The potential for heavy snow at higher elevations in the western U.S. will continue for many spots through the weekend. In the meantime, the eastern half of the continental U.S. will transition to above normal temperatures ahead of a pair of cold fronts next week that will bring readings back to closer to normal as we approach Thanksgiving Day. Read More >
Here is a summary statement concerning the damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Bismarck from June 29. Below the statement is a list of pertinent local storm reports. Public Information Statement National Weather Service Bismarck ND 255 PM CDT Sat Jun 30 2018 /155 PM MDT Sat Jun 30 2018/ ...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 06/28/18 into 06/29/18 STORM EVENT... On the evening of Thursday, June 28, 2018, and into the early morning hours of Friday, June 29, intense thunderstorms produced damaging winds, including a microburst with estimated 130 mph winds, very large hail, and flash floods, in parts of western and central North Dakota. The worst damage was reported to be northwest of Stanton, Mercer County. A weather related fatality was reported at Hecker`s Lake, McLean County. Based on this information National Weather Service meteorologists conducted a storm damage survey in these areas on June 29. Eventually, a solid line of thunderstorms would extend through the entire state of North Dakota, north to south, from the Canadian border to the South Dakota line. The worst of the damage started about 7 miles south-southwest of Pick City (Mercer County), continued through Stanton, through the area 6 miles north of Washburn (McLean County), to Hecker`s Lake (McLean County). Storm winds through this area were generally 65 to 85 mph. Within that was the microburst with estimated 130 mph winds. Path length /statute/: about 40 miles Path width /Maximum/: about 20 miles .THUNDERSTORM WIND - MICROBURST... Peak wind Estimated: 130 mph Fatalities: none Injuries: none Date: June 29 2018 Time: 12:30 AM CDT Location: 4 miles NNW Stanton / Mercer County / ND An intense microburst occurred at this location with estimated 130 mph winds. Every building on the property was severely damaged, some destroyed. The farm house was very heavily damaged with the roof torn from the home. Four people inside sought shelter in the basement and were not injured. Large diameter trees were snapped. Of the property damage surveyed across Mercer and McLean counties this was the absolute worst by far. NWS thanks the Mercer County Emergency Manager for accompanying us on the survey and being a liaison between the NWS and the victims of this disaster. Having the EM accompany us allowed us to move more quickly and visit more damage sights than we would have been able to on our own. .THUNDERSTORM WIND - 1 FATALITY AND 4 INJURIES... Peak wind Estimated: 80 mph Fatalities: 1 - a 42 year old male Injuries: 4 Date: June 29 2018 Time: 01:00 AM CDT Location: Hecker`s Lake, about 10 miles south of the city of Mercer / McLean County / ND About 30 camping trailers damaged, some destroyed, as they overturned and rolled, some into Hecker`s and New Johns lakes. NWS thanks the McLean County Sheriff`s Department for accompanying us on this survey and providing preliminary results of their investigation into this tragedy. The professionalism, courtesy, and cooperation shown to NWS meteorologists by the Department allowed us time to complete our survey of other damage areas before darkness set in Friday evening. Note: The information in this statement is PRELIMINARY and subject to change pending final review of the events and publication in official NWS Storm Data. JP Martin
