In the late evening hours of Thursday, July 1st, Severe Thunderstorm Watch number 437 was issued for western North Dakota, in anticipation of a bowing multicellular thunderstorm moving eastward over eastern Montana, towards western North Dakota and towards an increasingly moist and unstable environment. Over time, the northern section of the thunderstorm sustained its strength while the southern…
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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 BIS wrote it up.
In the late evening hours of Thursday, July 1st, Severe Thunderstorm Watch number 437 was issued for western North Dakota, in anticipation of a bowing multicellular thunderstorm moving eastward over eastern Montana, towards western North Dakota and towards an increasingly moist and unstable environment. Over time, the northern section of the thunderstorm sustained its strength while the southern half dissipated. The storm moved across northwest North Dakota during the early morning hours of Friday, July 2nd, and prompted several severe thunderstorm warnings. Several reports of 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 Jul 1, 8:24 PM CST, 4 hours 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 924 PM CDT THU JUL 1 2010 .UPDATE... RECENT RADAR TRENDS AND MESOSCALE ANALYSIS REVEAL A CAP SUFFICIENT TO TO SQUELCH CONVECTION OVER NORTH DAKOTA THIS EVENING. WITH THE MAIN SUPPORT FOR LARGER SCALE UPWARD VERTICAL MOTION STILL OVER WESTERN AND CENTRAL MONTANA...LOOK FOR SOME DELAY BEFORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE ABLE TO TAP INTO THE NOCTURNAL LOW LEVEL JET AND SPREAD INTO WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA. THE LATEST STORM PREDICTION CENTER SLIGHT RISK HAS PULLED PROBABILITIES AROUND EIGHT COUNTIES TO THE WEST...LEAVING ONLY THE FAR NORTHWEST IN A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE TONIGHT. GRIDDED FORECASTS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS CHANGE. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 327 PM CDT THU JUL 1 2010/ SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT... MAIN CONCERNS THIS FORECAST PERIOD ARE FOR POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL TONIGHT AND AGAIN FRIDAY NIGHT. ALSO EXCESSIVE HEAT IS EXPECTED FRIDAY AFTERNOON DUE TO COMPRESSIONAL HEATING AND HIGH HUMIDITY AS SOUTHWEST FLOW WARMS ADIABATICALLY AND MIXES DOWN TO THE SURFACE AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO APPROACH THE WESTERN BORDER FRIDAY EVENING. WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA WILL REMAIN IN BETWEEN HIGH PRESSURE NOW OVER THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES AND A TROUGH ALONG THE WEST COAST PLACING WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA UNDER SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT. AT THE SURFACE A TROUGH REMAINS ALONG THE WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND EASTERN BORDER WITH A SURFACE LOW DEVELOPING OVER NORTHERN WYOMING AND SOUTHERN MONTANA. GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH ARE MIXING DOWN TO THE SURFACE ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS ARE ONGOING ACROSS MAINLY NORTHERN NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON. SEVERAL DISTURBANCES ARE FORECAST TO EJECT OUT OF THE TROUGH ALONG THE WEST COAST TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY AS THE TROUGH MOVES INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THE MAIN UPPER LEVEL ENERGY WITH THIS SYSTEM ARRIVES FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY FINALLY PUSHING THE STRONG COLD FRONT THROUGH THE STATE. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING OVER EASTERN MONTANAN AND MOVING INTO WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA. A MARGINAL TO MODERATELY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE IS IN PLACE ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA WITH 0 TO 6 KM SHEAR OF 30 TO 40 KNOTS. STRONGER DISTURBANCES APPROACH THE REGION ON FRIDAY GIVING MORE LIFT TO A MODERATELY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE OVERNIGHT ON FRIDAY. BY SATURDAY THE COLD FRONT HAS PROGRESSED INTO CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA LIMITING THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT TO EXTREME EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. OVER THE REST OF THE STATE ON SATURDAY COLD AIR ALOFT ASSOCIATED THE 500 HPA TROUGH PROVIDES ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR CHANCES OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS. FLOW ALOFT BECOMES ZONAL FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY WITH MOST OF THE DISTURBANCES STAYING TO THE NORTH IN CANADA SO DRY WEATHER CAN BE EXPECTED. TEMPERATURES SHOULD ONCE AGAIN BE MUCH ABOVE NORMAL ON FRIDAY. BEHIND THE COLD FRONT ON SATURDAY EXPECT NOTICEABLY COOLER AIR WITH HIGHS 5 TO 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR WHILE AHEAD OF THE FRONT A VERY WARM DAY CAN BE EXPECTED. SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES CAN BE EXPECTED FOR THE 4TH. LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT... THE GFS AND ECMWF MODELS IN FAIR AGREEMENT FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY. BOTH DEPICT AN UPPER LOW IN NORTH CENTRAL CANADA WITH A BROAD TROUGH ACROSS CENTRAL CANADA AND INTO THE NORTH CENTRAL US. THIS REGIME WOULD MEAN CYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY. HAVE KEPT A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY/MONDAY NIGHT OVER THE FORECAST AREA...AND HAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE TUESDAY FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL. THE MODELS INDICATE THE LOW/TROUGH MOVING EASTWARD