Tornadoes · United States · Minnesota · 2022

EF1 tornado, Fossum to Faith, Minnesota, June 20, 2022

From Fossum to Faith, this EF1 tornado ran 4.9 miles across Norman County on June 20, 2022, touching down at 7:17 PM CDT and reaching 150 yards wide. It killed nobody.

The rating scale

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

  1. EF065 to 85 mph

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

  2. EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado

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

  3. EF2111 to 135 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. EF3136 to 165 mph

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

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

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

  6. EF5over 200 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
EF1
Date
June 20, 2022
Touchdown
7:17 PM CDT (00:17 UTC)
Lifted
7:23 PM CDT (00:23 UTC)
On the ground
6 minutes
Path length
4.9 miles (7.8 km)
Path width
150 yards (137 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Norman County
Touchdown point
47.220, -96.200
Lift-off point
47.269, -96.126
Record number
2206201817-01

What the Weather Service recorded

Severe thunderstorms formed during the afternoon, moving across the southern and central portions of the Red River Valley, then into west-central and northwest Minnesota. Wind gusts to 85 mph were reported, along with 2 tornadoes, and numerous other reports of hail and high wind damage.

The tornado was likely wrapped in downburst winds and rain as it tracked for roughly 4 miles to the northeast and ended around 6.5 east of twin valley by 723 pm CDT. The tornado track was marked by patches of snapped poplar and ash trees. Peak winds were estimated to 90 mph, with a maximum width to 150 yards. Time estimated based on radar.

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

The warnings

2 minutes of warning. NWS FGF issued a tornado warning for this county at 00:15 UTC, 2 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 00:39 UTC.

The county was under a severe thunderstorm watch, issued at 20:20 UTC and running to 01:50 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
20:20 UTC01:50 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WatchFGF
20:20 UTC21:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGF
20:56 UTC21:28 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGF
23:26 UTC00:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGF
00:04 UTC01:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGF
00:15 UTC00:39 UTCTornado WarningFGF

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Enhanced Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 19:51 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

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

0.3 hours before the tornado, 259 km from the path. June 21, 2022.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, International Fa, MN at 00:00Z on 2022-06-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 2140 joules per kilogram, CIN -19, lifted condensation level 1648 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°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 2022-06-21The 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 31 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 18 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
2140 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-19 J/kg
Surface CAPE
3732 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1648 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
31 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
94 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
7.7 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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

11.7 hours after it, 259 km from the path. June 21, 2022.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, International Fa, MN at 12:00Z on 2022-06-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -400, lifted condensation level 827 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°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 2022-06-21The 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 131 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 46 knots.1939587897Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-400 J/kg
Surface CAPE
19 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
827 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
131 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
167 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
3.5 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Mahnomen (3N8), 18 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
22:35 UTC74.371330° 7 kt1005.8-VCTSRA
22:55 UTC74.773280° 6 kt1005.8
23:15 UTC7673.6350° 8 kt1005.4
23:35 UTC74.573.4360° 9 kt1005.4
23:55 UTC7672.510° 7 kt1005.8
00:15 UTC75.673340° 12 kt1005.8VCTS
00:35 UTC73.870.2340° 18 kt261005.4VCTS
00:55 UTC6969310° 19 kt371007.8-VCTSRA
01:15 UTC69.869350° 16 kt211006.4VCTS
01:35 UTC706940° 16 kt211006.4
01:55 UTC69.866.740° 13 kt1006.4
02:15 UTC69.865.340° 9 kt1006.4

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

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 93 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 00:17 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.

