Tornadoes · United States · Minnesota · 2001

F0 tornado, Funkley, Minnesota, July 17, 2001

This F0 tornado ran 1.0 miles across Beltrami County on July 17, 2001, touching down at 7:00 PM CDT and reaching 25 yards wide. It killed nobody.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F040 to 72 mphthis tornado

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F173 to 112 mph

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2113 to 157 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3158 to 206 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4207 to 260 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5261 to 318 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
F0
Date
July 17, 2001
Touchdown
7:00 PM CDT (00:00 UTC)
Path length
1.0 miles (1.6 km)
Path width
25 yards (23 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Beltrami County
Touchdown point
47.780, -94.430
Lift-off point
47.780, -94.420
Record number
1039

What the Weather Service recorded

A brief touchdown was reported.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, 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 tornado touched down at Jul 17, 2:30 PM CDT, 4 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 17, 2:30 PM CDT, 4 hours 30 minutes before
FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
230 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2001

.OVERVIEW...
LATEST SFC MAP....MODELS DIFFER IN FIRST 24 HOURS...AND ARE SIMILAR
THEREAFTER. AVN TARGEST THE NORTHERN 1/3 OF FA OVERNIGHT FOR
CONVECTION...WITH ETA HITTING THE SOUTH THE HARDEST. I AM LEANING
TOWARDS THE ETA WITH A WARMFRONT SETTING UP ACROSS THE SOUTH...SO
WILL UTILIZE THIS PACKAGE.

.SHORT TERM...
PLENTY OF MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY CONTINUES OVER THE FA...WITH
CONVECTIVE AVAILABLE POTENTIAL ENERGY (CAPE) TO 4500 J/KG IN
SOUTH...TO AROUND 1500 IN NORTH WITH PRECIPITABLE WATERS TO AROUND
1.50-1.75 INCHES. PLENTY OF BOUNDARIES FROM RECENT CONVECTION...AND
DEVELOPING WARMFRONT IN SOUTH SHOULD PROVIDE FOCUS FOR DEEP MOIST
CONVECTION OVERNIGHT. 500 MB FLOW AROUND 40KT...WITH STRENGTHENING
850 MB LOW LEVEL JET OF AROUND 30KT IN SOUTH UNTIL 06Z. THIS SHOULD
LEAD TO THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ACROSS MOST OF AREA.
ANY STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL/DOWNBURST...WITH
ISOLATED TORNADOES NOT OUT OF QUESTIONS NORTH OF FRONT IN
SOUTH...WHERE ENERGY HELICITY INDEX/S OF AROUND 3. THIS IS HIGHLY
DEPENDENT ON DEVELOPING BOUNDARY...AND WILL HAVE TO BE MONITORED
CLOSELY. NEXT CONCERN IS FLASH FLOODING...WITH POTENTIAL FOR
TRAINING ECHOES WITH FRONT BECOMING PARALLEL TO FRONT IN SOUTHERN
1/3 OF FA. WITH FFG GUIDANCE 1 HOUR VALUES OF 3 INCHES OR MORE IN
SOUTH...AND AREAL COVERAGE STILL IN QUESTION...WILL HOLD ON FFA FOR
NOW. EVENING CREW WILL HAVE TO MONITOR CONVECTIVE TRENDS IN
CONJUNCTION WITH BOUNDARY THOUGH. EXPECT FOG FORMATION AGAIN AFTER
MIDNIGHT...WITH WEAK SFC FLOW...AND TEMPS SIMILAR TO LAST NIGHT.

.LONG TERM...
SFC LOW LIFTS TO NEAR ABR AROUND 00Z THU...COUPLED WITH POTENT MID
LEVEL SHORTWAVE. CAPE NEAR 4500 IN SOUTHEAST ND AND SUFFICIENT
LIFT NEAR LOW SHOULD AGAIN PROVIDE FOCUS FOR AFTERNOON
CONVECTION...WITH BEST CHANCE IN SOUTH. WITH BOUNDARIES STILL
PRESENT AND AMPLE INSTABILITY ELSEWHERE...WILL CONTINUE SCATTERED
POP MENTION. TEMPS TO BE SIMILAR TO TODAY/S READINGS...AND BE IN
LOWER 90S SOUTH TO 85 NORTH. MCS IS POSSIBLE BY EVENING AS IT MOVES
INTO WEST CENTRAL MN ON HEELS OF 35KT LOW LEVEL JET...WITH FLASH
FLOODING ONCE AGAIN A POSSIBILITY. MORE STABLE AIR FILTER/S IN FOR
THU...ALONG WITH A WEAK SFC HIGH AND MINIMAL CAPE. SO WILL KEEP THU
DRY FOR NOW...WITH TEMPS SLIGHTLY COOLER WITH COOLING AT 850MB.

