A small thunderstorm complex in eastern South Dakota moved into west central Minnesota during the late afternoon hours of Saturday June 26th. This small complex of thunderstorms quickly became severe and bowed out across southern Minnesota during the late afternoon and evening hours.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 episode as NWS MPX wrote it up.
A small thunderstorm complex in eastern South Dakota moved into west central Minnesota during the late afternoon hours of Saturday June 26th. This small complex of thunderstorms quickly became severe and bowed out across southern Minnesota during the late afternoon and evening hours. Numerous reports of high winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes along the leading edge of this squall line/bow echo from far west-central Minnesota, near Canby, eastward across south central and portions of east central Minnesota, south of the Twin Cities. Flash flooding also became a concern as rainfall rates were as high as 1.5 inches per hour that caused several areas in southern Minnesota to have signficant street flooding that led to stalled cars.
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 Jun 26, 2:09 PM CST, 1 hour 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
309 PM CDT SAT JUN 26 2010
.DISCUSSION...
WARM FRONT BECOMING WELL DEFINED VCNTY MN/I BORDER WITH AROUND
5000 J/KG ML CAPE SE SD INTO NW IA. VERY LITTLE CIN OVER THIS AREA
AS WELL. STRONG...MAINLY ELEVATED CELLS CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARD SW
MN. CURRENT 850-300 /EW AND SLIGHTLY ESE/ THICKNESS FIELD
SUGGESTS THE STRONGEST STORMS INITIALLY MOVING ACROSS SOUTH
CENTRAL MN. MORE UPSCALE DEVELOPMENT QUITE POSSIBLE LATER AS THE
UPPER TROUGH APPROACHES ALONG WITH DEVELOPING LARGE SCALE UPPER
DIV. THE UPPER DIV IS FORECAST TO MAXIMIZE LATER TONIGHT. THE LOW
LEVEL/850 MB MOISTURE TRANSPORT IS FORECAST BY BOTH THE GFS AND
NAM TO DECELERATE OVER SE MN AND CENTRAL WI LATER TONIGHT. THERE
IS SOME UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE HEAVIER RAIN AXIS DEPENDING ON THE
OUTFLOWS THIS EVENING...BUT GIVEN THAT CORE METRO PROBLEMS AND A
HEAVIER RAIN AXIS THAT OCCURRED INTO WI LAST NIGHT...HAVE EXPANDED
THE FFA A LITTLE FARTHER ENE.
STILL DECENT CONSISTENCY WITH THE TROUGH TO MOVE OUT SUNDAY
MORNING...BUT SOME CHANCE THAT WEAK VORT MAY AID SOME DEVELOPMENT
OF ISOLD CELLS NE AREAS SUNDAY EVENING. THE GFS IS THE MOST
AGGRESSIVE WITH BRINGING A SHORT WAVE INTO THE UPPER RIDGE LATE TIN
THE WEEK. WILL KEEP THINGS DRY UNTIL FRIDAY NIGHT AND
SATURDAY...AND THEN INTRODUCE A CHANCE. IS SUSPECT THAT MUCH OVER
A WEEK OF NO PRECIP IS HARD TO COME BY THIS TIME OF YEAR. THE
RIDGE SEEMS TO BE STRONG ENOUGH ALONG WITH THE SAME DRY SIGNALS
FROM THE NAEFS AND GEFS TO KEEP THE DRY FORECAST INTO FRIDAY.
WE SHOULD GET A COUPLE OF DAYS OF COOLER TEMPS AFTER THIS TROUGH
PASSAGE AND THEN GRAVITATE BACK TO NEAR NORMAL OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE BY
THE END OF THE WEEK.
&&
.AVIATION... /12Z TAF ISSUANCE/
VLIFR CONDITIONS AT KRWF...KAXN...KSTC FORECAST TO BECOME VFR BY
16Z. BKN-OVC MVFR CEILINGS AT KMSP...KRNH AND KEAU ALSO FORECAST
TO SCT BY 16Z. A DEVELOPING WARM FRONT OVER NORTHERN IA WILL LIFT
SLOWLY NORTH LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING INTO SOUTHERN MN.
WHILE THIS IS OCCURRING...A COLD FRONT WILL BE APPROACHING WESTERN
MN FROM THE DAKOTAS. THE INTERACTION OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARIES IS
EXPECTED TO BRING WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS TO KRWF AND KAXN TOWARD
27/00Z. THE ACTIVITY WILL SPREAD EASTWARD INTO KMSP BY MID EVENING
AND REACH KEAU DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY
BE SEVERE AS WELL AS CONTAIN TORRENTIAL RAINFALL. CONFIDENCE IS
HIGH ON OCCURRENCE BUT LOW ON TIMING. BROAD TEMPO GROUPS FOR TSRA ARE
IN PLAY FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED TIMES. CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES IN
THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE LOW MVFR IF NOT IFR. SOME IMPROVEMENT
FOR KAXN AND KRWF LATE IN THE NIGHT IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT
AS WINDS TURN WNW.
