A line of high based showers and thunderstorms spread into portions of west central Minnesota during the evening of May 2. These showers and thunderstorms only produced about a tenth of an inch of rain, but they packed a punch with strong gusty winds.
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 line of high based showers and thunderstorms spread into portions of west central Minnesota during the evening of May 2. These showers and thunderstorms only produced about a tenth of an inch of rain, but they packed a punch with strong gusty winds. There were also several dry and wet microbursts, which produced some wind damage.
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 2, 7:51 PM CST, 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND 851 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 855 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015 HAVE ISSUED A QUICK UPDATE TO INCREASE POPS IN THE SOUTHEAST...WHERE SHOWERS AND A FEW STORMS ARE A BIT MORE WIDESPREAD. OTHERWISE...NO MAJOR CHANGES NEEDED FOR THIS UPDATE. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 305 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015 FORECAST CHALLENGE CONCERNS NEAR TERM PCPN CHANCES...FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS TOMORROW AND TEMPERATURES. MODELS IN REASONABLE AGREEMENT THROUGH THE PERIOD AND WILL USE BLEND FOR FORECAST. BEGINNING TO SEE SOME LTG STRIKES VCNTY DVL AREA WITH RADAR RETURNS APPROACHING FROM THE WEST AHEAD OF BOUNDARY. MOISTURE LOOKS TO BE THE MAIN INHIBITOR WITH THIS BAND. PRECIPITABLE H2O VALUES BARELY OVER A HALF INCH ALONG WITH A NARROW BAND OF JUST MID 40 DEWPOINTS. MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATING VERY DRY LAYER BLO 700 MB SO QUESTION HOW MUCH PCPN REACHING THE GROUND. FOR THIS WILL JUST KEEP CHC POPS GOING THIS EVENING AS THINK ANY CONVECTION WILL BE VERY SPOTTY. THERE IS SOME WEAK CAPE AND MINOR INSTABILITY ALONG WITH SUFFICIENT DOWNWARD CAPE SO IF ANY THING DOES GET SOMEWHAT ORGANIZED GUSTY WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT. NEGATIVE SHOWALTERS PERSIST OVERNIGHT HOWEVER LOW LEVEL JET LACKING SO CONVECTION WILL BE PRIMARILY DIURNAL IN NATURE. COLD ADVECTION WORKS IN MAINLY AFT MIDNIGHT HOWEVER WITH WARM DAY MINIMUMS SHOULD STILL RANGE ABOVE AVERAGE. LOW CONFIDENCE ON HOW LONG SHOWERS WILL LINGER OVER THE FAR SE TOMORROW AM HOWEVER MAINTAINED SOME VERY LOW POPS. FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS CONTINUE TOMORROW. RH VALUES WILL BE LOW HOWEVER TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER AND ALL GUIDANCE KEEPING WIND SPEEDS BLO DANGEROUS LEVELS. SEE DETAILS IN FIRE WEATHER SECTION OF THE DISCUSSION. TEMPERATURES WILL BE MUCH CLOSER TO AVERAGE AS COOLER AIRMASS MOVES IN. HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN SUNDAY NIGHT. WITH DIMINISHING WIND...DRY AIRMASS AND COOLER COLUMN TEMPERATURES SHOULD DROP TO AROUND 40 MOST AREAS. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 305 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015 HIGH PRESSURE IN PLACE MONDAY FOR QUIET DAY. COOLER AIRMASS IN PLACE THAN PAST SEVERAL DAYS BUT STILL SHOULD SEE VALUES AT OR A BIT ABOVE AVERAGE. E-W BOUNDARY SETS UP ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS TUESDAY AS UPPER LOW PROPAGATES INTO THE 4 CORNERS AREAS HOWEVER AT THIS POINT ANY RELATED CONVECTION LOOKS TO STAY SOUTH OF THE FA SO KEPT FORECAST DRY. CONFIDENCE GROWING THAT PATTERN SHOULD TURN BOTH ACTIVE AND WET. WITH AN H5 TROF DEEPENING INTO THE WESTERN CONUS...SITUATION SHOULD BE SET FOR PERIOD SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT...WITH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT...AND DEEP LAYER INSTABILITY ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS LATE WEDNESDAY. BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF KEEP THE H5 TROF ANCHORED BACK OF RENO WITH SUCCESSIVE H5 SHORTWAVES LIFTING THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...AND A SLIGHT EASTWARD SHIFT IN THE H5 TROF AXIS INTO FOLLOWING WEEK. THE LATE WEEK PERIOD SHOULD TRANSITION INTO A COOLER /MORE SEASONABLY MILD/ REGIME AS OVERALL HEIGHTS LOWER AND PREDOMINATELY NORTHERLY BLAYER FLOW IS ESTABLISHED THU-SAT. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 650 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015 THE MAIN AVIATION CONCERN INITIALLY IS WINDS THAT ARE GUSTING TO 40-45KT AT TIMES NEAR ANY SHOWERS. EXPECT THIS ACTIVITY TO WEAKEN QUICKLY BY 2. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NW BEHIND A COLD FRONT FROM WEST TO EAST OVERNIGHT...AND COULD GUST TO AROUND 25KT SUNDAY. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 337 AM PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015 SOUTHERLY WINDS AT 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH WILL CONTINUE FOR THE BALANCE OF THE AFTERNOON. THESE WINDS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY HUMIDITY VALUES ALREADY NEAR 15 PERCENT OVER THE NORTHERN VALLEY...SO CRITICAL FIRE CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN ATTAINED. TURNING THE ATTENTION TO SUNDAY...FEEL THAT HUMIDITY WILL BE 5 TO 10 PERCENT HIGHER ON AVERAGE LARGELY ATTRIBUTED TO THE SOMEWHAT COOLER AIR MASS THAT WILL BE IN PLACE. IT WILL BE BREEZY BUT LOOKS LIKE SUSTAINED WINDS FROM THE NORTHWEST WILL TOP OUT AT OR AROUND 20 MPH OVER MOST OF THE REGION...A LITTLE LESS EAST OF THE VALLEY. THEREFORE NOT PLANNING A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR TOMORROW...WILL MENTION NEAR CRITICAL CONDITIONS IN THE FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FORECAST. && .FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ND...NONE. MN...NONE. && UPDATE...DK SHORT TERM...VOELKER LONG TERM...GUST/VOELKER AVIATION...DK FIRE WEATHER...WJB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND 635 AM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015 MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024- 026>030-038-039-049-052>054-031145- 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- 635 AM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 8 PM CDT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WINDY CONDITIONS AND DRY WEATHER WILL COMBINE TO CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. A RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE IN THE LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH MID EVENING HOURS. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT...AND STORMS MAY DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY TIMEFRAME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION POSSIBLE BUT NOT LIKELY. REPORTS OF UNEXPECTED WILDFIRES WOULD BE APPRECIATED. 12
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
354 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015
MNZ001-004-007-NDZ008-016-026>030-038-039-054-022145-
BARNES ND-CASS ND-EASTERN WALSH COUNTY ND-GRAND FORKS ND-GRIGGS
ND-KITTSON MN-NELSON ND-PEMBINA ND-STEELE ND-TRAILL ND-WEST MARSHALL
MN-WEST POLK MN-WESTERN WALSH COUNTY ND-
354 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN MARSHALL...EXTREME
NORTHWESTERN POLK AND KITTSON COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...AND
EASTERN WALSH...EASTERN PEMBINA...SOUTHEASTERN NELSON AND GRAND FORKS
COUNTIES IN NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA...AND NORTHWESTERN TRAILL...
STEELE...GRIGGS...EXTREME NORTHWESTERN CASS AND NORTHERN BARNES
COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL 445 PM CDT...
AT 346 PM CDT...STORM SPOTTERS REPORTED THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM PEMBINA...THROUGH GRAFTON... TO COOPERSTOWN AND
SANBORN ...MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH.
