Hail and Damaging Winds in North Dakota, June 20, 2023

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in North Dakota, June 20, 2023
Start: 2023-06-20T17:15
End: 2023-06-20T20:30
Location: North Dakota

June 20, 2023 · NWS BIS · 23 events in 7 counties and zones

A surface boundary set up over central North Dakota, as a weak shortwave trough approached the region. Very strong instability developed through central North Dakota, with elevated deep-layer shear.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 23

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 BIS wrote it up.

A surface boundary set up over central North Dakota, as a weak shortwave trough approached the region. Very strong instability developed through central North Dakota, with elevated deep-layer shear. Initial severe storms produced large hail, with a mix of large hail and damaging wind gusts as time went on. Some of the winds became very damaging over north-central North Dakota. Near Balta, a farm sustained heavy property and tree damage with a measured wind gust of 110 mph, with other farms in the area suffering mainly tree damage. Tree damage also was reported in Rugby. Further north, in Rolette County, the city of Dunseith was severely affected with many trees snapped or uprooted, along with downed power lines. One individual was injured (indirect) when he was burned while cleaning up tree branches and came in contact with a live downed electrical wire. Near the City of Rolette, a porch and multiple teepees were damaged. This damage was attributed to a gustnado, which formed out ahead of the thunderstorm. Video evidence showed there was no connection from the ground circulation to the cloud base, and based on that, it was determined that this was a gustnado and not a tornado. NWS policy directives dictate that a gustnado is classified as a Thunderstorm Wind event in StormData.

The radar

The Minot AFB radar (KMBX), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:17 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 thunderstorm wind, 9 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Wells

When: June 20, 5:15 PM CST to 5:18 PM CST
Where: Wells County, 1 mi NE of Harvey
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.780, -99.885

Thunderstorm Wind, Morton

When: June 20, 5:15 PM CST to 5:17 PM CST
Where: Morton County, 4 mi W of Huff
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.620, -100.734

Hail, Wells

When: June 20, 5:30 PM CST to 5:33 PM CST
Where: Wells County, 3 mi NE of Harvey
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.801, -99.854

Thunderstorm Wind, Morton

When: June 20, 6:03 PM CST to 6:06 PM CST
Where: Morton County, 4 mi S of Mandan
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.772, -100.900

Hail, McLean

When: June 20, 6:08 PM CST to 6:11 PM CST
Where: McLean County, 2 mi W of Wilton
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.170, -100.843

Hail, Pierce

When: June 20, 6:10 PM CST to 6:13 PM CST
Where: Pierce County, 2 mi E of Selz
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.850, -99.837

Thunderstorm Wind, Morton

When: June 20, 6:15 PM CST to 6:19 PM CST
Where: Morton County, 4 mi NW of Mandan
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.871, -100.960

A tree that was approximately ten inches in diameter split.

Hail, McLean

When: June 20, 6:58 PM CST to 7:01 PM CST
Where: McLean County, Washburn
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.280, -101.020

Hail, Bottineau

When: June 20, 7:15 PM CST to 7:18 PM CST
Where: Bottineau County, 8.95 mi N of Bottineau Arpt
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.959, -100.401

Thunderstorm Wind, McHenry

When: June 20, 7:23 PM CST to 7:26 PM CST
Where: McHenry County, 7 mi NNE of Anamoose
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.974, -100.172

Multiple tree branches were downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pierce

When: June 20, 7:23 PM CST to 7:31 PM CST
Where: Pierce County, 5.77 mi N of Balta
Measured: 96 kt (110 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $350,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.253, -100.041

Five empty anchored down hopper style grain bins were blown over, a trailer rolled through the yard, a gazebo was destroyed, a pool fence was blown down, and tall cottonwood trees were snapped. The farm had an anemometer on site that recorded the strongest wind gust. About one-quarter mile to the west, other trees were uprooted.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pierce

When: June 20, 7:30 PM CST to 7:35 PM CST
Where: Pierce County, 3.5 mi NNE of Orrin
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $4,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.124, -100.132

Evergreen trees near the home were sheared off at roof level.

Thunderstorm Wind, McHenry

When: June 20, 7:30 PM CST to 7:35 PM CST
Where: McHenry County, 7 mi NNE of Towner
Measured: 87 kt (100 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.444, -100.342

Numerous trees were damage. Cottonwoods 12 to 18 inches in diameter were snapped, and poplar tree branches of six to ten inches were also snapped.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pierce

When: June 20, 7:34 PM CST to 7:37 PM CST
Where: Pierce County, 9.87 mi WNW of Balta
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.241, -100.216

Hail, Bottineau

When: June 20, 7:36 PM CST to 7:39 PM CST
Where: Bottineau County, Kramer
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.700, -100.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Pierce

When: June 20, 7:45 PM CST to 7:49 PM CST
Where: Pierce County, 3 mi WSW of Rugby
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.353, -100.040

Thunderstorm Wind, Pierce

When: June 20, 7:48 PM CST to 7:52 PM CST
Where: Pierce County, Rugby
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.370, -99.980

Multiple large tree branches were broken off, with a few broken trees.

Hail, Bottineau

When: June 20, 7:55 PM CST to 7:59 PM CST
Where: Bottineau County, 13.08 mi NE of Bottineau Arpt
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.959, -100.209

Hail, Bottineau

When: June 20, 7:55 PM CST to 7:58 PM CST
Where: Bottineau County, 4 mi E of Kramer
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.700, -100.612

Thunderstorm Wind, Bottineau

When: June 20, 7:55 PM CST to 7:59 PM CST
Where: Bottineau County, 4 mi E of Kramer
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.700, -100.612

The public estimated wind gusts of 60 mph.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rolette

When: June 20, 8:19 PM CST to 8:25 PM CST
Where: Rolette County, Dunseith
Measured: 78 kt (90 mph) estimated gust
Injuries: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Property damage: $600,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 48.820, -100.050

Many large tree branches were down, with several trees uprooted. There was some damage to roofs, and power poles and lines were down. In one case, a tree fell onto a power line then onto a house, causing the house to start on fire. In another case a teenager, whose age is unknown, was injured (indirect) as he was burned while cleaning up tree damage and unknowingly came in contact with a live downed electrical wire. The teen was hospitalized.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rolette

When: June 20, 8:19 PM CST to 8:22 PM CST
Where: Rolette County, 1 mi SE of Dunseith
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.810, -100.034

Thunderstorm Wind, Rolette

When: June 20, 8:25 PM CST to 8:30 PM CST
Where: Rolette County, 3 mi SW of Belcourt
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.799, -99.777

Part of a porch was torn from a home, and several tepees were blown away. This event was a gustnado based on the wind being ahead of the thunderstorm, likely along the gust front, and video showing the feature was not connected to the cloud base. Per NWS directives, gustnadoes are recorded as thunderstorm wind events, not as tornadoes, in StormData.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Dakota in 2023 Every state in 2023 This day in weather history Warnings in North Dakota, June 2023

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1102750, 1103248, 1102751, 1103249, 1102752, 1102754, 1102757, 1102758, 1102760, 1102786, 1104622, 1104624, 1104626, 1102787, 1103235, 1104627, 1104628, 1102762, 1103236, 1103238, 1103244, 1103246, 1104630.