Severe thunderstorms struck east central North Dakota Thursday (26th) evening. The storms formed along a persistent low level boundary located across southern Griggs and Steele counties.
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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 FGF wrote it up.
Severe thunderstorms struck east central North Dakota Thursday (26th) evening. The storms formed along a persistent low level boundary located across southern Griggs and Steele counties. A very slow easterly moving storm produced the hail, and its slow movement resulted in the heavy rain amounts.
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 Jun 26, 2:28 PM CST, 4 hours 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND 328 PM CDT THU JUN 26 2008 .SHORT TERM...MAIN CHALLENGE WILL BE CONVECTIVE/SEVERE CHANCES THIS EVENING/TONIGHT. 12 MODELS INITIALIZED WITH MINIMAL ERRORS AND IN REASONABLE AGREEMENT. GFS PREFERRED BY HPC AND WILL UTILIZE FOR DETAILS (SEE PMDHMD). SHORTWAVE ACROSS W MONTANA (AND ASSOCIATED STORMS ACROSS W ND) WILL CONTINUE TO PROPAGATE EAST THIS EVENING/TONIGHT. ASSOCIATED LIFT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE FA FROM W TO E. DEEP LAYERED SHEAR OF 40-50KTS IS SUFFICIENT FOR SEVERE STORMS. WITH LIFT AND SUFFICIENT SHEAR (MAINLY SPEED)...SEVERE POTENTIAL WILL DEPEND UPON INSTABILITY. CURRENTLY(20Z)...STRONGEST INSTABILITY AXIS (MLCAPE 1000-1500J/KG) SET UP ACROSS CENTRAL/W ND AND SOUTHWARD. AS SYSTEM APPROACHES...LOW LEVEL FLOW FROM THE SOUTH SHOULD INCREASE...AND MODELS DO INDICATE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TO INCREASE BY EVENING. SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS A BOUNDARY SET UP FROM W ND TO JUST SOUTH OF FARGO. WOULD THINK STORMS WOULD FOLLOW THIS BOUNDARY AND STRONGEST INSTABILITY. THIS PLACES BEST SEVERE STORM POTENTIAL ACROSS THE SW/S FA AS COMPLEX MOVES THROUGH. ACROSS NE ND...INSTABILITY CURRENTLY WEAK...BUT CLOUD COVER IS DECREASING AND HEATING STILL POSSIBLE. GIVEN CURRENT STORMS ACROSS E SASKATCHEWAN/W MANITOBA ALONG WITH INCREASING LIFT SEVERE ALSO POSSIBLE HERE. SYNOPTIC LIFT WILL MOVE E OF THE VALLEY AFT 06Z...AND SEVERE POTENTIAL SHOULD BE LIMITED AFT 06Z GIVEN LACK OF STRONG LOW-LEVEL JET PLUS EXPECTED CONVECTIVE COMPLEXES SOUTH OF THE FA COULD ROB MOISTURE. WILL MENTION SEVERE POTENTIAL IN THE GRIDS ACROSS MUCH OF E ND...AND INCREASE POPS TO LIKELY ACROSS THE S FA WHERE STORMS SHOULD BE MOST WIDESPREAD. FRI-SUN...UPPER LOW FROM NW CANADA WILL APPROACH THE REGION OF FRIDAY...LOCATED OVER THE REGION BY SAT MORNING...AND OVER THE GREAT LAKES BY LATE SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE ON FRIDAY AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE. SEVERE POSSIBLE GIVEN EXPECTED LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. ON SAT...FA IN DEFORMATION ZONE...AND SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE. DID LOWER THUNDER CHANCES ON SAT GIVEN LACK OF INSTABILITY. SUNDAY SHOULD BE DRY AS SFC RIDGE APPROACHES. TEMPERATURES WILL BE BELOW NORMAL AS COLD CORE UPPER LOW PROPAGATES THROUGH THE REGION...WITH SAT BEING THE COOLEST DAY. .LONG TERM...FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE MODELS WITH THE EASTWARD PROGRESSION OF THE 500 MB LOW INTO EASTERN CANADA SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY....AS WELL AS RIDGING ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS. THIS SHOULD MEAN THE AREA WILL REMAIN DRY SUNDAY THROUGH MOST OF TUESDAY. THE RETURN OF SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL PROVIDE MINIMAL CHANCES FOR STORMS TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. THERE IS DISAGREEMENT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANOTHER SURFACE LOW THAT COULD IMPROVE CHANCES OF STORMS ACROSS THE AREA MID NEXT WEEK. THE ECMWF IS THE ODD MODEL WITH A SURFACE LOW DEVELOPING ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS...KEEPING MOST PRECIP TO THE SOUTH. STUCK IN POPS FOR STORMS THURSDAY BECAUSE THE GFS AND DGEX DEVELOP A GOOD LOW ACROSS THE WESTERN DAKOTAS BY WEDNESDAY...WITH INCREASED CHANCES OF STORMS OVER THE CWA THURSDAY. && .AVIATION...VFR FOR MOST OF THE DAY...BUT THE DEVELOPING SURFACE LOW OVER THE DAKOTAS WILL DROP CEILINGS ACROSS THE CWA THIS EVENING. SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE LIKELY TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA BY LATE THIS EVENING AND INTO TONIGHT. STORMS ARE QUITE POSSIBLE FOR DVL...GFK...FAR...AND TVF...BUT HELD OFF ANY STORMS FOR BJI. SHOWERS MAY CARRY OVER THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING...AS WELL AS STORM REDEVELOPMENT. && .FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ND...NONE. MN...NONE. && TG/GROCHOCINSKI
