Bowman, ND Hail Storm – September 2025

What Happened

A severe hail storm moved through Bowman, North Dakota, on September 12, 2025, with the strongest verified stones reaching 1.75 inches in diameter during the late afternoon and evening. The storm produced repeated NWS alert areas and multiple spotter reports as it crossed the Bowman metro.

The first alert came at 4:40 PM CDT with 1-inch hail, backed by radar and spotter verification. A spotter in the area later reported the ground white with hail at 4:48 PM CDT, with some hail still on the ground and the largest stones around quarter size. That report matched the early-stage hail signal seen in the warning area.

By 5:52 PM CDT, dual-polarization radar indicated 1.5-inch hail. Another radar-derived alert followed at 6:24 PM CDT with the same hail size, then a 1.75-inch hail alert at 6:39 PM CDT. Spotter reports around 6:00 PM CDT described 2.4 inches of rain with the storm, and additional reports around 6:15 PM CDT came in through a broadcast media partner.

The hail continued into the evening. At 6:25 PM CDT, a spotter described hail for about 20 minutes, mainly before the time of half-dollar hail, with hail still falling on and off afterward. The same time frame also brought a report of a hail-covered ground and 0.80 inch of rain. Another report at 7:10 PM CDT described mainly smaller hail, with a few stones around quarter size.

Later warning areas at 8:10 PM CDT, 10:42 PM CDT, and 11:56 PM CDT carried lower hail estimates of 1.25 inches and then 1 inch. The sequence shows a storm that stayed organized well into the night, with the strongest hail centered in the earlier part of the event.

Damage Assessment

The field reports point to a hail event with clear surface impact in and around Bowman. Hail accumulation was documented early, with the ground white in at least two separate reports. One report paired the hail with 0.80 inch of rain, while another tied the storm to 2.4 inches of rain. Those rainfall totals came alongside repeated hail reports, not as isolated measurements.

The reports do not show widespread structural damage in the available ground truth, but they do show persistent hail loading at the surface. The hail fell long enough to cover the ground in multiple locations, and the mix of quarter-size stones, half-dollar hail, and smaller hail suggests variable intensity across the storm path.

The strongest radar-derived hail signal came before the later evening warning areas. That timing aligns with the spotter note that hail fell mainly before the time of the half-dollar hail, then continued off and on afterward. The damage picture is consistent with a brief but concentrated hail core followed by lighter hail on the trailing side of the storm.

Bowman-area properties exposed to the early evening core should be checked for roof hits, soft-metal dents, screen damage, and siding impact marks. Vehicles parked outdoors during the 4:40 PM CDT to 6:39 PM CDT window were in the period of highest hail threat, based on the verified reports and radar-derived alerts.