Strong winds developed in the afternoon and evening hours in the wake of a passing cold front. The strongest winds were reported over southwest into parts of central North Dakota where the greatest pressure rises were noted.
Every event with a place to put it; 15 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
Strong winds developed in the afternoon and evening hours in the wake of a passing cold front. The strongest winds were reported over southwest into parts of central North Dakota where the greatest pressure rises were noted. The highest wind gusts of 70 mph were reported near Hazelton, in Emmons County. This was an anonymously deep mid level low for the time of year.
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 22, 2:32 PM CST, 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 332 PM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 333 PM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015 WILL UPGRADE THE WIND ADVISORY TO A HIGH WIND WARNING SOUTH CENTRAL FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. MODEL SOUNDINGS SHOW THE BEST MOMENTUM TRANSFER WILL BEGIN LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING SOUTH CENTRAL. WITH THE DRY SLOT SHOWING UP IN SAT IMAGES FEEL THIS WILL BE REALIZED MAINLY EARL THIS EVENING SOUTH CENTRAL. OTHERWISE REMAINDER OF THE ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THIS EVENING NORTH THROUGH THE EAST. ON SUNDAY...WINDS WILL BE GREATLY DIMINISHED AND SKIES WILL BE CLEARING. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 333 PM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015 THE STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ASSOCIATED WITH THE WINDY AND SHOWERY DAY SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...WITH WINDS CONTINUING SUNDAY...WILL BE EXITING THE REGION. THEN A WESTERN RIDGE BUILDS BRINGING SEASONABLE AUGUST WEATHER TO OUR AREA THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEK. SUNDAY EVENING THE STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO BE CENTERED OVER SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO...WITH HIGH PRESSURE SETTLING OVER THE DAKOTAS THROUGH THE NIGHT. LIGHT WINDS AND CLEAR SKIES WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO DROP INTO THE 40S ACROSS MUCH OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...WITH A FEW AREAS POSSIBLY DIPPING INTO THE UPPER 30S. THE BUILDING WESTERN RIDGE WILL BRING A WARMING TREND...WITH HIGHS MONDAY FROM 70 TO 80...TO 80 TO 90 BY THURSDAY. ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH SOME UPPER LEVEL ENERGY IMPULSES MOVING THROUGH THE RIDGE ACROSS THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 333 PM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015 HAZARDS TO AVIATION INCLUDE STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST SURFACE WINDS AND MVFR TO LOCAL IFR CONDITIONS IN SHOWERS. DEEP SURFACE LOW OVER EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA WILL MOVE NORTHEAST BRINGING STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 45 KTS ACROSS WEST AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. MVFR TO LOCAL IFR CONDITIONS IN CLOUDS AND SHOWERS IMPROVING TO VFR AFTER 06Z MOST AREAS. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 PM CDT /9 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR NDZ018>020-031>035-040>046. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR NDZ001-009-017. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 1 AM CDT SUNDAY FOR NDZ002>005-010>013- 021>023-025-036-037-047-048-050-051. && SHORT TERM...WAA LONG TERM...JV AVIATION...WAA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 636 AM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015 NDZ031>033-040-041-043-044-231145- GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-SLOPE-HETTINGER-BOWMAN-ADAMS- 536 AM MDT SAT AUG 22 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WING WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING. WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH ARE EXPECTED. SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR MORE DETAILS. WIDESPREAD RAIN SHOWERS WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TODAY INTO TONIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY ACROSS THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-034>037-042-045>048-050-051-231145- DIVIDE-BURKE-RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-ROLETTE-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-WARD- MCHENRY-PIERCE-MCKENZIE-DUNN-MERCER-OLIVER-MCLEAN-SHERIDAN-WELLS- FOSTER-MORTON-BURLEIGH-KIDDER-STUTSMAN-GRANT-SIOUX-EMMONS-LOGAN- LA MOURE-MCINTOSH-DICKEY- 636 AM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015 /536 AM MDT SAT AUG 22 2015/ 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...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA TODAY INTO TONIGHT. WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED INTO TONIGHT. SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR MORE DETAILS. WIDESPREAD RAIN SHOWERS WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TODAY INTO TONIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY ACROSS THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. AYD
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
204 PM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0153 PM HIGH SUST WINDS 2 NW HETTINGER 46.02N 102.66W
08/22/2015 M40 MPH ADAMS ND ASOS
&&
ABELINGThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
18 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Long Lake RAWS reported a wind gust of 59 mph.
Hettinger ASOS reported a wind gust of 62 mph.
Tatanka Prairie RAWS reported a sustained wind of 43 mph.
Center CWOP reported a sustained wind of 41 mph.
Sustained winds are estimated for southern Grant County based upon the report at Tatanka Prairie RAWS in Sioux County.
Sustained winds are estimated for northern Morton County based upon the Center CWOP report in Oliver County.
Wind gusts are estimated for eastern Bowman County based upon the Hettinger ASOS report in Adams County.
Wind gusts are estimated for southern Hettinger County based upon the Hettinger ASOS report in Adams County.
There were high winds in neighboring Bowman County.
High winds were reported in neighboring Stark County.
High winds estimated based on neighboring county reports.
Garrison ASOS reported a wind gust of 58 mph.
A 14 inch diameter tree was uprooted and fell on a car.
Sustained winds are estimated for northeast Mercer County based upon the Garrison ASOS report in McLean County.
There were high winds in neighboring Stark County.
Jamestown Airport ASOS reported a wind gust of 59 mph.
Adjacent counties of Burleigh and Stutsman had high winds.
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: 595933, 595935, 595936, 595937, 599591, 599592, 599607, 599653, 599792, 599793, 599794, 599795, 595944, 595945, 599606, 599791, 595934, 599796.