A cold front moved into the Devils Lake region during the evening of the 21st and progressed into the Red River Valley around midnight. In combination with strong upper level dynamics, a good low level jet, and modest warm advection, this event produced several reports of large hail and a few tornadoes.
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.
A cold front moved into the Devils Lake region during the evening of the 21st and progressed into the Red River Valley around midnight. In combination with strong upper level dynamics, a good low level jet, and modest warm advection, this event produced several reports of large hail and a few tornadoes. The storms generally weakened as they moved into northwest Minnesota.
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 21, 10:52 PM CST, 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND 1152 PM CDT SUN JUL 21 2013 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1147 PM CDT SUN JUL 21 2013 LONE SEVERE STORM CONTINUES TO PROPAGATE SE INTO CENTRAL PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA WITH VERY LITTLE HAPPENING ELSEWHERE. CONTINUED TO ADJUST POPS BASED ON CURRENT AND EXPECTED PCPN TRACK. NO OTHER CHANGES MADE. UPDATE ISSUED AT 945 PM CDT SUN JUL 21 2013 DEEP CONVECTION WEAKENED EARLY THIS EVENING AS IT MOVED INTO THE FAR WESTERN FORECAST AREA. T IS NOW VERY ISOLATED WITH STRONGEST CELL JUST NORTH OF LAKOTA. LOW LEVEL JET FORECAST TO INCREASE WITH BEST CONVERGENCE ALONG INTERNATIONAL BORDER AREA OF MN OVERNIGHT. HAVE MAINTAIN HIGHEST POPS THIS AREA THROUGH MOST OF THE NIGHT. ELSEWHERE STORM POTENTIAL MORE IN QUESTION AND HAVE OVERALL DECREASED POPS SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS SOUTH HALF OF FA WITH LACK OF CONVERGENCE AND FAVORED MID LEVEL SUPPORT IN CANADA. ANY OTHER CHANGES TO FORECAST MINOR. UPDATE ISSUED AT 633 PM CDT SUN JUL 21 2013 LINE OF DEEP CONVECTION EXTENDING FROM NEAR PILOT MOUND MB TO RUGBY AND WEST OF BIS. BASED ON CURRENT TIMING ADJUSTED POPS DELAYING HIGHER POPS ACROSS NW AND KEEPING SOUTHERN FA DRY LONGER. NO OTHER CHANGES THIS UPDATE. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 303 PM CDT SUN JUL 21 2013 MAIN CHALLENGE CONTINUES TO BE TSTM CHANCES AND SEVERITY FOR TONIGHT. LATEST MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SUPPORT A THREAT FOR PORTIONS OF THE FA BUT EARLY ON MAINLY FOR THE KDVL REGION AS IT SHOULD TAKE A WHILE TO REACH THE RED RIVER VALLEY. CURRENTLY HAVE A COLD FRONT WORKING INTO FAR NORTHWEST ND WITH AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE THERE AS WELL. A WARM FRONT EXTENDS SE FROM THIS LOW DOWN TO NEAR KBIS AND KABR. IN THIS WARM SECTOR DEW POINTS ARE GENERALLY IN THE LOW TO MID 60S WITH TEMPS IN THE 80S. EAST OF THE WARM FRONT DEW POINTS HAVE BEEN SLOW TO RECOVER FROM MORNING LOWS WITH 50S STILL COMMON. THERE HAS BEEN A WEAK TSTM COMPLEX OVER SOUTHWEST MANITOBA RIDING AHEAD OF THE MAIN SHORT WAVE. THIS SHOULD GET INTO THE FAR NW FA IN THE NEXT HOUR OR SO. INSTABILITY IS WEAK OUT AHEAD OF THIS INITIAL COMPLEX BUT IT MAY CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST ALONG THE BORDER WITH THE UPPER JET DYNAMICS IN PLACE. THE SEVERE THREAT SHOULD BE BEHIND THIS COMPLEX CLOSER TO THE COLD FRONT AND SFC LOW OVER WESTERN ND. INSTABILITY IS BETTER HERE WITH THE ABOVE MENTIONED WARMER AND MOIST AIR. THE MAIN SHORT WAVE ENERGY APPEARS TO BE LOCATED OVER SOUTHERN ALBERTA WHICH IS NEARING THE SFC BOUNDARY. WITH THE WAVE AND THE UPPER JET ENERGY A MORE ORGANIZED TSTM COMPLEX IS EXPECTED TO GET UNDERWAY OUT WEST. SPC HAS ISSUED MCD 1456 AND A NEW TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL ND. THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF CELLS THAT HAVE POPPED UP NEAR KISN THAT MAY BE THE START