Tornadoes · United States · North Dakota · 2001
F0 tornado, Sharon, North Dakota, July 18, 2001
This F0 tornado ran 0.5 miles across Steele County on July 18, 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.
F040 to 72 mphthis tornado
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F173 to 112 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
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.
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.
F4207 to 260 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
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.
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 18, 2001
- Touchdown
- 7:00 PM CDT (00:00 UTC)
- Path length
- 0.5 miles (0.8 km)
- Path width
- 25 yards (23 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Steele County
- Touchdown point
- 47.620, -97.900
- Lift-off point
- 47.620, -97.900
- Record number
- 1052
What the Weather Service recorded
A brief tornado touchdown was reported.
A brief touchdown was reported.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
34 minutes of warning. NWS FGF issued a tornado warning for this county at 23:26 UTC, 34 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 00:15 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07:07 UTC | 07:45 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF |
| 23:26 UTC | 00:15 UTC | Tornado Warning | FGF |
| 00:15 UTC | 01:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | FGF |
| 01:00 UTC | 01:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | FGF |
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 Moderate Risk. The outlook in force was issued at 19:46 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.
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 18, 2:00 PM CDT, 5 hours earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 2:00 PM CDT, 5 hours before
FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND 200 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2001 FORECAST CONCERN CONTINUES TO BE CONVECTION .OVERVIEW... SFC LOW MOVING TOWARDS NORTHEAST SD THIS AFTERNOON...WITH CONVECTION TRYING TO FIRE ACROSS WESTERN FA NEAR SFC BOUNDARY. CAP CONTINUES TO ERODE...WITH CAPES AROUND 5000 J/KG...EXPECT RAPID CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT IN NEXT 2 HOURS. AVN FOCUSSES CONVECTION FROM VALLEY WEST TONIGHT...WHERE ETA TARGEST SOUTHERN 2/3 OF FA. ETA HAS BEEN CONSISTENT...SO WILL UTILIZE FOR NOW. .SHORT TERM... AS LOW MOVES INTO NORTHEAST SD...CONVECTION WILL FOCUS IN SOUTHERN 2/3 OF FA NEAR MAXIMIZED SFC CONVERGENCE AND UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE AFTER 03Z. WITH IMPRESSIVE INSTABILITIES WITH LI/S TO -12C...EXPECT DEEP MOIST CONVECTION WITH FLASH FLOODING A CONCERN. SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS ALSO LIKELY...WITH LARGE HAIL/WIND AND ISOLATED TORNADOES NORTH OF WARMFRONT. WILL CONTINUE FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT FROM DVL-GFK NORTH...AND ELSEWHERE TONIGHT. TEMPS SIMILAR TO LAST NIGHTS...SO WILL FOLLOW PERSISTENCE. .LONG TERM... WEAK HIGH TRIES TO BUILD IN ON THURSDAY...BUT WITH PLENTY OF INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE STILL AROUND...CAN/T RULE OUT CONVECTION ONCE AGAIN. 500MB VORTICITY MAXIMUM WILL ALSO TRAVERSE REGION...WHICH MAY ENHANCE LIFT. THEREFORE WILL CONTINUE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM MENTION. A POTENT UPPER WAVE AND SFC BOUNDARY MOVE THROUGH FA FROM WEST TO EAST THU NIGHT...ALONG WITH 35 KT 850MB LOW LEVEL JET. AN MCS MAY DEVELOP AND MOVE ACROSS FA...SO WILL KEEP THUNDERSTORMS IN FORECAST. STRONG 300MB DIVERGENCE IS ALSO PROGGED WHICH WILL SUSTAIN CONVECTION. WEAK HIGH SHOULD BUILD IN FOR FRIDAY...WITH INSTABILITIES STABILIZING IN NORTH. SOUTHERN 2/3 OF AREA REMAIN UNSTABLE...WITH LI/S TO -8C. WILL LEAVE THUNDER MENTION OUT FOR EXTREME NORTH...BUT LEAVE IN ELSEWHERE. TEMPS REMAIN SIMILAR THROUGHOUT...WITH PERSISTENCE THE BEST BET. AVN AND MRF AGREE IN BRINGING MORE DISTURBANCES IN ON SOUTHWEST FLO FOR THE WEEKEND WITH MAIN ENERGY SHUNTED INTO CANADA. THEN UPPER RIDGE FLATTENS AND FLO BECOMES MORE ZONAL...WITH SFC HIGH BRINGING STABILITY MON AND TUE. WILL PUT A CHANCE OF STORMS IN NEXT WED WITH RETURN FLO SETTING UP AHEAD OF NEXT SFC LOW. FWC AND MEX TEMPS IN AGREEMENT...MAYBE TOO COOL MONDAY AND TUESDAY. .FGF...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR UNTIL MIDNIGHT ALONG AND NORTH OF A DVL-GFK LINE...FOR REST OF FA TONIGHT. KELLENBENZ
In the hours before
Local storm report, Jul 18, 1:46 PM CDT, 5 hours 14 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA/GRAND FORKS
146 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2001
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0300 PM THORHULT MN WIND DAMAGE
07/17/01 BELTRAMI WIND DAMAGE TO CROPS.
