The early evening of Sunday July 10th, a complex of thunderstorms developed across southeast North Dakota, and northeast South Dakota, and moved southeast across Minnesota. Ample instability and wind shear allowed for several bow echoes to form along the leading edge of a strong thunderstorm complex.
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.
The early evening of Sunday July 10th, a complex of thunderstorms developed across southeast North Dakota, and northeast South Dakota, and moved southeast across Minnesota. Ample instability and wind shear allowed for several bow echoes to form along the leading edge of a strong thunderstorm complex.
Several wind sensors across west central Minnesota recorded measured wind speeds in excess of 70 mph as these storms moved rapidly southeast. There was a brief tornado that touched down north of Atwater, Minnesota. However, most of the storm damage was with straight-line winds, some of which caused widespread damage near Sauk Centre.
The worst damage, in terms of hundreds of trees uprooted or down power lines was across Douglas, Pope and Stearns Counties of west central and central Minnesota early in the storm's path.
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 Jul 10, 4:24 PM CST, 2 hours 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 524 PM CDT SUN JUL 10 2011 .DISCUSSION... SUMMARY...COULD BE AN ACTIVE NIGHT ACROSS SOUTH/CENTRAL MN AND PORTIONS OF WESTERN WISCONSIN WITH POSSIBLE MCS OR CLUSTERS OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST FROM THE DAKOTAS. THE SPC HAS JUST UPDATED THE DAY 1 OUTLOOK AND HAVE UPGRADED TO A MODERATE RISK IN THE EASTERN DAKOTAS AND FAR WEST CENTRAL MN. OTHERWISE...PASSING COLD FRONT WILL PUSH MOISTURE RICH AND THE WARMTH SOUTH OF THE AREA TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. OUTSIDE OF POPS IN FAR SOUTHERN MN ON TUESDAY...MOST AREAS WILL REMAIN DRY UNTIL A DECENT SHORTWAVE ROLL THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. EXTENDED STILL LOOKS QUITE WARM WITH SMALL POPS UNDER LONG WAVE RIDGE. DEEP CONVECTION GETTING GOING VERY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON IN EASTERN ND. THIS SAME AREA MAY BE WHAT EVENTUALLY GROWS UPSCALE AND AFFECTS WESTERN MN THIS EVENING...AND SLIDES ACROSS THE REST OF MN AND WESTERN WI BETWEEN 04Z-10Z TONIGHT. NO SHORTAGE OF INSTABILITY TO FEED THE CURRENT STORMS WITH 3000-4500 J/KG OF MLCAPE IN THE EASTERN DAKOTAS AND WESTERN MN THIS AFTERNOON AND DCAPE VALUES BETWEEN 1400-1600 J/KG. DEEP LAYER SHEAR IS ALSO SUFFICIENT FOR SUPERCELL STRUCTURE...ALTHOUGH STORM MODE IN THIS CASE WILL LIKELY BE DICTATED BY COOL POOL EVOLUTION. IN HOUSE WRF-ARW ALONG WITH THE MORNING RUN OF THE NSSL WRF-ARW BOTH SUGGEST MORE OF A LINEAR STRUCTURE OR AT LEAST A COUPLE BOWING SEGMENTS WITH A WIND AND HAIL THREAT. PWATS ARE ALSO A CONCERN WHEN IT COMES TO THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN THIS EVENING...WILL HAVE TO MONITOR THE ORIENTATION AND SPEED OF CONVECTION AS IT ENTERS THE FORECAST AREA. THE ENTRANCE REGION OF 80-90+KT MID/UPPER LEVEL JET OVER THE DAKOTAS IS HELPING THE UPWARD VERTICAL MOTION...AND THIS SHOULD SLIDE EAST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING. CORFIDI VECTORS WOULD ROLL THE COMPLEX ACROSS SOUTH/CENTRAL MN BETWEEN 02-06Z. A COUPLE OF THE HRRR RUNS TODAY HAVE PAINTED A SLIGHTLY SEVERE PICTURE. ALTHOUGH STILL INDICATING THE MAIN AREA OF CONCERN ORIGINATING OUT OF THE CURRENT ARE OF CONVECTION...IT DOES HAVE A BIT MORE DEVELOPMENT SOUTHEAST OF THIS AREA NEAR THE NE/SD BORDER. AT ANY RATE...WITH NO REINFORCING 