In the early evening of September 10th, Severe Thunderstorm Watch 738 was issued in anticipation of thunderstorms developing across central North Dakota ahead of a strong upper level trough digging southeastward into the Northern Plains. A few reports of large hail and severe thunderstorm wind gusts were received.
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 early evening of September 10th, Severe Thunderstorm Watch 738 was issued in anticipation of thunderstorms developing across central North Dakota ahead of a strong upper level trough digging southeastward into the Northern Plains. A few reports of large hail and severe thunderstorm wind gusts were received.
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 Sep 10, 2:06 PM CST, 5 hours 54 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 306 PM CDT THU SEP 10 2009 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT... NEAR TERM CONCERNS ARE SEVERE WEATHER/HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL THROUGH TONIGHT. SHORT TERM MODEL TRENDS FOCUS ON MOISTURE CONVERGENCE AXIS IN THE SOUTHEAST CWA FOR INITIAL CONVECTION THROUGH EARLY EVENING...THEN POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER LATE EVENING MCS AS THE MAIN UPPER TROUGH SWINGS THROUGH. LAPS SOUNDINGS AND SPC MESOSCALE PARAMETERS INDICATE CIN HAS ERODED IN AREA OF ENHANCED CU FIELD NEAR JAMESTOWN. THE 19Z KBIS SPECIAL SOUNDING DOES SHOW A SMALL WARM LAYER AROUND 750MB. APPEARS TO BE JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE MORE SIGNIFICANT MID LEVEL FORCING INTERACTS WITH 2-3K J/KG ML CAPE. MAIN INITIAL THREATS WOULD APPEAR TO BE SVR STRAIGHT LINE WINDS WITH HIGH T/TD SPREADS...AND STRONG UPDRAFTS SUPPORTING SOME ISOLD LARGE HAIL. LATER TONIGHT...THE MAIN SHORT WAVE TROUGH WILL PUSH THROUGH AND WILL LIKELY SUPPORT ANOTHER OVERNIGHT MCS. HAIL/WIND THREAT SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS...ALONG WITH POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN. MODEL QPF AMOUNTS ARE SIMILAR...SUGGESTING GENERAL 1-2 INCH AMOUNTS WITH ISOLD HIGHER TOTALS...MAINLY OVER THE SOUTHEAST HALF TO THIRD OF THE FORECAST AREA. FFG VALUES ARE STILL QUITE HIGH MOST LOCATIONS...ALTHOUGH THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST COUNTIES WHICH RECEIVED 1-2 INCHES RECENTLY WILL BEAR WATCHING. BY FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...THE UPPER LOW WILL CUT OFF AND MOVE BACK TO THE WEST AND NORTHWEST...KEEPING COOL AND SHOWERY CONDITIONS OVER THE STATE. BY SUNDAY...THE LOW WILL MOVE THROUGH EASTERN MONTANA...WITH PRECIP CHANCES OVER THE FAR WESTERN CWA. .LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... THE POSITION AND TRACK OF AN UPPER LOW HAS BEEN DOMINATING THE EXTENDED...AND THE LATEST RUNS SHOW THAT NOT ONLY WILL UPPER LOW COMPLETE A 360 DEGREE LOOP AROUND NORTH DAKOTA BY MONDAY...BUT MAY INDEED DROP SOUTH AGAIN TUESDAY INTO THURSDAY BRINGING MORE UNSETTLED WEATHER. FOLLOWED HPC CLOSELY AGAIN WITH THIS FORECAST. EXPECT ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AS THE LOW REMAINS NORTH OF THE CWA MONDAY...THEN TEMPERATURES WILL DROP SLIGHTLY FOLLOWING THE UPPER LOW INTO NORTH DAKOTA..BUT STILL ABOVE AVERAGE AS THE UPPER LOW FILLS QUITE A BIT. ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR MENTION OF SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. && .AVIATION... A POTENT COLD FRONT WILL PLOW THROUGH WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND SEVERITY AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES ESPECIALLY OVER CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. LESS PRECIPITATION OVER KISN/ KDIK/KMOT...WHILE KBIS AND KJMS APPEARS TO RECEIVE THE BRUNT OF THIS FRONT. DURING THE EVENING...HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE THE MAIN THREATS WITH HEAVY RAIN SETTLING IN AFTER DARK AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE NIGHT. THE TAFS REFLECT THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN THREAT OVERNIGHT. ALSO REFLECTED IS MVFR CEILINGS TONIGHT OVER KBIS AND KJMS MAINLY. SHOWERY WEATHER ALONG WITH MVFR CEILINGS WILL LINGER INTO FRIDAY...BUT THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL HAVE MOVED EAST BY THEN. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && LONG TERM/AVIATION...KS SHORT TERM...KINNEY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 538 AM CDT THU SEP 10 2009 NDZ001>004-009>011-017>019-031>033-040-041-043-111045- DIVIDE-BURKE-RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-WARD-MCKENZIE- DUNN-MERCER-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-SLOPE-HETTINGER-BOWMAN- 538 AM CDT THU SEP 10 2009 /438 AM MDT THU SEP 10 2009/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS...POSSIBLY SEVERE...FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. NDZ005-012-013-020>023-025-034>037-042-044>048-050-051-111045- ROLETTE-MCHENRY-PIERCE-OLIVER-MCLEAN-SHERIDAN-WELLS-FOSTER-MORTON- BURLEIGH-KIDDER-STUTSMAN-GRANT-ADAMS-SIOUX-EMMONS-LOGAN-LA MOURE- MCINTOSH-DICKEY- 538 AM CDT THU SEP 10 2009 /438 AM MDT THU SEP 10 2009/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING LATE THIS AFTERNOON...AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TONIGHT. SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE AND CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. JV
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 736 PM CDT THU SEP 10 2009 NDZ020-034-110130- MORTON ND-OLIVER ND- 736 PM CDT THU SEP 10 2009 ...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR NORTHERN MORTON AND OLIVER COUNTIES UNTIL 830 PM CDT... AT 736 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HANNOVER...OR 41 MILES WEST OF BISMARCK...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...HANNOVER...CENTER AND FORT CLARK. THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. SIMOSKO
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 741 PM CDT THU SEP 10 2009 NDZ011-021-110115- MCLEAN ND-WARD ND- 741 PM CDT THU SEP 10 2009 ...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR SOUTHERN WARD AND NORTHERN MCLEAN COUNTIES UNTIL 815 PM CDT... AT 741 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF GARRISON...OR 36 MILES SOUTH OF MINOT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... DOUGLAS AROUND 750 PM CDT. MAX AROUND 810 PM CDT. THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. KINNEY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 813 PM CDT THU SEP 10 2009 NDZ019>021-110145- MCLEAN ND-MERCER ND-OLIVER ND- 813 PM CDT THU SEP 10 2009 ...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR NORTHERN OLIVER...EASTERN MERCER AND SOUTHERN MCLEAN COUNTIES UNTIL 845 PM CDT/745 PM MDT/... AT 812 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR FORT CLARK...OR 38 MILES NORTHWEST OF BISMARCK...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... FORT CLARK AND STANTON AROUND 720 PM MDT. HENSLER...WASHBURN AND CROSS RANCH STATE PARK AROUND 845 PM CDT. THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. SIMOSKO
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 856 PM CDT THU SEP 10 2009 NDZ011-012-019>021-034-041-042-044-045-110400- WARD-MCHENRY-MERCER-OLIVER-MCLEAN-MORTON-HETTINGER-GRANT-ADAMS- SIOUX- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MINOT...TOWNER...BEULAH...HAZEN... CENTER...GARRISON...MANDAN...MOTT...ELGIN...HETTINGER... FORT YATES 856 PM CDT THU SEP 10 2009 /756 PM MDT THU SEP 10 2009/ AT 850 PM CDT...NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL...EXTENDED ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. THE AREA WAS FORMING INTO A BROKEN LINE FROM NEAR LEMON SOUTH DAKOTA ...NORTHEAST TO SHERIDAN COUNTY...25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MINOT. THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. BETWEEN 9 AND 10 PM CDT...THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN INTENSITY AND COVERAGE...AND SOME STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH THE MAIN THREAT OF LARGE HAIL AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES UNTIL 2 AM CDT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. WAA
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The severe hail caused moderate crop damage.
Hail up to the size of nickels accompanied the severe thunderstorm wind gusts. Some tree damage was reported in Center.
An estimated severe thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Dakota in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, September 2009
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: 189346, 189348, 189349.