Hail in North Dakota, May 25, 2023

Name: Hail in North Dakota, May 25, 2023
Start: 2023-05-25T16:59
End: 2023-05-25T19:48
Location: North Dakota

May 25, 2023 · NWS BIS · 8 events in 3 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

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.

Thunderstorms developed along a surface trough over western North Dakota, with some of the storms becoming severe. One note of interest with these storms was that the strongest ones exhibited anticyclonic rotation, with multiple splitting storms. The largest hail reported was ping-pong ball size, which fell in far northern McKenzie County, just south of Lake Sakakawea. NWS received no reports of damage from the hail.

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 Bismarck, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 25, 1:26 PM MST, 3 hours 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 25, 1:26 PM MST, 3 hours 33 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, May 25, 1:13 PM MST, 3 hours 46 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 25, 3:48 PM MST, 1 hour 11 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Bismarck ND
548 PM CDT Thu May 25 2023

NDZ017-252315-
McKenzie ND-
548 PM CDT Thu May 25 2023

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
MCKENZIE COUNTY THROUGH 615 PM CDT...

At 548 PM CDT, a strong thunderstorm was located 7 miles east of
Watford City, moving north at 15 mph.

HAZARD...Nickel size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible.

Locations impacted include...
Keene.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

&&

LAT...LON 4770 10305 4770 10319 4799 10324 4797 10290
TIME...MOT...LOC 2248Z 189DEG 14KT 4781 10310

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH

SCHILD

Special weather statement, May 25, 4:23 PM MST, 36 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Bismarck ND
623 PM CDT Thu May 25 2023

NDZ017-260000-
McKenzie ND-
623 PM CDT Thu May 25 2023

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
MCKENZIE COUNTY THROUGH 700 PM CDT...

At 623 PM CDT, a strong thunderstorm was located 7 miles northeast of
Watford City, moving north at 15 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts to 40 mph and nickel size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
         possible.

This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of north central
McKenzie County east and north of Watford City.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 4775 10304 4773 10320 4795 10329 4798 10303
TIME...MOT...LOC 2323Z 168DEG 12KT 4787 10316

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

SCHILD

Special weather statement, May 25, 4:41 PM MST, 18 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Bismarck ND
541 PM MDT Thu May 25 2023

NDZ031-032-260015-
Golden Valley ND-Billings ND-
541 PM MDT Thu May 25 2023

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN GOLDEN
VALLEY AND WEST CENTRAL BILLINGS COUNTIES THROUGH 615 PM MDT...

At 541 PM MDT, a strong thunderstorm was located 8 miles northeast of
Sentinel Butte, or 15 miles east of Beach, moving north at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts to 40 mph and nickel size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
         possible.

This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of northeastern Golden
Valley and west central Billings Counties.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

&&

LAT...LON 4689 10359 4689 10374 4714 10391 4718 10359
TIME...MOT...LOC 2341Z 170DEG 18KT 4698 10369

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

SCHILD

The radar

The Bismarck radar (KBIS), 228 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:58 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Golden Valley

When: May 25, 4:59 PM MST to 5:02 PM MST
Where: Golden Valley County, 5.93 mi NE of Sentinel Butte
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.980, -103.740

Hail, McKenzie

When: May 25, 5:00 PM MST to 5:03 PM MST
Where: McKenzie County, 13.42 mi NNE of Arnegard
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.010, -103.370

Hail, McKenzie

When: May 25, 5:57 PM MST to 5:59 PM MST
Where: McKenzie County, 11.18 mi SSW of Rawson
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.670, -103.640

Hail, Williams

When: May 25, 7:00 PM CST to 7:03 PM CST
Where: Williams County, 7 mi NNW of Spring Brook
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.340, -103.540

Hail, Williams

When: May 25, 7:18 PM CST to 7:20 PM CST
Where: Williams County, 9.94 mi SSW of Appam
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.430, -103.630

Hail, McKenzie

When: May 25, 6:40 PM MST to 6:43 PM MST
Where: McKenzie County, 25.31 mi S of Fairview
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.490, -103.930

Hail, Williams

When: May 25, 7:45 PM CST to 7:48 PM CST
Where: Williams County, 0.46 mi W of Zahl
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.570, -103.690

Hail, McKenzie

When: May 25, 6:55 PM MST to 6:58 PM MST
Where: McKenzie County, Charbonneau
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.850, -103.770

What these are

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 2023 Every state in 2023 This day in weather history Warnings in North Dakota, May 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1097617, 1097618, 1097619, 1097620, 1097621, 1097624, 1097625, 1097626.