WIND GUSTS FROM 40 TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
THE STORMS WILL BE NEAR...
HALLOCK...DRAYTON AND EMERADO AROUND 355 PM CDT.
STEPHEN...OSLO AND GRAND FORKS AROUND 400 PM CDT.
SIBLEY AND BALD HILL DAM AROUND 405 PM CDT.
NORTHWOOD...HOPE AND VALLEY CITY AROUND 410 PM CDT.
FOR MOTORISTS ON INTERSTATE 29...THE STORMS WILL BE BETWEEN...MILE
MARKERS 148 AND 193...
FOR MOTORISTS ON INTERSTATE 94...THE STORMS WILL BE BETWEEN NORTH
DAKOTA MILE MARKER 291 AND NORTH DAKOTA MILE MARKER 296...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
LAT...LON 4898 9642 4692 9792 4693 9838 4737 9844
4898 9735
TIME...MOT...LOC 2050Z 305DEG 33KT 4888 9705 4699 9833
GUSTSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND 436 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015 MNZ001-004-005-007>009-013>015-NDZ016-027-029-030-022230- EAST MARSHALL MN-EAST POLK MN-EASTERN WALSH COUNTY ND-GRAND FORKS ND-KITTSON MN-NORTH BELTRAMI MN-PENNINGTON MN-RED LAKE MN-ROSEAU MN-STEELE ND-TRAILL ND-WEST MARSHALL MN-WEST POLK MN- 436 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN WALSH...MARSHALL... POLK...NORTHWESTERN BELTRAMI...NORTHERN TRAILL...NORTHERN STEELE... SOUTHEASTERN GRAND FORKS...ROSEAU...RED LAKE...PENNINGTON AND EASTERN KITTSON COUNTIES UNTIL 530 PM CDT... AT 432 PM CDT...MULTIPLE REPORTS OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 16 MILES NORTH OF GREENBUSH TO 10 MILES NORTH OF FINLEY...MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MPH. WIND GUSTS 50 TO 55 MPH ARE OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH BLOWING DUST AND SOME LIGHTNING. LIGHTNING HAS STARTED GRASS FIRES WITH THESE STORMS. THE STORMS WILL BE NEAR... ARGYLE...NORTHWOOD AND ALVARADO AROUND 440 PM CDT. FLORIAN AND PINECREEK AROUND 445 PM CDT. MARCH AROUND 450 PM CDT. HATTON...GREENBUSH AND STRANDQUIST AROUND 455 PM CDT. FOR MOTORISTS ON INTERSTATE 29...THE STORMS WILL BE BETWEEN...MILE MARKERS 117 AND 153... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. LAT...LON 4898 9533 4755 9574 4758 9791 4901 9640 TIME...MOT...LOC 2133Z 254DEG 32KT 4892 9609 4765 9774 KAISER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
457 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015
NDZ028>030-038-039-049-022230-
BARNES ND-CASS ND-GRIGGS ND-RANSOM ND-STEELE ND-TRAILL ND-
457 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN TRAILL...STEELE...
EXTREME NORTHEASTERN RANSOM...SOUTHEASTERN GRIGGS...WESTERN CASS AND
BARNES COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL 530 PM CDT...
AT 455 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 11 MILES WEST OF PORTLAND
TO 20 MILES SOUTH OF VALLEY CITY...MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH.
HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THE STORMS.
THE STORMS WILL BE NEAR...
ORISKA AND LITTLE YELLOWSTONE AROUND 505 PM CDT.
PAGE AND FINGAL AROUND 510 PM CDT.
PORTLAND...MAYVILLE AND TOWER CITY AROUND 515 PM CDT.
LUCCA AND GALESBURG AROUND 520 PM CDT.
FOR MOTORISTS ON INTERSTATE 29...THE STORMS WILL BE BETWEEN...MILE
MARKERS 94 AND 113...
FOR MOTORISTS ON INTERSTATE 94...THE STORMS WILL BE BETWEEN NORTH
DAKOTA MILE MARKER 299 AND NORTH DAKOTA MILE MARKER 332...
BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IF THE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME
SEVERE...OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
LAT...LON 4754 9689 4661 9732 4662 9797 4664 9804
4666 9842 4757 9788
TIME...MOT...LOC 2157Z 273DEG 32KT 4748 9758 4664 9805
DKSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND 539 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015 MNZ002-003-029-NDZ038-039-049-053-022345- BARNES ND-CASS ND-CLAY MN-NORMAN MN-RANSOM ND-RICHLAND ND-WILKIN MN- 539 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN CLAY AND SOUTHWESTERN NORMAN COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...AND NORTHWESTERN WILKIN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...AND NORTHWESTERN RICHLAND... NORTHERN RANSOM...CASS AND SOUTHEASTERN BARNES COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL 645 PM CDT... AT 538 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 20 MILES SOUTH OF PORTLAND TO 8 MILES WEST OF ENDERLIN...MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THE STORMS. THE STORMS WILL BE NEAR... ENDERLIN...ERIE AND ALICE AROUND 545 PM CDT. WHEATLAND...HUNTER AND EMBDEN AROUND 550 PM CDT. CHAFFEE...AMENIA AND SHELDON AROUND 555 PM CDT. CASSELTON AROUND 600 PM CDT. FOR MOTORISTS ON INTERSTATE 29...THE STORMS WILL BE BETWEEN...MILE MARKERS 40 AND 89... FOR MOTORISTS ON INTERSTATE 94...THE STORMS WILL BE BETWEEN NORTH DAKOTA MILE MARKER 313 AND MINNESOTA MILE MARKER 17... BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IF THE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE...OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. LAT...LON 4719 9648 4652 9650 4647 9802 4722 9758 TIME...MOT...LOC 2239Z 285DEG 45KT 4721 9742 4663 9775 DK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
648 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015
MNZ003-027-029-030-NDZ039-049-052-053-030045-
CASS ND-CLAY MN-RANSOM ND-RICHLAND ND-SARGENT ND-WEST BECKER MN-WEST
OTTER TAIL MN-WILKIN MN-
648 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN BECKER AND CLAY COUNTIES
IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...AND WILKIN AND NORTHWESTERN OTTER TAIL
COUNTIES IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...AND RICHLAND...SARGENT...
SOUTHEASTERN RANSOM AND SOUTHEASTERN CASS COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST NORTH
DAKOTA UNTIL 745 PM CDT...
AT 645 PM CDT...STORM SPOTTERS REPORTED THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM GLYNDON TO 12 MILES NORTH OF WYNDMERE...MOVING TO THE
EAST AT 30 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THE STORMS...ALONG WITH
SMALL HAIL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. WINDS HAVE BEEN PRODUCING BLOWING
DIRT SEVERELY REDUCING VISIBILITIES IN OPEN COUNTRY.
THE STORMS WILL BE NEAR...
HANKINSON...WOLVERTON AND MANTADOR AROUND 655 PM CDT.
ULEN...MOORETON AND GREAT BEND AROUND 700 PM CDT.
BARNESVILLE...SONORA AND LAMARS AROUND 705 PM CDT.
WAHPETON...LAKE PARK AND BRECKENRIDGE AROUND 710 PM CDT.
FOR MOTORISTS ON INTERSTATE 29...THE STORMS WILL BE BETWEEN...MILE
MARKERS 1 AND 51...
FOR MOTORISTS ON INTERSTATE 94...THE STORMS WILL BE BETWEEN MINNESOTA
MILE MARKER 8 AND MINNESOTA MILE MARKER 47...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
LAT...LON 4594 9801 4628 9799 4665 9718 4714 9683
4715 9582 4653 9602 4601 9651 4601 9657
4594 9658
TIME...MOT...LOC 2347Z 269DEG 55KT 4694 9652 4644 9711
KAISERThe Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 210 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:46 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Three large jack pines were blown down across a fence. One of the trees also fell onto the roof of a house.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, May 2015
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: 565042.