Slow moving thunderstorms resulted in heavy rainfall and flash flooding over portions of north central North Dakota during the morning and early afternoon hours of Thursday, May 27th. In addition, some of the storms became severe and produced several reports of large hail.
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.
Slow moving thunderstorms resulted in heavy rainfall and flash flooding over portions of north central North Dakota during the morning and early afternoon hours of Thursday, May 27th. In addition, some of the storms became severe and produced several reports of large hail.
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 May 27, 2:37 AM CST, 7 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 337 AM CDT THU MAY 27 2010 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT WILL ISSUE A WIND ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWEST AND FAR SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA TODAY. STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP AS DAYTIME HEATING LINKS THE SURFACE WINDS TO MUCH STRONGER WINDS ALOFT. THE MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THE SHORT TERM. ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL LOW IS MOVING INTO THE WEST CAUSING A SURFACE LOW TO DEVELOP ON THE LEE OF THE ROCKIES. AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVES EAST THE SURFACE LOW WILL MOVE ACROSS THE PLAINS. THIS WILL BE A SLOW PROCESS AND WILL INDUCE YET ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH SATURDAY. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING THIS MORNING WILL MOVE NORTH INTO CANADA BY EARLY AFTERNOON. SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL PUSH WARM AIR INTO THE FORECAST AREA WITH RISING DEWPOINTS AND AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 70S TO LOWER 80S. BY LATE AFTERNOON A WARM FRONT SHOULD STRETCH ALONG THE NORTHERN COUNTIES WITH THE BEST CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND NORTH OF THE FRONT. THE FRONT SHOULD MOVE INTO CANADA BY FRIDAY MORNING...BUT THE SURFACE LOW WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA THEN BECOME ELONGATED AS IT SLIDES EAST. CONVECTION IS LIKELY ALONG THIS BOUNDARY. HIGH CAPES AND STRONG SHEAR THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT LEADING TO A POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE WARM AGAIN ON FRIDAY...BUT WILL BE MUCH COOLER IN THE WEST ON SATURDAY. THE POTENTIAL FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ON SATURDAY...BUT AS THE LOW MOVES EAST THE BEST CAPE AND SHEAR WILL MOVE EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA ENDING THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER. .LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... MODELS DIFFER QUITE A BIT IN THE DETAILS DURING THE EXTENDED PERIOD...BUT ARE FAIRLY CONSISTENT WITH THE GENERAL PATTERN. OVERALL...EXPECT A NORTHWARD SHIFT OF THE MAIN BELT OF WESTERLIES...AS THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE BEGINS TO BUILD IN ALONG THE SOUTHERN CONUS. THIS PLACES THE MAJOR STORM TRACK RIGHT OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS...KEEPING THE FORECAST AREA UNDER THE GUN FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. SUNDAY BEGINS WITH ANOTHER SHORTWAVE PASSING OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS. ALONG WITH A DECENT CHANCE OF RAIN AND SOME SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...EXPECT WIND MAY BE A CONCERN AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS BEHIND THE SURFACE LOW. THE SYSTEM SHOULD EXIT THE STATE BY MONDAY...ALLOWING FOR WEAK RIDGING TO BUILD INTO THE REGION. THE LATEST RUNS OF THE ECMWF AND GFS SWEEP ANOTHER SHORTWAVE AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE SYSTEM THROUGH THE STATE TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. EXPECT RATHER STRONG CAA SUNDAY WITH COLDER TEMPERATURES...FOLLOWED BY A GRADUAL WARMING TREND...BACK TO NEAR NORMAL BY WEDNESDAY. .AVIATION... A FRONTAL BOUNDARY CROSSING THE STATE HAS RESULTED IN NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MY WESTERN COUNTIES...INCLUDING KDIK...KISN...AND KMOT. EXPECT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE TERM AT KISN...AND TO A LESSER EXTENT KMOT...AS THE BOUNDARY STALLS OUT IN THE NORTHWEST AND INSTABILITY THERE REMAINS SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE CONVECTION. EXPECT MVFR CONDITIONS WITHIN AREAS OF RAIN...AS WELL AS IN THE WEST NEAR THE BOUNDARY AS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE REMAINS ABUNDANT. OTHERWISE...VFR SHOULD PREVAIL WITH EASTERLY WINDS OF 15 TO 25 KNOTS DURING THE DAY...AND 5 TO 10 KNOTS DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM CDT /10 AM MDT/ THIS MORNING TO 7 PM CDT /6 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR NDZ031>033-040>045. && SHORT TERM...TSW LONG TERM/AVIATION...BPN/RK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 452 AM CDT THU MAY 27 2010 NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-034>037-046>048-050-051-281000- DIVIDE-BURKE-RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-ROLETTE-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-WARD- MCHENRY-PIERCE-MCKENZIE-DUNN-MERCER-OLIVER-MCLEAN-SHERIDAN-WELLS- FOSTER-MORTON-BURLEIGH-KIDDER-STUTSMAN-EMMONS-LOGAN-LA MOURE- MCINTOSH-DICKEY- 452 AM CDT THU MAY 27 2010 /352 AM MDT THU MAY 27 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE NORTH ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS...POSSIBLY SEVERE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. HIGH CAPE AND GOOD WIND SHEAR CAN BE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON. IF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP THEY WILL LIKELY DEVELOP ALONG OR NORTH OF A WARM FRONT THAT SHOULD MOVE INTO NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THUNDERSTORMS...POSSIBLY SEVERE DUE TO HIGH CAPE AND STRONG SHEAR...ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AS THE SURFACE LOW IN MONTANA ELONGATES AND MOVES SLOWLY EAST ACROSS THE DAKOTAS. THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY...TUESDAY...AND WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. NDZ031>033-040>045-281000- GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-SLOPE-HETTINGER-GRANT-BOWMAN-ADAMS- SIOUX- 452 AM CDT THU MAY 27 2010 /352 AM MDT THU MAY 27 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG SOUTH WINDS WILL DEVELOP LATE THIS MORNING AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR SOUTH WINDS AROUND 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 45 MPH. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS...POSSIBLY SEVERE DUE TO HIGH CAPE AND STRONG WIND SHEAR...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THUNDERSTORMS...POSSIBLY SEVERE DUE TO HIGH CAPE AND STRONG SHEAR...ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AS THE SURFACE LOW IN MONTANA ELONGATES AND MOVES SLOWLY EAST ACROSS THE DAKOTAS. THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY...TUESDAY...AND WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 745 AM CDT THU MAY 27 2010 NDZ010-011-018-019-021-271345- DUNN-MCLEAN-MERCER-MOUNTRAIL-WARD- 745 AM CDT THU MAY 27 2010 AT 742 AM CDT...642 AM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM SOUTHEASTERN MOUNTRAIL COUNTY TO WEST CENTRAL MCLEAN COUNTY TO EXTREME EAST CENTRAL DUNN COUNTY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE...WINDS GREATER THAN 40 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. * THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... GOLDEN VALLEY BY 655 AM MDT... ROSEGLEN BY 805 AM CDT... MAKOTI AND ZAP BY 710 AM MDT... RYDER BY 825 AM CDT... DES LACS AND DOUGLAS BY 840 AM CDT... MINOT AND BURLINGTON BY 845 AM CDT... HOURLY RAINFALL AMOUNTS UP TO THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH ARE POSSIBLE. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR MINOR STREET FLOODING AND PONDING WATER ON ROADS. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED. KINNEY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 848 AM CDT THU MAY 27 2010 NDZ010-011-021-271500- MCLEAN-MOUNTRAIL-WARD- 848 AM CDT THU MAY 27 2010 ...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT... AT 843 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 14 MILES NORTHEAST OF MINOT TO 21 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MINOT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. CONTINUOUS LIGHTNING...HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. THROUGH 10 AM CDT...HEAVY RAIN FROM THESE STORMS MAY CAUSE STREET FLOODING IN THE TOWN OF MINOT. STAY AWAY FROM UNDERPASSES THAT MAY FLOOD. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED. ABELING
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 hail, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Two inches of rain resulted in a few feet of water running through Minot streets. Underpasses in the city were flooded and blocked. Minor damage occurred to culverts.
Local law enforcement reported water over several roads in the city of Sherwood. Another report from a trained weather spotter also indicated flash flooding in Sherwood. Some lower maintenance roads were damaged.
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, May 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: 230321, 230326, 230330, 230331, 230332, 230322.