Small-scale short wave impulses embedded within the northern periphery of an upper level ridge triggered late afternoon and evening severe thunderstorms along a weak low level convergence zone. The thunderstorms produced severe wind gusts and 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.
Small-scale short wave impulses embedded within the northern periphery of an upper level ridge triggered late afternoon and evening severe thunderstorms along a weak low level convergence zone. The thunderstorms produced severe wind gusts and 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 Aug 26, 1:24 PM MST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 324 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2013 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 324 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2013 MAIN CONCERNS THIS SHORT TERM WILL BE THUNDERSTORMS. BROAD FEATURES INCLUDE A LARGE AND PERSISTENT RIDGE IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE. ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE RIDGE A TROPICAL PLUME IS IDENTIFIED ON THE WATER VAPOR IMAGE. A WEAK SHORTWAVE NOW MOVING THROUGH NORTHEAST WYOMING WILL SUPPORT CONVECTION THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. AS THE SHORT WAVE TROUGH TRANSITS ACROSS THE RIDGE EXPECT AN INCREASE IN THUNDERSTORMS ...WHICH SO FAR TODAY APPEAR TO BY LIMITED BY THE WARM MID LEVEL TEMPERATURES. WITH THE ADDED LIFT FROM THE SHORTWAVE EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME MORE ACTIVE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MAINLY SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST. MULTIPLE WEAK OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES EXIST ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL...AND CLOUDS ACROSS NORTH DAKOTA SUPPORTING DIFFERENTIAL HEATING AND ENHANCING THE THERMAL BOUNDARY. TONIGHT...THUNDERSTORM THREAT WILL MOVE EAST. ENDED THE CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AFTER 1 AM. SOUTHEAST UPSLOPE FLOW AND WEAK SHORTWAVE ENERGY IN FLOW ALOFT WILL SUPPORT A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SOUTHWEST TUESDAY AFTERNOON. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 324 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2013 MAIN FORECAST ISSUES IN THE LONG TERM WILL BE DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURES AND PERIODIC THUNDERSTORM CHANCES. THE OVERALL UPPER LEVEL PATTERN REMAINS NEARLY UNCHANGED WITH A CONTINUED GOOD AGREEMENT AMONG BOTH THE ENSEMBLE AND DETERMINISTIC MODELS. FINER DETAILS CONTINUE TO COME TO A CONSENSUS AMONG THE MODELS EARLY IN THE PERIOD...BUT SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES STILL EXIST OVER THE WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK. EXCEPT FOR A FEW ADJUSTMENTS TO BUMP UP POPS WHERE MODELS ARE MORE IN LINE...STILL UTILIZED A MODEL BLEND SOLUTION FOR POPS DURING MOST OF THE LONG TERM PERIOD. TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...BETTER THUNDERSTORM CHANCES APPEAR IN STORE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT WHEN A FEW UPPER LEVEL WAVES MOVE INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND TEMPORARILY BREAKS DOWN THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE. DETERMINISTIC MODELS INDICATE INCREASED WARM ADVECTION WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AHEAD OF SURFACE LOW PRESSURE THAT DEVELOPS OVER THE WESTERN DAKOTAS. POPS ARE GREATEST WEDNESDAY IN THE WEST HALF DURING THE DAY...WITH HIGHER CHANCE POPS SPREADING EAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS THE INCREASED WARM ADVECTION AND COOLING UPPER LEVEL TEMPERATURES WITH THE SHORTWAVES SHOULD SUSTAIN CONVECTION AS IT TRANSLATES EAST. THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...THE LAST OF THIS ROUND OF UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE ENERGY IMPULSES IS PROGGED TO MOVE EAST ACROSS THE STATE THURSDAY BEFORE EXITING THE REGION THURSDAY AFTERNOON/NIGHT. UPPER LEVEL RIDGING QUICKLY REBOUNDS ON THURSDAY NIGHT. FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY...THE MODELS IN GENERAL KEEP THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE ESTABLISHED OVER THE CENTRAL US THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE MODELS DIFFER AFTER THIS...WITH THE ECMWF KEEPING THE RIDGE IN PLACE WHILE THE GFS SOLUTION DEPICTS THE RIDGE BROADENING AND MOVING EAST. THUS WILL CONTINUE WITH A MODEL BLEND HERE WHICH GIVES MAINLY SLIGHT CHANCE POPS EACH DAY. TEMPERATURES SHOULD REMAIN ABOVE AVERAGE THROUGH SATURDAY WITH HIGHS MAINLY 85-90 NORTH TO LOW TO MID 90S SOUTH. THE MODEL BLEND HINTS OF TEMPERATURES MOVING BACK TOWARDS SEASONABLE SUNDAY/MONDAY WITH HIGHS 75-85 NORTH AND IN THE 80S SOUTH. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 324 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2013 AT 3 PM CDT...AN ENHANCED THERMAL BOUNDARY WAS FORMING FROM CLOUDINESS NORTH AND CLEAR SKIES SOUTH OF THE SOUTH DAKOTA/NORTH DAKOTA BORDER. THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT MAINLY BETWEEN KBIS-KJMS. WILL CONTINUE TO HANDLE THIS WITH VCTS IN THE TAF FORECAST AT KBIS-KJMS. SMALLER CHANCE AND MORE UNCERTAINTY AT KDIK-KISN-KMOT THIS EVENING SO HAVE NOT MENTION THUNDERSTORMS THERE. VFR AT ALL TAF SITES THROUGH THE 18Z TAF FCST. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...WAA LONG TERM...JV AVIATION...WAA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 545 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2013 NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-272245- DIVIDE-BURKE-RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-ROLETTE-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-WARD- MCHENRY-PIERCE-MCKENZIE-DUNN-MERCER-OLIVER-MCLEAN-SHERIDAN-WELLS- FOSTER-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-MORTON-BURLEIGH-KIDDER- STUTSMAN-SLOPE-HETTINGER-GRANT-BOWMAN-ADAMS-SIOUX-EMMONS-LOGAN- LA MOURE-MCINTOSH-DICKEY- 545 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2013 /445 PM MDT MON AUG 26 2013/ 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...TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS WESTERN AND FAR SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA THIS EVENING. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE THE PRIMARY THREATS. STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AS THEY MOVE EAST THROUGH THE NIGHT. AREAS OF FOG...POSSIBLY DENSE...ARE ALSO FORECAST ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SOUTHWEST TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THERE IS AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY NIGHT. THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. THERE IS AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY...THEN FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. AYD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 1252 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2013 NDZ003-011-261830- RENVILLE-WARD- 1252 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2013 ...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT... AT 1248 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR COULEE...OR 37 MILES NORTHWEST OF MINOT... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...WILL ACCOMPANY THIS STORM. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... GREENE... GRANO... MOHALL... GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. HEAVY RAINFALL CAN LEAD TO FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 428 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2013 NDZ017-018-032-262200- BILLINGS ND-DUNN ND-MCKENZIE ND- 328 PM MDT MON AUG 26 2013 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO IMPACT WESTERN DUNN...CENTRAL MCKENZIE AND NORTHEASTERN BILLINGS COUNTIES... AT 425 PM CDT/325 PM MDT/...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES WEST OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT NATIONAL PARK NORTH TO 9 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GRASSY BUTTE...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN..OCCASIONAL PEA SIZE HAIL AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE... THEODORE ROOSEVELT NATIONAL PARK NORTH... OAKDALE... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. AYD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 503 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2013 NDZ017-018-262300- DUNN ND-MCKENZIE ND- 503 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2013 ...THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING THROUGH PARTS OF MCKENZIE AND DUNN COUNTIES AT 400 PM MDT... AT 400 PM MDT THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM THE THEODORE ROOSEVELT NATIONAL PARK NORTH UNIT...TO 10 MILES WEST OF KILLDEER. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH AND HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. STORMS WILL MOVE NEAR... OAKDALE AROUND 420 PM MDT. LITTLE MISSOURI STATE PARK AROUND 440 PM MDT. JOHNSONS CORNER AROUND 555 PM CDT. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. JP MARTIN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 533 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2013 NDZ009-010-017-018-262315- DUNN ND-MCKENZIE ND-MOUNTRAIL ND-WILLIAMS ND- 533 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2013 ...THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH PARTS OF DUNN AND MCKENZIE COUNTIES AT 430 PM MDT... AT 430 PM MDT A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM 6 MILES SOUTH OF LEWIS AND CLARK STATE PARK...TO NEAR KILLDEER. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORMS INCLUDE... WHITE TAIL BAY RECREATION AREA...TOBACCO GARDEN BAY RECREATION AREA...KEENE...MANDAREE...CHARLSON...NEW TOWN...WHITE EARTH BAY RECREATION AREA AND MCKENZIE BAY RECREATION AREA. IF YOU ARE ON LAKE SAKAKAWEA IN THIS AREA...MOVE TO SHORE NOW...AND INTO SHELTER. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE READY TO TAKE SHELTER IF STORMS MOVE INTO YOUR AREA. JP MARTIN
The Bismarck radar (KBIS), 167 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:47 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Pea size hail and heavy rain accompanied the strong winds.
Large tree limbs were snapped due to the strong winds.
Very heavy rain accompanied the strong winds.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Dakota in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, August 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: 464133, 464134, 464135, 464137, 464138.