Severe storms rumble

Posted at 7:12 AM on July 31, 2008 by Paul Huttner (4 Comments)

Bow echo approaches Twin Cities from the west at 7:09am

A bow echo with severe thunderstorms is racing through southern Minnesota this morning. This may affect the metro between 8 and 10am this morning. This line of storms has a history of damaging winds and downed trees. Stay with MPR for severe weather updates this morning.

Here are some links to follow the warnings and radar.

Twin Cities radar loop

Latest warnings from Twin Cities NWS

I'll post storm reports below.

PH

MPX: 5 Nw Madison [Lac Qui Parle Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND DMG at 06:00 AM CDT -- tops broken off trees

MPX: Appleton [Swift Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND DMG at 06:10 AM CDT -- wind gusts estimated at 80 mph. many large trees down and a semi truck blown over.

MPX: 4 W Montevideo [Lac Qui Parle Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND DMG at 06:50 AM CDT -- wind speed estimated at 60-70 mph with trees down and quarter size hail

MPX: Wabasso [Redwood Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND GST of M51 MPH at 06:54 AM CDT --

MPX issues Tornado Warning for Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker [MN] till 8:15 AM CDT ...* AT 730 AM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD BETWEEN LITCHFIELD AND GROVE CITY. RADAR INDICATED ANOTHER STORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR BLOMKEST. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 44 MPH.

MPX: Olivia [Renville Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND DMG at 06:50 AM CDT -- large trees down both north and south side of town.

MPX: Raymond [Kandiyohi Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND GST of E60 MPH at 07:20 AM CDT --

MPX: 3 W Litchfield [Meeker Co, MN] trained spotter reports FUNNEL CLOUD at 07:27 AM CDT -- funnel dropped briefly then went back up.

MPX: 5 W Olivia [Renville Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND DMG at 07:30 AM CDT -- one foot diameter trees down.

MPX: 3 N Morgan [Redwood Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND DMG at 07:10 AM CDT -- turkey barn roof blown off.

MPX: 4 N Gaylord [Sibley Co, MN] storm chaser reports TSTM WND GST of M67 MPH at 07:42 AM CDT --

MPX: 3 Ese New Sweden [Nicollet Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND DMG at 07:50 AM CDT -- arm size branches broken off.

MPX: New Ulm [Brown Co, MN] law enforcement reports TSTM WND DMG at 07:54 AM CDT -- trees blown down.

MPX: 12 Nw Murdock [Swift Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND DMG at 07:00 AM CDT -- 130 thousand square foot building//under construction// destroyed.

MPX: Mankato [Blue Earth Co, MN] amateur radio reports TSTM WND DMG at 08:07 AM CDT -- 4 inch branches, 6 to 10 inch trees blown down.

We are getting reports of trees and power lines down in Mankato

MPX: S Boyd [Lac Qui Parle Co, MN] trained spotter reports HAIL of penny size (M0.75 INCH) at 06:10 AM CDT -- estimated 50 to 60 mph wind gust.

MPX: Ese Appleton [Swift Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND GST of E70 MPH at 06:15 AM CDT -- windows breaking.

MPX: 4 Nw Madison [Lac Qui Parle Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND GST of E70 MPH at 05:50 AM CDT -- tree damage. 60 to 70 mph wind gusts.

MPX: Mankato [Blue Earth Co, MN] law enforcement reports TSTM WND DMG at 08:14 AM CDT -- trees reported down around mankato.

MPX: Howard Lake [Wright Co, MN] public reports FUNNEL CLOUD at 08:20 AM CDT -- citizen report...not confirmed.

MPX: Redwood Falls [Redwood Co, MN] asos reports NON-TSTM WND GST of M59 MPH at 08:24 AM CDT --

MPX: 4 W Morristown [Rice Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND GST of M58 MPH at 08:16 AM CDT -- trees down near hwy 60.

MPX: 4 Nnw Greenland [Le Sueur Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND GST of M65 MPH at 08:04 AM CDT -- elysian weather station.

