Tornadoes · United States · North Dakota · 2007

EF1 tornado, Roseglen, North Dakota, July 9, 2007

Name: EF1 tornado, Roseglen, North Dakota, July 9, 2007
Start: 2007-07-10T00:25:00.000Z
End: 2007-07-10T00:34:00.000Z
Location: Roseglen, North Dakota

This EF1 tornado ran 1.5 miles across McLean County on July 9, 2007, touching down at 7:25 PM CDT and reaching 60 yards wide. It killed nobody and injured 4, and did $80,000 of property damage.

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.

EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
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.
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.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
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.
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: July 9, 2007
Touchdown: 7:25 PM CDT (00:25 UTC)
Lifted: 7:34 PM CDT (00:34 UTC)
On the ground: 9 minutes
Path length: 1.5 miles (2.4 km)
Path width: 60 yards (55 m)
Deaths: 0
Injuries: 4
Property damage: $80,000
Crop damage: $150,000
County: McLean County
Touchdown point: 47.577, -101.830
Lift-off point: 47.555, -101.830
Record number: 0707091825-01

What the Weather Service recorded

In the early afternoon of July 9th, Severe Thunderstorm Watch 497 was issued in anticipation of severe thunderstorms developing along and ahead of a strong short wave trough and associated surface low/cold front over western North Dakota. Later in the afternoon, Severe Thunderstorm Watch 502 was issued to include all of central North Dakota as the short wave trough and cold front advanced eastward. Numerous severe thunderstorm warnings and several tornado warnings were issued. Several reports of large hail, numerous reports of severe thunderstorm wind gusts, and 1 confirmed tornado report were received during the late afternoon and evening hours.

NWS storm survey was completed for this event. An EF1 tornado was confirmed to have occurred on the Fort Berthold Reservation of Mclean County starting from 6 miles south of White Shield and ending 8 miles south-southeast of White Shield. The path was about 1 1/2 miles long. One manufactured home was rolled and badly damaged near the beginning of the path. It had three occupants, one adult male and one adult female approximately in their 30's, and one four year old child. All three had minor injuries. A pickup truck at this location was totally destroyed as the home rolled onto it and the truck acted as a stop. Another manufactured home was completely destroyed about one mile from the first. It had one adult male occupant, age 53, who was seriously injured and hospitalized. There was also significant damage to crops in the area, with 100 percent crop loss in some fields caused by wind driven hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter. Wind speed estimated 105 mph.

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 Bismarck, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Jul 9, 2:20 PM CDT, 5 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 9, 2:20 PM CDT, 5 hours 5 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
220 PM CDT MON JUL 9 2007

.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT
FORECAST PROBLEM TODAY WILL BE CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT. CONVECTION ALREADY GETTING GOING IN EASTERN MONTANA.
STRONG SHORTWAVE OVER SOUTHEAST SASKATCHEWAN WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH
SOUTHEAST...INCREASING INSTABILITY/LIFT ACROSS THE REGION. AHEAD OF
THIS...SURFACE TO 85H SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL INCREASE OVER WESTERN
NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WILL BRING INCREASING MOISTURE TO
THE AREA AS WELL. LOOKS LIKE INGREDIENTS ARE COMING TOGETHER FOR A
SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING. ALTHOUGH LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE WILL BE SOMEWHAT LIMITED...DUE TO THE STRENGTH OF THE MID
LEVEL SHORTWAVE...AND THUS...INCREASING LOW LEVEL FLOW...SHEAR WILL
BE SUFFICIENT FOR A TORNADIC THREAT LATE THIS AFTERNOON WITH
SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS. HOWEVER...WIND/HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT
THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS THREAT WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING...AS
SYSTEM TRANSFORMS INTO MORE OF A LINEAR MCS. PREVIOUS GRIDS HAD A
PRETTY GOOD HANDLE ON THE SITUATION. DID SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO
EXPAND COVERAGE OF HIGHER POPS FARTHER SOUTH AND WEST.

AFTER TONIGHT...WILL SEE A STRONG NORTHWEST FLOW ON TUESDAY.
THINKING WE SHOULD STAY BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA...BUT WINDY AND WILL
CARRY ADVISORY ON THE LAKES.

TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER ON TUESDAY AND WILL REMAIN AT OR BELOW
NORMAL THROUGH THE SHORT TERM PERIOD.

ONLY CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION AFTER TONIGHT SYSTEM...WILL BE SOME
LINGERING PRECIP IN THE EASTERN CWA ON TUESDAY. ALSO ADDED A SLIGHT
CHANCE OF PRECIP ON WEDNESDAY AS ANOTHER SHORTWAVE DROPS OVER THE
AREA IN NORTHWEST FLOW.

.LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...
A SHARP UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE ROCKIES WILL REMAIN IN PLACE
THROUGH THE LONG TERM.  SHORT WAVES MOVING DOWN THE PLAINS SIDE OF
THE RIDGE WILL ONLY BRUSH THE FORECAST INITIALLY...KEEPING THE
CHANCE OF PRECIP LOW AS THE ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS WILL BE MOVING SOUTH
LIMITING THE SUPPLY OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE.  WILL PUT A SLIGHT CHANCE
OF TSTMS IN SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...AS THE RIDGE LOOSES SOME OF
ITS AMPLITUDE ALLOWING A SHORT WAVE TO MOVE DOWN OVER THE AREA.
TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN WITHIN THE NORMAL RANGE THROUGH THE PERIOD.

&&

.AVIATION...TIMING OF THE SURFACE LOW AND COLD FRONT WILL BE THE
PROBLEM FOR AVIATION THIS AFTERNOON.  GOOD MOISTURE ADVECTION AND
STRONG LIFTING AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM WILL CAUSE SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE.  CURRENT RADAR INDICATES THUNDERSTORMS
ALONG A LINE FROM NORTH OF MILES CITY THROUGH WOLF POINT INTO CANADA
MOVING EAST AT ABOUT 25 MPH.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS
EASTERN MONTANA AND NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.  STRONG
WINDS WILL DEVELOP BEHIND THE LOW...WITH LOW STRATUS A POSSIBILITY
IN WRAP AROUND MOISTURE...ESPECIALLY IN NORTH CENTRAL AND EASTERN
NORTH DAKOTA TONIGHT.

&&

.BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.

&&

TWH/TSW

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 9, 4:03 AM CDT, 15 hours 22 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
403 AM CDT MON JUL 9 2007

NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-100915-
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-
403 AM CDT MON JUL 9 2007 /303 AM MDT MON JUL 9 2007/

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...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EARLY TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

RSL

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 9, 6:13 PM CDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
613 PM CDT MON JUL 09 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0523 PM     HAIL             RHAME                   46.23N 103.65W
07/09/2007  E0.88 INCH       BOWMAN             ND   PUBLIC

            NICKEL SIZE HAIL FROM 423 PM MDT UNTIL 435 PM MDT.

&&

CJS/JF

Local storm report, Jul 9, 6:16 PM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
616 PM CDT MON JUL 09 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0535 PM     HAIL             20 SW BOWMAN            45.98N 103.69W
07/09/2007  E1.00 INCH       BOWMAN             ND   PUBLIC

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL

&&

CJS/JF

Local storm report, Jul 9, 6:27 PM CDT, 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
627 PM CDT MON JUL 09 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0510 PM     HAIL             20 SE AMIDON            46.28N 103.02W
07/09/2007  E2.00 INCH       SLOPE              ND   PUBLIC

            HAIL SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN GOLF BALLS. HAIL BEGAN FALLING
            NEAR 410 PM MDT AND LASTED UNTIL 425 PM MDT. GROUND WAS
            WHITE WITH HAIL.

&&

CJS/JF

Local storm report, Jul 9, 6:38 PM CDT, 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
638 PM CDT MON JUL 09 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0630 PM     TSTM WND GST     STANLEY                 48.32N 102.39W
07/09/2007  M66 MPH          MOUNTRAIL          ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

CJS/JF

Local storm report, Jul 9, 6:53 PM CDT, 32 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
653 PM CDT MON JUL 09 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0630 PM     TSTM WND DMG     STANLEY                 48.32N 102.39W
07/09/2007                   MOUNTRAIL          ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SPOTTER REPORTS SEVERAL TREES DOWN IN THE CITY OF
            STANLEY...LARGEST APPROXIMATELY 16 INCHES IN DIAMETER.
            TWO FLAG POLES BROKEN OFF APPROXIMATELY THREE FEET FROM
            THE BASE.

&&

CJS/JF

Local storm report, Jul 9, 6:59 PM CDT, 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
659 PM CDT MON JUL 09 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0615 PM     HAIL             15 ENE HAYNES           46.06N 102.18W
07/09/2007  E1.00 INCH       ADAMS              ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            HAIL RANGED FROM PENNY UP TO QUARTER SIZE. LASTED FROM
            515 PM MDT UNTIL 530 PM MDT.

&&

CJS/JF

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

0.4 hours before the tornado, 123 km from the path. July 10, 2007.

Skew-T log-p

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.

Hodograph

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: 239 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -107 J/kg
Surface CAPE: 1035 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1699 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 37 kt
0-1 km bulk shear: 18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 175 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 304 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 4.6
0-3 km lapse rate: 7.0 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Garrison (N60), 31 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

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

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

This ground now

The live radar over the track Every 2007 tornado in North Dakota Every tornado in North Dakota since 1950 Warnings in force in North Dakota now The forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of July 9, 2007

2 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 9	4:15 PM EDT	EF0	Arenac, MI	0.5	80			$15,000
July 9	4:15 PM CDT	EF1	Muskogee, OK	0.3	50			$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.