EF1 tornado in Grant County, North Dakota

This tornado crossed into southwest Grant County from western Sioux County. See the tornado entry for Sioux County. The tornado hit no structures in Grant County, but did do damage in Sioux County. It was rated low end EF1 with estimated winds of 90 mph.

A surface warm front continued to lift slowly north across southern North Dakota during the day on Monday, May 24th, in advance of a potent upper level trough racing northeast across the Rocky Mountains and towards the Northern Plains. Tornado Watch number 215 was issued by mid afternoon in anticipation of rapid thunderstorm development and intensification once mass divergence associated with the upper wave spread across the region. An elevated threat for tornadoes existed along the warm front due to favorable low level vertical shear parameters.

Numerous severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings were issued from late in the afternoon till later in the evening. Several reports of large hail, multiple reports of severe thunderstorm winds, and several reports of funnel clouds and tornadoes were received during this event. The number of confirmed tornadoes was two.