A strong clipper-type system swept through the region on November 18th, with high northwest winds occurring in its wake. The winds gradually diminished in the late evening hours of November 18th into the early morning hours of November 19th.
Every event with a place to put it; 32 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.
A strong clipper-type system swept through the region on November 18th, with high northwest winds occurring in its wake. The winds gradually diminished in the late evening hours of November 18th into the early morning hours of November 19th. The strongest winds occurred near Garrison, McLean County, where gusts to 73 mph were recorded.
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 Nov 18, 8:29 AM CST, 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 829 AM CST WED NOV 18 2015 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 824 AM CST WED NOV 18 2015 ISSUED A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA THROUGH 17 UTC GIVEN OBSERVED TRAFFIC IMPACTS THIS MORNING AND THE EXPECTED CONTINUATION OF A NARROW BAND OF FREEZING RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THE WARM FRONT...WITH WIDESPREAD TEMPERATURES IN THE 20S AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY. UPDATE ISSUED AT 809 AM CST WED NOV 18 2015 CHANGES TO POPS AND CLOUD COVER WERE MADE TO REFLECT THE LATEST RADAR AND SATELLITE DATA. UPDATE ISSUED AT 653 AM CST WED NOV 18 2015 JUST RECEIVED TWO REPORTS OF FREEZING RAIN FROM MOUNTRAIL COUNTY. HAVE ADDED A BRIEF PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN TO ZONES...ON THE WARM FRONT. THE BAND AS INDICATED ON RADAR IS NARROW...AND TEMPERATURES ON OBS JUST POST FRONTAL JUMP TO 40+ DEGREES AND WIND TO 20+ MPH. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 315 AM CST WED NOV 18 2015 VERY STRONG WINDS LEADING TO A HIGH WIND WARNING ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...ALONG WITH A RED FLAG WARNING HIGHLIGHTS THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. CURRENT HEADLINES ON TRACK. LATEST WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS A POTENT TROUGH AND JET STREAK PLOWING ACROSS WESTERN/CENTRAL MONTANA PUSHING TOWARD NORTH DAKOTA. ASSOCIATED CLIPPER TYPE COLD FRONT NOW INTO SOUTHEAST ALBERTA WITH REGIONAL RADAR SHOWING A COUPLE OF LIGHTNING STRIKES ALONG THE FRONT NEAR GREAT FALLS MONTANA. A LEADING EDGE OF WEAK REFLECTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH A WARM FRONT NOW CROSSING INTO WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA. ONLY A TRACE REPORTED AT WOLF POINT WITH CEILINGS AROUND 10KFT. WILL KEEP PRECIPITATION MENTION THROUGH 12Z WITH THIS NARROW BAND NON-MEASURABLE/SPRINKLES...AND AWAIT THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE FOR INTRODUCING THE ISOLATED/SCATTERED RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS. THE COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP RAPIDLY ACROSS WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA MID MORNING...THEN INTO CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA BY 18Z. A 20MB TO 24MB PRESSURE GRADIENT SETS UP ACROSS THE STATE...FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST...WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. THIS RESULTS IN A PROLONGED PERIOD OF STRONG/GUSTY WINDS. NAM/GFS BUFKIT SOUNDINGS REMAIN CONSISTENT FROM PAST SEVERAL DAYS OF SUPPORTING GUSTS AROUND 60MPH. SOUNDINGS ALSO SHOW AN AREA OF BRIEF SNOWSHOWERS WORKING THROUGH THE NORTH THIS AFTERNOON SO THERE MAY BRIEF PERIODS OF LOWER VISIBILITIES. THE SNOW SQUALL PARAMETER/LAKE EFFECT POTENTIAL INCREASES WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE WHICH WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. MUCH COLDER AIR TO FOLLOW AS APPARENT TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO RANGE BETWEEN ZERO AND FIVE BELOW ZERO THURSDAY MORNING. WINDS SLOWLY SUBSIDE THURSDAY AFTERNOON. