A strong low pressure system and its associated cold front moved across west and central North Dakota during the afternoon and evening hours of Monday, March 24th. Mesonet data showed the highest wind gusts in excess of 65 mph across Mountrail, Mclean, and Morton Counties.
Every event with a place to put it; 26 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
A strong low pressure system and its associated cold front moved across west and central North Dakota during the afternoon and evening hours of Monday, March 24th. Mesonet data showed the highest wind gusts in excess of 65 mph across Mountrail, Mclean, and Morton Counties. Sustained winds greater than 40 mph were common over the entire warned area throughout the afternoon and early evening.
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 Mar 24, 3:10 AM CST, 10 hours 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 410 AM CDT MON MAR 24 2008 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT... MAIN CONCERN FOR TODAY IS WINDS. STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LOCATED OVER SOUTHERN ALBERTA/SASKATCHEWAN EARLY THIS MORNING WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM OVER THE STATE. THE LOW IS FORECAST TO MOVE ALONG AND JUST NORTH OF THE CANADIAN BORDER...AND SHOULD BE SOUTH OF WINNIPEG IN SOUTHERN MANITOBA BY THIS EVENING. FORECAST BUFR SOUNDINGS SHOW AN ADIABATIC LAPSE RATE UP TO H700 FOR ALL OF WESTERN AND MOST OF CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA - ALL BUT THE FAR EASTERN PARTS OF CENTRAL ND. WINDS AT H850 ARE 50 KTS AND AT H700 ARE 50-65 KTS. ALSO THE UPPER JET OF 110-130 KTS IS ALONG THE ND/SD BORDER. MOST OF THE STATE IS IN THE FAVORED STRONG WIND AREA SOUTHWEST OF THE TRACK OF THE SURFACE LOW AS WELL. GUIDANCE VALUES NOT SHOWING WINDS VERY STRONG...BUT THINKING 30 TO 40 MPH SUSTAINED WINDS WITH GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH AT TIMES. HENCE WILL UPGRADE HIGH WIND WATCH TO A HIGH WIND WARNING. WILL START WESTERN COUNTIES AT 1PM CDT/NOON MDT...AND ADD CENTRAL COUNTIES AT 4PM CDT...VALID UNTIL 10PM CDT. HAVE KEPT MENTION OF CHANCE OF RAIN OR SNOW SHOWERS WITH THIS SYSTEM ACROSS THE NORTH TODAY. TONIGHT AND TUESDAY COLD ADVECTION BEHIND THE FRONT AND PLENTY OF CLOUDS AND UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE ENERGY...SO WILL KEEP CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS OVER ALL OF THE FORECAST AREA ON TUESDAY. THE NEXT MAIN SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TUESDAY NIGHT AND MOVES ACROSS THE ROCKIES WEDNESDAY...AND DEVELOPS A SURFACE LOW OVER THE PLAINS IN THE LEE OF THE ROCKIES BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. WILL KEEP A GOOD CHANCE OF SNOW ACROSS SOUTHERN COUNTIES WEDNESDAY NIGHT. .LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE GFS KEEPS THE FLOW ALOFT ZONAL THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY...WHILE THE ECMWF STARTS ZONAL BUT ENDS WITH A MORE COMPLEX WAVE PATTERN ALOFT BY THE END OF THE LONG TERM. THE GFS HAS BEEN THE MOST CONSISTENT THROUGH THE EXTENDED AND WILL LEAN TOWARD ITS TREND. THE MAIN WEATHER FEATURE FOR THE EXTENDED WILL BE A SHORT WAVE/SURFACE LOW COMBINATION FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. WITH THE UPPER LEVEL JET SOUTH ACROSS THE CENTRAL US DURING THIS PERIOD...WE WILL BE ON THE COLD SIDE. THE GFS INDICATES THE BEST CHANCE OF PRECIP ALONG NORTHERN SOUTH DAKOTA/SOUTHERN NORTH DAKOTA...BUT THIS MAY TREND SOUTH WITH TIME AS THE BEST DYNAMICS WILL BE CLOSER TO THE JET. FOR NOW WILL CONTINUE WITH THE TREND OF THE PREVIOUS FORECAST...KEEPING A CHANCE OF SNOW THROUGH THE FRIDAY NIGHT...KEEPING SATURDAY DRY...THEN BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE OF PRECIP IN SAT NIGHT AND SUNDAY AS YET ANOTHER UPPER WAVE MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO BE ON THE COOL SIDE OF NORMAL. && .AVIATION...WITH THE SURFACE LOW MOVING NORTH OF THE STATE TODAY... STRONG WINDS WILL DEVELOP AS AN ADIABATIC LAPSE RATE DEVELOPS IN THE AFTERNOON LINKING THE SURFACE WIND TO THE STRONG WINDS AT 700 MB. CONDITIONS WILL BE MAINLY VFR THROUGH THE DAY. A COLD FRONT WILL DROP ACROSS THE STATE LATE TONIGHT AS THE LOW EXITS TO THE EAST...WITH A POTENTIAL FOR MVFR CONDITIONS ALONG AND BEHIND THE FRONT. && .FIRE WEATHER... WIND EVENT TODAY WILL BRING WEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH TO MOST OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...WHERE THERE IS LACK OF SNOW COVER AND DORMANT GRASS. ALONG WITH THIS WIND...TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB INTO THE 50S AND LOWER 60S WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES OF 20 TO 30 PERCENT. WILL ISSUE A RED FLAG WARNING THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR ALL OF WESTERN AND MOST OF CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 4 PM CDT /3 PM MDT/ THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM CDT /9 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR NDZ003>005-011>013-019>023- 034>036-042-045-046. RED FLAG WARNING FROM 1 PM CDT /NOON MDT/ THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM CDT /9 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR NDZ001>004-009>012-017>022- 031>035-040>046. