A strong thunderstorm developed over Stutsman County ahead of an advancing cold front in an area of very high instability and elevated deep layer shear. The storm became severe over eastern Stutsman County, producing 70 mph wind gusts near Spiritwood.
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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.
A strong thunderstorm developed over Stutsman County ahead of an advancing cold front in an area of very high instability and elevated deep layer shear. The storm became severe over eastern Stutsman County, producing 70 mph wind gusts near Spiritwood.
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 15, 6:59 PM CST, 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 759 PM CDT SAT AUG 15 2015 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 751 PM CDT SAT AUG 15 2015 QUICK UPDATE TO CANCEL THE HEAT ADVISORY SOUTH CENTRAL...BUT EXTENDED IT THROUGH 02 UTC FOR THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY. NO CHANGE TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 489 AT THIS TIME. OVERALL...THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT IS CLOSING AS SUNSET APPROACHES...ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF ONLY ONE CELL THUS FAR THAT HAS BEEN ABLE TO BREAK THE CAP AND MAINTAIN ITSELF. UPDATE ISSUED AT 617 PM CDT SAT AUG 15 2015 ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 489 FOR THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY EFFECTIVE UNTIL 06 UTC. TRIMMED POPS TO ALONG AND EAST OF THE WELL DEFINED COLD FRONT ARCHING FROM NEAR DEVILS LAKE SOUTHWEST TO LINTON. THUS FAR THE TREND HAS BEEN FOR WEAK CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT 50 TO 80 NM AHEAD OF THE FRONT ACROSS THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY THAT HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO SUSTAIN ITSELF. A NEW...AND MORE ROBUST CELL HAS DEVELOPED NEAR DEVILS LAKE NEAR THE STRONGER FRONTAL FORCING AS OF 23 UTC... AND VERTICAL CLOUD DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES TO GROW SOUTHWEST ALONG THE FRONT GIVEN THE LATEST VISIBLE SATELLITE TRENDS. WHILE THE NUMBER OF CELLS MAY BE LIMITED...3000-4000 J/KG OF ML CAPE WITH 40 KTS OF DEEP LAYER EFFECTIVE SHEAR FAVOR SUPERCELLS WITH ALL HAZARDS...INCLUDING A POSSIBLE TORNADO THREAT AS LCLS CONTINUE LOWER IN THE RICH MOISTURE ACROSS THE WATCH AREA WITH 0-1 KM SHEAR OF 20 KTS. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 307 PM CDT SAT AUG 15 2015 CURRENT SURFACE ANALYSIS PLACES LOW SLIDING FROM SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN INTO SOUTHERN MANITOBA. FRONTAL BOUNDARY DROPS TO THE SOUTH/SOUTHWEST WITH GUSTY WINDS IN ITS WAKE. TEMPERATURES HAVE PUSHED WELL INTO THE 90S TO AROUND 100 NEAR THE BOUNDARY...THOUGH MUCH DRIER AIR CONTINUES TO MOVE INTO THE AREA IN ITS WAKE. OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...MUCH HIGHER DEWPOINTS ARE NOTED...WITH SOME 70S OVER THE LOWER JAMES RIVER VALLEY RESULTING IN VERY HIGH HEAT INDEX VALUES. UPPER LEVEL ANALYSIS SHOWS WEST/SOUTHWEST FLOW OVER OUR AREA WITH A SHORT WAVE SLIDING THROUGH WESTERN/CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. FOR THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT...BOUNDARY CONTINUES TO PUSH EASTERLY TOWARDS AREA OF VERY HIGH INSTABILITY (~5 KJ/KG) AND MODEST SHEAR OVER EASTERN INTO PORTIONS OF CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. EXPECT STORMS TO START DEVELOPING OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS AND PUSH EASTERLY INTO THE EVENING. GREATEST THREAT REMAINS DAMAGING WINDS WITH SOME LARGE HAIL. QUIET WEATHER THEN EXPECTED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT AS SYSTEM PUSHES EAST. ON SUNDAY...MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY...WITH HIGHS MAINLY IN THE 70S. A WEAK WAVE MOVING TO THE SOUTH OF THE AREA MAY SPARK SOME SHOWERS/STORMS ALONG THE SOUTH DAKOTA BORDER...THOUGH BETTER CHANCES FOR THIS REMAIN TO THE SOUTH. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 307 PM CDT SAT AUG 15 2015 A WELCOME COOLING TREND HIGHLIGHTS THE FORECAST. BROAD SCALE CYCLONIC FLOW ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH AMERICA WILL FACILITATE OCCASIONAL ADDITIONAL COLD FRONT PASSAGES OVER THE NEXT WEEK. HIGHS IN THE 75 TO 85 DEGREE RANGE WILL ONCE AGAIN DOMINATE. ASCENT ATTENDANT TO APPROACHING SHORTWAVES ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT PRECIPITATION. THERE IS SIGNIFICANT SPREAD AMONG 12 UTC GFS/ECMWF/GEM GLOBAL AND 06 UTC GEFS WITH RESPECT TO THERMODYNAMIC INSTABILITY ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. CONSEQUENTLY...HELD THUNDERSTORM CHANCES TO SLIGHT CHANCE. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 751 PM CDT SAT AUG 15 2015 VFR CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST AT ALL CENTRAL AND WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA TERMINALS THROUGH THE 00Z TAF CYCLE...UNLESS KJMS IS IMPACTED BY A THUNDERSTORM EARLY THIS EVENING...WHICH MAY BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. A STRONG COLD FRONT FROM NEAR KD55 LANGDON THROUGH KMBG MOBRIDGE AS OF 01 UTC WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST THIS EVENING. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 307 PM CDT SAT AUG 15 2015 A COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH THROUGH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO BRING GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS IN ITS WAKE ALONG WITH LOWERING RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES. THEREFORE...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE OVER FAR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR NDZ025-037-047-048- 050-051. RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR NDZ001-002-009-010-017-018-031>033-040-041-043-044. && UPDATE...AYD SHORT TERM...JJS LONG TERM...SCHECK AVIATION...AYD FIRE WEATHER...JJS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 744 PM CDT SAT AUG 15 2015 NDZ001-002-009-010-017-018-031>033-040-041-043-044-170045- DIVIDE-BURKE-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-MCKENZIE-DUNN-GOLDEN VALLEY- BILLINGS-STARK-SLOPE-HETTINGER-BOWMAN-ADAMS- 744 PM CDT SAT AUG 15 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY WILL PRODUCE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THIS EVENING. MONITOR WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR THE LATEST FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING...AND AGAIN ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. NDZ003>005-011>013-019>023-034>036-042-045-046-170045- RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-ROLETTE-WARD-MCHENRY-PIERCE-MERCER-OLIVER- MCLEAN-SHERIDAN-WELLS-MORTON-BURLEIGH-KIDDER-GRANT-SIOUX-EMMONS- 744 PM CDT SAT AUG 15 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING...AND AGAIN ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. NDZ025-037-047-048-050-051-170045- FOSTER-STUTSMAN-LOGAN-LA MOURE-MCINTOSH-DICKEY- 744 PM CDT SAT AUG 15 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY THIS EVENING. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL MAKE IT FEEL AS WARM AS 105 DEGREES. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING. A FEW STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS OVER THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING...AND AGAIN ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... PLEASE REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BISMARCK AT 1-800-247-0212. AYD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 651 PM CDT SAT AUG 15 2015 NDZ037-160015- STUTSMAN- 651 PM CDT SAT AUG 15 2015 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN STUTSMAN COUNTY... AT 651 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR WOODWORTH...OR 18 MILES NORTH OF MEDINA...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH AND NICKEL SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... PINGREE AROUND 715 PM CDT. OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE EDMUNDS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM CDT FOR SOUTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. LAT...LON 4707 9934 4725 9934 4728 9882 4701 9883 TIME...MOT...LOC 2351Z 271DEG 21KT 4716 9923 SCHECK/JJS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 718 PM CDT SAT AUG 15 2015 NDZ037-160045- STUTSMAN- 718 PM CDT SAT AUG 15 2015 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN STUTSMAN COUNTY... AT 717 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PINGREE...OR 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF JAMESTOWN...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 55 MPH AND NICKEL SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... PINGREE AROUND 725 PM CDT. BUCHANAN AROUND 740 PM CDT. TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM CDT FOR SOUTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. LAT...LON 4705 9916 4722 9906 4724 9855 4689 9871 TIME...MOT...LOC 0017Z 291DEG 21KT 4712 9901 SCHECK/JJS
The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 108 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:02 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
An off-duty NWS employee driving through the thunderstorm reported that the winds were significantly shaking his vehicle.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Dakota in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, August 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: 595734.