Hail in North Dakota, July 19, 2018

Name: Hail in North Dakota, July 19, 2018
Start: 2018-07-19T15:02
End: 2018-07-19T17:00
Location: North Dakota

July 19, 2018 · NWS FGF · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS FGF wrote it up.

On the morning of July 19th, widespread cloud cover and steady showers were ongoing across southeast North Dakota and west central Minnesota. Meanwhile, further northwest, fairly abundant late morning and afternoon sunshine occurred over the Devils Lake region. By late afternoon and early evening, a weak surface boundary moved into the Devils Lake region and helped to set off scattered strong to severe thunderstorms. Atmospheric conditions were also conducive for funnel clouds, and several of these were also reported.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jul 19, 1:42 PM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 19, 1:42 PM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
242 PM CDT Thu Jul 19 2018

.SHORT TERM...(This evening through Friday)
Issued at 237 PM CDT Thu Jul 19 2018

Showers and embedded thunderstorms are ongoing this afternoon
across the southern half of the CWA. New development is beginning
to take shape along and ahead of a cold front that is expected to
move across the region tonight. Thunderstorm chances will increase
across the area as this occurs, with a few strong to severe
storms possible. The main threat will be hail up to one inch in
diameter along with damaging wind gusts to 60 mph. Due to
relatively high surface vorticity, funnel clouds and brief
landspout tornadoes could also occur. The severe threat will be
short lived, however, as indices remain unfavorable for organized
severe thunderstorms. High temperatures today will be rainfall and
cloud cover dependent, ranging from the upper 60s to near 80
degrees.

For tonight, showers and perhaps a thunderstorm will decrease in
coverage along the front. Lows will fall into the upper 50s to lower
60s. Rain chances diminish as we head into Friday morning with highs
on Friday expected to reach the middle to upper 70s.

.LONG TERM...(Friday night through Thursday)
Issued at 237 PM CDT Thu Jul 19 2018

Friday night - Saturday night: As upper-level ridging builds to the
west, showers will begin to decrease in coverage as they progress
eastwards and conditions turn dry late Friday. Mostly sunny skies
then return for the area Saturday under high pressure.

Sunday - Monday morning: By Sunday night a positively tilted mid-
level trough will begin to pivot over the Dakotas initializing
thunderstorm potential. Southerly flow ahead of an oncoming cold
front will support increasing temperatures and moisture transport
Sunday allowing for CAPE values near 2000 J/Kg and higher in
addition to deep layer shear 30-50 kts. Given those parameters,
severe storms are still a possibility for late Sunday into early
Monday.

Monday - Thursday: Conditions dry back out early Monday leaving
quiet conditions under high pressure. By Tuesday afternoon a
secondary shortwave will progress eastwards back into the area. This
will bring rain and storm chances once again primarily for
northwestern Minnesota. Still low confidence for this period.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Friday afternoon)
Issued at 1238 PM CDT Thu Jul 19 2018

Showers and a few embedded thunderstorms continue this afternoon
around KFAR. VFR to MVFR conditions are possible at all sites this
evening and tonight as ceilings lower along and ahead of a cold
front. Another round of thunderstorms may also briefly reduce
visibility. MVFR to IFR conditions are possible Friday morning,
mainly for KTVF and KGFK as lower ceilings are expected and
possibly even some patchy fog.

&&

.FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ND...None.
MN...None.
&&

SHORT TERM...Lynch
LONG TERM...AH/TG
AVIATION...Lynch

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 19, 4:06 AM CST, 10 hours 56 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
506 AM CDT Thu Jul 19 2018

MNZ001-004>009-013>017-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-026-027-054-201015-
West Polk-Kittson-Roseau-Lake Of The Woods-West Marshall-
East Marshall-North Beltrami-Pennington-Red Lake-East Polk-
North Clearwater-South Beltrami-Towner-Cavalier-Pembina-Benson-
Ramsey-Eastern Walsh County-Eddy-Nelson-Grand Forks-
Western Walsh County-
506 AM CDT Thu Jul 19 2018

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of eastern North
Dakota and northwest Minnesota.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

Although a few showers will be possible along the Highway 2
corridor throughout the day, thunderstorm chances will increase
during the late afternoon and evening hours for northeast North
Dakota and northwest Minnesota. A few storms may be strong with
small hail and gusty winds.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday

Thunderstorm chances increase late Sunday into early Monday
morning. While details are still uncertain, a few severe storms
can't be ruled out at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation may be required.

MNZ002-003-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ028>030-038-039-049-052-053-
201015-
Norman-Clay-Mahnomen-South Clearwater-Hubbard-West Becker-
East Becker-Wilkin-West Otter Tail-East Otter Tail-Wadena-Grant-
Griggs-Steele-Traill-Barnes-Cass-Ransom-Sargent-Richland-
506 AM CDT Thu Jul 19 2018

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of eastern North
Dakota, west central and northwest Minnesota.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

Steady rainfall ongoing this morning across southeast North Dakota
and west central Minnesota is expected to continue through the mid
to late afternoon hours. Rainfall totals up to one inch are likely
with locally higher amounts possible. This may cause some ponding
on roadways in urban areas.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday

Thunderstorm chances increase late Sunday into early Monday
morning. While details are still uncertain, a few severe storms
can't be ruled out at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation not expected.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 19, 9:16 AM CST, 5 hours 46 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jul 19, 9:41 AM CST, 5 hours 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1041 AM CDT THU JUL 19 2018

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0830 AM     HEAVY RAIN       7 NW LITCHVILLE         46.73N 98.30W
07/19/2018  M3.80 INCH       Barnes             ND   PUBLIC

            AS OF 1030AM STILL RAINING WITH AN ESTIMATED 4.5 INCHES
            OF RAIN. WATER IS BACKING UP INTO THE SLOUGHS AND FARM
            FIELDS. OTHERWISE, NO MAJOR IMPACTS BEING OBSERVED.

&&

TGRAFENA

Special weather statement, Jul 19, 1:40 PM CST, 1 hour 22 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jul 19, 1:44 PM CST, 1 hour 18 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jul 19, 2:36 PM CST, 26 minutes before

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The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 176 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:00 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 funnel cloud, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Funnel Cloud, Cavalier

When: July 19, 3:02 PM CST
Where: Cavalier County, 0.83 mi NNW of Mt Carmel
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 48.940, -98.390

Hail, Eddy

When: July 19, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Eddy County, 1.46 mi NNW of Dundas Siding
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.650, -99.040

Large hail and very heavy rain fell along the New Rockford and Superior township line.

What these are

Funnel Cloud: A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Dakota in 2018 Every state in 2018 This day in weather history Warnings in North Dakota, July 2018

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 758349, 758350.