Severe weather across the Dakotas on Sunday produced a historic tornado outbreak, helping North Dakota break its yearly tornado record.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, a surface low moved north through the Dakotas on Sunday combined with plenty of low-level spin and a warm front. This allowed tornadoes to develop quickly from northern South Dakota through parts of central North Dakota. 

PHOTOS: RARE UTAH TORNADO SPOTTED SWIRLING THROUGH DESERT TERRAIN

More than 20 tornadoes were reported on Sunday across 200 miles, between Mobridge, South Dakota and Minot, North Dakota. 

The first tornadoes were reported in the early afternoon near Mobridge, South Dakota, where cars were reported to have flipped over. Later in the afternoon, the same storms moved into North Dakota and produced several reported tornadoes. Near Arena and Fort Rice, North Dakota, there were reports of a multiple-vortex tornado, meaning that there were multiple tornadoes reported with the same storm. 

FOX Weather Exclusive Storm Tracker Brandon Copic was on scene for the Mobridge tornado and then again when two tornadoes formed near Denhoff. 

Storms started to run out of energy before early Sunday evening, but not before one last reported tornado near Butte. 

Copic just so happened to be there for this tornado as well. He said he was getting gas when the twister formed about 100 yards away. As debris was lofting into the air, he radioed his fellow storm trackers about what was happening after an already long day of storm chasing. 

“Yep, this is a tornado,” Copic said. 

Forecasters with the National Weather Service in Bismarck and Grand Forks said Sunday’s storms officially broke the state’s yearly tornado record. The previous record was 61 tornadoes in 1999. The total for 2025 is still being compiled after Sunday’s outbreak, but as of Sept. 13, there were 58 confirmed tornadoes in North Dakota. Already five tornadoes are confirmed from Sunday’s outbreak in the state, easily breaking the previous yearly record. 

In addition to the tornadoes, Bismarck had a record-breaking rainy day when 2.44 inches fell on Sunday, breaking the daily record for Sept. 14 of 1.50 inches, set in 1900. 

Overall, the U.S. is running well above average with more than 1,400 tornado reports this year.