OF SOME STRONGER CELLS. NOT EXPECTING ANY STRONG STORMS TO APPROACH OUR WESTERN FA FOR A FEW MORE HOURS YET SO WE WILL HAVE TIME TO WATCH AND SEE HOW THINGS DEVELOP. LATEST RAP BRINGS SOME STORMS INTO OUR WESTERN FA IN THE 01-02Z MON TIME FRAME. NSSL WRF IS A LITTLE FASTER AND AS MENTIONED IN AN EARLIER AFD UPDATE IT DID BRING TSTMS A LOT FURTHER SOUTH THAN WHAT IS ANTICIPATED. FOLLOWED MORE CONTINUITY AND KEPT HIGHER PCPN CHANCES ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE FA TONIGHT WITH LOWER CHANCES ACROSS THE SOUTH. THE COMBINATION OF THE LOW LEVEL JET UPPER JET AND THE WAVE SHOULD KEEP SHOWERS AND TSTMS GOING AFTER DARK JUST NOT SURE HOW LONG THE SEVERE POTENTIAL WILL GO. LEFT SOME LINGERING LOW PCPN CHANCES ACROSS THE EAST ON MONDAY MORNING WITH DRYING ACROSS THE WEST. SHOULD BE A FAIRLY NICE DAY WITH DRIER AIR MOVING BACK IN WITH NORTHWEST WINDS. MON NIGHT WILL BE A LITTLE COOL AGAIN ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTH. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 303 PM CDT SUN JUL 21 2013 SHOULD REMAIN DRY TUE WITH FAIRLY LIGHT WINDS DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF THE SFC HIGH. CHANCES FOR PCPN RETURN BY TUE NIGHT AND WED ALTHOUGH MODELS NOT IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT ON THE DETAILS. WEDNESDAY NIGHT-SUNDAY...12Z MODELS MAINTAIN SIMILAR IDEA AS PREVIOUS RUNS. NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT INTO FRIDAY WITH UPPER RIDGING BUILDING INTO THE REGION FOR THE WEEKEND. THERE WILL BE SLIGHT THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WITH ANY UPPER WAVE WITHIN THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT...WITH THESE CHANCES ENDING ONCE THE RIDGING BUILDS INTO THE REGION. TEMPERATURES NEAR OR SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL VALUES. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1147 PM CDT SUN JUL 21 2013 CONFINED T MENTION TO BJI AND TVF FOR THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS. LONE STRONG/SEVERE STORM WILL CONTINUE TO PROPAGATE SE INTO CENTRAL PORTION OF FORECAST AREA. MVFR CIGS/VSBY IN STRONGER STORM OTHERWISE VFR. && .FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ND...NONE. MN...NONE. && UPDATE...VOELKER SHORT TERM...GODON LONG TERM...GODON/TG AVIATION...VOELKER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND 730 AM CDT SUN JUL 21 2013 MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024- 026>030-038-039-049-052>054-221230- 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-EDDY-NELSON-GRAND FORKS- GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-RICHLAND- WESTERN WALSH- 730 AM CDT SUN JUL 21 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON IN THE DEVILS LAKE BASIN...SPREADING EAST THROUGH THE RED RIVER VALLEY AND INTO PARTS OF EXTREME NORTHWEST MINNESOTA THIS EVENING. LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST FROM ALBERTA AND INTO NORTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN EAST INTO NORTHERN MINNESOTA LATE TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL FORM IN NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN INTENSIFY AND SPREAD INTO EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING THEN WEAKEN A BIT IN INTENSITY AS THEY MOVE INTO NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA OVERNIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND HAIL. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT AREA IS ALONG AND WEST OF A ROSEAU TO FARGO TO LISBON LINE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE WILL BE CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...BUT SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS EVENING. DTR
