Tornado in North Dakota, June 6, 2004

Name: Tornado in North Dakota, June 6, 2004
Start: 2004-06-06T19:56
End: 2004-06-06T20:02
Location: North Dakota

June 6, 2004 · NWS BIS · 1 event in 1 county or zone

This tornado was reported by a NWS Cooperative observer.

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: 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 happened

The episode as NWS BIS wrote it up.

This tornado was reported by a NWS Cooperative observer.

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 Jun 6, 2:00 PM CST, 5 hours 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 6, 2:00 PM CST, 5 hours 56 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
300 PM CDT SUN JUN 6 2004

.SHORT TERM...
ANTICIPATE CONVECTION TO FIRE SHORTLY ON LINE OF CU FORMING ALONG
NORTH DAKOTA AND MONTANA BORDER. AMS STILL WEAKLY CAPPED BUT
BAMEX...PROGGD SOUNDINGS AND MODELS ALL INDICATE CAP WILL BE BROKEN
SOMETIME LATE AFTERNOON AS TEMPS APPROACH 90F WEST. WATCH POSSIBLE
WITHIN THE NEXT TWO HOURS.

MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT AGAIN. MID LEVEL LOW MOVING ONSHORE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST SPLITS AS ONE PIECE OF ENERGY CUTSOFF OVER PAC NW AND
FIRST PIECE MOVES NORTHEAST THROUGH SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA. CWA IN SW
THEN W THEN SW FLOW THROUGH PERIOD. AS FIRST LOW MOVES EAST THROUGH
NORTHERN PLAINS TONIGHT...WESTERN DAKOTA WILL BE UNTIL INFLUENCE OF
COOLER AND DRIER HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING SOUTH FROM CANADA WITH
BOUNDARY SOUTH OF STATE. CUTOFF LOW WASH COAST EJECTS LATE IN
SHORTERM PERIODS WITH NEXT SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM APPROACHING NORTHERN
PLAINS LATE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

.LONG TERM...
GFS CONTINUES TO BRING BEST CHANCE FOR PRECIP THURSDAY AS H500
LOW/TROUGH LIFTS NORTHEAST THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS. ALSO SURFACE
LOW/TROUGH FROM MONTANA THROUGH WRN NEBRASKA LIFTS NORTHEAST THRU
THE STATE. KEPT RELATIVELY HIGH POPS FOR THURSDAY. CYCLONIC FLOW
ALOFT CONTINUES THRU SATURDAY...BUT TOOK POPS OUT TO BLEND WITH
SURROUNDING OFFICES. SINCE SURFACE HIGH PUSHING IN BY SATURDAY
AGREED TO TAKE IT OUT. KEPT SUNDAY DRY FOR NOW WITH WEAK SURFACE
HIGH. BUT...LATER SHIFTS MAY WANT TO INCREASE POPS FOR SUNDAY NIGHT
OR MONDAY AS 50H TROF SWINGS THRU 00Z TUESDAY.

&&

.BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR JAMES RIVER NEAR LUDDEN.

&&

HW/JV

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 6, 4:37 AM CST, 15 hours 19 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
537 AM CDT SUN JUN 6 2004

NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-071037-
ADAMS ND-BILLINGS ND-BOTTINEAU ND-BOWMAN ND-BURKE ND-BURLEIGH ND-
DICKEY ND-DIVIDE ND-DUNN ND-EMMONS ND-FOSTER ND-GOLDEN VALLEY ND-
GRANT ND-HETTINGER ND-KIDDER ND-LA MOURE ND-LOGAN ND-MCHENRY ND-
MCINTOSH ND-MCKENZIE ND-MCLEAN ND-MERCER ND-MORTON ND-MOUNTRAIL ND-
OLIVER ND-PIERCE ND-RENVILLE ND-ROLETTE ND-SHERIDAN ND-SIOUX ND-
SLOPE ND-STARK ND-STUTSMAN ND-WARD ND-WELLS ND-WILLIAMS ND-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BISMARCK...BOTTINEAU...BOWMAN...CROSBY...
DICKINSON...JAMESTOWN...MINOT AND WILLISTON
537 AM CDT SUN JUN 6 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH
DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOPE IN WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON
THEN MOVE ACROSS THE STATE TONIGHT.  SOUTHEAST SURFACE WINDS AND A
LOW LEVEL JET AHEAD OF A TROUGH IN EASTERN MONTANA WILL INCREASE THE
MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY THIS AFTERNOON.  SOME THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE
SEVERE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 6, 6:59 PM CST, 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
759 PM CDT SUN JUN 06 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0736 PM     TORNADO          2 W DOUGLAS             47.86N 101.54W
06/06/2004                   WARD               ND   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            BARN DESTROYED