AND A SHORTWAVE IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT MAY BRING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS/THUNDER WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE GFS IS MORE PROGRESSIVE FOR THURSDAY...BUILDING A RIDGE OVER THE WEST COAST/ROCKIES AS THE TROUGH CONTINUES EAST INTO EASTERN CANADA/NEW ENGLAND. THE ECMWF KEEPS MORE OF A ZONAL FLOW OVER CENTRAL CANADA/US AS THE MAIN LOW MOVES EAST. BASICALLY HIGHS 75 TO 85 WITH LOWS 55 TO 60 FOR THE LONG TERM PERIOD. AVIATION... A SURFACE TROUGH NOW OVER WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON WITH A SURFACE LOW OVER NW SOUTH DAKOTA. VFR CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON WITH A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS OVER NORTHERN NORTH DAKOTA. GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 15 TO 25 KNOTS CONTINUE AT KBIS AND KJMS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS MONTANA AND MOVE INTO WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THIS EVENING AT KMOT..KISN...AND KDIK. GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS DEVELOP TOMORROW MORNING AT KDIK...KBIS...AND KJMS. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM CDT /10 AM MDT/ TO 7 PM CDT /6 PM MDT/ FRIDAY FOR NDZ018>020-033>035-041-042-044>046. && SHORT TERM...WA/DC LONG TERM...JV UPDATE...SCHECK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 1117 PM CDT THU JUL 1 2010 NDZ003>005-011>013-021>023-025-036-037-047-048-050-051-030430- RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-ROLETTE-WARD-MCHENRY-PIERCE-MCLEAN-SHERIDAN- WELLS-FOSTER-KIDDER-STUTSMAN-LOGAN-LA MOURE-MCINTOSH-DICKEY- 1117 PM CDT THU JUL 1 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN TONIGHT AS THE REGION REMAINS IN A WARM MOIST AIR MASS. SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY... DEVELOPMENT IS LIKELY TO BE TO THE WEST WITH THE STORMS MOVING INTO THE FORECAST AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY IT WILL BE HOT AND HUMID ON FRIDAY...WITH HIGHS IN THE 90S. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND IT'S ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. THE BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...SOME STORMS POSSIBLY SEVERE...WITH CHANCES LESSENING SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. NDZ019-020-034-035-042-045-046-030430- MERCER-OLIVER-MORTON-BURLEIGH-GRANT-SIOUX-EMMONS- 1117 PM CDT THU JUL 1 2010 /1017 PM MDT THU JUL 1 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN TONIGHT AS THE REGION REMAINS IN A WARM MOIST AIR MASS. SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY... DEVELOPMENT IS LIKELY TO BE TO THE WEST WITH THE STORMS MOVING INTO THE FORECAST AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY IT WILL BE HOT AND HUMID ON FRIDAY...WITH HIGHS AROUND 100 DEGREES. A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM CDT TO 7 PM CDT FOR HEAT INDICES OF AROUND 105 EXPECTED. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND IT'S ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. THE BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...SOME STORMS POSSIBLY SEVERE...WITH CHANCES LESSENING SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. NDZ018-033-041-044-030430- DUNN-STARK-HETTINGER-ADAMS- 1117 PM CDT THU JUL 1 2010 /1017 PM MDT THU JUL 1 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN TONIGHT AS THE REGION REMAINS IN A WARM MOIST AIR MASS. SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY... DEVELOPMENT IS LIKELY TO BE TO THE WEST WITH THE STORMS MOVING INTO THE FORECAST AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. THIS AREA IS UNDER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL AT LEAST 4 AM CDT. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY IT WILL BE HOT AND HUMID ON FRIDAY...WITH HIGHS AROUND 100 DEGREES. A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM CDT TO 7 PM CDT FOR HEAT INDICES OF AROUND 105 EXPECTED. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND IT'S ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. THE BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...SOME STORMS POSSIBLY SEVERE...WITH CHANCES LESSENING SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. NDZ001-002-009-010-017-031-032-040-043-030430- DIVIDE-BURKE-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-MCKENZIE-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS- SLOPE-BOWMAN- 1117 PM CDT THU JUL 1 2010 /1017 PM MDT THU JUL 1 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN TONIGHT AS THE REGION REMAINS IN A WARM MOIST AIR MASS. SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY... DEVELOPMENT IS LIKELY TO BE TO THE WEST WITH THE STORMS MOVING INTO THE FORECAST AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM CDT/3 AM MDT. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY IT WILL BE HOT AND HUMID ON FRIDAY...WITH HIGHS IN THE 90S. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND IT'S ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. THE BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...SOME STORMS POSSIBLY SEVERE...WITH CHANCES LESSENING SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. SCHECK/JV
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds were reported in the city of Williston, resulting in power bumps and displaced trash dumpsters.
Very heavy rain accompanied the strong thunderstorm winds.
The strong thunderstorm winds were reported at a camp ground in Zahl.
Very heavy rain and frequent lightning accompanied the strong winds.
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 historyWarnings 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: 244940, 244941, 244943, 244944, 244945.