A surface low tracked through west central Minnesota during the afternoon of August 13th. Thunderstorms rotated around the low, and one produced a weak tornado near Henning.
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.
A surface low tracked through west central Minnesota during the afternoon of August 13th. Thunderstorms rotated around the low, and one produced a weak tornado near Henning.
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 13, 12:36 PM CST, 49 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Forks ND 136 PM CDT Tue Aug 13 2019 .UPDATE... Issued at 135 PM CDT Tue Aug 13 2019 Current KMVX base reflectivity imagery shows the surface low in western Norman county while its associated upper-low is just north of Grand Forks. The system will continue its propagation to the southeast through the rest of the day. Precipitation coverage will gradually decrease through late evening and skies will clear overnight tonight. High temperatures north of the Highway 2 corridor will only reach into the mid/upper 60s behind the cold frontal passage while further south, ahead of the cold front, lower 70s can be expected. && .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 313 AM CDT Tue Aug 13 2019 Showers continue working across the region this morning in association with an upper low in southern Manitoba. Much of the current activity remains very light, with mist and patchy fog observed in many areas as well. Model guidance continues the light shower activity through the morning hours with cooler than average temperatures prevailing through the day. High temperatures will reach the upper 60s to lower 70s. The H5 low bringing us today's shower activity will slide off to the east through the afternoon and evening, with quiet but continued cloudy conditions overnight. Lows will fall into the 50s, with partial clearing expected as we head into Wednesday. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday through Monday) Issued at 313 AM CDT Tue Aug 13 2019 Progressive 500 mb flow pattern over the area into early next week with 500 mb short waves and sfc fronts about every 2 days. One such system will move thru Thursday afternoon and evening with a risk of thunderstorms, MU CAPE via 00z GFS 1000-2000 j/kg. Next one on Saturday, though main 500 mb energy stays in Manitoba. 500 mb heights rise a bit after this short wave as warmer, more humid airmass builds early next week as highs climb back into the 80s. Early next next short wave moves along the US/Canada border Monday night into Tuesday giving a chance for thunderstorms. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Wednesday afternoon) Issued at 135 PM CDT Tue Aug 13 2019 Through tonight expect ceilings to gradually rise from the international border southward as the system moves southeast out of the CWA. Precipitation will also be moving southeastward out of the area through 00 UTC tonight. && .FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ND...None. MN...None. && UPDATE...Godon/Long SHORT TERM...Lynch LONG TERM...Riddle AVIATION...Godon/Long
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Grand Forks ND 436 AM CDT Tue Aug 13 2019 MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024- 026>030-038-039-049-052>054-140945- 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- 436 AM CDT Tue Aug 13 2019 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of eastern North Dakota, west central and northwest Minnesota. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
1131 AM CDT TUE AUG 13 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0655 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 4 NNW ROOSEVELT 48.86N 95.13W
08/09/2019 Roseau MN TRAINED SPOTTER
FUNNEL FORMED AND TRACKED EASTWARD FOR A COUPLE OF
MINUTES, THOUGH NO TOUCHDOWN WAS APPARENT.
&&
GGUSTThe Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 199 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:27 UTC.
1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A tornado touched down near the Henning airport and tracked southeast for roughly a quarter of a mile across a cut hay field. The tornado threw hay onto power lines and across a portion of county road 134. Peak winds were estimated at 70 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Minnesota, 2019Warnings in Minnesota, August 2019
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: 837734.