By mid to late afternoon of August 3rd, a cold front had moved into central North Dakota. Ahead of the cold front, a warm front extended out to the east, or along the Canadian border.
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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 FGF wrote it up.
By mid to late afternoon of August 3rd, a cold front had moved into central North Dakota. Ahead of the cold front, a warm front extended out to the east, or along the Canadian border. This put all of eastern North Dakota and the northwest quarter of Minnesota in the warm sector, where afternoon highs reached into the 80s to around 90, with dew point readings well into the 60s. A ribbon of extreme instability pooled from north to south just ahead of the cold front, with a lot of low level twisting evident in the wind field. Thunderstorms flared up in a northeast to southwest line around Rugby, North Dakota, then slowly tracked eastward during the evening. Some of the initial thunderstorms resulted in tornadoes in the Bisbee, North Dakota, area, as well as very large hail. In addition, these storms dropped large amounts of rain in the Bisbee area. As these initial storms moved east, they gradually weakened and became more disorganized. Meanwhile, storms along the southern edge of the line strengthened, gradually affecting the Devils Lake, North Dakota, area. Once again, several tornadoes were reported, with large hail as well. By late evening into the early morning hours of August 4th, the line over Devils Lake joined a line that blew up southwest of Jamestown, North Dakota, to form a continuous line of storms. This line of storms continued to move east, pushing through the central and southern Red River Valley, and into portions of west central Minnesota. By the time it reached west central Minnesota, the storms mainly produced damaging wind gusts.
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 Aug 3, 2:40 PM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Forks ND 340 PM CDT WED AUG 3 2016 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Thursday) Issued at 307 PM CDT Wed Aug 3 2016 A low pressure system currently digging into northwest ND will slide eastward along the CanAm border through the late afternoon and evening hours. Deep layer moisture advection and surface heating ahead of this system has /by 3pm/ developed a broad area of quite unstable air with surface and mixed layer CAPE exceeding 4000 j/kg and minimal CIN across central eastern ND. RUC13 and HRRR versions are all indicating high degree of low level /0-2 km VGP/ spin potential and instability which would support rapid sub-cloud ascent and increased tornadic potential. Shear profiles shud support strong overall updraft and the ability of supercell development and maintenance. Storms should clear from eastern ND by midnight and decrease in intensity over northwest MN during the late overnight hours. Somewhat cooler and drier westerly flow will develop on Thursday.. with scattered showers are possible along the CanAm border Thursday afternoon... mainly in backwash instability. .LONG TERM...(Thursday night through Wednesday) Issued at 307 PM CDT Wed Aug 3 2016 The period will begin quiet as surface low pressure moves away from the area and towards Hudson Bay. Upper ridging will build into the Plains states as slightly cooler and drier Canadian air works its way southward. Temperatures to end the work week and start the weekend look to top out slightly below normal with values mainly in the mid to upper 70s and gradually into the lower 80s. The upper ridge begins breaking down late Sunday as an upper low strengthens across the Pacific northwest. Models disagree a bit on the timing and strength of this feature with the GFS much stronger and more pronounced than the ECMWF. Regardless, several waves are progged to move through the southwest flow ahead of this system allowing precipitation chances to return by late Sunday/early Monday. At this time, not able to confidently pick out the timing of the strongest waves so generally went with slight chance/chance PoPs through Wednesday. Temperatures for the second half of the period will be just a tad warmer with highs in the upper 70s across the north and low to mid 80s in the south. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Thursday afternoon) Issued at 1245 PM CDT Wed Aug 3 2016 Expect areas MVFR cigs and vsbys in strong to severe tstms to develop across the FA from after 22z into central and eastern ND...after 02z into the Red River Valley...and after 04z across northwest and west central Minnesota. Conditions becoming VFR across eastern ND after 06z...and across northwest MN after 10z. Thursday morning...fair skies and light south to southwest flow. && .FGF Watches/Warnings/Advisories... ND...Tornado Watch 430 until 11pm cdt. MN...Tornado Watch 430 until 11pm cdt. SHORT TERM...Gust LONG TERM...Lee AVIATION...Gust
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND 857 AM CDT WED AUG 3 2016 MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024- 026>030-038-039-049-052>054-041400- 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- 857 AM CDT WED AUG 3 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS AN ENHANCED RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER IN EASTERN ND LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SIGNIFICANT HAIL...GREATER THAN 2 INCHES POSSIBLE...AND SOME TORNADIC ACTIVITY IS POSSIBLE LATE IN THE AFTERNOON ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN ND. STORMS WILL PRESENT MORE OF A WIND THREAT AS THE ACTIVITY MERGES INTO A LINEAR SYSTEM AND MOVES INTO THE RED RIVER VALLEY AND NW MN THIS EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THEREFORE...THIS AREA IS UNDER A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS FOR MAINLY STRONG WINDS AND ISOLATED LARGE HAIL. HEAVY RAINFALL WITH LOCALIZED FLOODING IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY AFTER A QUIET WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED. JK/LEE
The Minot AFB radar (KMBX), 89 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:06 UTC.
