Tornadoes and Hail in North Dakota, August 5, 2006

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in North Dakota, August 5, 2006
Start: 2006-08-05T10:40
End: 2006-08-05T19:55
Location: North Dakota

August 5, 2006 · NWS FGF · 17 events in 4 counties and zones

9 hail, 5 tornado, 2 funnel cloud, 1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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: 17

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 Aug 5, 10:00 AM CST, 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 5, 10:00 AM CST, 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1100 AM CDT SAT AUG 5 2006

.DISCUSSION...MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE IS PRECIPITATION. WHEN LOOKING
AT THE LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS...AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IS CENTERED
IN CENTRAL ND...WITH A TROF EXTENDING TO THE LOW IN CANADA BETWEEN
MOT AND DVL. KMVX SHOWS AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG
THE N TIER COUNTIES IN NE ND. WITH CAP STILL HOLDING OVER AREA YET
THIS MORNING...NO SEVERE WEATHER IS OCCURRING YET...BUT ALL
INDICATIONS STILL ARE THERE THAT IT SHOULD DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON.
THEREFORE...JUST NEEDED TO EXPAND CURRENT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM
CHANCES A LITTLE MORE N AND E FROM WHAT WAS PRIORLY FORECAST.
OTHERWISE...CURRENT FORECAST IS IN GOOD SHAPE...WITH MINIMAL CHANGES
AT THIS TIME.

&&

.FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ND...NONE.
MN...NONE.

&&

NG

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 5, 5:41 AM CST, 4 hours 59 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
641 AM CDT SAT AUG 5 2006

MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-061145-
WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-KITTSON-ROSEAU-LAKE OF THE WOODS-
WEST MARSHALL-EAST MARSHALL-NORTH BELTRAMI-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-
EAST POLK-NORTH CLEARWATER-SOUTH BELTRAMI-MAHNOMEN-
SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-WILKIN-
WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-WADENA-GRANT-TOWNER-CAVALIER-
PEMBINA-BENSON-RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH COUNTY-EDDY-NELSON-
GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-
RICHLAND-WESTERN WALSH COUNTY-
641 AM CDT SAT AUG 5 2006

...SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND
THIS EVENING...

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENT IS EXPECTED TO UNFOLD ACROSS
THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH LARGE HAIL AND WIND
GUSTS OVER 60 MPH LIKELY FROM THE STRONGEST STORMS. THUNDERSTORMS
ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NEAR A LANGDON TO DEVILS LAKE TO JAMESTOWN
IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON...AND THEN INCREASE IN INTENSITY AND
COVERAGE AS THEY MOVE EAST TOWARD THE RED RIVER DURING THE MID TO LATE
AFTERNOON AND THEN INTO MINNESOTA LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING.

INITIALLY THE STORMS WILL BE SCATTERED IN NATURE AND MAY BECOME
SUPERCELLS. AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES...THE STORMS WILL LIKELY
FORM A SQUALL LINE AS THEY APPROACH THE RED RIVER AND THEN MOVE
QUICKLY THROUGH THE VALLEY INTO MINNESOTA. THE STORMS WILL BE
CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. NOT EVERYONE WILL
EXPERIENCE SEVERE WEATHER...BUT COVERAGE WILL BE GREATER THAN IN
PAST EPISODES THIS SUMMER. ALL RESIDENTS OF THE REGION SHOULD BE
ALERT AND PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER.

THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL END IN THE DEVILS LAKE AREA BY
5 PM...AND IN THE RED RIVER VALLEY BY 8 PM...AND IN MINNESOTA
LAKES COUNTRY BY 11 PM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THERE IS
A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY AND AGAIN
ON FRIDAY. COVERAGE AND INTENSITY AT THIS TIME IS UKNOWN.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

RIDDLE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 5, 5:41 AM CST, 4 hours 59 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
641 AM CDT SAT AUG 5 2006

MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-061145-
WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-KITTSON-ROSEAU-LAKE OF THE WOODS-
WEST MARSHALL-EAST MARSHALL-NORTH BELTRAMI-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-
EAST POLK-NORTH CLEARWATER-SOUTH BELTRAMI-MAHNOMEN-
SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-WILKIN-
WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-WADENA-GRANT-TOWNER-CAVALIER-
PEMBINA-BENSON-RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH COUNTY-EDDY-NELSON-
GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-
RICHLAND-WESTERN WALSH COUNTY-
641 AM CDT SAT AUG 5 2006

...SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND
THIS EVENING...

