A cold front moved through North Dakota, bringing strong winds to the state. Showers along the front aided in mixing down non-thunderstorm severe wind gusts.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 BIS wrote it up.
A cold front moved through North Dakota, bringing strong winds to the state. Showers along the front aided in mixing down non-thunderstorm severe wind gusts. The strongest wind gust of 68 mph was reported near Ray in Williams County.
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 8, 1:38 PM CST, 3 hours 42 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Bismarck ND 238 PM CDT Fri May 8 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Warm, dry, and windy conditions will bring near critical to critical fire weather conditions for much of North Dakota through this evening. - Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms through this evening. Then slightly below normal temperatures return for the weekend. - Near to sub-freezing low temperatures are possible across northern North Dakota tonight into Saturday morning and most of the state Saturday night into Sunday morning. - Warm and windy weather next week could lead to daily critical fire weather conditions, especially in western North Dakota. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 238 PM CDT Fri May 8 2026 Near critical to critical fire weather conditions will remain this afternoon and evening across much of North Dakota as windy northwest winds combined with low RH values remains. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect for these conditions through this evening, see the Fire Weather Discussion below for more details. Cold front will push south across the state this evening bringing some shower and thunderstorm activity, currently being noted in central Canada. Instability overall looks limited, although given the dry air in place leading to inverted-v soundings, some strong wind gusts will be possible through this evening with any shower or thunderstorm. This front could also bring some slightly increased northerly winds during passage this evening. Gusty winds and shower activity diminishes tonight, with some clearing skies in the north. Colder air behind the mentioned cold front will bring lows in the 30s tonight. Given today has been declared the start of the growing season, this means frost is likely. Thus issued a Frost Advisory tonight into Saturday morning for areas mainly along and north of Highway 200. Areas south of this could see isolated frost temperatures yet not widespread enough for a highlight. Mainly dry conditions and seasonable to slightly below normal temperatures are then expected for this weekend. Surface high will gradually push into the state Saturday. Before doing so increased northwest winds will be found across much of the area, along with slightly cooler temperatures. Dry conditions will lead to low RH values in the 20s to mid 30s Saturday afternoon. Currently the more elevated winds tomorrow do not align up with the lower RH values, although slightly dryer air or slightly more wind could increase the fire weather danger. Thus will continue near critical fire weather conditions wording for Saturday. Surface high settles in Saturday night into Sunday morning bringing clearing skies and light winds. This will also help cool temperatures slightly with lows forecast in the upper 20s to the 30s. More frost/freeze products will likely be needed as a result, although determining where each is needed still remains uncertain. Overall those with sensitive vegetation should keep a close eye on the forecast Saturday night. Slightly warmer temperatures, light winds, and continued dry conditions will then be found for Sunday. Afternoon RH values will remain low, although light winds will limit any fire weather danger threat. A shift to southerly winds Sunday night will keep mild overnight lows, limiting frost potential except in some western portions. Near critical to critical fire weather conditions look to return near daily early to mid next week. Surface low combined with a clipper system will impact the state on Monday. Ahead of this low will be a windy and warm southerly wind, becoming a windy northwest wind sometime later Monday with passage of a cold front. Depending on the track of the mentioned low this could bring critical fire weather conditions along with chances for showers and thunderstorms. Some increased instability could bring a slight increase to more organized storms Monday, although with dry air in place the main threat would be strong winds with these potential stronger storms. A post frontal day is then forecast for Tuesday. Even with slightly cooler air temperatures are still forecast to be above normal. Strong northwest winds could also be found in the eastern half of the state Tuesday, with the ECMWF EFI values slightly elevated indicating perhaps some advisory level winds. Low RH values combined with these strong winds could again bring near critical to critical fire weather conditions. The uncertainty with Tuesday being if the lower RH values line up with the strongest winds, which right now they are not quite aligned. This will have to be monitored closely though. Another weak surface low could then repeat this pattern Wednesday and Thursday with warm temperatures and windy southerly flow on Wednesday, becoming a windy yet still warm westerly flow on Thursday. Chances for precipitation with this second low look minimal right now. This dry low could continue the near critical to critical fire weather conditions. With above normal temperatures forecast for much of the week next week, the chances for frost and freeze products are low. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 1245 PM CDT Fri May 8 2026 Mainly VFR conditions expected through the forecast period. Some increasing mid to high level clouds will be found today, with chances for showers and thunderstorms later this afternoon through this evening. Most sites have PROB30 groups in TAFs for these thunderstorm chances. Some gusty winds are possible with any thunderstorm activity. Cold front will push through tonight, and may bring some brief MVFR to low VFR ceilings at times, especially in the KJMS area. Saturday then sees a mix of cloud cover with VFR and dry conditions generally expected. A gusty northwest wind will be found today becoming a steady northerly wind tonight into Saturday morning. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 238 PM CDT Fri May 8 2026 Red Flag Warning remains across much of western and central North Dakota through this evening winds over 20 mph and low humidity values in the teens and 20s. Remaining areas in the north central and northeast are expected to be near critical fire weather conditions through this evening. A weak cold front is still expected to move through this evening, slightly shifting winds to the north. Showers and a few thunderstorms are possible along this front through this evening. Any thunderstorms could bring gusty and erratic winds. Winds diminish yet remain a steady north wind tonight. Humidity recoveries will be much improved tonight with cooler temperatures moving in. Near critical fire weather conditions could remain through this weekend as low humidity values in the 20s to lower 30s are found. North northwest winds 10 to 20 mph will be found on Saturday, with the higher winds forecast in the north and east. These will be the areas of greater fire weather concerns, although currently fall shower of critical fire weather criteria. Low humidity values remain on Sunday, although lights winds are also forecast. After Sunday, a long stretch of enhanced fire weather concerns enters the forecast next week as temperatures are favored to be well above normal. Confidence is increasing that much of western North Dakota will experience critical fire weather conditions on Monday, with gusty southerly winds early in the day shifting to the northwest and becoming strong in the afternoon as humidity falls to near 20 percent. The risk for critical fire weather conditions more or less continues in western North Dakota through the work week, with daily gusty winds and minimum RH around 20 percent. Tuesday looks to be the least windy day in the west, but perhaps the windiest day for the eastern half of the state. A secondary area that shows up repeatedly in NBM guidance for critical fire weather next week is a portion of south central North Dakota bounded by Interstate 94, the James River, South Dakota, and Lake Oahe. Daily details for fire weather beyond the Monday/ Tuesday time frame remain uncertain, but there is undoubtedly increasing potential for a longer duration of high- impact fire weather, at least until fuels start to green up. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Red Flag Warning until 10 PM CDT /9 PM MDT/ this evening for NDZ001-002-009>011-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051. Frost Advisory from 1 AM CDT /midnight MDT/ to 9 AM CDT /8 AM MDT/ Saturday for NDZ001>005-009-010-012-013-017>020-022-023- 025-055>058. && DISCUSSION...Anglin AVIATION...Anglin FIRE WEATHER...Anglin
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Bismarck ND 202 PM CDT Fri May 8 2026 NDZ001-002-009-010-017>020-022-023-025-055>058-091915- Divide-Burke-Williams-Mountrail-McKenzie-Dunn-Mercer-Oliver- Sheridan-Wells-Foster-Northwest Ward- Central and Southern Ward/Minot Area-Western McLean- Eastern McLean- 202 PM CDT Fri May 8 2026 /102 PM MDT Fri May 8 2026/ 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 A Red Flag Warning is in effect through this evening. See www.weather.gov/bis for details. Isolated thunderstorms are possible late this afternoon through this evening. The threat for severe weather is low. A Frost Advisory is in effect tonight into Saturday morning. See www.weather.gov/bis for details. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday A Frost Advisory is in effect into Saturday morning. See www.weather.gov/bis for details. Areas of frost may return Saturday night into Sunday morning. Near-critical fire weather conditions are possible on Saturday. Several days of critical fire weather conditions are possible next week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are asked to provide reports to the NWS using standard procedures, including through our social media accounts. NDZ031>033-035>037-040>044-046>048-050-051-059>062-091915- Golden Valley-Billings-Stark-Burleigh-Kidder-Stutsman-Slope- Hettinger-Grant-Bowman-Adams-Emmons-Logan-La Moure-McIntosh- Dickey-Western Morton-Eastern Morton-Western Sioux-Eastern Sioux- 202 PM CDT Fri May 8 2026 /102 PM MDT Fri May 8 2026/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of south central North Dakota, southeast North Dakota, and southwest North Dakota. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight A Red Flag Warning is in effect through this evening. See www.weather.gov/bis for details. Isolated thunderstorms are possible late this afternoon through this evening. The threat for severe weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday Near-critical fire weather conditions are possible on Saturday. Areas of frost are possible Saturday night into Sunday morning. Several days of critical fire weather conditions are possible next week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are asked to provide reports to the NWS using standard procedures, including through our social media accounts. NDZ003>005-012-013-091915- Renville-Bottineau-Rolette-McHenry-Pierce- 202 PM CDT Fri May 8 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central North Dakota. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Near-critical fire weather conditions are expected this afternoon and evening. Isolated thunderstorms are possible late this afternoon through this evening. The threat for severe weather is low. A Frost Advisory is in effect tonight into Saturday morning. See www.weather.gov/bis for details. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday A Frost Advisory is in effect into Saturday morning. See www.weather.gov/bis for details. Areas of frost may return Saturday night into Sunday morning. Near-critical fire weather conditions are possible on Saturday. Several days of critical fire weather conditions are possible next week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are asked to provide reports to the NWS using standard procedures, including through our social media accounts.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
NDAWN station 6 SE Powers Lake reported wind gusts up to 60 mph.
Williston Airport ASOS reported wind gusts to 59 mph.
NDAWN station 5 SW Parshall reported wind gusts up to 61 mph.
NDAWN station 12 SSE Ray reported wind gusts up to 68 mph.
NDAWN station 5 NW Steele reported wind gusts to 63 mph.
Garrison ASOS reported wind gusts up to 59 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Dakota in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, May 2026
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: 1340103, 1340092, 1340101, 1340099, 1339696, 1340097.