NOAA Warns of 'Hurricane-Force' Winds, Tornadoes and Large Hail in Northern Plains

The Storm Prediction Center issued one of its higher-profile public alerts Sunday afternoon, warning that parts of the northern Plains could face “widespread hurricane-force damaging winds” from severe thunderstorms, along with possible tornadoes and large hail.

In a Public Severe Weather Outlook issued at 4:20 p.m. CDT Sunday and signed “..Gleason.. 06/07/2026,” the NOAA center said the threat was expected “this afternoon and tonight” across western and central North Dakota, eastern Montana and western South Dakota. The outlook said “a bow echo thunderstorm complex with widespread damaging winds and significant severe gusts up to 100 mph appear likely over parts of the northern Plains this afternoon and evening.” It also listed “a couple tornadoes” and “isolated large hail up to baseball size” among the likely hazards.

The Storm Prediction Center, based in Norman, Oklahoma, is the National Weather Service center that issues national forecasts for severe thunderstorms and tornado-producing weather. A Public Severe Weather Outlook is reserved for especially significant or widespread severe-weather setups and is meant to draw broader public attention beyond routine forecast products. In this case, the center highlighted a bow echo threat — a bow-shaped line of thunderstorms associated with intense straight-line wind damage.

The center’s use of the phrase “hurricane-force” underscored the seriousness of the wind forecast. The National Weather Service defines hurricane-force wind as 74 mph or higher; the SPC outlook warned of potential thunderstorm gusts up to 100 mph, well above that threshold. The hail threat was also notable: baseball-size hail is about 2.75 inches in diameter.

The outlook was signed by Aaron Gleason, an SPC lead forecaster, according to agency staff listings. The product was a forecast warning of likely hazards, not a report of confirmed damage. The SPC urged residents in the threatened area to prepare now, saying: “Review your severe weather safety procedures for the possibility of dangerous weather today. Stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio, weather.gov, or other media for watches and warnings.” Readers in the northern Plains should closely monitor local National Weather Service warnings as storms develop through the evening and overnight.