Unusually warm and humid air remained in place during the early morning hours of the 14th, especially along and south of the Interstate 94 corridor. Temperatures hovered in the lower 70s with dew point temperatures in the upper 60s to around 70.
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 FGF wrote it up.
Unusually warm and humid air remained in place during the early morning hours of the 14th, especially along and south of the Interstate 94 corridor. Temperatures hovered in the lower 70s with dew point temperatures in the upper 60s to around 70. A line of thunderstorms moved east across southeast North Dakota into west central Minnesota, producing mainly strong wind gusts.
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 Jul 13, 8:31 PM CST, 6 hours 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND 931 PM CDT TUE JUL 13 2010 .UPDATE... MONITORING SUPERCELLS ALL EVENING FROM JAMESTOWN TO NOW APPROACHING DETROIT LAKES AREA. STORMS CONTINUE TO RIDE ALONG A VERY WEAK BOUNDARY SEPARATING SOUTHEAST WINDS FROM SOUTH WINDS. INSTABILITY GREATLY DECREASES AS IT RUNS EAST OF DTL-FFM AREA SO WOULD THINK STORMS WILL WEAKEN CONSIDERABLY BY 04Z. COORD WITH SPC/BIS/ABR WILL REMOVE WATCH FOR MUCH OF ERN ND/NW MN EXCEPT FOR FAR SE ND INTO WCNTRL MN WHERE IT WILL BE EXTENDED TIL 04Z. BIG BIG QUESTION IS LATER TONIGHT. INCOMING NAM AND LATEST RUC/RR/HRRR ALL SHOW A LATER DEVELOPMENT OF TSTMS OVERNIGHT IN THAT BISMARCK-DICKINSON AREA IN THE 06Z-08Z PERIOD AND THEN MOVING EAST. LOW LEVEL JET IS WEAK UNTIL SFC LOW STRENGTHENS AND MOVES TOWARD ABERDEEN AREA BY 12Z WED. EXPECT WIDESPREAD RAIN AND TSTORMS NORTHWES TO THE SFC LOW AND RUC SHOWS STRONG 850 MB WARM ADV IN SE ND 12Z PERIOD. THUS NEXT THREAT FOR SVR ELEVATED TSTMS MAY HOLD OFF UNTIL AFTER 09Z IN OUR CWA AND CLOSER TO 12Z. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 226 PM CDT TUE JUL 13 2010/ SHORT TERM... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CHANCES FOR TONIGHT THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING CONTINUE TO BE THE PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERN. WV LOOP AND 12Z UPPER AIR OBS CONTINUE TO SHOW AN VERY STRONG UPPER LOW ROTATING OVER SOUTHWESTERN CANADA AND DIGGING INTO THE NORTHWESTERN CONUS. A JET STREAK OF 100-120 KTS WAS BEGINNING TO NOSE INTO WESTERN ND...WITH ONE VORT LOBE EJECTING OFF THE MAIN UPPER LOW INTO SASKATCHEWAN AT THE CURRENT TIME. SPC MESOANALYSIS HAS MOST UNSTABLE CAPE OF AROUND 2000 J/KG OVER OUR WESTERN CWA...BUT UP UNTIL THE LAST HOUR STILL CAPPED TO SFC BASED CAPE. THE CAP SHOULD HAS STARTED TO ERODE OVER THE NORTHERN CWA AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO DECREASE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. WITH THE UPPER JET MOVING INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND SHOWING GOOD DIFFLUENCE...AND A 30-40 KT LLJ AT 850MB THIS MORNING...SHEAR WILL BE VERY STRONG. STORM RELATIVE HELICITY IN THE 0-1KM LAYER IS AROUND 100-250 M2/S2...OVER OUR SOUTHWESTERN COUNTIES...WITH EVEN HIGHER 0-6KM HELICITY VALUES. HODOGRAPHS SHOW A NICE CURVE AND SUPERCELLS ARE A DEFINITE POSSIBILITY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...MAINLY WEST OF THE RED RIVER ALTHOUGH A FEW CROSSING OVER INTO MN IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF THE ND COUNTIES AND THE MN COUNTIES RIGHT NEAR THE RIVER. MODELS ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT ON DEVELOPING STORMS AHEAD OF THE MAIN FRONT THIS EVENING...AND THEN A SECOND WAVE OF STORMS ALONG THE FRONT LATER TONIGHT. NAM SOUNDINGS FOR KFAR HAVE CAPE AROUND 3000 J/KG EVEN AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH THAT SECOND WAVE...AND SHEAR CONTINUES TO BE STRONG. HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE A THREAT WELL INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...AND SOME SPIN-UPS ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. HEAVY RAIN COULD ALSO BE A PROBLEM WITH PW VALUES NEARING 2 INCHES IN OUR SOUTHERN COUNTIES. FFG IS FAIRLY HIGH EXCEPT FOR A FEW ISOLATED BASINS. HEAVY RAINFALL OF 2-3 INCHES IS POSSIBLE...ALTHOUGH IT IS UNCERTAIN HOW WIDESPREAD. GIVEN THAT A TORNADO WATCH IS ALREADY IN EFFECT AND THERE IS SOME QUESTION ON HOW WIDESPREAD THE FIRST ROUND OF CONVECTION WILL BE...WILL HOLD OFF ON ANY FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NOW...BUT KEEP AN EYE ON THINGS. THE SECOND VORT LOBE WILL BE EJECTING OUT INTO ND...PUSHING