS
631 AM CDT MON JUL 14 2003

...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER EASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA...NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA TODAY AND INTO EARLY
EVENING.

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...WEST
CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS EXTREME EASTERN
NORTH DAKOTA THIS MORNING AND MAINLY OVER NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL
BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE CENTRAL DAKOTAS WILL PUSH EAST
ACROSS THE REGION TODAY EXITING EASTERN AREAS EARLY THIS EVENING.
WARM...MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR AHEAD OF THIS AREA OF LOW PRESSURE
WILL INTERACT WITH AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE TO PRODUCE THESE
STORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE AGAIN EXPECTED ACROSS MAINLY SOUTHERN AREAS
WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH CHANCES CONTINUING ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA
THURSDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY INTO EARLY EVENING.

FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/FGF/INDEX.HTML (ALL LOWER CASE)

VOELKER

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 14, 1:33 PM CST, 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS, ND
233 PM CDT MON JUL 14 2003

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

0220 PM    6 E ROCKLAKE              ND   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/14/03   TOWNER

JH

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Lake of the Woods

When: July 14, 2:15 PM CST to 2:30 PM CST
Where: Lake of the Woods County, Oak Is
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 48.950, -93.750

Hail, Kittson

When: July 14, 2:30 PM CST
Where: Kittson County, St Vincent
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 48.967, -97.217

Tornado, Kittson

When: July 14, 2:40 PM CST to 2:43 PM CST
Where: Kittson County, 3 mi SSE of St Vincent
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 25 yd
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 48.933, -97.200

This tornado originated west of Pembina, North Dakota. It tracked southeast and crossed the Red River about 2 miles south of Pembina, ND. It then continued on a one-half mile track in Kittson county. Several tree tops were broken off along the path.

Hail, Kittson

When: July 14, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Kittson County, Lancaster
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 48.867, -96.817

Hail, Roseau

When: July 14, 3:35 PM CST
Where: Roseau County, Roosevelt
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 48.800, -95.100

Hail, Lake of the Woods

When: July 14, 3:40 PM CST
Where: Lake of the Woods County, 4 mi NW of Williams
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 48.800, -95.017

Hail, Marshall

When: July 14, 3:45 PM CST
Where: Marshall County, 14 mi NE of Stephen
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 48.600, -96.650

Hail, Marshall

When: July 14, 3:45 PM CST
Where: Marshall County, 6 mi NW of Strandquist
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 48.567, -96.550

Hail, Lake of the Woods

When: July 14, 3:55 PM CST
Where: Lake of the Woods County, Clementson
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 48.683, -94.433

Hail, Polk

When: July 14, 5:02 PM CST
Where: Polk County, 5 mi E of Euclid
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 47.967, -96.533

Hail, Red Lake

When: July 14, 5:06 PM CST
Where: Red Lake County, 2 mi E of Dorothy
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 47.933, -96.417

Hail, Red Lake

When: July 14, 5:21 PM CST
Where: Red Lake County, Red Lake Falls
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 47.883, -96.267

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When: July 14, 9:29 PM CST
Where: Polk County, 2 mi S of Nielsville
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 47.517, -96.817

5 inch diameter branches were broken off.

Thunderstorm Wind, Norman

When: July 14, 9:30 PM CST
Where: Norman County, 2 mi N of Shelly
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 47.500, -96.833

4 inch diameter branches were blown down.

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

Every storm in Minnesota in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Minnesota, 2003 Warnings in Minnesota, July 2003

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: 5368803, 5368804, 5369125, 5368805, 5368806, 5368807, 5368808, 5368809, 5368870, 5368871, 5368872, 5368873, 5368874, 5369124.