KMSP...VISIBLE IMAGERY SHOWING A RATHER LARGE BREAK IN THE STRATUS
TO THE EAST OF KMSP. CHANHASSEN 12Z ROAB ALSO SHOWING THAT THE
LAYER OVERHEAD IS THIN. CONFIDENCE HIGH THAT THE AIRPORT WILL
BECOME VFR BY 16Z IF NOT SOONER. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES INCREASING
DRAMATICALLY THIS EVENING AS FIRST A WARM FRONT MOVES THROUGH FOLLOWED
BY A COLD FRONT LATE IN THE NIGHT. AS MENTIONED ABOVE...CONFIDENCE
HIGH ON THUNDERSTORM OCCURRENCE TONIGHT BUT TIMING REMAINS IN
QUESTION UNTIL THINGS BEGIN TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON. POTENTIAL
FOR A BOWING LINE OF STORMS MOVING ACROSS THE AIRPORT DURING THE
LATE EVENING HOURS WITH STRONG STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. THIS COULD BE
IN THE 04Z-06Z TIME FRAME. SHOWERS AND MVFR CONDITIONS EARLY
SUNDAY MORNING AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. IMPROVING
CONDITIONS AFTER 27/14Z WITH INCREASING NORTHWEST WINDS. WIND
SPEEDS OF 15 TO 20 KNOTS EXPECTED BY LATE SUNDAY MORNING AND
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON ALONG WITH GUSTS FROM 25 TO 30 KNOTS.
&&
.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY
MORNING FOR BLUE EARTH-BROWN-CARVER-DAKOTA-FARIBAULT-
FREEBORN-GOODHUE-HENNEPIN-LE SUEUR-MARTIN-NICOLLET-RAMSEY-
REDWOOD-RICE-SCOTT-SIBLEY-STEELE-WASECA-WASHINGTON-WATONWAN.
WI...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY
MORNING FOR CHIPPEWA-DUNN-EAU CLAIRE-PEPIN-PIERCE-ST. CROIX.
&&
JPR/AJZHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 146 PM CDT SAT JUN 26 2010 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 271900- DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS- BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA- KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON- YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA- REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH- WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-POLK-BARRON-RUSK- ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-EAU CLAIRE- 146 PM CDT SAT JUN 26 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE MIDDLE OF THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT ACROSS MOST OF THE OUTLOOK AREA. A MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED DURING THIS TIME FRAME GENERALLY WEST OF A LINE FROM MADISON TO SPRINGFIELD. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM SOUTH OF A LINE...FROM APPLETON...TO BLOMKEST...TO WATERTOWN...TO NEW PRAGUE TO NORTHFIELD. A WARM FRONT WILL LIE NEAR THE MINNESOTA AND IOWA BORDER BY MID TO LATE THIS AFTERNOON...POTENTIALLY CAUSING ANOTHER ROUND OF LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA. THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM ANY OF THESE STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP DURING THAT TIME INCLUDE LARGE HAIL... HEAVY RAIN...AND SOME TORNADOES. ALSO...A COLD FRONT WILL TRACK ACROSS THE DAKOTAS INTO WESTERN MINNESOTA DURING THE EVENING AND INTO CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN LATE TONIGHT. THIS WILL BRING A CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA TONIGHT...WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN BEING THE PRIMARY THREATS. IN ADDITION...FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA...PRIMARILY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA WHERE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN ON SUNDAY. NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. THE RECENT RAINFALL ACROSS THE AREA HAS LED TO RIVER RISES. DEPENDING ON RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND PLACEMENT THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY...THE MINNESOTA RIVER MAY RISE TO NEAR FLOOD STAGE DURING THE COMING WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL DEFINITELY BE NEEDED. AZ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
328 PM CDT SAT JUN 26 2010
MNZ064-262115-
YELLOW MEDICINE-
328 PM CDT SAT JUN 26 2010
AT 324 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTH OF HENDRICKS. THIS STORM WAS MOVING EAST
NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
PORTER.
ST LEO.
SPRING CREEK.
LAT...LON 4478 9583 4463 9576 4462 9645 4463 9646
4467 9647
TIME...MOT...LOC 2027Z 258DEG 36KT 4459 9640The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 122 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:49 UTC.