THE SFC BOUNDARY FURTHER EAST. THE FOCUS OF CONVECTION WILL BE MOVING OFF INTO MN...WITH STORMS LINGERING OVER OUR EASTERN COUNTIES INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP HIGH POPS OVER EASTERN COUNTIES THROUGH THE MORNING...THEN TAPERING THEM OFF QUICKLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN. WITH CAPE VALUES STILL HIGH...PW OVER 1.5 INCHES...AND STILL A DECENT AMOUNT OF SHEAR...WILL KEEP THE MENTION FOR SEVERE AND HEAVY RAIN OVER OUR SOUTHEAST THROUGH 18Z. CONDITIONS WILL BECOME MUCH MORE QUIET FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SHORT TERM. THE UPPER LOW WILL MOVE OFF INTO ONTARIO...LEAVING SFC HIGH PRESSURE OVER MUCH OF THE PLAINS. THERE COULD BE A FEW SHOWERS AND STORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE NORTHEASTERN COUNTIES UNDERNEATH THE COLD POOL THURSDAY AFTERNOON...SO INCLUDED SOME LOW POPS IN THAT AREA. ANY ACTIVITY WILL DISSIPATE QUICKLY IN THE EVENING AS WE LOSE DAYTIME HEATING. THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY SHOULD BE QUIET AS NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT TRANSITIONS TO WEAK RIDGING AND SFC HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES OVER THE PLAINS. TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE ON A WARMING TREND BACK INTO THE UPPER 80S TO LOW 90S. LONG TERM... /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/ A FLAT LONGWAVE RIDGE ACROSS WESTERN NOAM KEEPS US IN A SEASONABLY WARM PATTERN THROUGH THE WEEKEND PERIOD. HOWEVER... A WEAK SHRTWV RIDGE IS EXPECTED TO PUSH OVER THE AREA LATE FRIDAY... WITH A FOLLOWING SHRTWV TROF INTO THE AREA FROM FRIDAY EVENING INTO SUNDAY MORNING. THUS THERE IS A RISK OF TSTM ACTIVITY THROUGH THE COMING WEEKEND... WITH SATURDAY PM THE MOST LIKELY PERIOD FOR WIDESPREAD DEEP CONVECTION. MID SUNDAY INTO MONDAY LOOKS RELATIVELY DRY... WITH A RISK OF TSTMS DEVELOPING AGAIN MONDAY EVENING INTO TUESDAY. AVIATION... MOST OF THE FA WILL SEE INCREASING BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE AND HEATING THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON... WITH A COMMENSURATE INCREASE IN MVFR CIGS AS THE CU FIELD RIPENS INTO CU STREETS AND TCU. EXPECTED WIDESPREAD STRONG TO SEVERE TSTM DEVELOPMENT AHEAD OF A TROF AXIS IN ERN ND BY LATE AFTERNOON... SHIFTING INTO NWRN MN BY EARLY EVENING. STRONG LOW LEVEL WIND FLOW SHUD VEER WESTERLY WITH PASSAGE OF TROF AXIS. A FOLLOWING COLD FRONT WILL LIKELY PRODUCE AN INCREASE IN THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WITH AREAS OF MVFR CIGS AND VSBYS ACROSS ERN ND AFT MIDNIGHT... AND ACROSS NWRN MN THROUGH EARLY WED AM. && .FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ND...NONE. MN...NONE. && RIDDLE/JR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND 307 PM CDT TUE JUL 13 2010 MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024- 026>030-038-039-049-052>054-142015- 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- 307 PM CDT TUE JUL 13 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES TO SEEM LIKELY. THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...AND MORE WILL SPREAD INTO EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE SUPERCELLS...WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES POSSIBLE. THE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EASTWARD...ARRIVING IN THE RED RIVER VALLEY AROUND EARLY EVENING AND INTO WESTERN MINNESOTA BY LATE EVENING. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT. ANOTHER WAVE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP LATER TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS MOST LIKELY...WITH ACTIVITY AGAIN BECOMING SEVERE. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT...BUT SOME HAIL AND EVEN AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL ALSO BE AN ISSUE...WITH MANY LOCATIONS RECEIVING STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN 1 AND 3 INCHES. THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE WHERE SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS PASS OVER THE SAME AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS MAY CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW STRONGER STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. JR/BB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND 1130 PM CDT TUE JUL 13 2010 MNZ031-032-140530- EAST OTTER TAIL MN-WADENA MN- 1130 PM CDT TUE JUL 13 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN OTTER TAIL AND CENTRAL WADENA COUNTIES UNTIL 1230 AM CDT... AT 1129 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A THUNDERSTORM NEAR PERHAM...OR 21 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DETROIT LAKES...MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS IS EXPECTED WITH THE STORM. THE STORM WILL BE NEAR... NEW YORK MILLS AROUND 1150 PM CDT. BLUFFTON AROUND 1210 AM CDT. WADENA AND SEBEKA AROUND 1220 AM CDT. BLUE GRASS AROUND 1225 AM CDT. BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IF THE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE...OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. JK
