A powerful band of thunderstorms swept across the northern Red River Valley early this morning, packing heavy rain and wind gusts of more than 60 mph that toppled trees and damaged buildings in Grafton, N.D.
The line of storms raced across North Dakota overnight, bending trees near Stanley with an estimated 60 mph wind shortly before midnight before dropping quarter and nickel-sized hail near Rocklake.
Heavy rain and powerful winds gusting as high as 64 mph caused "extensive" damage in Grafton about 2:45 a.m., the National Weather Service reported.
The stormy weather toppled more than 50 large trees in the city, including some evergreens as tall as 70 feet, and falling trees damaged five homes and multiple vehicles. Strong gusts also damaged the elevator, blew siding off several commercial buildings, knocked down utility poles and bent speed limit signs.
Meteorologist Al Voelker said the heaviest rain stretched from the Grand Forks and Grafton areas eastward to Bemidji and Warroad in Minnesota.
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Southeastern North Dakota avoided the worst of the storm, with rainfall accumulations of just 0.03 inches in Hillsboro, 0.14 inches in Mayville and no rain at all in Fargo and Wahpeton.
The weather service office in Grand Forks recorded 1.69 inches of rain, 1.3 inches fell near the Canadian border at Sarles, N.D., and totals of 2 or more inches were reported in Thief River Falls and Hallock, Minn. Less than a half inch fell near Bemidji and Warroad.
Forecast
Here's the weather service's forecast for Grand Forks:
• Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. North northwest wind between 10 and 18 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
• Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. West northwest wind between 6 and 9 mph.
• Friday night: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Southwest wind around 7 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
• Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 69. West northwest wind 5 to 8 mph increasing to between 14 and 17 mph. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except high amounts possible in thunderstorms.
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• Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 48.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69.
• Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 49.
• Labor Day: Sunny, with a high near 73.
• Monday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55.
Reach Johnson at (701) 780-1105; (800) 477-6572, ext. 105; or send email to rjohnson@gfherald.com . Follow him on Twitter: @JohnsonReports.