17 thunderstorm wind, 13 hail, 4 tornado, 3 heavy rain, 3 funnel cloud, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A few four to six inch diameter tree branches were blown down in shelterbelts across northern Knox Township.
The hail covered the ground.
This tornado began in Rolette County, then crossed into Towner County one mile north-northeast of Agate. In Towner County, it tracked for twelve miles. The tornado center tracked about 2.5 miles north of Bisbee and continued east across highway 281. The tornado demolished farm buildings at two farms and snapped over two dozen power poles at various locales. Peak winds were estimated at 120 mph.
Power poles and power lines were blown down.
Power lines and power poles were snapped along highway 281, one to two miles north of the intersection with highway 66.
Numerous poplar and pine trees were snapped or uprooted at farmsteads and shelterbelts across Crocus and Twin Hill townships. Large 1200 pound hay bales were blown across a road.
Large hail fell along highway 66.
Large hail and very strong winds were reported across northern Victor Township.
Numerous large tree branches were blown down in shelterbelts across Trier and Seivert townships.
The wind gust was measured by mobile equipment.
Heavy rain resulted in rising water in ditches, approaching on highway 66.
Heavy rain resulted in street flooding.
The wind gust was measured by the Hampden RAWS station.
Quarter sized hail fell along with very heavy rain.
Highway 66 was closed due to water flowing across the road. Fields and ditches were flooded across Grainfield, Sorenson, New City, and Gerrard townships.
A few large tree branches were blown down and at least one twelve inch diameter tree was snapped near the ground.
The wind gust was measured by a personal weather station.
Quarter sized hail was reported along with heavy rain.
Several four to six inch diameter tree branches were blown down in shelterbelts along highway 2.
Four large 20,000 bushel steel grain bins were partially caved in at a farmstead.
Quarter to ping pong ball sized hail fell across central Hamilton Township, along with very heavy rain and strong winds.
Nickel to quarter sized hail fell.
A brief funnel cloud was observed west of New Rockford.
A persistent wall cloud with brief funnels was observed.
A persistent wall cloud with funnel was observed.
This was the first of two tornadoes viewed and photographed by multiple storm chasers in the Sweetwater Lake area, in southern Freshwater and Morris townships. This tornado tracked over open fields and marshland. Peak winds were estimated at 75 mph.
This was the second of two tornadoes viewed and photographed by multiple storm chasers in the Sweetwater Lake area. This tornado tracked to the east-southeast over open fields and marshland. Peak winds were estimated at 75 mph.
A tornado tracked across far southeast Hilldale Township into the far southwest corner of Eddy Township, snapping or uprooting numerous trees along the Sheyenne River valley. The roof was completely torn off a farmhouse, with several outbuildings also destroyed. Peak winds were estimated at 135 mph.
A few four to six inch diameter tree branches were blown down. Pea to penny size hail also fell.
The wind gust was measured at the Grand Forks airport.
The wind gust was measured at the Grand Forks Air Force Base.
Street and underpass flooding was reported.
The wind gust was measured at a RAWS station.
Portions of University avenue, DeMers avenue, Washington Street, and 42nd street were flooded by heavy rain. The Washington underpass was also flooded and closed to traffic.
Strong winds caused minor roof damage and knocked down two large trees.
Strong winds were reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Dakota in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for North Dakota, 2016Warnings in North Dakota, August 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: 643464, 643476, 643477, 643480, 643481, 643482, 643507, 643509, 643511, 643512, 643522, 643523, 643513, 643515, 643516, 643521, 643524, 643525, 643526, 643527, 643528, 643530, 643532, 643533, 643534, 643535, 643536, 643537, 643539, 643541, 643542, 643712, 643544, 643716, 643717, 643718, 643719, 643720, 643721, 643725, and more.