Isolated showers and thunderstorms developed over southwest North Dakota as a compact short-wave trough moved through the area. A short lived landspout tornado developed north of Hettinger in Adams County.
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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 BIS wrote it up.
Isolated showers and thunderstorms developed over southwest North Dakota as a compact short-wave trough moved through the area. A short lived landspout tornado developed north of Hettinger in Adams County. The tornado touched down in an open field and impacted no structures. There was no damage to evaluate. By National Weather Service policy the tornado is rated EF-U (Unknown).
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 Jun 17, 10:35 AM MST, 2 hours 3 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Bismarck ND 1235 PM CDT Tue Jun 17 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Active pattern with periodic shower and thunderstorm chances during the workweek into the weekend. A few severe storms are possible, more notably later in the week. - Overall temperatures remain around normal to slightly above normal for this time of year. && .UPDATE... Issued at 1235 PM CDT Tue Jun 17 2025 Vort max continues to track along the ND/SD border, with scattered showers persistent in far southwest North Dakota. Added in another few hours mention of low rain chances with this update. Elsewhere, fair weather cu around 5k feet are developing across the area, with generally light winds and highs in the 70s this afternoon. UPDATE Issued at 938 AM CDT Tue Jun 17 2025 A few light, isolated radar returns have developed in the far south central, with an additional area moving from southeast Montana into southwest North Dakota. Added in some low POPs for the next few hours but expecting this activity to diminish through the morning. Otherwise, going forecast looks good. UPDATE Issued at 616 AM CDT Tue Jun 17 2025 Patchy ground fog continues across the central North Dakota this morning with slight visibility reductions. No updates are needed at this time as the forecast remains on track. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 429 AM CDT Tue Jun 17 2025 Surface high pressure over eastern Montana will continue to push into North Dakota today. This will lead to relatively quiet weather across the state. High temperatures are forecast to warm into the 70s to lower 80s this afternoon. Surface high pressure will keep the skies fairly clear throughout the day. Winds will eventually switch to northerly by the afternoon, but remain light. No precipitation is forecast today. Overnight low temperatures are forecast to drop down into the 50s tonight. The upper level pattern remains zonal in the short term. An upper level shortwave is forecast to move into the region early tomorrow morning bringing in chances for showers and thunderstorms throughout the day. The environment tomorrow does support isolated strong to severe storms with around 1500 j/kg of SBCAPE and 20-30kts of 0-6 km wind shear by the afternoon to evening hours. Modest lapse rates and cooler temperatures aloft could support multi-cluster cells across the northern half of the state possibly producing large hail and strong to severe wind gusts. The Storm Prediction Center has most of central and eastern North Dakota in a marginal risk for severe weather Wednesday. High temperatures Wednesday are forecast to climb up into the 80s across the region. Overnight low temperatures are forecast to drop down into the 50s again. Temperatures will warm up Thursday into the upper 80s in the southwest to the upper 70s in the northeast. High temperatures will gradually drop down into the lower to mid 80s until Sunday, when an upper level low moves through the region bringing in cooler temperatures. An upper level ridge over the Pacific Northwest will begin to push over the Northern Rockies into the Northern Plains by the end of this week. Southerly return flow will begin to advect 60 dew points back into the region Thursday with temperatures in the 80s will lead to increased instability across the state. The ensembles have MUCAPE around 1000-2000 j/kg and 45-55 kts of 0-6 km wind shear, which would support supercell development. The only thing holding back severe weather Thursday is the lack of a forcing mechanism to break the cap. Therefore, the Storm Prediction Center has most of central and eastern North Dakota in a marginal risk for severe weather Thursday. CSU machine learning program and NSSL machine learning severe probability program are both picking up on Friday and Saturday having the highest probability of severe weather. Friday, an upper level short wave is forecast to move across the state. The environment will be similar to Thursday, but with a lifting mechanism. The machine learning programs are also pegging Saturday to have another round of severe storms as another strong wave moves across the jet stream. An upper level low is forecast to move through the region Sunday bringing forth precipitation and cooler temperatures next week. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 1235 PM CDT Tue Jun 17 2025 VFR conditions are expected at all terminals through the TAF period. Winds are generally from the north to northwest this afternoon, becoming light and variable overnight before shifting to be southwesterly on Wednesday. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && UPDATE...Jones DISCUSSION...Johnson AVIATION...Jones
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Bismarck ND 1224 PM CDT Tue Jun 17 2025 NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-181730- Divide-Burke-Renville-Bottineau-Rolette-Williams-Mountrail-Ward- McHenry-Pierce-McKenzie-Dunn-Mercer-Oliver-McLean-Sheridan-Wells- Foster-Golden Valley-Billings-Stark-Morton-Burleigh-Kidder- Stutsman-Slope-Hettinger-Grant-Bowman-Adams-Sioux-Emmons-Logan- La Moure-McIntosh-Dickey- 1224 PM CDT Tue Jun 17 2025 /1124 AM MDT Tue Jun 17 2025/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central North Dakota, northwest North Dakota, south central North Dakota, southeast North Dakota, and southwest North Dakota. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Isolated severe thunderstorms are possible Wednesday and Thursday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed. MEJ
The Bismarck radar (KBIS), 164 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:35 UTC.
1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
The tornado touched down in an open field north of Hettinger and impacted no structures. There was no damage to evaluate. By National Weather Service policy the tornado is rated EF-U (Unknown).
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Dakota in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for North Dakota, 2025Warnings in North Dakota, June 2025
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: 1263431.