WHEAT FLATTENED.
0420 PM 3 NE COOPERSTOWN ND 2 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 GRIGGS
0443 PM 5 E COOPERSTOWN ND
07/17/01 GRIGGS FUNNEL CLOUD AND WALL
CLOUD NEAR THE STEELE
COUNTY LINE
0507 PM 5 SW PORTLAND ND
07/17/01 TRAILL FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED BY
SHERIFF OFFICE
0530 PM PONEMAH MN .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0600 PM 3 E COOPERSTOWN ND FLOODING
07/17/01 GRIGGS WATER OVER HIGHWAY 200
0600 PM 5 S FINLEY ND FLOODING
07/17/01 STEELE WATER OVER HIGHWAY 200 AND
32. WATER IN FIELDS AND
DITCHES FLOODED.
0615 PM 3 N CHAFFEE ND 4.5 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 CASS GROUND WAS WHITE MOSTLY
BASEBALL SIZED HAIL
0621 PM BEMIDJI MN 1.75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0630 PM CARP MN WIND DAMAGE
07/17/01 LAKE OF THE WOODS 10 TO 12 FEET WIDE PATH OF
DOWNED TREES
0658 PM 6 S HUNTERSVILLE MN 2.5 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 WADENA
0700 PM THORHULT MN FLOODING
07/17/01 BELTRAMI FLOODING OF ROADS
0715 PM 3 N HINES MN 1.75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0730 PM 12 N WYNDMERE ND 80 MPH TSTM GUST
07/17/01 RICHLAND 6 INCH DIAMETER TREES
BLOWN DOWN
0736 PM 4 E KINDRED ND .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 CASS
0800 PM CARP MN FLOODING
07/17/01 LAKE OF THE WOODS WIDESPREAD FLOODING OF
ROADS AND DITCHES IN THE
CARP AREA OF SOUTHERN LAKE
OF THE WOODS COUNTY.
0830 PM 1 E TENSTRIKE MN 1 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0850 PM 9 W WAHPETON ND 65 MPH TSTM GUST
07/17/01 RICHLAND TREES DOWN
1135 PM 13 NE VALLEY CITY ND .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BARNES
0115 AM 9 N TOWER CITY ND .75 INCH HAIL
07/18/01 CASSLocal storm report, Jul 18, 2:59 PM CDT, 4 hours 1 minute before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA/GRAND FORKS
259 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2001
...ADDTIONAL REPORT...
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0810 PM 7 N 4 E BARNEY ND TORNADO
07/17/01 RICHLAND TOUCHDOWN REPORTED BY
FARMER. 70 FOOT
COTTONWOOD TREES
UPROOTED AND TWISTED IN
DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
AWNINGS OF HOME AND A
BARN WAS DESTROYED.
NNNNLocal storm report, Jul 18, 3:12 PM CDT, 3 hours 48 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA/GRAND FORKS
418 AM CDT WED JUL 18 2001
...UPDATED TIMES FROM EARLIER REPORTS...
