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Wind in Traverse County, Minnesota
87 damaging wind events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Thunderstorm Wind, High Wind, Strong Wind.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
NCEI records 87 wind events in Traverse County, Minnesota, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 34 years.
July is the busiest month, with 28 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 43 events against 36 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.6% of the 15,237 wind events recorded in Minnesota; its 15.2 per 100 square miles compares with 19.1 statewide.
63 wind reports with a measured or estimated speed reached the 58 mph severe threshold, and 7 reached hurricane force (74 mph).
Some winter weather and high wind events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county; zone-recorded events whose zone is named for the county are included and marked "Forecast zone" in the table.
Compared with Minnesota
| Measure | Traverse County | Minnesota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind events since 1950 | 87 | 15,237 | 701,953 |
| Per 100 square miles | 15.2 | 19.1 | 19.9 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 264.8 | 26.7 | 21.1 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 30 | 2,166 |
| Busiest month | July | July | June |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
1Mar
4Apr
5May
6Jun
20Jul
28Aug
11Sep
2Oct
5Nov
4Dec
1
Magnitude distribution
NWS wind thresholds
- under 58 mph
- below severe threshold
- 58–73 mph
- severe
- 74–95 mph
- hurricane-force
- 96 mph and over
- extreme
Wind speed converted from the knots NCEI records; estimated and measured gusts are combined. Events without a speed are not binned.
Recorded events
All 87 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Mar 2026 | High Wind | 59 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 23 Jul 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jul 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | 64 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jul 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | 59 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | 67 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | 67 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | 81 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Apr 2022 | High Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 13 Nov 2021 | High Wind | 63 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 9 Oct 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jul 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | 75 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jul 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jul 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Oct 2019 | High Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 9 Sep 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Sep 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | 64 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jul 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | 64 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | 64 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Mar 2017 | High Wind | 40 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 10 Aug 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | 81 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jun 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | 81 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Nov 2015 | High Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 6 Jul 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | 98 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 67 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 2012 | High Wind | 43 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 10 Jul 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Oct 2010 | High Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 26 Oct 2008 | High Wind | 40 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 29 Jul 2008 | High Wind | 63 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 6 May 2007 | High Wind | 66 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 20 Aug 2006 | High Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 30 Jun 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jul 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jul 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jun 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jun 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Mar 2005 | High Wind | 40 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 12 Dec 2004 | High Wind | 40 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 3 Jul 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | 66 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Nov 2002 | High Wind | 55 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 11 Aug 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jul 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Apr 2002 | High Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 11 Feb 2002 | High Wind | 63 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 5 Aug 2000 | High Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 5 Apr 2000 | High Wind | 62 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Nov 1999 | High Wind | 56 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 5 Jun 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Mar 1999 | High Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 12 Apr 1998 | High Wind | 51 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 5 Aug 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Oct 1996 | High Wind | 56 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 17 Jul 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | 90 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 May 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jun 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jun 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jul 1986 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 1986 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Aug 1983 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 1983 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 1982 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jun 1982 | Thunderstorm Wind | 94 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 1980 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jul 1955 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many wind events has Traverse County had?
87 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of damaging wind became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded wind event in Traverse County?
12 Mar 2026 (High Wind, 59 mph). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging wind event recorded in Traverse County?
NCEI records no damage estimate for events of this type in the county.
How does Traverse County compare with Minnesota for wind?
15.2 events per 100 square miles against 19.1 statewide; the county holds 87 of the state's 15,237 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Wind hub and the county page.