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENT IS EXPECTED TO UNFOLD ACROSS
THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH LARGE HAIL AND WIND
GUSTS OVER 60 MPH LIKELY FROM THE STRONGEST STORMS. THUNDERSTORMS
ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NEAR A LANGDON TO DEVILS LAKE TO JAMESTOWN
IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON...AND THEN INCREASE IN INTENSITY AND
COVERAGE AS THEY MOVE EAST TOWARD THE RED RIVER DURING THE MID TO LATE
AFTERNOON AND THEN INTO MINNESOTA LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING.

INITIALLY THE STORMS WILL BE SCATTERED IN NATURE AND MAY BECOME
SUPERCELLS. AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES...THE STORMS WILL LIKELY
FORM A SQUALL LINE AS THEY APPROACH THE RED RIVER AND THEN MOVE
QUICKLY THROUGH THE VALLEY INTO MINNESOTA. THE STORMS WILL BE
CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. NOT EVERYONE WILL
EXPERIENCE SEVERE WEATHER...BUT COVERAGE WILL BE GREATER THAN IN
PAST EPISODES THIS SUMMER. ALL RESIDENTS OF THE REGION SHOULD BE
ALERT AND PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER.

THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL END IN THE DEVILS LAKE AREA BY
5 PM...AND IN THE RED RIVER VALLEY BY 8 PM...AND IN MINNESOTA
LAKES COUNTRY BY 11 PM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THERE IS
A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY AND AGAIN
ON FRIDAY. COVERAGE AND INTENSITY AT THIS TIME IS UKNOWN.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

RIDDLE

Special weather statement, Aug 5, 9:30 AM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
1030 AM CDT SAT AUG 5 2006

MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-051800-
WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-KITTSON-ROSEAU-LAKE OF THE WOODS-
WEST MARSHALL-EAST MARSHALL-NORTH BELTRAMI-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-
EAST POLK-NORTH CLEARWATER-SOUTH BELTRAMI-MAHNOMEN-
SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-WILKIN-
WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-WADENA-GRANT-TOWNER-CAVALIER-
PEMBINA-BENSON-RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH COUNTY-EDDY-NELSON-
GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-
RICHLAND-WESTERN WALSH COUNTY-
1030 AM CDT SAT AUG 5 2006

...SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND
THIS EVENING...

A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENT IS EXPECTED TO UNFOLD ACROSS THE
AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH LARGE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS
OVER 60 MPH LIKELY FROM THE STRONGEST STORMS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NEAR A LANGDON TO DEVILS LAKE TO JAMESTOWN IN
THE EARLY AFTERNOON...AND THEN INCREASE IN INTENSITY AND COVERAGE AS
THEY MOVE EAST TOWARD THE RED RIVER DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON
AND THEN INTO MINNESOTA LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

INITIALLY THE STORMS WILL BE SCATTERED IN NATURE AND MAY BECOME
SUPERCELLS. AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES...THE STORMS WILL LIKELY
FORM A SQUALL LINE AS THEY APPROACH THE RED RIVER AND THEN MOVE
QUICKLY THROUGH THE VALLEY INTO MINNESOTA. THE STORMS WILL BE
CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. NOT EVERYONE WILL
EXPERIENCE SEVERE WEATHER...BUT COVERAGE WILL BE GREATER THAN IN
EARLIER EPISODES THIS SUMMER. ALL RESIDENTS OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA
AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA SHOULD BE ALERT AND PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN THEIR AREA.

THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD END IN THE DEVILS LAKE AREA BY
5 PM...AND IN THE RED RIVER VALLEY BY 8 PM...AND IN MINNESOTA LAKES
COUNTRY BY 11 PM.

