Damaging Winds in Minnesota, July 3, 2003

Name: Damaging Winds in Minnesota, July 3, 2003
Start: 2003-07-03T23:00
End: 2003-07-03T23:45
Location: Minnesota

July 3, 2003 · NWS FGF · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 3, 7:40 PM CST, 3 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 3, 7:40 PM CST, 3 hours 20 minutes before

FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
840 PM CDT THU JUL 3 2003

ZFP UPDATED SHORTLY AFTER 8 PM FOR SVR TSTM WATCH FOR PARTS OF SE
ND.

THUNDERSTORMS GETTING GOING NEAR BISMARCK AND STARTING TO ACCELERATE
SOUTHEAST ATTM.  SFC-85H WIND FLOW NOT THAT IMPRESSIVE...THOUGH 85H
MOISTURE ADVECTION IS PRETTY GOOD ALONG ND/SD BORDER BTWN 03-06Z.
MAIN DYNAMICS ARE IN THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS...WITH 00Z BIS
SOUNDING AND 00Z UPPER AIR PLOTS SHOWING GOOD 500 MB WESTERLY FLOW
(AOA 50KTS) ALONG WITH CNTRL/ERN ND IN RIGHT REAR OF DEPARTING 100KT
250 MB JET.

QUESTION OF THE EVENING IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO COMPLEX NR BISMARCK.
ANOTHER LARGER COMPLEX IS DEVELOPING OVR CNTRL NEBRASKA CLOSER TO
BETTER 85H SOUTHERLY JET AND JUICY AIRMASS (70+ DEW PTS) AND SFC
BOUNDARY.  THINKING ACTIVITY NR BISMARCK WILL TRY TO MOVE EAST...BUT
WITH CELLS TURNING SOUTHEAST INTO SD WITH TIME...BRUSHING OUR
SOUTHWEST ZONES.  AS 850 MB JET GETS GOING TONIGHT...MAIN MCS MAY
GET GOING LATER TONIGHT OVER SD INTO PARTS OF SRN MN.  LATEST 00Z
RUC MAINTAINS PCPN ALONG SE ND/SD INTO WCNTRL MN THRU 12Z WITH
ANOTHER STRONGER AREA SOUTH.  UNTIL THINGS BECOME MORE CLEAR WILL
NOT LIKELY ISSUE ANOTHER UPDATE THIS EVENING UNLESS CONDITIONS
WARRANT.

SOME GRIDDS WILL NEED MODIFYING FOR CONVECTION...OTHERWISE TEMPS
LOOK GOOD.

.FGF...NONE

RIDDLE

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 3, 5:55 AM CST, 17 hours 5 minutes before

MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-031430-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS
655 AM CDT THU JUL 3 2003

...SEVERE WEATHER THREAT CONTINUES ACROSS THE REGION TODAY AND
   THIS EVENING WITH THE GREATEST RISK TARGETED FOR AREAS ALONG
   AND SOUTH OF THE I-94 CORRIDOR...

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE I-94 CORRIDOR. A SLIGHT
RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF
EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. THE
MAIN THREAT FROM THE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL
AND VERY HEAVY RAINS. HOWEVER THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SIGNIFICANT
STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ACROSS SOUTHEAST
NORTH DAKOTA INTO ADJACENT WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA COUNTIES. THE
GREATEST RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD OCCUR BETWEEN THE HOURS
OF 2PM AND 9PM THIS EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

ADDITIONAL CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED SATURDAY NIGHT
INTO SUNDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

BERG

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 3, 10:03 PM CST, 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS, ND
1103 PM CDT THU JUL 3 2003

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

1055 PM    4 WSW COGSWELL            ND   E60 MPH WIND GUST
07/03/03   SARGENT                        POWER OUTAGES IN RURAL
                                          AREAS WEST OF COGSWELL
                                          AROUND 1050 PM CDT. WIND
                                          INCREASING FROM 50 TO 60
                                          MPH 1050 TO 1055 PM.

GJG

Local storm report, Jul 3, 10:10 PM CST, 50 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS, ND
1110 PM CDT THU JUL 3 2003

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

1055 PM    4 WSW COGSWELL            ND   E60 MPH WIND GUST
07/03/03   SARGENT                        POWER OUTAGES IN RURAL
                                          AREAS WEST OF COGSWELL
                                          AROUND 1050 PM CDT. WIND
                                          INCREASING FROM 50 TO 60
                                          MPH 1050 TO 1055 PM.

1103 PM    1 SE GWINNER              ND   63 MPH WIND GUST
07/03/03   SARGENT                        GWINNER AIRPORT AWOS
                                          REPORTED 55KT WIND GUST.

1107 PM    GWINNER                   ND   80 MPH WIND GUST
07/03/03   SARGENT                        DAVIS WIND SENSOR DATA
                                          REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTER.

GJG

Local storm report, Jul 3, 10:26 PM CST, 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS, ND
1126 PM CDT THU JUL 3 2003

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

1110 PM    HAVANA                    ND   .88 INCH HAIL
07/03/03   SARGENT                        ABOUT 5 MINUTES OF DIME TO
                                          NICKEL HAIL 1110 TO 1115 PM
                                          REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTER.

1112 PM    6 W RUTLAND               ND   .88 INCH HAIL
07/03/03   SARGENT                        BRIEF HAIL AND WIND GUST
                                          ESTIMATED GREATER THAN 60
                                          MPH REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTER.

1115 PM    HAVANA                    ND   E80 MPH WIND GUST
07/03/03   SARGENT                        REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTER.

GJG

Local storm report, Jul 3, 10:41 PM CST, 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS, ND
1141 PM CDT THU JUL 3 2003

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

1133 PM    1 E GENESEO               ND   .75 INCH HAIL
07/03/03   SARGENT                        ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG
                                          WINDS FROM 1133 TO 1136 PM.
                                          REPORTED BY TRAINED SPOTTER
                                          .

1135 PM    5 W LIDGERWOOD            ND   .75 INCH HAIL
07/03/03   RICHLAND                       REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTER.

GJG

Local storm report, Jul 3, 10:57 PM CST, 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS, ND
1157 PM CDT THU JUL 3 2003

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

1055 PM    2 S BRAMPTON              ND   WIND DAMAGE
07/03/03   SARGENT                        ESTIMATED WINDS 80-90 MPH.
                                          LARGE TREE LIMBS BROKEN
                                          OFF. TV ANTENNA AND
                                          SATELLITE DISH TORN OFF
                                          ROOF. WINDOWS BROKEN OUT BY
                                          WIND DRIVEN HAIL. NICKEL
                                          SIZED HAIL ALSO REPORTED BY
                                          TRAINED SPOTTER.

GJG

The radar

The Aberdeen radar (KABR), 161 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilkin

When: July 3, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Wilkin County, 3 mi W of Tenney
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 46.050, -96.517

A MN DOT RWIS site along Highway 75 measured the wind gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When: July 3, 11:20 PM CST
Where: Grant County, Herman
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 45.800, -96.150

10 inch diameter tree branches were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Otter Tail

When: July 3, 11:28 PM CST to 11:35 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, 5 mi E of Fergus Falls
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.283, -95.967

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When: July 3, 11:45 PM CST
Where: Grant County, Elbow Lake
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 46.000, -95.983

Large trees 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.

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 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: 5369026, 5369027, 5369028, 5369029.