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 313 PM CDT SAT JUN 30 2018 ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 1225 AM TSTM WND DMG 7 SSW PICK CITY 47.41N 101.49W 06/29/2018 MERCER ND NWS STORM SURVEY ESTIMATED 85 MPH WIND. DAMAGE TO A MEDIUM SIZED WOODEN OUTBUILDING ON A FARM. PART OF BUILDING SHIFTED OFF FOUNDATION, FRONT DOOR TORN OFF, BACK WALL BLOWN OUT. THIS WAS ALONG A LONG LINE OF GENERALLY 65 TO 85 MPH THUNDERSTORM WINDS. APEX OF WORST DAMAGE - THIS LOCATION, THROUGH STANTON, TO ABOUT 6 MILES NORTH OF WASHBURN, TO HECKERS / NEW JOHNS LAKES. MICROBURST WINDS OF 130 MPH OCCURRED 4 NNW OF STANTON AT 1230 AM CDT. 1230 AM TSTM WND DMG 4 NNW STANTON 47.38N 101.43W 06/29/2018 MERCER ND NWS STORM SURVEY AN INTENSE MICROBURST OCCURRED AT THIS LOCATION WITH ESTIMATED 130 MPH THUNDERSTORM WINDS. EVERY BUILDING ON THE PROPERTY WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED, SOME DESTROYED. THE FARM HOUSE WAS VERY HEAVILY DAMAGED WITH THE ROOF TORN FROM THE HOME. FOUR PEOPLE INSIDE SOUGHT SHELTER IN THE BASEMENT AND WERE NOT INJURED. LARGE DIAMETER TREES WERE SNAPPED. OF THE PROPERTY DAMAGE SURVEYED ACROSS MERCER AND MCLEAN COUNTIES THIS WAS THE ABSOLUTE WORST BY FAR. 1235 AM TSTM WND DMG 3 NNW STANTON 47.37N 101.40W 06/29/2018 MERCER ND NWS STORM SURVEY ESTIMATED 85 MPH WIND. LARGE WOODEN OUTBUILDING COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THIS WAS ALONG A LONG LINE OF GENERALLY 65 TO 85 MPH THUNDERSTORM WINDS. APEX OF WORST DAMAGE - 7 SSW PICK CITY, THROUGH STANTON, TO ABOUT 6 MILES NORTH OF WASHBURN, TO HECKERS / NEW JOHNS LAKES. MICROBURST WINDS OF 130 MPH OCCURRED 4 NNW STANTON AT 1230 AM CDT. 1240 AM TSTM WND DMG STANTON 47.32N 101.38W 06/29/2018 MERCER ND NWS STORM SURVEY ESTIMATED 80 MPH WIND. NUMEROUS LARGE TREE BRANCHES BROKEN AND SEVERAL LARGE TREE TRUNKS SNAPPED. A FEW GARAGES HAD A WALL TORN OFF OR PARTS OF THE ROOF TORN OFF. THIS ALONG A LONG LINE OF GENERALLY 65 TO 85 MPH THUNDERSTORM WINDS. APEX OF WORST DAMAGE - 7 SSW PICK CITY, THROUGH STANTON, TO ABOUT 6 MILES NORTH OF WASHBURN, TO HECKERS / NEW JOHNS LAKES. MICROBURST WINDS OF 130 MPH OCCURRED 4 NNW STANTON AT 1230 AM CDT. 1250 AM TSTM WND DMG 3 ENE FALKIRK 47.38N 101.03W 06/29/2018 MCLEAN ND NWS STORM SURVEY ESTIMATED 95 MPH WINDS. HALF OF A METAL OUTBUILDING ON A FARM WAS TORN OFF. ABOUT 10 WOODEN POWER POLES JUST NORTH OF HERE WERE BROKEN. THIS ALONG A LINE OF GENERALLY 65 TO 85 MPH THUNDERSTORM WINDS. APEX OF WORST DAMAGE - 7 SSW PICK CITY, THROUGH STANTON AND THIS LOCATION, TO HECKERS / NEW JOHNS LAKES. MICROBURST WINDS OF 130 MPH OCCURRED 4 NNW STANTON AT 1230 AM CDT. 0100 AM TSTM WND DMG 1 NW NEW JOHNS LAKE 47.33N 100.68W 06/29/2018 MCLEAN ND NWS STORM SURVEY *** 1 FATAL, 4 INJ *** THERE WAS A FATALITY, A 42 YEAR OLD MALE, AT THIS LOCATION NEXT TO HECKERS LAKE IN MCLEAN COUNTY, VERY NEAR THE BURLEIGH AND SHERIDAN COUNTY LINE. ABOUT 30 CAMPING TRAILERS DAMAGED, SOME DESTROYED, AS THEY OVERTURNED AND ROLLED IN AN ESTIMATED 80 MPH THUNDERSTORM WIND. 4 OTHERS WERE INJURED IN THE CAMPING AREAS AROUND HECKERS AND NEW JOHNS LAKES. THIS IS A SUMMARY OF LSRs SENT RELATED TO THE NWS DAMAGE SURVEY CONDUCTED ON JUNE 29, 2018. JP MARTIN