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 1 PM CDT /NOON MDT/ THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM CDT /9 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR NDZ001-002-009-010-017-018- 031>033-040-041-043-044. && JV/TSW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 532 AM CDT MON MAR 24 2008 NDZ001-002-009-010-017-018-031>033-040-041-043-044-251045- DIVIDE-BURKE-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-MCKENZIE-DUNN-GOLDEN VALLEY- BILLINGS-STARK-SLOPE-HETTINGER-BOWMAN-ADAMS- 532 AM CDT MON MAR 24 2008 /432 AM MDT MON MAR 24 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING AND RED FLAG WARNING ARE IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM CDT OR NOON MDT TO 10 PM CDT OR 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING. STRONG WEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 60 MPH EXPECTED. MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES OF 20 TO 30 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON WITH DORMANT PRAIRIE GRASS COMBINED WITH STRONG WINDS WILL POSE A THREAT FOR FIRES TO BURN OUT OF CONTROL SHOULD ANY IGNITE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS A STORM SYSTEM DEVELOPS OVER THE PLAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. NDZ003-004-011-012-019>022-034-035-042-045-046-251045- RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-WARD-MCHENRY-MERCER-OLIVER-MCLEAN-SHERIDAN- MORTON-BURLEIGH-GRANT-SIOUX-EMMONS- 532 AM CDT MON MAR 24 2008 /432 AM MDT MON MAR 24 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM MID-AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING...AND A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM CDT OR NOON MDT TO 10 PM CDT OR 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING. STRONG WEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 60 MPH EXPECTED. MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES OF 20 TO 30 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON WITH DORMANT PRAIRIE GRASS COMBINED WITH STRONG WINDS WILL POSE A THREAT FOR FIRES TO BURN OUT OF CONTROL SHOULD ANY IGNITE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS A STORM SYSTEM DEVELOPS OVER THE PLAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. NDZ005-013-023-036-251045- ROLETTE-PIERCE-WELLS-KIDDER- 532 AM CDT MON MAR 24 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM MID-AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING. STRONG WEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 60 MPH EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS A STORM SYSTEM DEVELOPS OVER THE PLAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. NDZ025-037-047-048-050-051-251045- FOSTER-STUTSMAN-LOGAN-LA MOURE-MCINTOSH-DICKEY- 532 AM CDT MON MAR 24 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WINDY CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA TODAY. THE STRONG WINDS MAY REACH AS FAR EAST AS THE JAMESTOWN AREA BY EARLY EVENING...AND A WIND ADVISORY OR HIGH WIND WARNING MAY BE NEEDED. STAY TUNED FOR LATER WEATHER UPDATES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS A STORM SYSTEM DEVELOPS OVER THE PLAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. JV
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
202 PM CDT MON MAR 24 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0151 PM NON-TSTM WND GST WILLISTON 48.16N 103.63W
03/24/2008 M60 MPH WILLIAMS ND ASOS
&&
KSIMOSKOThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
30 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Peak wind gust of 60 miles per hour at Williston.
Peak wind gust of 58 miles per hour at Dickinson.
Peak wind gust of 59 miles per hour reported at Killdeer.
Peak wind gust of 69 miles per hour reported at New Salem.
Sustained winds of 47 miles per hour at Grassy Butte.
Peak wind gusts of 58 to 67 miles per hour were reported across McLean County.
Peak wind gust of 65 miles per hour reported 4 miles west-northwest of Parshall.
Sustained winds of 40 miles per hour reported 2 miles west-northwest of Balfour.
Sustained winds of 42 miles per hour at Crosby.
Sustained winds of 40 miles per hour reported 2 miles east of Moffit.
Sustained winds of 41 miles per hour reported at Denhoff.
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, March 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: 83085, 83088, 83089, 83090, 83091, 83092, 83093, 83094, 83098, 83331, 83332, 83333, 83096, 83099, 83100, 83101, 83097, 83339, 83340, 83341, 83342, 83343, 83344, 83086, 83087, 83334, 83335, 83336, 83337, 83338.