In the late afternoon of Thursday, July 10th, Tornado Watch 678 was issued for much of the Bismarck County Warning Area in anticipation of severe thunderstorms with tornado potential developing along a warm frontal boundary that stretched across central North Dakota. An upper level trough was also advecting into the region resulting in cooling temperatures aloft and eroding the afternoon cap.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS BIS wrote it up.
In the late afternoon of Thursday, July 10th, Tornado Watch 678 was issued for much of the Bismarck County Warning Area in anticipation of severe thunderstorms with tornado potential developing along a warm frontal boundary that stretched across central North Dakota. An upper level trough was also advecting into the region resulting in cooling temperatures aloft and eroding the afternoon cap. Numerous severe thunderstorm warnings and several tornado warnings were issued. Multiple reports of large hail and two tornado reports were received across south central North Dakota during the late afternoon and early evening hours.
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 Jul 10, 2:45 PM CST, 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 345 PM CDT THU JUL 10 2008 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT... THE MAIN FORECAST PROBLEM TODAY WILL BE THUNDERSTORM CHANCES TONIGHT AND THEN WINDS FRIDAY. CURRENT SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS WARM FRONT DRAPED ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. VERY HIGH DEW POINTS ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. LATEST SATELLITE LOOP DEPICTS TOWERING CU DEVELOPMENT ALONG A DRY LINE SEPARATING DEWPOINTS IN THE MID 50S FROM DIK TO BOWMAN...FROM MID TO UPPER 30S IN SOUTHEAST MONTANA. 17Z KBIS SOUNDING REVEALS THAT CONTINUED DIABATIC HEATING IS NECESSARY TO ERODE THE CAP WITHIN THE WARM SECTOR WITH A CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE MID 90S. ONCE CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURES ARE REACHED...WITH THE AID OF CONVERGENCE AND FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING ALONG THE DRY LINE AND WARM FRONT....CONVECTION SHOULD INITIATE WITH ML CAPE VALES AOA 1500-2000 J/KG WITH LI VALUES OF -6 TO -8 C. WITH EFFECTIVE DEEP LAYER SHEAR VALUES OF 50-60 KTS ORIENTED PERPENDICULAR TO THE DRY LINE WITH 8C MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES...RAPID DISCRETE SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT IS POSSIBLE ALONG THE DRYLINE...WITH EAST SOUTHEASTWARD PROPAGATING MULTI CELL CLUSTERS AND LINE SEGMENTS ALONG THE WARM FRONT WHERE SHEAR VECTORS ARE ORIENTED MUCH MORE PARALLEL TO THE BOUNDARY. WITH DOWNDRAFT CAPE VALUES OF AOA 1500 J/KG WITH INVERTED V-SOUNDINGS EXPECTED IN THE WARM SECTOR AND ALONG THE DRY LINE WITH LCLS AROUND 10-12 KFT...SEVERE WIND GUSTS APPEAR TO BE A PRIMARY THREAT WITH EXCELLENT EVAPORATION POTENTIAL. FURTHERMORE...400-600 J/KG OF CAPE IN THE HAIL GROWTH ZONE FROM -10 TO -30C WITH STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND ROTATING UPDRAFTS ALSO POINT TO A LARGE HAIL THREAT AIDED BY A MID LEVEL DRY LAYER. 17Z UNIDIRECTIONAL HODOGRAPH AT KBIS POINTS TO SPLITTING SUPERCELLS IN THE WARM SECTOR AND ALONG THE DRYLINE WITH THE RIGHT MOVING STORM FAVORED DUE TO THE ORIENTATION OF THE INSTABILITY AXIS. FURTHER EAST IN THE VICINITY OF THE WARM FRONT...BACKED WINDS NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY HAVE YIELDED 0-3 KM HELICITY VALUES OF NEAR 200 M2/S2. WITH STRONG LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES EXPECTED WITH NEAR 20 KTS OF 0-1 KM BULK SHEAR ALONG THE SOUTHERN EXTENT OF THE FRONT...TORNADOES WILL BE A POSSIBILITY AS STORM RELATIVE FLOW POINTS TO STORMS RAINING INTO THEIR INFLOW. MAIN CONCERN WITH TORNADO THREAT IS THE HIGH LCL HEIGHT NEAR THE WARM FRONT...WHICH IS LOWER THAN THAT SEEN ALONG THE DRYLINE. IF A SUPERCELL CAN