Cloud cover helped to hold down afternoon temperatures on August 7th, so highs stayed mainly in the low to mid 70s with dew points around 60. However, there was a decent upper level disturbance that worked into the area as well.
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.
Cloud cover helped to hold down afternoon temperatures on August 7th, so highs stayed mainly in the low to mid 70s with dew points around 60. However, there was a decent upper level disturbance that worked into the area as well. Thunderstorms across western and central North Dakota spread east through the late morning and early afternoon, and formed several bowing segments as they did so. One bowing segment started in northwest Sargent County, ND, then tracked northeast into southern Cass County, ND, and northern Wilkin County, MN. This storm produced very strong winds, large hail, and brief heavy rain.
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 Sep 7, 2:01 PM CST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Forks ND 301 PM CDT WED SEP 7 2016 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Thursday) Issued at 301 PM CDT Wed Sep 7 2016 Severe potential continues to be the main concern for this afternoon and evening. Water vapor imagery indicates a robust shortwave entering the central Dakotas. Forcing from this feature will lead to an area of thunderstorms across much of the region this afternoon and evening...quickly moving through the FA from west to east. Main uncertainty is severe potential. Instability will be limited...but with that said...forcing from the upper wave will be strong...and combined with strong deep layer shear will lead to a high shear/low CAPE event. Current CAM guidance indicates bowing segments within the overall line of thunderstorms...with strong winds probably the main threat. In addition...0-3km shear vector will be west/southwest 30-40knts...favorable for some type of tornado potential. Main message...expect a few severe storms this afternoon...especially across southeast North Dakota into west central Minnesota (or along and south of the surface low track). On Thursday...Zonal upper level flow expected on Thursday with the next shortwave approaching from the west/northwest brining showers to the northern region by afternoon. Instability and resultant impacts will be limited. .LONG TERM...(Thursday night through Wednesday) Issued at 301 PM CDT Wed Sep 7 2016 Thursday night starts off with an upper wave moving through the region...possibly bringing some showers and thunderstorms with it. With the limited instability and shear...severe storms are not expected Thursday night. Rainfall amounts look rather limited as well Thursday night. On Friday...the NAM and ECMWF both have a trailing shortwave possibly moving through the area as well. Will continue with 20s to 40s for this wave for now. Highs will be generally in the mid 60s to low 70s with a fair amount of cloud cover. Clouds decrease for Saturday and Sunday as upper wave moves east and upper ridge moves through the area. Saturday should remain cooler...but Sunday will climb to the mid to upper 70s across most of the area under sunny skies and breezy southerly winds. Another wave will move through the area on Monday...but this wave could stay on the dry side. The GFS is dry...but the ECMWF attempts to produce some precip with this one. Kept low chance of showers for now. A cold front will push through as well...keeping Mon and Tue generally in the 60s for highs. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Thursday afternoon) Issued at 102 PM CDT Wed Sep 7 2016 Main hazard will be thunderstorms. A line of thunderstorms will move through the region this afternoon/evening...and will likely be fairly widespread affecting all TAF sites. && .FGF Watches/Warnings/Advisories... ND...None. MN...None. && SHORT TERM...TG LONG TERM...Knutsvig AVIATION...TG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND 523 AM CDT WED SEP 7 2016 MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024- 026>030-038-039-049-052>054-081030- 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 COUNTY-EDDY-NELSON- GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT- RICHLAND-WESTERN WALSH COUNTY- 523 AM CDT WED SEP 7 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA. STORMS WILL PUSH INTO EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA BY MID AFTERNOON, WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS ON THE SOUTHERN END. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT, BUT HAIL AND EVEN TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE. THE STORMS WILL PUSH EASTWARD DURING THE EVENING, BRINGING THE SEVERE THREAT INTO WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA. STORMS WILL BEGIN TO WEAKEN AFTER MIDNIGHT AND LIFT NORTHEASTWARD OUT OF THE AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY AND A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN ON MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE I-94 CORRIDOR.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
240 PM CDT WED SEP 7 2016
NDZ038-039-049-052-072045-
BARNES-RANSOM-CASS-SARGENT-
240 PM CDT WED SEP 7 2016
...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT RANSOM...SOUTHEASTERN
BARNES...NORTHWESTERN SARGENT AND SOUTHWESTERN CASS COUNTIES...
AT 239 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED
ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR LITTLE YELLOWSTONE TO NEAR CRETE.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH AND HALF INCH HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
LISBON...ENDERLIN...GWINNER...MILNOR...SHELDON...
FORT RANSOM AND NOME.
THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO
STATIONS AND AVAILABLE TELEVISION STATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
LAT...LON 4628 9801 4628 9802 4664 9804 4682 9746
4618 9743 4609 9801
TIME...MOT...LOC 1939Z 243DEG 31KT 4663 9803 4615 9800
GUSTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
321 PM CDT WED SEP 07 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0300 PM HAIL 3 N STIRUM 46.25N 97.81W
09/07/2016 E1.75 INCH SARGENT ND PUBLIC
GOLF BALLS REPORTED BY POINT OF CONTACT AT EMMANUEL
CHURCH NEAR STIRUM ND
&&
PJSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
323 PM CDT WED SEP 07 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0300 PM HAIL 4 N STIRUM 46.27N 97.81W
09/07/2016 E1.75 INCH SARGENT ND PUBLIC
HAIL SIZES RANGED FROM PING PONG TO GOLF BALL.
&&
MLUKESPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
353 PM CDT WED SEP 07 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0305 PM TSTM WND DMG 10 SSW LISBON 46.30N 97.76W
09/07/2016 RANSOM ND PUBLIC
REPORT OF A MACHINE SHED DESTROYED AND TRACTOR
TIPPED...ALSO LOTS OF HAIL UP TO HALF DOLLAR SIZE.
&&
JAMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
356 PM CDT WED SEP 07 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0310 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 N GWINNER 46.28N 97.66W
09/07/2016 SARGENT ND BROADCAST MEDIA
SNAPPED OFF POWER POLES AND POWER LINES DOWN ALONG
HIGHWAY 32.
&&
JAMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
410 PM CDT WED SEP 07 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0350 PM HAIL 8 E MCLEOD 46.39N 97.13W
09/07/2016 E1.00 INCH RICHLAND ND PUBLIC
ALONG HWY 18
&&
MLUKESThe Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 127 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:27 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Several large tree branches and limbs were blown down in shelterbelts.
Large tree branches were blown down and one spruce tree was snapped along 8th Crow Wing Lake. Intense squalls produced very heavy rain throughout the evening.
Trees were blown down and a home was damaged.
Pea to dime sized hail was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, September 2016
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: 648649, 648650, 649345, 648651, 648652.