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1033 PM CDT SUN JUL 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1005 PM HAIL 8 N LAKOTA 48.16N 98.35W
07/21/2013 E1.75 INCH NELSON ND TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
JKAISERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1145 PM CDT SUN JUL 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1034 PM HAIL NIAGARA 48.00N 97.87W
07/21/2013 E1.00 INCH GRAND FORKS ND PUBLIC
1100 PM TSTM WND DMG LARIMORE 47.91N 97.63W
07/21/2013 GRAND FORKS ND FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
TREES DOWN
1130 PM HAIL 10 N HATTON 47.78N 97.46W
07/21/2013 E1.75 INCH GRAND FORKS ND PUBLIC
SOME LARGER STONES
&&
DRIDDLEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1146 PM CDT SUN JUL 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1100 PM HEAVY RAIN 7 SSW ADAMS 48.33N 98.13W
07/21/2013 M1.83 INCH WALSH ND PUBLIC
ALSO SOME PEA HAIL. ARB OBSERVER
&&
DRIDDLEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1201 AM CDT MON JUL 22 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1137 PM HAIL HATTON 47.64N 97.46W
07/21/2013 M1.75 INCH TRAILL ND PUBLIC
&&
DRIDDLEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1206 AM CDT MON JUL 22 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
&&
DRIDDLEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1224 AM CDT MON JUL 22 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1140 PM HAIL REYNOLDS 47.67N 97.11W
07/21/2013 E1.00 INCH TRAILL ND PUBLIC
&&
DRIDDLEThe Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 145 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:51 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Several 1,600 pound round hay bales were tossed or tumbled across a field in northern Como township.
This tornado continued into Clearwater County before it dissipated. The tornado snapped and uprooted numerous trees along its path. Peak winds were estimated at 90 mph. The entire path length across the two counties was nearly 7 miles.
This tornado began in Polk County, about one mile north of Trail, at 12:33 am CST. The tornado snapped and uprooted numerous trees along its entire seven mile path. Peak winds were estimated at 90 mph.
This tornado continued into Clearwater County, where it lifted at about 0130 am CST, west-northwest of Zerkel. The tornado damaged structures at three locations along the route with long tracks of tree and crop damage evident. Peak winds were estimated at 115 mph.
A downburst wind damage path developed across west central Greenwood Township. Numerous trees were toppled with some falling on the Greenwood Township Hall roof. A one to two mile wide swath of wind damage extended for over three miles and indicated peak winds of 60 to 80 mph.
This tornado began in Mahnomen County, just southeast of Mahnomen, at 12:50 am CST. The total tornado track was about 21 miles. The tornado damaged structures at three locations along the route with long tracks of tree and crop damage. Peak winds were estimated at 115 mph.
A microburst damage area was produced across the northeast quarter of section 30 in Rapid River Township. The downburst initiated across the southwest corner of a farmstead and projected to the east and northeast across the farmyard. A steel pole shed was torn open and demolished with debris impacted and denting several steel grain bins along the east end of the yard. Several pine trees and two power poles in the yard were snapped by the wind. Peak winds were estimated at 95 to 105 mph.
Many trees were damaged and tin roof panels were peeled off of a shed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Minnesota, 2013Warnings in Minnesota, July 2013
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: 459293, 459294, 459295, 459296, 459298, 459297, 459299, 459300.