ADEQUATELY MODIFY ITS ENVIRONMENT...LOWERING THE LCL...TORNADO PROBABILITY WILL BE INCREASED ALONG THE WARM FRONT. THE PROBLEM ON FRIDAY WILL BE WINDS. AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE REGION FRIDAY...SURFACE GRADIENT WILL INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY THE UPPER TROUGH...CLOSE ON ITS HEELS. THE COMBINATION OF THE STRONG SUBSIDENCE BEHIND THE UPPER TROUGH...COMBINED WITH THE STRONG GRADIENT WINDS WILL PRODUCE WINDY TO VERY WINDY CONDITIONS ACROSS MUCH OF THE CWA ON FRIDAY. A LOOK AT BUFR SOUNDINGS INDICATE 40-55 KNOTS OF WIND AT THE TOP OF THE MIXED LAYER AVAILABLE TO MIX DOWN...MAINLY OVER SOUTHWEST TO SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. HAVE DECIDED TO HOIST A HIGH WIND WATCH TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS...AREA WILL BE SOUTH AND WEST OF THE MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY. IN ADDITION TO THE RED FLAG WARNING...BECAUSE OF THE STRONG WINDS WE HAVE DECIDED TO ISSUE A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR FRIDAY AS WELL. NORMALLY JULY IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO FIRE WEATHER ISSUES BUT FIRE OFFICIALS HAVE INDICATED THAT THERE HAS BEEN QUITE A BIT OF DRYING OUT OF THE GRASSLANDS RECENTLY. COMBINE THIS WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH...FEEL A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS JUSTIFIED. FARTHER NORTH...ENOUGH COLD AIR ALOFT BEHIND THE UPPER TROUGH TO MENTION SOME THUNDERSTORMS. BEST CHANCE WILL BE ALONG THE CANADIAN BORDER. THINGS QUIET DOWN BEYOND FRIDAY. IT WILL STILL BE WINDY ON SATURDAY...WILL PROBABLY SEE WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA SOME AREAS...BUT APPEARS NOW THAT WINDS WILL BE BELOW WARNING CRITERIA. DO EXPECT SOME SHOWER/THUNDERSHOWER ACTIVITY IN THE FAR NORTHEAST CWA. SUNDAY APPEARS PLEASANT WITH MUCH LESS WIND EXPECTED. .LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... SOMEWHAT OF AN ACTIVE PATTERN DEPICTED ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS REGION THROUGH THE EXTENDED WITH PERIODIC SHORT WAVE TROUGHS IN ZONAL FLOW ALOFT MOVING ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA. DIFFICULT TO TIME THESE FEATURES SO HAVE TRIED TO MINIMIZE CHANGES TO THE LONG TERM FORECAST. OVERALL WILL HAVE SLIGHT CHANCES OF PRECIP MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...THEN CONTINUED DRY FOR NOW THURSDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR NORMAL OVERALL...WITH THE WARMEST DAYS LOOKING TO BE MONDAY AND TUESDAY THEN A BIT COOLER WED AND THURS. && .AVIATION... A SURFACE FRONT WILL PUSH EAST ACROSS WEST AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS...WITH THUNDERSTORMS LOOKING TO DEVELOP AND INCREASE IN AERIAL COVERAGE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS WEST TO EAST. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH LOCALLY STRONG WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. FLIGHT CONDITIONS WILL BECOME MVFR-IFR WITHIN THE HEAVIER TSRA. ANOTHER SURFACE FRONT PUSHES EAST ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA LATER TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW MORNING DAYTIME...BRINGING WITH IT ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDER AND SHOWER ACTIVITY. BEHIND THIS FRONT STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP...WITH SUSTAINED WINDS 25 TO AROUND 30 KNOTS AND GUSTS UP TO 45 TO 50 KNOTS. && .FIRE WEATHER...SEE MAIN DISCUSSION ABOVE...BUT DUE MAINLY TO THE VERY STRONG WINDS EXPECTED ON FRIDAY...HAVE DECIDED TO ISSUE A FIRE WEATHER WATCH. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WATCH FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR NDZ017>020-031>034-040>045. FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR NDZ031>033-040>045. && TWH/NH/AYD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 440 AM CDT THU JUL 10 2008 NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-110945- DIVIDE-BURKE-RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-ROLETTE-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-WARD- MCHENRY-PIERCE-MCKENZIE-DUNN-MERCER-OLIVER-MCLEAN-SHERIDAN-WELLS- FOSTER-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-MORTON-BURLEIGH-KIDDER- STUTSMAN-SLOPE-HETTINGER-GRANT-BOWMAN-ADAMS-SIOUX-EMMONS-LOGAN- LA MOURE-MCINTOSH-DICKEY- 440 AM CDT THU JUL 10 2008 /340 AM MDT THU JUL 10 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A DEVELOPING COLD FRONT OVER EASTERN MONTANA TODAY WILL BRING HOT TEMPERATURES WITH HIGHS IN THE 90S THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS MOST OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN TO DEVELOP BY LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...THEN EXPAND OVERNIGHT AS THE STRONG COLD FRONT ENTERS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA IS IN A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL TODAY AND TONIGHT EXCEPT IN THE VERY FAR WEST. SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. STAY TUNED FOR ADDITIONAL UPDATES AND FORECASTS TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP BEHIND THE COLD FRONT FRIDAY WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH AND GUSTS TO AROUND 50 MPH BY AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL SLACKEN OFF FRIDAY NIGHT BUT INCREASE TO 20 TO 35 MPH ON SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT IF SEVERE WEATHER DEVELOPS. SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IF SEVERE WEATHER OCCURS. KS
The Bismarck radar (KBIS), 99 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:09 UTC.
29 hail, 2 tornado, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
This report was from the Severe Hail Verification Experiment. No damage was reported.
This report was from the Severe Hail Verification Experiment. No damage was reported.
This report was from the Severe Hail Verification Experiment. No damage was reported.
This report was from the Severe Hail Verification Experiment. No damage was reported.
No damage was reported.
Hail up to golf ball size lasted for 15 minutes. No damage reports were received.
This report was from the Severe Hail Verification Experiment. Damage was reported to car windshield and siding on home.
A tornado was reported by a trained spotter as being on the ground around 8 miles west of Flasher. Flasher is in Morton County. The tornado was reported to be in Grant County, and lifted while it was still in Grant County. No structures were impacted and so there was no damage.
No damage was reported.
The public reported a brief tornado touchdown. There were no reports of damage as the tornado remained in open country and impacted no structures.
Hail up to the size of quarters lasted for just under 30 minutes. There were no reports of damage.
There were no reports of damage.
There were no reports of damage.
There were no reports of damage.
This report was from the Severe Hail Verification Experiment. Damage was reported to windows and siding.
This report was from the Severe Hail Verification Experiment. No damage was reported.
There were no reports of damage.
Hail up to the size of quarters lay in drifts on the side of the road. There were no reports of damage.
Penny to ping pong ball size hail was reported. No damage reports were received.
The public reported a funnel cloud that lasted only a few minutes.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Dakota in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for North Dakota, 2008Warnings in North Dakota, July 2008
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: 122553, 122551, 111957, 111933, 122557, 111938, 122558, 111939, 111934, 122560, 111935, 111936, 111940, 111956, 111937, 111941, 111942, 111943, 111944, 111945, 111946, 122562, 111947, 122561, 111948, 111949, 111950, 111951, 111952, 111954, 111955, 111953.