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0337 PM 10 N BEMIDJI MN .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0350 PM 9 N BEMIDJI MN 1 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI AMATUER RADIO REPORT
0350 PM 7 W FINLEY ND 2 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 GRIGGS
0354 PM 9 N BEMIDJI MN .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI AMATUER RADIO REPORT
0400 PM 7 N BEMIDJI MN 1 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0404 PM 4 E COOPERSTOWN ND 1 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 GRIGGS
0405 PM 10 N BEMIDJI MN 1 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI AMATUER RADIO REPORT
0405 PM 5 W FINLEY ND 1.75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 STEELE
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
0430 PM 10 NW FOUR TOWN MN 1.75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0430 PM 11 NW FOUR TOWN MN 1.25 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
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
0435 PM 2 NW BEMIDJI MN 1.5 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0440 PM 15 N GRYGLA MN .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 ROSEAU
0453 PM 4 W KELLIHER MN .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0459 PM 15 E BEMIDJI MN 2.75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0500 PM 7 SW FINLEY ND 2 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 STEELE GROUND WAS WHITE; HAIL
FELL FOR OVER 15 MINUTES
0510 PM 9 E COOPERSTOWN ND .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 GRIGGS
0521 PM BEMIDJI MN 1.75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI AMATUER RADIO REPORT
0550 PM GRACETON MN .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 LAKE OF THE WOODS
0550 PM GRACETON MN .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 LAKE OF THE WOODS
0600 PM LYNCHBURG ND 2.75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 CASS
0615 PM 3 N CHAFFEE ND 4.50 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 CASS BROKEN WINDOWS
0620 PM 3 NE CHAFFEE ND 3 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 CASS
0624 PM 3 W REDBY MN TORNADO
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0624 PM SAUM MN TORNADO
07/17/01 BELTRAMI AMATUER RADIO REPORT
0631 PM 6 N BEMIDJI MN 1 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0636 PM 4 N BEMIDJI MN .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI REPORT FROM THE NORTH
SHORE OF LAKE BEMIDJI FROM
AMATUER RADIO
0638 PM BEMIDJI MN 1 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0643 PM 6 N BEMIDJI MN 1 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0650 PM 9 N BEMIDJI MN 1.5 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0652 PM 2 S TURTLE RIVER MN 1 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0656 PM 3 SW FUNKLEY MN TORNADO
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0658 PM 5 NW FUNKLEY MN TORNADO
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0700 PM 7 E BEMIDJI MN .88 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0700 PM FUNKLEY MN TORNADO
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0705 PM 1 E FUNKLEY MN TORNADO
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0710 PM 7 N BEMIDJI MN 1 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0727 PM 8 SE LEONARD ND .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 RICHLAND
0727 PM 8 SE LEONARD ND 70 MPH TSTM GUST
07/17/01 RICHLAND
0728 PM HINES MN .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0731 PM TENSTRIKE MN .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0740 PM BROCKET ND .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 RAMSEY
0744 PM OYLEN MN 1.75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 WADENA
0745 PM 14 E BEMIDJI MN 1 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0747 PM PONEMAH MN 1.75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BELTRAMI
0751 PM ROOSEVELT MN 1 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 ROSEAU
0755 PM 1 E ROOSEVELT MN .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 LAKE OF THE WOODS
0800 PM 1 E ROOSEVELT MN .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 LAKE OF THE WOODS
0810 PM 8 N BARNEY ND 1 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 RICHLAND
0810 PM 8 N BARNEY ND WIND DAMAGE
07/17/01 RICHLAND BARN AND MACHINE SHED
KNOCKED OVER...RADIO
TOWERS AND TREES ALSO
BLOWN DOWN.
0805 PM MOORETON ND 65 MPH TSTM GUST
07/17/01 RICHLAND
0820 PM MOORETON ND 79 MPH TSTM GUST
07/17/01 RICHLAND
0838 PM 10 N PARK RAPIDS MN .88 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 HUBBARD
0838 PM 2 S FINGAL ND 2 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 BARNES
0846 PM 10 NE PARK RAPIDS MN 1.75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 HUBBARD
0854 PM 1 N ROTHSAY MN 62 MPH TSTM GUST
07/17/01 WILKIN
0855 PM 7 SW ALICE ND 1.75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 CASS
0855 PM 3 SE MOORETON ND 1.75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 RICHLAND
0903 PM FERGUS FALLS MN 65 MPH TSTM GUST
07/17/01 OTTER TAIL
0915 PM SHELDON ND .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 RANSOM
0955 PM 5 SW LISBON ND 1.5 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 RANSOM
1007 PM PARKERS PRAIRIE MN .75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 OTTER TAIL
1010 PM 6 S LISBON ND 1.75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 RANSOM
1015 PM 7 S LISBON ND 1.75 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 RANSOM
1100 PM 5 E MOORETON ND 1 INCH HAIL
07/17/01 RICHLANDLocal storm report, Jul 18, 3:17 PM CDT, 3 hours 43 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA/GRAND FORKS
317 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2001
...LATE REPORT...