850MB JET TONIGHT...THE FEELING IS THAT THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL BE IN WESTERN MN. THERE SHOULD BE A GRADUALLY WEAKENING WITH TIME. NEXT CHANCE FOR RAIN IS IN FAR SOUTHERN MN ON TUESDAY...WITH FAIRLY STRONG FRONTOGENESIS AND WHAT WILL LIKELY BE A SHARP CUTOFF IN RAINFALL. SURFACE HIGH EXPECTED TO KEEP MOST LOCATIONS IN THE FORECAST AREA COOLER AND DRY. WARM AIR ADVECTION AND SHORTWAVE TROUGH PROVIDE THE FOCUS FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. INCREASED POPS DURING THIS TIME FRAME GIVEN GOOD MODEL AGREEMENT WITH 20-50DM HEIGHT FALLS A LOFT AND 850-700MB MOISTURE TRANSPORT. ALTHOUGH MINOR TIMING ISSUES EXIST...12Z GFS AND ECMWF QPF FIELDS ARE NOT TOO DISSIMILAR IN OVERALL PLACEMENT AND INTENSITY. ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ALMOST A CERTAINTY IN THE EXTENDED WITH 590-594DM HEIGHTS MOVING OVERHEAD FOR THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION.../00Z TAF ISSUANCE/ THE PRIMARY CONCERNS WITH THIS SET OF AVIATION FORECASTS ARE THE GUSTY THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. THE THUNDERSTORMS EVOLVING SOUTHEAST ALONG THE ND/SD BORDER AT 520 PM ARE JUST NORTH OF A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE AREA. AS THIS LOW EVOLVES EAST SO SHOULD THE STORMS INTO THE EVENING...FEEDING ON INSTABILITY AND CONTINUING TO MAINTAIN THEIR CURRENT STRENGTH OR EVEN INTENSIFY FURTHER. THE STORMS SHOULD ALSO START DROPPING SOMEWHAT SOUTH OF EAST AS WELL. THIS EVOLUTION AND PATH WOULD IMPACT MANY OF THE LOCAL AREA TAF SITES...PARTICULARLY AXN AND RWF WHERE CONFIDENCE IS HIGHEST IN HAVING THE STORMS BE NEAR THEIR PEAK INTENSITY AT THOSE POINTS IN TIME. THE ATMOSPHERE IS FAVORABLE FOR THE STORMS TO CONTINUE TO EVOLVE IN CLUSTERS AND LINES THUS PROMOTING GUSTY WINDS WITH THE STORMS. HAVE ADAPTED THAT INTO TEMPO GROUPS FOR THE TWO HOUR PERIODS IN WHICH THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOST FAVORED AT EACH AIRPORT USING HIGH RESOLUTION MODEL GUIDANCE AND ACCOUNTING FOR THE SLIGHTLY SLOW BIAS THEY OFTEN HAVE /AND ARE ALREADY HAVING WITH CURRENT CONVECTION/. IN ADDITION...AFTER THE PASSAGE OF WELL- ORGANIZED STORMS THE POTENTIAL FOR WINDS TO BRIEFLY SWING EAST- SOUTHEAST AND BECOME GUSTY MAY VERY WELL OCCUR IN THIS SITUATION. HAVE AT LEAST PROPOSED THAT WIND SHIFT INTO THE TAFS BEHIND THE STORMS. THIS SHOULD BE SOMEWHAT TEMPORARY BEFORE WINDS SWING MORE SOUTHWEST AND THEN WEST NORTHEAST SOON AFTER DAYBREAK. IN OTHER WORDS...THE WIND FIELD MAY BE SOMEWHAT CHAOTIC IN THE WAKE OF THE STORMS...BUT HAVE DONE THE BEST TO ADAPT WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN IN SUCH A SCENARIO. THIS WILL NEED TO BE EVEN FURTHER REFINED WITH FUTURE TAF UPDATES. THANKFULLY MUCH OF THIS LOOKS TO COME DURING THE NIGHTTIME HOURS. TEMPORARY MVFR IS LIKELY WITH IFR POSSIBLE. AXN AND RWF...BOTH AIRPORTS ARE HIGHLY LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THUNDERSTORMS...AND THOSE COULD BE SEVERE WITH STRONG WINDS ON THE LEADING EDGE AND POSSIBLY LARGE HAIL IN THE HEART OF THE STORMS. AXN IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO HAVING STORMS AS EARLY AS 00Z. RWF MAY SEE STORMS LAG LONGER THAN THE CURRENT THREE AND A HALF HOUR WINDOW IN THE TAF. BUT THE STRONGEST STORMS SHOULD ARRIVE NEAR THE BEGINNING OF THAT TEMPORAL WINDOW. MSP...CONFIDENCE IN THUNDERSTORM TIMING IS INCREASING...BUT THERE STILL REMAINS UNCERTAINTY. IF THE CURRENT THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY BECOMES EVEN MORE WELL-ORGANIZED SOON IT WILL INCREASE IN SPEED EARLIER THAN THOUGH. THAT WOULD BRING IT IN TO MSP POSSIBLY AS EARLY AS 0330Z. THE EAST WINDS IN THE WAKE OF THE STORMS ARE NOT NECESSARILY WITH THE HIGHEST CONFIDENCE AS VERY FEW MODELS ARE SHOWING THAT. BUT IT OFTEN HAPPENS WITH SUCH A STORM EVOLUTION. THE SOUTHWEST TO WEST WIND DIRECTION DURING THE MORNING RUSH IS WITH LOW CONFIDENCE...AND COULD BE MORE WEST NORTHWEST. THE SPEEDS THOUGH SHOULD BE UNDER 10 KNOTS BY 11Z. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...NONE. WI...NONE. && CLF/MTF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 1051 AM CDT SUN JUL 10 2011 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 111600- 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- 1051 AM CDT SUN JUL 10 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA... AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN THROUGH TONIGHT. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS ARE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND LARGE HAIL. THE BEST CHANCE OF WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY THIS EVENING IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL THEN SPREAD ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA IN THE OVERNIGHT. IN ADDITION...SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH MAY CAUSE ISOLATED FLOODING. RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ACROSS THE AREA ARE URGED TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION... FORECASTS...AND WARNINGS. MAKE SURE YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALERT SETTING IS TURNED ON TO ENSURE RECEIVING ANY WATCHES OR WARNINGS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MAY LINGER INTO MONDAY MORNING AS A COLD FRONT CROSSES THE REGION FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS FAR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM SPRINGFIELD TO WATERVILLE. THE MAIN HAZARDS ARE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND LARGE HAIL...AND THE BEST TIMING WOULD BE BEFORE NOON. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AS A WARM FRONT SLOWLY APPROACHES FROM THE SOUTHWEST DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK AND MOVES THROUGH THE AREA BY THE END OF THE WEEK. AT THIS POINT...IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING AND IN THE OVERNIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
634 PM CDT SUN JUL 10 2011
MNZ041-042-047>049-055-057-110100-
DOUGLAS-KANDIYOHI-POPE-STEARNS-STEVENS-SWIFT-TODD-
634 PM CDT SUN JUL 10 2011
...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO/DEVELOPING OVER DOUGLAS...KANDIYOHI...
POPE...STEARNS...STEVENS...SWIFT AND TODD COUNTIES THROUGH 800 PM
CDT...
AT 630 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS TRACKING SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES SOUTH OF BATTLE
LAKE TO 11 MILES WEST OF BIG STONE CITY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
THESE STORMS HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING WINDS NEAR OR ABOVE 60
MPH. IN ADDITION TO THE WIND...LARGE HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH
THESE STORMS. THE STORMS ARE BEING MONITORED AND WARNINGS MAY BE
NEEDED THIS EVENING.
* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
MELBY.
EVANSVILLE.
MILLERVILLE.
LEAF VALLEY.
MORRIS.
MILTONA.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
SEEK SHELTER AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.
THE GUSTY WINDS WILL BE CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN SMALL TREES...TREE
LIMBS...AND POWERLINES. SEEK SAFE SHELTER UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.