18 thunderstorm wind, 12 flash flood, 6 tornado, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Several reports of dime size hail, with the largest hail stone at 1.25 inches occurred southwest of Canby, Minnesota.
Several eight inch diameter trees were blown down from Porter, to approximately 4 miles east of Porter, Minnesota. The City of Porter, had power outages due to power lines blown down.
Several reports of quarter size hail occurred from Milroy to Lucan, Minnesota.
Numerous trees, some up to the ten inches in diameter, were blown down from near Milroy, east to Lucan, Minnesota.
Numerous trees were uprooted between Wabasso and Wanda, Minnesota. A large grain bin was also blown down near Wabasso, Minnesota.
The local airport at New Ulm, Minnesota, recorded a peak wind gust of 66 mph. Other wind reports from supplemental weather stations around St. James, Madelia, and Lake Crystal, Minnesota, or across northern Watonwan, and western Blue Earth Counties, had sustained winds of 45 to 55 mph between 7:35 and 8:00 PM CST.
Several trees and power lines were blown down near Gaylord, Minnesota.
Several large trees were uprooted and blocking the intersections of Warren and Highland near Mankato, Minnesota.
A large tree was uprooted near South Park and Forest in Fairmont, Minnesota.
Several trees were blown down near Cleveland, Minnesota.
A brief tornado destroyed a chicken coop, partially took the roof off a shed, and broke several trees.
Several trees were blown down near Henderson, Minnesota.
Several dozen trees were broken, garage doors were dented in, and damage was done to siding, soffits, and shingles on numerous houses.
A 52 knot wind gust was measured near Belle Plaine, Minnesota.
Dozens of trees were broken or uprooted, two grain bins were destroyed, an auger was moved, several sheds were damaged, and a granary was moved.
A Minnesota Department of Transportation Weather Station measured a wind gust of 63 knots.
Significant street flooding occurred in St. James, Minnesota where several low areas were impassable. A Minnesota Department of Transportation Weather Station near Madelia, Minnesota estimated 4.90 inches of rainfall between 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM CST.
Numerous trees were blown down in the city of Blue Earth, Minnesota.
The tornado struck several groves of trees, snapping some near the base. It also ripped the top of a silo, spreading tin into an adjacent field. A garage door was also pushed inward.
Several trees were broken, the roof was partially removed from a large shed, a grain bin was damaged, outbuildings sustained minor damage, and a narrow path was observed in an adjacent corn field.
A trained spotter measured a wind gust of 52 knots near Waseca, Minnesota.
Several spotters across the southern part of Mankato, Minnesota reported water covering roadways due to excessive rainfall.
Numerous trees were broken, mostly in a cemetery on the west edge of Wells.
A strong rear flank downdraft accompanied the Wells tornado. The winds knocked down numerous trees, mostly in the south side of the city of Wells.
A tree was blown down in Lakeville, Minnesota.
Significant street flooding was reported in Faribault, Minnesota. Water was up to two foot in some locations, and covering major intersections.
Power lines were blown down in the city of Faribault, Minnesota.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
Several streets in Prior Lake had major street flooding due to rainfall rates as high as two inches per hour. It caused several cars to stall on Eagle Creek Road, and Grainwood Road.
Significant street flooding was reported in the south side of Owatonna, Minnesota.
Very heavy rainfall, and the associated street flooding, caused numerous cars to be stranded across city streets from Burnsville to Lakeville, Minnesota.
Several retaining walls collapsed due to excessive rainfall amounts, and caused mud flows and logs to flow onto city streets.
A few 4 to 6 inch diameter trees were blown down near Vasa, Minnesota.
Flood waters were high enough to strand several cars east of Old Shakopee Road and France Avenue in Bloomington, Minnesota..
Rainfall rates were so high, that several manhole covers were blown off in Red Wing, Minnesota.
Significant street flooding was reported at Lexington Avenue, and Juiliet Road in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Several cars were stalled due to flood waters on County Road 83, and Valley View Road in Shakopee, Minnesota.
Flood waters caused Nicollet Road South of American Blvd to close in Bloomington, Minnesota.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Minnesota, 2010Warnings in Minnesota, June 2010
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: 230383, 236883, 230384, 236886, 236887, 236891, 236892, 238808, 236899, 241636, 239451, 241635, 239450, 236893, 239455, 236894, 238806, 241638, 239449, 239453, 236895, 238807, 239452, 240354, 230387, 236897, 241622, 236896, 241637, 241625, 241626, 241624, 241627, 236898, 241628, 241629, 241631, 241632, 241633.