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
21:37 UTCHAIL 0.75NaytahwaushMahnomen, MNPHOTO AND REPORT POSTED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.
23:45 UTCTSTM WND GST 603 Sse MoorheadClay, MN
23:45 UTCTSTM WND GST 694 Sse DilworthClay, MNPEAK WIND MEASURED AT AN MNDOT RWIS STATION ALONG INTERSTATE 94.
23:45 UTCTSTM WND GST 722 Ne SabinClay, MNPEAK WIND MEASURED AT AN NDAWN STATION AT 3 METERS.
23:45 UTCTSTM WND GST 722 Ne SabinClay, MNPEAK WIND MEASURED AT AN NDAWN STATION AT 3 METERS. RURAL RESIDENTS OF ELMWOOD TOWNSHIP REPORT SOME TREE BRANCHES DOWN. LOTS OF DUST BLEW THROUGH.
23:47 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 N DilworthClay, MNCROP AT TREE DAMAGE APPARENT ACROSS SOUTHEAST OAKPORT AND SOUTHWESTERN MOLAND TOWNSHIPS. SMALL HAIL AND WINDS ESTIMATED TO 75 MPH. NUMEROUS LARGE BRANCHES BROKEN DOWN, A FEW MATURE BOX ELDER AND ASH TREES UPROOTED. TIME
23:49 UTCTSTM WND GST 591 Se GlyndonClay, MNPEAK WIND MEASURED AT AN NDAWN STATION AT 3 METERS.
23:51 UTCTORNADO 03 Ese GlyndonClay, MNVIDEO SHOWS A BRIEF TORNADO FORMED ALONG A GUST FRONT. THE TORNADO TRACKED EASTWARD THROUGH AN OPEN FIELD WEST OF THE BUFFALO RIVER STATE PARK FOR ROUGHLY A MILE, ENDING ABOUT 4 WEST OF MUSKODA BY 652 PM CDT. MAXIMUM WIN
23:53 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 Ene GlyndonClay, MNTHE FRAME OF A HOME UNDER CONSTRUCTION COLLAPSED.
23:58 UTCTSTM WND GST 684 Ese MoorheadClay, MNPEAK WIND MEASURED AT THE MOORHEAD AIRPORT /KJKJ/.
00:08 UTCTSTM WND DMGHitterdalClay, MNSEVERAL LARGE ASH AND COTTONWOOD TREES SNAPPED. POWER LINES DOWN.
00:15 UTCTSTM WND DMGLake ParkBecker, MNROOFING MATERIAL TORN OFF MULTIPLE BUILDINGS BETWEEN LAKE PARK AND AUDUBON BETWEEN 715 AND 720 PM CDT. NUMEROUS LARGE TREE BRANCHES DOWN.
00:15 UTCTSTM WND DMGLake ParkBecker, MNROOFING MATERIAL TORN OFF MULTIPLE BUILDINGS BETWEEN LAKE PARK AND AUDUBON BETWEEN 715 AND 720 PM CDT. NUMEROUS LARGE TREE BRANCHES DOWN. A FEW TREES UPROOTED.
00:15 UTCTSTM WND GST 571 Sw Lake ParkBecker, MNPEAK WIND MEASURED AT A MNDOT RWIS STATION ON HIGHWAY 10.
00:17 UTCTORNADO 14 Se Twin ValleyNorman, MNTHE TORNADO WAS LIKELY WRAPPED IN DOWNBURST WINDS AND RAIN AS IT TRACKED FOR ROUGHLY 4 MILES TO THE NORTHEAST AND ENDED AROUND 6.5 EAST OF TWIN VALLEY BY 723 PM CDT. THE TORNADO TRACK WAS MARKED BY PATCHES OF SNAPPED POP
00:20 UTCTSTM WND GST 57Lake ParkBecker, MNLAKE PARK RWIS REPORTED 57 MPH WIND GUST.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2022 tornado in MinnesotaEvery tornado in Minnesota since 1950Warnings in force in Minnesota nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of June 20, 2022

5 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 206:51 PM CDTEF0Clay, MN0.2100
June 208:20 PM CDTEF1Beltrami, MN3.6150$15,000
June 209:30 PM CDTEF1Kingsbury, SD3.650
June 209:31 PM CDTEF1Beadle, SD0.550
June 209:44 PM CDTUnratedKingsbury, SD0.010

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.