&&
LAT...LON 4635 9465 4578 9465 4577 9449 4533 9458
4532 9477 4511 9476 4534 9612 4540 9613
4542 9625 4576 9627 4577 9577 4610 9578
4611 9516 4631 9517 4637 9515 4638 9473
TIME...MOT...LOC 2331Z 300DEG 40KT 4618 9566 4528 9668The Aberdeen radar (KABR), 196 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:24 UTC.
37 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 2 lightning, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Several large tree branches were blown down near Morris, Minnesota.
Several large trees and power lines were blown down.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the southern part of Douglas County from Kensington to Garfield, and Holmes City. In addition, straight line winds damaging two roofs of two commercial buildings in the southern part of the county.
Several large trees, up to 30 inches in diameter were blown down.
Numerous large trees and power lines were blown down from near Holmes City, to Forada, Minnesota.
An 8 inch diameter tree was blown down.
The Sauk Centre City Officials noted that power was lost in the town at 1908 CST, which is when emergency sirens lost power. Several residents noted that the strong straight line winds lasted for 10 minutes.
Damage occurred to approximately 200 trees in Sauk Centre which were either uprooted or snapped off with the line of storms. Tree damage was noted from Interstate 94, in the south, to the Sauk Centre Country Club to the north.
The survey noted that all of the trees were laying toward the east, which was indicative of damage caused by straight line winds. Dozens of structures were also damaged in the town, though almost all of the structural damage was caused by falling trees. There was a toppled truck trailer, just over a dozen downed utility poles, and several snapped road signs.
In addition to the hail, some crop damage was reported from the Emergency Manager.
A garage roof was blown off in northwest Melrose.
A large row of trees, up to 16 inches in diameter were blown down.
There were several reports of a brief tornado from Skywarn Spotters and the public in a field along 310th Street, approximately 5 miles north-northeast of Atwater, Minnesota. An EF-0 tornado was confirmed the next day by a National Weather Service Service Team near the Kandiyohi/Meeker County line.
One detailed account indicated the condensation of the tornado reached the ground for about 20 seconds before the tornado dissipated. This occurred in a corn field.
Based on radar and information from the survey, winds were around 65 mph, with a path length near an 1/8 of a mile, and a width of 10 yards.
A trained spotter measured a peak wind gust, along with several large trees blown down.
A few large trees were blown down.
Severe straight line winds cause a power outage in town.
A few large trees and power lines were blown down in Dassel.
A large path, up to 3/4 of a mile wide of trees blown down, was reported near Franklin.
Several trees and power lines were blown down in Monticello, Minnesota.
A 30 foot diameter pine tree was snapped off.
A trained spotter measured a peak wind speed with his anemometer north of Stewart, Minnesota. In addition, local law enforcement officials reported numerous power outages and power lines were blown down from Stewart, eastward to Brownton.
A 10 inch diameter tree was uprooted.
Numerous large tree branches and several road signs were blown down.
A large tree was uprooted.
Several large tree branches were blown down.
Numerous power lines and trees were blown down across the eastern part of the county.
A large tree was uprooted.
Several large trees and power lines were blown down. In addition, some structural damage occurred to a building.
A wind sensor measured a wind gust of 73 mph near the intersection of Highway 19 and County Road 3, south of Belle Plaine, Minnesota.
Straight line winds caused a large area of northern Washington County to lose power. The hardest hit area was Forest Lake, where several large trees fell on cars and homes.
Severe straight line winds blew down several power lines near Red Wing.
A home was struck by lightning and caught fire on the 7000 block of Schey Drive, in Edina, Minnesota.
A trained spotter measured a peak wind gust with his anemometer.
Lightning struck a home in Rosemount, Minnesota on 151st Street West and caused a fire.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Minnesota, 2011Warnings in Minnesota, July 2011
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: 309675, 309677, 309682, 309676, 309690, 309693, 309694, 309701, 309685, 309711, 309680, 309695, 309672, 324341, 309678, 309696, 309673, 324876, 309697, 309674, 309686, 309679, 309698, 309700, 335591, 309681, 324086, 309692, 309699, 309683, 309691, 309684, 309689, 309687, 309710, 309704, 324050, 309703, 309707, 309708, and more.