How to Look Up a North Dakota Storm Date
By StormAuditor Editorial Team · Published 2026-08-25 · Updated 2026-08-25
Based on public NOAA and National Weather Service records, published under StormAuditor's methodology and data-source standards. Radar-derived hail sizes are estimates unless attributed to a ground report.
North Dakota logged 4,039 storm events in the past 12 months, led by a June 7, 2026 outbreak with 371 events in a single day. Here is a practical, four-step way to pin down the storm date that matters for your property.
June 7, 2026 was North Dakota's busiest storm day of the past year. The public weather record shows 371 separate hail, tornado, and wind events across the state that day. Estimated peak gusts reached 104 mph. If your roof, siding, or grain bins took a hit last summer, days like this are where a date search begins.
North Dakota logged 4,039 storm events in the trailing 12 months. That total breaks out as 2,475 wind events, 1,388 hail events, 152 tornado events, and 28 flood events across 53 counties. A homeowner or adjuster usually needs just one of those dates. This guide walks through how to find it.
Step 1: Narrow the season
Start with when the damage likely happened. In North Dakota, the biggest recent storm days cluster tightly in early summer. Four of the six busiest days of the past year fell in June 2026 alone. July 9 and August 11 round out the list.
Winter is not storm-free here, though. A December 17, 2025 system produced estimated gusts to 90 mph. If your damage appeared after a winter wind event, do not assume it must trace to summer hail.
Step 2: Check the statewide big days
Next, compare your rough timeframe against the state's peak days. The past year's standouts:
- June 7, 2026 — 371 events statewide, with hail, tornado, and wind reports. Estimated gusts hit 104 mph.
- June 9, 2026 — 233 events, and the year's top estimated gust at 106 mph.
- June 27, 2026 — 239 events, gusts estimated to 101 mph.
- July 9, 2026 — 212 events spanning flood, hail, tornado, and wind, with radar-estimated hail to 3.55 inches.
- August 11, 2026 — 171 hail and wind events, with radar-estimated hail to 3.84 inches.
When your window overlaps one of these dates, you have a strong candidate. When it does not, move to the county level.
Step 3: Zoom to your county
Storm activity in North Dakota is not evenly spread. Burleigh County led the state with 168 logged events over 12 months. McLean followed with 162, then Williams and Morton at 149 each, and Ward at 132. Adams, McHenry, and McKenzie counties each logged over 110 events.
A property in Bismarck or Minot sits in a far busier corridor than one in the southeast. County-level context tells you how many candidate dates you may need to sort through. An address-level lookup narrows the search from county to rooftop.
Step 4: Pull the public record for that date
Once you have one or two candidate dates, check the primary sources. The Storm Prediction Center posts daily filtered storm reports. The NCEI Storm Events database carries the official event log by county. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet archives warnings and local storm reports. Our date of loss research guide shows how to read each one.
How StormAuditor estimates it
StormAuditor's SAWE-2 wind engine and SAHE-2 hail engine blend radar data, surface observations, and official reports into address-level estimates of the public weather record. Hail sizes come from radar (MRMS MESH) and are always radar-estimated, not measured on the ground. The full approach is documented in our wind methodology and hail methodology.
What to do once you have a date
Homeowners: photograph damage now, and note the candidate date before filing anything. Your insurer will ask for a date of loss, and a date grounded in the public record holds up better in conversation.
Contractors: match your inspection notes to a specific storm day, not a vague "this summer." A dated estimate reads as more credible to every party reviewing it.
Adjusters: North Dakota's June 2026 stretch produced multiple overlapping event days. Two storms a week apart can hit the same roof. Confirm which candidate date best fits the damage pattern before setting the date of loss.
Notable storm days
- December 17, 2025 — statewide — estimated gusts to 90 mph, wind
- January 2, 2026 — statewide — radar-estimated hail to 7.3 inches (see limitations below)
- June 7, 2026 — statewide — 371 events, hail, tornado, and wind
- June 9, 2026 — statewide — estimated gusts to 106 mph, wind
- June 27, 2026 — statewide — 239 events, hail, tornado, and wind
- June 29, 2026 — statewide — radar-estimated hail to 3.52 inches, plus flood, tornado, and wind
- July 9, 2026 — statewide — radar-estimated hail to 3.55 inches, four hazard types
- August 11, 2026 — statewide — radar-estimated hail to 3.84 inches, hail and wind
Limitations
Everything above is an estimate of the public weather record, not a measurement at your address and not a statement about what damaged your property. Radar-estimated hail sizes can run high, especially outside the warm season; the 7.3-inch radar estimate from January 2, 2026 should be read with that caution. Event counts reflect what was logged, and rural stretches of North Dakota have fewer observers than its cities. Read our full limitations page before relying on any single number.
FAQ
How do I find the exact date a storm hit my house in North Dakota?
Work from season, to statewide peak days, to your county, then confirm against SPC and NCEI records for that date. An address-level report shortens the process considerably.
What was North Dakota's biggest storm day in the past year?
June 7, 2026, with 371 logged events statewide spanning hail, tornadoes, and wind, and estimated gusts to 104 mph.
Which North Dakota county had the most storm events?
Burleigh County led with 168 events over 12 months. McLean County was close behind at 162.
How big was the largest radar-estimated hail in North Dakota?
The largest radar-estimated value was 7.3 inches on January 2, 2026. Cold-season radar estimates carry extra uncertainty, so treat that figure cautiously. The largest warm-season value was a radar-estimated 3.84 inches on August 11, 2026.
What wind speeds has North Dakota seen recently?
Estimated peak gusts reached 106 mph on June 9, 2026, and 104 mph on June 7, 2026. Three separate June 2026 days had estimated gusts above 100 mph.
Did McLean County have storms in June 2026?
McLean County logged 162 events over the 12-month window, second most in the state. The statewide June 7, 9, 27, and 29 outbreaks are the natural first dates to check for any McLean County property.