A narrow line of showers and thunderstorms formed from Fergus Falls to just north of Park Rapids, dropping two to three inches of rain in about an hour. These were slow moving storms, and by the time the rain ended, total rainfall amounts ranged from about two to five inches.
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The episode as NWS FGF wrote it up.
A narrow line of showers and thunderstorms formed from Fergus Falls to just north of Park Rapids, dropping two to three inches of rain in about an hour. These were slow moving storms, and by the time the rain ended, total rainfall amounts ranged from about two to five inches.
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 May 31, 5:32 PM CST, 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND 632 PM CDT SAT MAY 31 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 607 PM CDT SAT MAY 31 2014 LATEST RADAR INDICATES A NARROW LINE OF HEAVY SHOWERS HAS SET UP FROM FERGUS FALLS TO JUST NORTH OF PARK RAPIDS. THIS IS LIKELY THE 925MB-850MB BOUNDARY...AND ANTICIPATE THE 925MB-850MB CIRCULATION WILL TRACK ALONG THIS LINE. RADAR ALSO INDICATES AN AREA OF MODERATE SHOWERS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN RED RIVER VALLEY PROPAGATING INTO WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA (ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER WAVE). 18Z NAM AND 21Z RAP APPEAR TO BE HANDLING THE CURRENT SITUATION THE BEST AND WILL FOLLOW FOR GUIDANCE THIS EVENING. THESE MODELS INDICATE A NARROW LINE OF 2-3 INCHES OF RAIN FROM FERGUS FALLS INTO THE PARK RAPIDS AREA...ALONG THE 850MB BOUNDARY...WHERE THE STRONGEST CONVERGENCE WILL BE LOCATED. GIVEN THE STRONG SYNOPTIC FORCING AND HIGH PWATS...2-3 INCHES IS VERY REASONABLE. ALTHOUGH THERE IS SOME INSTABILITY...IT REMAINS RELATIVELY WEAK ACROSS THE REGION AND THE HI-RES MODELS APPEAR TO HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON QPF AMOUNTS. THIS AREA WHERE THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL IS EXPECTED IS JUST SOUTH OF WHERE THE HEAVIEST RAIN FELL YESTERDAY...THUS A FLOOD WATCH IS NOT NEEDED AT THIS TIME (COULD BE SOME FLOOD ADVISORIES ISSUED). QPF TOTALS WILL QUICKLY DECREASE TO THE NORTH...WHERE JUST GENERAL DEFORMATION ZONE SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED. THE ABOVE THINKING IS MOSTLY IN LINE WITH THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. THE ONLY CHANGES WERE TO INCREASE POPS TO 100% FOR THE SOUTHEAST FA...AND INCREASE QPF ALONG THAT 850MB BOUNDARY. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 319 PM CDT SAT MAY 31 2014 SFC LOW AT MID AFTERNOON LOCATED JUST NORTH OF HURON SD. THIS LOW WILL MOVE NORTHEAST INTO CENTRAL MN TONIGHT JUST NORTH OF ST CLOUD. QUESTION IS HOW MUCH CONVECTION AND HEAVY RAIN WILL DEVELOP AND WHERE. VSBL SAT PIX AND SPC SHOWS MOST UNSTABLE AIRMASS AND HIGHEST PWATS (1.6 IN) IN THAT DULUTH-ST CLOUD- WATERTOWN-PIERRE SD REGION. SOME HEATING HAS OCCURRED IN CNTRL-SRN MN AS WELL. THUS AS SFC LOW AND ASSOC 500 MB SHORT WAVE MOVE EAST- NORTHEAST WOULD EXPECT EXPANSION OF SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS. BEST BET FOR HEAVY RAINFALL WOULD APPEAR TO BE NR OR JUST SOUTH OF STORM TRACK INTO BEST PWAT/UNSTABLE AIRMASS. LATEST HPC QPF HAS AREA OF 1+ INCH IN 6 HRS AREAS FROM BROOKINGS-WATERTOWN SD TO JUST SOUTH OF ALEXANDRIAN TO LONG PRAIRIE THEN OVERNIGHT MOVING IT TO DULUTH. THIS AXIS OF HEAVIEST RAIN IS JUST SOUTH OF WHERE THE WORST FELL YESTERDAY IN OUR FCST AREA. EXCEPTION IS GRANT COUNTY WHERE 1.35 TO 1.85 INCHS OF RAIN FELL LAST NIGHT. BUT VERY LITTLE HAS FALLEN TODAY PROPER. NO WATCHES ISSUED AS FEEL BEST BET OF HEAVY RAIN A TAD SOUTH OF GRANT CO MN... AND PLUS AREAS WEST AND NORTHWEST OF ST CLOUD AND SOUTHEAST OF ALEXANDRIA RECEIVED 2 TO 5 INCHES EARLIER TODAY. SOMETHING TO WATCH FOR SURE. OTHERWISE BAND OF LIGHT RAIN FROM BAUDETTE TO WEST OF FARGO IS STARTING TO DIMINISH. BUT A FEW MORE SHOWERS AND ISOLD THUNDER FORMING NR BEMIDJI. SO OVERALL IDEA OF NO RAIN ROX-GFK-COOPERSTOWN WEST IS GOOD TONIGHT AND HIGHER POPS EAST OF THIS. LOW AND UPPER WAVE DEPART LATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY SHOULD BE A MOSTLY DRY DAY IN MAJORITY OF THE FCST AREA. WILL MAINTAIN SOME LOW POPS FAR EAST AND SOUTH DURING THE DAY....MAINLY FOR COORDINATION. ALSO SUNDAY AFTN RAIN CHANCES WILL STAR TO MOVE IN FROM THE WEST WITH THE NEXT UPPER WAVE WITH NAM WAY TOO FAST AND ECMWF MUCH SLOWER. THUS BACKED OFF ON TIMING OF POPS FROM PREV FCST. UPPER WAVE MOVES NORTHEAST OVER AREA WITH ACCOMPANIED SFC LOW INTO MINNESOTA SUNDAY NIGHT SPREADING RAIN SHOWERS AND ISOL THUNDER INTO THE REGION. ECMWF REMAINS SLOWEST...BUT KEPT IDEA OF LIKELY POPS SOUTHWEST HALF SUN NIGHT. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 319 PM CDT SAT MAY 31 2014 500 MB SHORT WAVE WILL BE OVER ERN ND MONDAY WITH SFC LOW CLOSER TO DULUTH. EXPECT A PRETTY WIDESPREAD RAIN EVENT WITH THIS SYSTEM...MORE STRATIFORM VS CONVECTIVE. HOWEVER UP TO 1 INCH MAY FALL WITH THIS SYSTEM. RAINFALL WILL TAPER OFF MONDAY NIGHT. DRIER AIR AND CLEARING WILL MOVE IN TUESDAY. TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...THE PERIOD WILL START OUT WITH A BIT OF A BREAK FOR OUR CWA AS THE NEXT SHORTWAVE PASSES THROUGH SD AND MISSES US TO OUR SOUTH. SFC LOW PRESSURE TUESDAY NIGHT WILL MOVE ACROSS NEBRASKA AND THE NEXT TROUGH DOES NOT START TO DEVELOP OVER EASTERN MONTANA UNTIL WEDNESDAY. THE QUIET PATTERN WILL BE VERY SHORT LIVED AS THE NEXT UPPER LOW DIGS FROM WESTERN CANADA INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES LATE IN THE WEEK. STILL A LOT OF VARIATION IN THE DETAILS...BUT MODELS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT ON ANOTHER ACTIVE PATTERN WITH VARIOUS SHORTWAVES MOVING THROUGH THE SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT AND BRINGING PRECIP. HIGH TEMPS WILL BE NEAR NORMAL TO SLIGHTLY BELOW BUT LOWS WILL BE A BIT HIGHER THAN USUAL WITH CLOUDY SKIES AND PLENTY OF MOISTURE TO KEEP US FROM DROPPING TOO MUCH AT NIGHT. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 632 PM CDT SAT MAY 31 2014 AREA OF SHOWERS WILL AFFECT KFAR AND KBJI THIS EVENING. A DRY AIRMASS CONTINUES TO ADVECT INTO THE REGION FROM THE WEST...WHICH SHOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP SITES VFR FOR AWHILE (EXCEPT KBJI...WHICH WILL CONTINUE WITH MVFR/IFR CIGS THROUGH THE PERIOD). WINDS BECOME NEARLY CALM AFTER MIDNIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES INTO THE REGION. THIS MAY SET THE STAGE FOR MVFR/IFR CIG DEVELOPMENT...AND POSSIBLY FOG. KEPT THE FORECAST FOR SUNDAY MORNING SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS FORECAST...AND WILL EVALUATE FURTHER WITH THE NEXT TAF ISSUANCE. RAP/HRRR GUIDANCE IS ON BOARD WITH THESE CONDITIONS. && .FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ND...NONE. MN...NONE. && UPDATE...TG SHORT TERM...RIDDLE LONG TERM...RIDDLE/JR AVIATION...TG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND 658 AM CDT SAT MAY 31 2014 MNZ002-003-009-015>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ039-049-052-053- 011200- NORMAN-CLAY-NORTH BELTRAMI-EAST POLK-NORTH CLEARWATER- SOUTH BELTRAMI-MAHNOMEN-SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-WEST BECKER- EAST BECKER-WILKIN-WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-WADENA-GRANT- CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-RICHLAND- 658 AM CDT SAT MAY 31 2014 ...HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. .DAY ONE...RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND THE SOUTHERN RED RIVER VALLEY TODAY. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL ARE POSSIBLE...WHICH COULD LEAD TO FLOODING ISSUES. STRONG STORMS COULD PRODUCE SMALL HAIL...BUT THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS LOCALIZED FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A THIRD ROUND OF RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COULD BRING MORE HEAVY RAIN TO THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF TWO TO THREE INCHES IS POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA BY LATE MONDAY...WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLOODING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... REPORTS OF FLOODING OR SEVERE WEATHER MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING. MNZ001-004>008-013-014-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-026>030-038-054- 011200- WEST POLK-KITTSON-ROSEAU-LAKE OF THE WOODS-WEST MARSHALL- EAST MARSHALL-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-TOWNER-CAVALIER-PEMBINA-BENSON- RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH-EDDY-NELSON-GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL- BARNES-WESTERN WALSH- 658 AM CDT SAT MAY 31 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY ANOTHER ROUND OF RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COULD BRING MORE HEAVY RAIN TO THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES IS POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA BY LATE MONDAY...WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLOODING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED. SPEICHER
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
118 PM CDT SAT MAY 31 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0118 PM HEAVY RAIN WENDELL 46.04N 96.10W
05/31/2014 M1.85 INCH GRANT MN PUBLIC
STORM TOTAL SO FAR
&&
DRIDDLEThe Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 167 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:02 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Water in some streets rose to two to three feet deep and caused storm sewers to overflow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, May 2014
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: 510187.