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0800 PM WALCOTT ND WIND DAMAGE
07/17/01 RICHLAND ROOF OF WALCOTT FIRE
STATION BLOWN OFF.
MANY TREES UPROOTED.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.
Bismarck Municip, ND (KBIS), 00:00Z
0.0 hours before the tornado, 232 km from the path. July 19, 2001.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2623 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -63 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 4942 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1396 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 43 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 4 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 15 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 182 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.3
- Supercell composite
- 4.4
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 7.4 K/km
Bismarck Municip, ND (KBIS), 12:00Z
12.0 hours after it, 232 km from the path. July 19, 2001.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 127 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -567 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 173 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1721 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 36 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 5 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -45 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -7 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 3.5 K/km
The surface observations
Grand_forks_afb (RDR), 53 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22:55 UTC | 86 | 77 | 170° 7 kt | 1008.8 | ||
| 23:04 UTC | 86 | 77 | 140° 6 kt | 1008.5 | ||
| 23:55 UTC | 84.2 | 78.8 | 200° 6 kt | 1008.5 | TS | |
| 00:45 UTC | 84.2 | 78.8 | 200° 4 kt | 1008.8 | -TSRA | |
| 00:55 UTC | 82.4 | 78.8 | 170° 9 kt | 1008.8 | -TSRA | |
| 01:43 UTC | 82.4 | 78.8 | 20° 5 kt | 1009.5 | ||
| 01:55 UTC | 82.4 | 78.8 | 40° 5 kt | 1009.1 |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 44 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 00:03 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 North DakotaEvery tornado in North Dakota since 1950Warnings in force in North Dakota nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of July 18, 2001
25 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 18 | 4:34 PM CDT | F0 | Pembina, ND | 0.5 | 25 | |||
| July 18 | 5:00 PM CDT | F0 | Kittson, MN | 0.5 | 25 | |||
| July 18 | 5:55 PM CDT | F0 | Nelson, ND | 0.5 | 25 | |||
| July 18 | 5:57 PM CDT | F0 | Griggs, ND | 0.5 | 25 | |||
| July 18 | 6:04 PM CDT | F0 | Griggs, ND | 0.5 | 25 | |||
| July 18 | 6:05 PM CDT | F3 | Nelson, ND | 5.0 | 150 | $200,000 | ||
| July 18 | 6:09 PM CDT | F0 | Griggs, ND | 1.0 | 25 | |||
| July 18 | 6:23 PM CDT | F0 | Nelson, ND | 0.5 | 100 | |||
| July 18 | 6:25 PM CDT | F0 | Nelson, ND | 0.5 | 100 | |||
| July 18 | 6:35 PM CDT | F0 | Griggs, ND | 0.5 | 25 | |||
| July 18 | 6:58 PM CDT | F1 | Thayer, NE | 2.0 | 40 | $50,000 | ||
| July 18 | 7:00 PM CDT | F0 | Nelson, ND | 0.5 | 25 | |||
| July 18 | 7:04 PM CDT | F0 | Nelson, ND | 0.5 | 25 | |||
| July 18 | 7:20 PM CDT | F0 | Nelson, ND | 0.5 | 25 | |||
| July 18 | 8:00 PM CDT | F0 | Steele, ND | 0.5 | 25 | |||
| July 18 | 8:00 PM CDT | F0 | Griggs, ND | 0.5 | 25 | |||
| July 18 | 8:05 PM CDT | F0 | Lake of the Woods, MN | 0.5 | 25 | |||
| July 18 | 8:30 PM CDT | F0 | McIntosh, ND | 3.0 | 40 | |||
| July 18 | 8:40 PM CDT | F2 | Edmunds, SD | 1.0 | 100 | |||
| July 18 | 8:45 PM CDT | F0 | McPherson, SD | 0.5 | 50 | |||
| July 18 | 8:53 PM CDT | F1 | LaMoure, ND | 3.0 | 50 | |||
| July 18 | 9:05 PM CDT | F1 | Marshall, MN | 1.0 | 50 | |||
| July 18 | 9:19 PM CDT | F0 | Faulk, SD | 0.3 | 25 | |||
| July 18 | 12:04 AM CDT | F0 | Grand Forks, ND | 0.5 | 25 | |||
| July 18 | 12:14 AM CDT | F0 | Grand Forks, ND | 1.0 | 25 |
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.