Thunderstorm Wind in McKenzie County, North Dakota

A very unstable environment was in place over western and central North Dakota which combined with very strong deep layer shear to produce widespread severe thunderstorm wind gusts along with some large hail over western and central North Dakota. To start the episode, a pair of upper level short-wave troughs approached North Dakota from Montana. The first trough had limited storm develop due to a capped atmosphere, though one storm did strengthen enough to produce one-inch diameter hail over Rolette County. Storms primarily developed as the second trough approached. Initially, storms produced a mix of large hail and strong wind gusts, but as the episode evolved and the storms moved east, very strong wind gusts became the primary concern by late evening. Significant damage occurred at multiple locations, with the two most notable events occurring in Stutsman County. In Jamestown, significant damage occurred over the southern part of the city, primarily to trees. Damage also occurred to some homes and buildings. To the north of Courtenay, a farm suffered significant damage to buildings and grain handling equipment. Winds at both locations were estimated at 100 mph, with both locations also suffering significant damage during the June 20, 2025 derecho event.