Severe weather swept through Minnesota and western Wisconsin on Thursday, resulting in the touchdown of up to 10 tornadoes across the region as powerful storms advanced eastward.
The worst of the conditions had already moved out of the Twin Cities metro area, but tornado warnings were still issued for parts of northern Minnesota and western Wisconsin as storms continued to push through. Observations noted a tornado around 3:30 p.m. near New Richmond, Wisconsin, with additional reports of tornadoes coming from Melrose, about 30 miles northwest of St. Cloud, and the nearby Spring Hill area, where debris was noted.
In downtown Minneapolis, a Doppler-indicated tornado warning was issued at 2:25 p.m., though no observed tornadoes or funnel clouds were confirmed in the city. However, the severe weather resulted in power outages affecting over 2,500 customers across the Twin Cities metro area due to storms moving through.
A tornado watch remains in effect until 8 p.m. for much of central Minnesota and western Wisconsin, with predictions of additional storms characterized by the potential for large hail, wind gusts up to 70 mph, and possibly more tornado events later in the day. A timeline indicated that storms would be prevalent from noon to 7 p.m., affording the highest likelihood of severe weather in western Wisconsin as the evening approached.
Trained observers reported additional tornado activity southwest of Benson, Minnesota around 1:15 p.m., followed shortly by another report southeast of Morris. The forecast predicts that after these impactful storms, temperatures will shift significantly, with highs only reaching the 50s by the weekend, a stark contrast to the week’s earlier warmth.
On a hopeful note, while severe weather can be disruptive, the upcoming cooler weekend offers a chance for communities to recover and assess any damage while enjoying more temperate conditions as spring progresses.