GUST/RIDDLE

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 92 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:54 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 hail, 5 tornado, 2 funnel cloud, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Pembina

When: August 5, 10:40 AM CST
Where: Pembina County, 1 mi S of Mountain
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 46.717, -97.067

Hail, Cass

When: August 5, 12:10 PM CST
Where: Cass County, 5 mi N of Alice
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 46.750, -97.017

Hail, Cass

When: August 5, 12:55 PM CST
Where: Cass County, Davenport
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 46.717, -96.883

Hail, Cass

When: August 5, 1:03 PM CST
Where: Cass County, 3 mi NE of Davenport
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: STORM CHASER
Coordinates: 46.683, -97.350

Hail, Cass

When: August 5, 1:16 PM CST
Where: Cass County, 2 mi S of Horace
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.650, -97.267

Hail, Ransom

When: August 5, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Ransom County, 9 mi NE of Sheldon
Measured: 2 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 46.650, -97.300

Hail, Richland

When: August 5, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Richland County, 17 mi WNW of Walcott
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 46.583, -97.300

Hail, Cass

When: August 5, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Cass County, 2 mi W of Leonard
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 46.633, -97.250

Tornado, Ransom

When: August 5, 6:10 PM CST to 6:13 PM CST
Where: Ransom County, 9 mi E of Sheldon
Rating: F0
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 25 yd
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 46.617, -97.183

A weak tornado tracked east-southeast for about a mile before crossing into Richland County, where it continued about another 2 miles before ending 15 miles west of Walcott. The total path length was about 3 miles. The tornado tore down numerous tree branches in shelterbelts along the way. Peak wind speeds were estimated at 65 mph.

Tornado, Richland

When: August 5, 6:13 PM CST to 6:18 PM CST
Where: Richland County, 16 mi WNW of Walcott
Rating: F0
Path length: 2 mi
Path width: 25 yd
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 46.650, -97.183

This weak tornado originated 9 miles east of Sheldon in Ransom County at 1810 CST. The total path length was about 3 miles. The tornado tore down numerous tree branches in shelterbelts along the way. Peak wind speeds were estimated at 65 mph.

Hail, Richland

When: August 5, 6:20 PM CST to 6:25 PM CST
Where: Richland County, 13 mi WNW of Walcott
Measured: 2.5 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.617, -97.150

Tornado, Cass

When: August 5, 6:33 PM CST to 6:35 PM CST
Where: Cass County, 3 mi E of Leonard
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 46.467, -96.867

This weak tornado tracked southeast for about a half mile and then crossed into Richland County, where it continued for another 2.5 miles. The tornado knocked down or uprooted several trees in shelterbelts along the track. Peak winds were estimated at 90 mph.

Tornado, Richland

When: August 5, 6:35 PM CST to 6:41 PM CST
Where: Richland County, 11 mi WNW of Walcott
Rating: F1
Path length: 2.5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 46.265, -96.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

This weak tornado originated 3 miles east of Leonard in Cass County at 1833 CST. The total path length from Cass into Richland County was 3 miles. The tornado knocked down or uprooted several trees in shelterbelts along the track. Peak winds were estimated at 90 mph.

Thunderstorm Wind, Richland

When: August 5, 7:03 PM CST
Where: Richland County, Colfax
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: STORM CHASER
Coordinates: 46.317, -96.933

Funnel Cloud, Richland

When: August 5, 7:04 PM CST
Where: Richland County, Colfax
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.265, -96.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A persistent wall cloud and a funnel were observed.

Tornado, Richland

When: August 5, 7:33 PM CST to 7:47 PM CST
Where: Richland County, 5 mi NW of Mooreton
Rating: F0
Path length: 5 mi
Path width: 25 yd
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 48.667, -97.850

A weak tornado tracked intermittently to the southeast for about 5 miles. A few large trees were toppled along the path. Peak wind speeds were estimated at 70 mph.

Funnel Cloud, Richland

When: August 5, 7:55 PM CST
Where: Richland County, 5 mi WSW of Mooreton
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.833, -97.550

A well developed funnel cloud was observed from Interstate 29.

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.
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

Every storm in North Dakota in 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history The tornado archive for North Dakota, 2006 Warnings in North Dakota, August 2006

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: 5532555, 5532556, 5532557, 5532558, 5532559, 5532560, 5532561, 5532562, 5532563, 5532564, 5532565, 5532566, 5532567, 5532568, 5532569, 5530508, 5530509.