17 thunderstorm wind, 1 strong wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Twin Cities, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 23, 9:45 AM CST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 1045 AM CDT THU SEP 23 2004 .DISCUSSION... SFC LOW OVER E SD DEEPENING WITH PRES FALL AXIS TOWARD MSP AREA. BAND OF SHOWERS EXTENDING DOWN INTO IA HANDLED FAIRLY WELL BY 12Z ETA DEPICTION OF MID LEVEL MOIST BAND..AND AXIS OF 850-500 QG CONV. THIS MOVING NE OVER REST OF CWA. WDL PROFILER SHOWING LITTLE OR NO DIRECTIONAL SHEAR. BEST SHOT AT SOME GOOD SHEAR COMBINED WITH SFC HEATING AND INSTABILITY ADVECTION OVER N PART CWA IN CENTRAL MN AND POSSIBLY NW WI. && MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...NONE. WI...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 537 AM CDT THU SEP 23 2004 MNZ069-070-076>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ015-016-023>028-241100- BARRON-BLUE EARTH-CHIPPEWA-DAKOTA-DUNN-EAU CLAIRE-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN- GOODHUE-LE SUEUR-MARTIN-PEPIN-PIERCE-RICE-RUSK-SCOTT-ST CROIX-STEELE- WASECA-WATONWAN- 537 AM CDT THU SEP 23 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA AS WELL AS MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. MNZ041>045-047>068-073>075-WIZ014-241100- ANOKA-BENTON-BROWN-CARVER-CHIPPEWA-CHISAGO-DOUGLAS-HENNEPIN-ISANTI- KANABEC-KANDIYOHI-LAC QUI PARLE-MCLEOD-MEEKER-MILLE LACS-MORRISON- NICOLLET-POLK-POPE-RAMSEY-REDWOOD-RENVILLE-SHERBURNE-SIBLEY-STEARNS- STEVENS-SWIFT-TODD-WASHINGTON-WRIGHT-YELLOW MEDICINE- 537 AM CDT THU SEP 23 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND A PORTION OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER INDICATES A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. THESE STORMS ARE ANTICIPATED ALONG A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WILL RACE FROM SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA LATE THIS MORNING...THROUGH CENTRAL MINNESOTA THIS AFTERNOON. THIS COLD FRONT WILL REACH A LINE FROM MILLE LACS LAKE TO BALSAM LAKE...WISCONSIN BY 6 PM. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE AS A LINE OF FAST MOVING STORMS MOVE THROUGH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY.
The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 99 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:19 UTC.
17 thunderstorm wind, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees and power lines were downed. A camper trailer was blown onto its side.
A large tree was downed onto a power line, setting it on fire. A fence was also damaged by the felled tree. The time was estimated.
Several trees were downed, including one in Pine Grove Park.
Gusty winds ahead of a thunderstorm caused a rig platform on a high rise building along Nicollet Mall to spin around and crash into a window on the 36th floor. Two men who were washing windows from the platform sustained minor injuries. In addition, two people had to be rescued after the gusty wind caused their boat to capsize on Lake Nokomis.
A tree was downed.
A tree was downed.
A few trees were downed.
A few trees were downed.
A 64 MPH wind gust was recorded at the airport.
Several trees up to 3 feet in diameter were downed onto roads, roofs, and parked cars in the Dale Street and Marshall Avenue area.
A few trees were downed.
A few trees were downed onto a power line, setting them on fire. The time was estimated.
A few trees and power lines were downed near Centerville Road and Main Street.
A spotter estimated a wind gust between 60 and 65 MPH near the intersection of highways 47 and 95.
A tree was downed.
A few trees were downed and shingles were damaged in South Fork Township. The time was estimated.
Three trees were downed.
A power line was downed along Highway 96 at Norrel Ave.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, September 2004
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: 5422056, 5422057, 5422058, 5422059, 5422060, 5422062, 5422063, 5422064, 5422066, 5422061, 5422067, 5422065, 5422068, 5422069, 5422070, 5422071, 5422072, 5422129.