MPX: Nne Le Center [Le Sueur Co, MN] mesonet reports TSTM WND GST of M84 MPH at 08:07 AM CDT -- le center high school.

MPX: 2 W Winthrop [Sibley Co, MN] mesonet reports TSTM WND GST of M60 MPH at 07:36 AM CDT -- mndot.

MPX: Mankato [Blue Earth Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND DMG at 08:36 AM CDT -- mn vikings training camp tents and crowd control fences all blown down. 8 inch diameter limb off tree...on msmu campus. several other 2 to 4 inch diameter branches. power out in some areas...near campus.

MPX: Raymond [Kandiyohi Co, MN] law enforcement reports TSTM WND DMG at 07:03 AM CDT -- trees and power lines down.

MPX: Prinsburg [Kandiyohi Co, MN] law enforcement reports TSTM WND DMG at 07:11 AM CDT -- trees and power lines down.
MPX: 4 E Prinsburg [Kandiyohi Co, MN] law enforcement reports TSTM WND DMG at 07:13 AM CDT -- trees and power lines down.

MPX: Blomkest [Kandiyohi Co, MN] law enforcement reports TSTM WND DMG at 07:16 AM CDT -- trees and power lines down.

MPX: Lake Lillian [Kandiyohi Co, MN] law enforcement reports TSTM WND DMG at 07:20 AM CDT -- trees and power lines down.

MPX: 2 Sse Madison [Lac Qui Parle Co, MN] awos reports TSTM WND GST of M86 MPH at 06:13 AM CDT --

MPX: 1 Sse Renville [Renville Co, MN] mesonet reports TSTM WND GST of M75 MPH at 07:23 AM CDT -- west high school.

MPX: 3 W New Ulm [Brown Co, MN] awos reports TSTM WND GST of M68 MPH at 07:34 AM CDT -- airport.

MPX: Owatonna [Steele Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND DMG at 08:30 AM CDT -- large trees down in central park. minor street flooding. port-o-potty blown 20 feet. small to medium limbs on ground...debris everywhere.

(9:09:20 AM) iembot: MPX: 4 N Morristown [Rice Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND GST of M58 MPH at 08:33 AM CDT --

(9:10:55 AM) iembot: MPX: 5 S Faribault [Rice Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND DMG at 08:36 AM CDT -- semi truck blown over on i-35.

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Comments (4)

Funnel clouds at 7:30am? As I was waiting for the bus in Minneapolis this morning, I was comforted by the presumption that it was highly unlikely severe storms in the daylight morning hours could whip-up a tornado. How common - or uncommon - is this?

Posted by Jacob | July 31, 2008 2:53 PM

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I think you might be remiss in not mentioning that bookend vortex, or are the formation and features of bow echoes a topic for another post?

Posted by Chris B. Critter | August 3, 2008 10:18 AM

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Great question Jacob.

While peak hours for tornadoes and severe weather are between 3pm and 7pm, it can and does happen at all hours. Warm fronts are notorious for cranking up thunderstorms late at night and into early morning during the late summer.

The Barneveld, WI tornado in 1984 struck at 1am, and was rated an EF5. It killed and injured nearly 200.It would have been so much worse had it occurred just a few miles to the southeast and hit Madison, WI.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mkx/document/tor/060884.php

Our tornado watch Sunday night is a reminder that severe weather can occur at all hours if atmospheric conditions are in place. It's just easier to reach severe limits when you add the hours that follow maximum solar heating in the mid afternoon.

Posted by Paul Huttner | August 4, 2008 4:18 PM

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Chris:

A great topic for another day I think.

I'm sure you're aware that when meteorologists are in the heat of battle during severe weather public safety and getting hard information out comes first. Follow up on why comes later.

Most of the listeners and viewers I have talked to over the years assure me that they need to know if 80 mph winds are about to hit them. They don't really care about the "why" at that point. I think it would be remiss for me to take time to explain this on my blog while severe weather is in progress at the expense of getting critical and timely weather information to listeners.

PH

Posted by Paul Huttner | August 4, 2008 4:28 PM

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