Thunderstorms formed over eastern North Dakota during the mid afternoon of June 8th and spread eastward into the Red River Valley by the mid to late afternoon and early evening. These storms produced a few weak tornadoes and strong wind gusts.
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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.
Thunderstorms formed over eastern North Dakota during the mid afternoon of June 8th and spread eastward into the Red River Valley by the mid to late afternoon and early evening. These storms produced a few weak tornadoes and strong wind gusts. Just north of Reynolds (ND), two semi trucks were blown over, which garnered a lot of media interest.
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 Jun 8, 2:00 PM CST, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Forks ND 300 PM CDT Fri Jun 8 2018 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Saturday) Issued at 300 PM CDT Fri Jun 8 2018 KMVX radar shows the upper level circulation just east of Devils Lake at 3:00pm, as does water vapor imagery. MLCAPE in location of this activity is around 500 J/KG, and forcing looks to stay just ahead of stronger instability and deep layer shear. This activity is also out ahead of stronger surface vorticity, and will likely remain ahead of stronger surface vorticity. Thus, severe wind/hail and/or non-supercell tornado potential appears to be very low (but not out of the question considering the upper low). Increased PoPs along the expected track of the upper low since it appears showers/thunder will hold together into the evening. CAMs agree, with 0.25-0.50 inch of rain possible. Upper ridging builds into the region for Saturday, although confidence in details are low. Most areas tonight into Saturday will remain dry. .LONG TERM...(Saturday night through Friday) Issued at 300 PM CDT Fri Jun 8 2018 As upper ridging across the northern Plains pushes eastward late in the weekend, a strong upper trough will propagate north and east out of the Pacific Northwest. Breezy, warm, and dry conditions can be expected through the first half of the day Sunday before a developing surface low begins to track towards the area. This system will allow precipitation chances to return by the end of the weekend and continue into the start of the new work week. Strong to severe storms could be possible as a fairly strong cold front passes from west to east but the best chances for this could hinge on the timing of the frontal passage. As the surface low slowly tracks through the area on Monday, precipitation chances linger throughout the day before finally clearing out Monday night. Breezy and cool conditions will follow in the wake of the cold front with high temperatures to start the work week back down to around, or even slightly below, normal values (low to mid 70s). The cooler temperatures look to continue through the rest of the period with periodic chances here and there for showers or thunderstorms. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Saturday afternoon) Issued at 1241 PM CDT Fri Jun 8 2018 Showers with embedded thunder the main concern for today. Attempted to time the better chances for this to occur in each forecast. There is a decent potential for MVFR cigs Saturday morning along and east of the Red River Valley. && .FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ND...None. MN...None. && SHORT TERM...TG LONG TERM...Lee AVIATION...TG
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Grand Forks ND 240 PM CDT Fri Jun 8 2018 MNZ001>003-007-008-013>015-022-027>032-040-NDZ016-026>030-038-039- 049-052-053-091200- West Polk-Norman-Clay-West Marshall-East Marshall-Pennington- Red Lake-East Polk-Mahnomen-West Becker-East Becker-Wilkin- West Otter Tail-East Otter Tail-Wadena-Grant-Eastern Walsh County- Nelson-Grand Forks-Griggs-Steele-Traill-Barnes-Cass-Ransom- Sargent-Richland- 240 PM CDT Fri Jun 8 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of eastern North Dakota, west central and northwest Minnesota. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Showers and thunderstorms will occur across a portion of the region into the evening. A few storms may become strong to severe, with hail up to an inch, winds up to 60 mph, and a brief tornado possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday Thunderstorms appear likely Sunday night into Monday. Some of these thunderstorms could become severe Sunday night with damaging wind gusts the main threat. A few locations could also see heavy rain and localized flooding. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. MNZ004>006-009-016-017-023-024-NDZ006>008-014-015-024-054-091200- Kittson-Roseau-Lake Of The Woods-North Beltrami-North Clearwater- South Beltrami-South Clearwater-Hubbard-Towner-Cavalier-Pembina- Benson-Ramsey-Eddy-Western Walsh County- 240 PM CDT Fri Jun 8 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of eastern North Dakota, west central and northwest Minnesota. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Showers and thunderstorms are possible into the evening hours. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday Thunderstorms appear likely Sunday night into Monday. Some of these thunderstorms could become severe Sunday night with damaging wind gusts the main threat. A few locations could also see heavy rain and localized flooding. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
320 PM CDT FRI JUN 8 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0307 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 5 N VALLEY CITY 47.00N 98.02W
06/08/2018 Barnes ND 911 CALL CENTER
CALL FROM VALLEY CITY WARNING POINT WITH REPORT OF A
FUNNEL CLOUD
&&
NCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
412 PM CDT FRI JUN 8 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0405 PM TORNADO 6 SE TOWER CITY 46.86N 97.59W
06/08/2018 Cass ND TRAINED SPOTTER
CALL FROM A SPOTTER WITH A REPORT OF A TORNADO ON THE
GROUND
&&
NCSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Eastern ND/Grand Forks ND
421 PM CDT FRI JUN 8 2018
NDZ026-027-054-082215-
Nelson ND-Western Walsh County ND-Grand Forks ND-
421 PM CDT FRI JUN 8 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN GRAND FORKS...
NORTHEASTERN NELSON AND SOUTHWESTERN WALSH COUNTIES UNTIL 515 PM
CDT...
At 420 PM CDT, the public reported a funnel cloud near Michigan, or
35 miles east of Devils Lake, moving northeast at 15 mph.
Dime size hail will be possible with this storm.
This thunderstorm will be near...
Petersburg around 425 PM CDT.
Whitman around 435 PM CDT.
Dahlen around 505 PM CDT.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement
agency. They will relay your report to the National Weather Service
office in Grand Forks.
&&
LAT...LON 4831 9800 4821 9786 4820 9786 4819 9783
4812 9772 4796 9809 4809 9827
TIME...MOT...LOC 2120Z 230DEG 11KT 4808 9810
JHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
426 PM CDT FRI JUN 8 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0412 PM TORNADO 2 NW MICHIGAN 48.05N 98.15W
06/08/2018 Nelson ND TRAINED SPOTTER
SHORT LIVED TORNADO ON THE GROUND FOR A FEW MINUTES
BEFORE LIFTING
&&
NCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
437 PM CDT FRI JUN 8 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0430 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 N REYNOLDS 47.69N 97.11W
06/08/2018 Grand Forks ND BROADCAST MEDIA
TWO SEMIS FLIPPED OVER ON I-29 DUE TO WINDS
&&
NCThe Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 48 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:54 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A few 4 to 6 inch diameter tree branches were blown down in a farm yard.
Several 4 to 6 inch diameter branches were blown down in shelterbelts in northeast Tynsid and northwest Roome townships.
Tree damage was noted in shelterbelts.
Dime to quarter sized hail fell with heavy rain.
Several 4 to 6 inch diameter tree branches were blown down.
Heavy rain and strong winds were also noted. Large tree branches were blown down around the yard.
Heavy rain and dime to quarter sized hail was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, June 2018
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: 752171, 752172, 752173, 752174, 752175, 752176, 752177.