Minnesota, 1997

Funnel Clouds in Minnesota, July 21, 1997

July 21, 1997 · NWS ARX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Storm spotters reported funnel clouds, none of which touched down.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ARX wrote it up.

Storm spotters reported funnel clouds, none of which touched down.

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 126 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:57 UTC.

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Event by event

2 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.

Funnel Cloud, Mower

When
July 21, 3:00 PM CST to 3:20 PM CST
Where
Mower County, Adams
Coordinates
43.672, -92.752 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Funnel Cloud, Dodge

When
July 21, 3:00 PM CST to 3:20 PM CST
Where
Dodge County, 10 mi W of Rochester
Coordinates
44.023, -92.862 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Funnel Cloud
A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, July 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5606856, 5606857.