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 315 AM CST WED NOV 18 2015 ONCE THINGS QUIET DOWN FROM THE SHORT TERM SYSTEM...THAT QUIETING DOWN WILL HAPPEN BY THURSDAY NIGHT...THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST LOOKS BENIGN THROUGH TUESDAY. IT WILL BE BELOW NORMAL ON TEMPERATURES INTO SATURDAY...NORMAL LOW THIS TIME OF NOVEMBER IS WITHIN A FEW DEGREES EITHER SIDE OF 20...AND NORMAL HIGH IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S. BASED ON RECENT TEMPERATURES THE TEENS WE WILL HAVE FOR LOWS AND 30S FOR HIGHS WILL FEEL QUITE COLD. THE FEEL OF A GIVEN TEMPERATURE REALLY IS RELATIVE TO WHAT YOU ARE USED TO. BY SATURDAY NIGHT WARM AIR ADVECTION IS UNDERWAY AND IT IS A LONG WAY OFF YET SO TIMING COULD BE OFF...BUT IF MODEL GUIDANCE VERIFIES OVERNIGHT LOWS SATURDAY NIGHT COULD COME EARLY IN THE NIGHT WITH TEMPERATURE RISING IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF SUNDAY. WE GO ABOVE NORMAL ON TEMPERATURE THEN FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY...WITH THE NEXT COOL DOWN FOR TUESDAY. LOOKING FARTHER OUT...THE COOLER WEATHER CONTINUES THEN THROUGH THANKSGIVING DAY. AS FAR AS PRECIPITATION...LITTLE IF ANY THROUGH TUESDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 824 AM CST WED NOV 18 2015 A BRIEF PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN IS POSSIBLE AT KJMS THIS MORNING AROUND 16-17 UTC ASSOCIATED WITH A BAND OF FREEZING RAIN THAT IMPACTED KBIS EARLIER THIS MORNING. VERY STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 50KT WILL DEVELOP OVER THE WESTERN TERMINALS KISN/KDIK BY LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING...AND THEN SPREAD EAST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THE STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE LIKELY AND IS MENTIONED IN THE FORECASTS. BRIEF PERIODS OF MVFR CIGS WITH SNOWSHOWERS POSSIBLE WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 415 AM CST WED NOV 18 2015 RED FLAG WARNING FOR SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY EVENING. A STRONG COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE REMAINS ON TRACK WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES OF 35 TO 45 PERCENT AND NORTHWEST WIND GUSTS AROUND 60 MPH. THE COMBINATION OF VERY STRONG WINDS AND DRY/DORMANT FUELS SUPPORTS RAPID FIRE SPREAD IF A FIRE IGNITES. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL NOON CST /11 AM MST/ THURSDAY FOR NDZ003- 004-011-012-019>022-034>036-042-045>047-050. RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM CST /7 PM MST/ THIS EVENING FOR NDZ017>021-031>035-040>046. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL NOON CST /11 AM MST/ THURSDAY FOR NDZ001- 002-009-010-017-018-031>033-040-041-043-044. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO NOON CST THURSDAY FOR NDZ005-013-023-025-037-048-051. FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM CST THIS MORNING FOR NDZ012- 013-022-023-035-036-046-047-050. && UPDATE...AYD SHORT TERM...KS LONG TERM...JPM AVIATION...AYD FIRE WEATHER...KS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 821 AM CST WED NOV 18 2015 NDZ017>021-031>034-040>045-191430- MCKENZIE-DUNN-MERCER-OLIVER-MCLEAN-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK- MORTON-SLOPE-HETTINGER-GRANT-BOWMAN-ADAMS-SIOUX- 821 AM CST WED NOV 18 2015 /721 AM MST WED NOV 18 2015/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY WINDS DIMINISHING DURING THE DAY THURSDAY...OTHERWISE THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... CALL REPORTS OF HIGH WIND INTO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 701-223-4582 OR POST THEM TO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES OR ONLINE WEB PAGE REPORTING FORM. NDZ001>004-009>011-191430- DIVIDE-BURKE-RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-WARD- 821 AM CST WED NOV 18 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY WINDS DIMINISHING DURING THE DAY THURSDAY...OTHERWISE THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... CALL REPORTS OF HIGH WIND INTO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 701-223-4582 OR POST THEM TO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES OR ONLINE WEB PAGE REPORTING FORM. NDZ005-025-037-048-051-191430- ROLETTE-FOSTER-STUTSMAN-LA MOURE-DICKEY- 821 AM CST WED NOV 18 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY WINDS DIMINISHING DURING THE DAY THURSDAY...OTHERWISE THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... CALL REPORTS OF HIGH WIND INTO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 701-223-4582 OR POST THEM TO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES OR ONLINE WEB PAGE REPORTING FORM. NDZ012-013-022-023-035-036-046-047-050-191430- MCHENRY-PIERCE-SHERIDAN-WELLS-BURLEIGH-KIDDER-EMMONS-LOGAN- MCINTOSH- 821 AM CST WED NOV 18 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS MORNING. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY WINDS DIMINISHING DURING THE DAY THURSDAY...OTHERWISE THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... CALL REPORTS OF HIGH WIND INTO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 701-223-4582 OR POST THEM TO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES OR ONLINE WEB PAGE REPORTING FORM. AYD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 708 AM CST WED NOV 18 2015 NDZ002>005-010>013-019>023-025-034>037-042-045>048-050-051-181515- BURKE-RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-ROLETTE-MOUNTRAIL-WARD-MCHENRY-PIERCE- MERCER-OLIVER-MCLEAN-SHERIDAN-WELLS-FOSTER-MORTON-BURLEIGH-KIDDER- STUTSMAN-GRANT-SIOUX-EMMONS-LOGAN-LA MOURE-MCINTOSH-DICKEY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BOWBELLS...MOHALL...BOTTINEAU...ROLLA... NEW TOWN...MINOT...TOWNER...RUGBY...BEULAH...HAZEN...CENTER... GARRISON...MCCLUSKY...HARVEY...CARRINGTON...MANDAN...BISMARCK... STEELE...JAMESTOWN...ELGIN...FORT YATES...LINTON...NAPOLEON... EDGELEY...ASHLEY...OAKES 708 AM CST WED NOV 18 2015 /608 AM MST WED NOV 18 2015/ ...BRIEF PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN EXPECTED THIS MORNING... AS OF 7 AM CST A BAND OF PRECIPITATION...STRETCHING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...WAS MOVING EASTWARD ACROSS THE STATE. THIS BAND OF PRECIPITATION WAS CREATING BRIEF PERIODS OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN IN THE STANLEY TO MINOT AREAS. FREEZING RAIN IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE AS PRECIPITATION MOVES EASTWARD...WHERE TEMPERATURES ARE AT OR BELOW FREEZING. A ROAD THAT LOOKS WET MAY INDEED BE ICY. SLOW DOWN AND ALLOW EXTRA TIME FOR TRAVEL THIS MORNING. AFTER PRECIPITATION ENDS...TEMPERATURES WILL RISE QUICKLY TO NEAR 40 DEGREES. ACOOP/JPM
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
36 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Crosby RAWS reported a wind gust of 68 mph.
Dickinson ASOS reported a wind gust of 60 mph.
Williston ASOS reported a wind gust of 62 mph.
Hettinger ASOS reported a wind gust of 72 mph.
Stanley AWOS reported a wind gust of 66 mph.
Grassy Butte NDDOT site reported a wind gust of 60 mph.
Manning NDDOT reported a wind gust of 61 mph.
Beach AWOS reported a wind gust of 59 mph.
Fryberg NDDOT site reported a wind gust of 59 mph.
Sand Creek RAWS reported a wind gust of 59 mph.
Bowman NDDOT site reported a wind gust of 64 mph.
Wind gusts are estimated for southern Burke County based upon the Stanley AWOS report in Mountrail County.
Wind gusts are estimated for southern Hettinger County based upon the Hettinger ASOS report in Adams County.
Rolla AWOS reported a wind gust of 66 mph.
Bismarck ASOS reported a wind gust of 60 mph.
Jamestown ASOS reported a wind gust of 64 mph.
Minot ASOS reported a wind gust of 65 mph.
Garrison ASOS reported a wind gust of 73 mph.
Rugby AWOS reported a wind gust of 62 mph.
Golden Valley NDDOT site reported a wind gust of 65 mph.
Center CWOP or Citizen Weather Observer Program site reported a wind gust of 65 mph.
Denhoff NDDOT site reported a wind gust of 61 mph.
Harvey AWOS site reported a wind gust of 63 mph.
Carrington AWOS site reported a wind gust of 68 mph.
Mandan AWOS reported a wind gust of 68 mph.
Tatonka Prairie RAWS reported a wind gust of 68 mph.
Linton AWOS reported a wind gust of 60 mph.
Wishek NDDOT site reported a wind gust of 63 mph.
Oakes AWOS reported a wind gust of 66 mph.
Wind gusts are estimated for southern Renville County based upon the Minot ASOS report in Ward County.
Wind gusts are estimated for eastern Bottineau County based upon the Rolla AWOS report in Rolette County.
Wind gusts are estimated for eastern McHenry County based upon the Rugby AWOS report in Pierce County.
Wind gusts are estimated for southeast Grant County based upon the Tatonka Prairie RAWS report in Sioux County.
Wind gusts are estimated for western Kidder County based upon the Bismarck ASOS report in Burleigh County.
Wind gusts are estimated for southern Logan County based upon the Wishek NDDOT site report in McIntosh County.
Wind gusts are estimated for southern LaMoure County based upon the Oakes AWOS report in Dickey County.
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, November 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: 603484, 603487, 603490, 603491, 603493, 603495, 603496, 603506, 603507, 603509, 603510, 603745, 603792, 603485, 603486, 603488, 603489, 603492, 603494, 603497, 603499, 603503, 603504, 603505, 603508, 603511, 603512, 603513, 603514, 603747, 603788, 603789, 603794, 603796, 603797, 603798.