0753 PM     TORNADO          15 S MINOT              48.02N 101.30W
06/06/2004                   WARD               ND   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TORNADO AT NELSON-CARLSON LAKE WEST OF HIGHWAY 83

&&

VINING

Local storm report, Jun 6, 7:19 PM CST, 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
819 PM CDT SUN JUN 06 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0814 PM     TORNADO          2 E WHITE SHIELD        47.66N 101.80W
06/06/2004                   MCLEAN             ND   OTHER FEDERAL

            TORNADO ON HIGHWAY 1804 REPORTED BY MINOT AIR BASE
            OFFICIAL

&&

VINING

Local storm report, Jun 6, 7:27 PM CST, 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
827 PM CDT SUN JUN 06 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0825 PM     HAIL             1 SW MINOT              48.22N 101.31W
06/06/2004  1.00 INCH        WARD               ND   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

VJR

Local storm report, Jun 6, 7:32 PM CST, 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
832 PM CDT SUN JUN 06 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0830 PM     HAIL             MINOT                   48.23N 101.30W
06/06/2004  1.75 INCH        WARD               ND   AMATEUR RADIO

            SOUTH PART OF CITY

&&

JP MARTIN

Local storm report, Jun 6, 7:44 PM CST, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
844 PM CDT SUN JUN 06 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0836 PM     HAIL             BERGEN                  48.00N 100.72W
06/06/2004  1.00 INCH        MCHENRY            ND   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

VJR

Special weather statement, Jun 6, 7:52 PM CST, 4 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
852 PM CDT SUN JUN 6 2004

NDZ001-002-009-010-017-018-032>034-040>046-070151-
ADAMS ND-BILLINGS ND-BOWMAN ND-BURKE ND-DIVIDE ND-DUNN ND-EMMONS ND-
GRANT ND-HETTINGER ND-MCKENZIE ND-MORTON ND-MOUNTRAIL ND-SIOUX ND-
SLOPE ND-STARK ND-WILLIAMS ND-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BOWMAN...CROSBY...DICKINSON AND WILLISTON
852 PM CDT SUN JUN 6 2004

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED FROM WESTERN TO CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA.
 WATCH NUMBER 404 WHICH WAS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH
DAKOTA HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH WATCH NUMBER 405. THIS NEW WATCH COVERS
MUCH OF CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA.

COUNTIES WHICH ARE NO LONGER IN THE WATCH INCLUDE:
DIVIDE...BURKE...WILLIAMS...MOUNTRAIL...MCKENZIE...DUNN...BILLINGS
...STARK...MORTON...SLOPE...HETTINGER...MORTON...BURLEIGH...SLOPE...
BOWMAN...ADAMS...SIOUX...GRANT...MORTON AND EMMONS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER
DETAILS OR UPDATES.

HW

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, McHenry

When: June 6, 7:56 PM CST to 8:02 PM CST
Where: McHenry County, 2 mi SW of Balfour
Rating: F0
Path length: 3 mi
Path width: 40 yd
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 47.933, -100.567

What these are

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Dakota in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history The tornado archive for North Dakota, 2004 Warnings in North Dakota, June 2004

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: 5412187.