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
112 AM CDT WED JUL 14 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1009 PM TORNADO DENT 46.55N 95.72W
07/13/2010 OTTER TAIL MN PUBLIC
VERY BRIEF TOUCHDOWN
&&
TGRAFENAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
327 AM CDT WED JUL 14 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0317 AM TSTM WND GST 2 NW LITCHVILLE 46.68N 98.22W
07/14/2010 E50 MPH BARNES ND TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER SAW TREES SWAY AND SMALL BRANCHES FALL. THE WIND
GUST WAS ESTIMATED AT 50 MPH.
&&
G2The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:34 UTC.
10 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 2 hail, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous large tree limbs were broken down around the community.
This tornado was embedded in a squall line which also produced large hail and a wide swath of damaging downburst winds. the most extreme tornado damage was observed at two farmsteads northwest of elliot and in the town of elliot where wooden quonset structures and large steel grain bins were violently crumpled and tossed in various directions. Peak winds estimated to 105 mph.
This tornado was embedded in a squall line which also produced large hail and a wide swath of damaging downburst winds. The most extreme tornado damage was observed at two farmsteads, one about four miles west of Lisbon where a barn was ripped off its foundation and destroyed, and another about 4 miles ESE of Lisbon where a well constructed steel shop was completely blown apart. At least three wooden power poles were snapped at two different locations east of Lisbon. Numerous lareg trees were blown down or uprooted in Lisbon, and many homes and business had extensive roofing damage. peak winds estimated to 120 mph.
Winds measured at the NDAWN sensor located one half mile south of the airport sensor measured a peak wind to 58 mph.
State radio relayed the public report of the funnel cloud sighting.
The spotter estimated wind speeds of 50 to 60 mph.
Peak gust measured at the NDAWN winds sensor near ND Highway 46. Numerous large tree limbs were blown down in shelter belts along Highway 46 and in farmsteads and communities near the highway.
A spotter estimated the winds to be around 75 mph.
And old barn collapsed and the back end of a pole shed was blown off by damaging downburst winds.
A Squall Line with damaging downburst winds raked across West Fargo and into Fargo through the early morning hours. Winds flipped over two semi trailors parked near the fair grounds and completly tore off a large metal section of city garbage transfer station along U.S. Highway 10. Industrial business roofing damage and the movement of small machinery items in various lots indicated the occurence of one or more small surface eddies in the overall downburst pattern.
The strong winds knocked down numerous large trees and caused widespread shingle and roof damage to homes. Large cottonwood branches of three to four inches in diameter were blown onto the top of a vehicle. Numerous sections of wooden fencing were blown down.
A two hundred pound grill was pushed across a deck and lawn furniture was blown about. Peak winds at Fargo Hector airport (KFAR) ranged from 45 to 57 mph for about 20 minutes.
This was the third severe thunderstorm to affect the area during a 12 hour period.
The winds were estimated by a trained weather spotter.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Dakota in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for North Dakota, 2010Warnings in North Dakota, July 2010
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: 263283, 263282, 263284, 263370, 233182, 233196, 263281, 233197, 263286, 263285, 233192, 233188, 263288, 233186, 233201.