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND 703 PM CDT THU JUN 26 2008 MNZ004>006-009-016-017-022>024-027-028-030>032-040-NDZ006>008- 280015- KITTSON-ROSEAU-LAKE OF THE WOODS-NORTH BELTRAMI-NORTH CLEARWATER- SOUTH BELTRAMI-MAHNOMEN-SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-WEST BECKER- EAST BECKER-WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-WADENA-GRANT-TOWNER- CAVALIER-PEMBINA- 703 PM CDT THU JUN 26 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE AREA FROM WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA AFTER 8 PM AND SHOULD EXIT THE AREA EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL OCCUR SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 2. THE STORMS WILL MOST LIKELY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND SOME LARGE HAIL. MOIST UNSTABLE AIR WILL BE TRANSPORTED INTO WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA TODAY. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE EAST IN EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA THIS EVENING AND PRODUCE THE THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY OVER NORTHWEST AND WEST MINNESOTA AND ADJACENT PARTS OF NORTH DAKOTA. THE STORMS WILL BE MOST LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND MAY PRODUCE SOME LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE AREA FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED. MNZ001>003-007-008-013>015-029-NDZ014>016-024-026>030-038-039-049- 052>054-280015- WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-WEST MARSHALL-EAST MARSHALL-PENNINGTON- RED LAKE-EAST POLK-WILKIN-BENSON-RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH COUNTY-EDDY- NELSON-GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM- SARGENT-RICHLAND-WESTERN WALSH COUNTY- 703 PM CDT THU JUN 26 2008 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 613 IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM CDT FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE AREA FROM WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA AFTER 8 PM AND SHOULD EXIT THE AREA EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL OCCUR SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 2. THE STORMS WILL MOST LIKELY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND SOME LARGE HAIL. MOIST UNSTABLE AIR WILL BE TRANSPORTED INTO WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA TODAY. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE EAST IN EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA THIS EVENING AND PRODUCE THE THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY OVER NORTHWEST AND WEST MINNESOTA AND ADJACENT PARTS OF NORTH DAKOTA. THE STORMS WILL BE MOST LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND MAY PRODUCE SOME LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE AREA FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY. SPEICHER
The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 50 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:10 UTC.
2 hail, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Several sections of cropland received damage in northern Riverside township.
The Steele County sheriff reported the quarter sized hail accumulated to a depth of one foot. Several sections of cropland received damage in northern Melrose township.
The Eddy County emergency manager reported an estimated three inches of rain fell over one hour, which resulted in some street flooding.
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 historyWarnings in North Dakota, June 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: 115852, 115854, 115850.