NWS confirms Monday’s storms produced tornadoes

The National Weather Service confirms the supercell thunderstorm clusters that raced through northern parts of the Red River Valley on Monday produced six tornadoes.  The NWS damage assessment team says tornadoes were confirmed near Starkweather…east of Binford…north of Sharon…west of Northwood…near Davidson (MN) and Key West (MN).

The tornado near Sharon was rated as an EF-2 with winds of 115 mph.  The twister dismantled and destroyed a barn and snapped several trees along the three-mile long path.  Three of the tornadoes were rated as EF-1 events with winds of 90 to 105.  The other two were rated EF-zero with top winds of 75 to 80 mph.  In most cases damage was limited to rural farmsteads and trees.

Large hail…downburst winds…and heavy rain were also associated with the storm system.  The Grand Forks Airport clocked a 69 mph gust and measured 1.73 inches of rain.