.EXTENDED...
LATEST MODEL TRENDS SHOW LITTLE OVERALL CHANGE IN THE MEAN 50H
PATTERN INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS DISTURBANCES RIDE NORTHEAST INTO THE
NRN PLAINS AROUND THE OKLAHOMA 50H HIGH.  RETURN FLOW WILL SET UP
FRIDAY AND AHEAD OF NEXT SYSTEM PROGGED FOR SATURDAY INTO EARLY
SUNDAY.  NOTICED 12Z AVN IS NOT NEARLY AS PROGRESSIVE WITH 50H
SYSTEM IN CANADA SAT-SUN TIME PERIOD AS WAS THE 00Z MRF.  THUS WILL
LIKELY NOT SEE THE COOLER AND DRIER AIRMASS FROM CANADA EARLY NEXT
AS ADVERTISED A FEW DAYS AGO.  THIS TYPE OF PATTERN HARD TO BREAK.

.FGF...NONE.

KELLENBENZ/RIDDLE

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 17, 5:28 PM CDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA/GRAND FORKS
528 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2001

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0350 PM    7 W FINLEY                ND   2 INCH HAIL
07/17/01   GRIGGS

0400 PM    7 SW FINLEY               ND   2 INCH HAIL
07/17/01   STEELE                         GROUND WAS WHITE

0404 PM    4 E COOPERSTOWN           ND   1 INCH HAIL
07/17/01   GRIGGS

0405 PM    5 W FINLEY                ND   1.75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01   STEELE

0425 PM    3 N BEMIDJI               MN   1.5 INCH HAIL
07/17/01   BELTRAMI

0428 PM    3 S FINLEY                ND   1 INCH HAIL
07/17/01   STEELE

0435 PM    5 N HOPE                  ND   1.75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01   STEELE

0435 PM    3 S SALOL                 MN   1 INCH HAIL
07/17/01   ROSEAU

0440 PM    10 N GRYGLA               MN   .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01   MARSHALL

0453 PM    4 W KELLIHER              MN   .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01   BELTRAMI

NNNN

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

International Fa, MN (KINL), 00:00Z

0.0 hours before the tornado, 121 km from the path. July 18, 2001.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, International Fa, MN at 00:00Z on 2001-07-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 2282 joules per kilogram, CIN -44, lifted condensation level 878 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, International Fa, MN at 00:00Z on 2001-07-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 112 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 23 knots.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
2282 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-44 J/kg
Surface CAPE
3281 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
878 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
112 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
137 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
5.0
0-3 km lapse rate
6.2 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

International Fa, MN (KINL), 12:00Z

12.0 hours after it, 121 km from the path. July 18, 2001.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, International Fa, MN at 12:00Z on 2001-07-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 362 joules per kilogram, CIN -229, lifted condensation level 1307 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, International Fa, MN at 12:00Z on 2001-07-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 7 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 23 knots.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
362 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-229 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1307 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
2 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
7 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
156 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.9
0-3 km lapse rate
3.2 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Waskish Municipal (VWU), 42 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
00:00 UTC

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Duluth radar (KDLH), 197 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 00:00 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2001 tornado in MinnesotaEvery tornado in Minnesota since 1950Warnings in force in Minnesota nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of July 17, 2001

11 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 173:15 PM CDTF0Warren, IL0.110
July 175:15 PM CDTF2Kidder, ND30.0880$1.5 million
July 176:24 PM CDTF0Beltrami, MN0.525
July 176:24 PM CDTF0Beltrami, MN0.525
July 176:56 PM CDTF0Beltrami, MN0.525
July 176:58 PM CDTF0Beltrami, MN0.525
July 177:12 PM CDTF0Loup, NE1.020
July 177:14 PM CDTF0Holt, NE3.01
July 177:20 PM CDTF0Loup, NE5.050$50,000
July 177:55 PM CDTF0Garfield, NE1.020
July 178:10 PM CDTF1Richland, ND2.025$100,000

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.