A thunderstorm caused a brief tornado near East Bethel, Minnesota. It moved over Coon Lake and reached shore, damaging a boat, dock and a few trees.
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 thunderstorm caused a brief tornado near East Bethel, Minnesota. It moved over Coon Lake and reached shore, damaging a boat, dock and a few trees.
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 5, 3:03 PM CST, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 403 PM CDT TUE JUL 5 2011 .DISCUSSION... THIS FORECAST PERIOD WILL BE DOMINATED BY NEAR NORMAL TEMPS...WITH SMALL CHANCES OF RAIN THIS EVENING AND THURSDAY WITH BETTER CHANCES STILL FOR FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY NIGHT...WITH LINGERING POTENTIAL IN THE SOUTH INTO THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. AT 3 PM...MAIN COLD FRONT WAS ANALYZED FROM NEAR RICE LAKE...WEST TO SOUTH OF ST. CLOUD...AND SW TO THE MARSHALL AREA. REMNANTS OF CONVECTION FROM LAST NIGHT/THIS MORNING HAS LEFT A WEAK PRE- FRONTAL THROUGH NEAR I-90. BEST INSTABILITY SOUTH OF SRN BOUNDARY AND HAVE SEEN MOST ROBUST SCATTERED CONVECTION ESSENTIALLY ALONG I-90 FROM MN INTO WI. LATEST SPC MESO ANALYSIS SHOWS 1000-2000 J/KG OF CAPE ALONG THE COLD FRONT...WITH NO CIN ANALYZED. AS A RESULT...HAVE SEEN ISOLATED CONVECTION BUILD NORTH OF THE CITIES. EXPECT ANY SEVERE THREAT TO EXIST WITH THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY. FOR COLD FRONT ACTIVITY...INSTABILITY PRESENT SHOULD ALLOW SCT CONVECTION TO CONTINUE GROWING THROUGH THE REST OF THE EVENING...BUT WITH LACK OFF UPPER AND LLJ SUPPORT...EXPECT THIS ACTIVITY TO QUICKLY FADE WITH SUNSET. FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT...SKIES WILL CLEAR OUT AS HIGH PRESSURE FROM THE DAKOTAS SITS IN. NOT EXPECTING MUCH FOG AS PERSISTENT LIGHT NORTH WINDS AND ADVECTION OF DRIER AIR SHOULD CONSPIRE TO KEEP FOG AT BAY. WEDNESDAY STILL LOOKS SPECTACULAR...WITH HIGH PRESSURE OVERHEAD. WINDS WILL BE LIGHT...WITH CLEAR SKIES AND HIGHS RIGHT AROUND 80. UNFORTUNATELY...HAD INTRODUCE POPS FOR THURSDAY...AS MODELS RIPPLE A WEAK SHORTWAVE ACROSS THE AREA IN NW FLOW. FOLLOWING THE SREF/ECMWF...MAIN UPPER WAVE WILL TRACK ACROSS NEB INTO MO DURING THE DAY....WITH A BROAD TROUGH WORKING ACROSS THE MPX CWA. AT THE SFC...RATHER BAGGY PRESSURE PATTERN WILL BE SET UP BETWEEN A HIGH OVER THE GREAT LAKES AND ANOTHER AROUND LAKE WINNIPEG. THIS BRINGS A VERY WEAK SFC THROUGH ACROSS THE MPX CWA. HAVE INTRODUCED SOME CHANCE POPS FOR WRN/CENTRAL MN DURING THE AFTERNOON...BUT CONFIDENCE NOT VERY HIGH IN MUCH HAPPENING AS ONCE AGAIN BOTH UPPER AND LLJ SUPPORT LOOK TO BE LACKING. THURSDAY NIGHT...STRONGER WAVE WILL BE MOVING OUT OF THE CANADIAN ROCKIES...WITH STRONG CYCLOGENESIS OCCURRING OVER THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES. THIS WILL WASH OUT WHAT EVER IS LEFT OF THE TROUGH AND THE AREA LOOKS TO BE DRY THURSDAY NIGHT/FRIDAY AS A RESULT. BEST PERIOD FOR PRECIP IN THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUES TO BE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY NIGHT. LOOKING AT THETA-E ADVECTION AND H925-H85 MOISTURE TRANSPORT FROM THE GFS/ECMWF...EXPECT STORMS TO MOVE INTO WRN SECTION OF THE CWA FRIDAY NIGHT WITHIN STRONG WARM ADVECTIVE REGIME. BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON...LLJ WILL BE OVER MN...WITH MOISTURE/INSTABILITY EXPECTED TO INCREASE CONSIDERABLY. OF COURSE WITH THAT...+12C H7 TEMPS WILL BE COMING IN TO SRN MN DURING SATURDAY AFTERNOON...SO MAY HAVE A CAP TO DEAL WITH THEN. 05.12 ECMWF SPED THIS FRONT UP CONSIDERABLY...WITH VERY LITTLE ACTIVITY FORECAST FOR THE MPX CWA SATURDAY NIGHT...BUT THE GEM/GFS CONTINUE TO SHOW SATURDAY NIGHT BEING POTENTIALLY ACTIVE WITH FRONT MOVING THROUGH A BIT SLOWER THAN THE ECMWF. THIS MATCHES UP WELL WITH THE GOING FORECAST...SO CONTINUED TO ADVERTISE BEST POPS AREA WIDE SATURDAY NIGHT. WITH STRONG SUB-TROPICAL RIDGE FORECAST BY THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS TO BE CENTERED OVER MO BY SUNDAY...THIS FRONT WILL NOT BE MAKING IT VERY FAR SOUTH BEFORE STALLING OUT...WITH THE GFS/ECMWF CONTINUING TO SHOW THUNDER CHANCES LINGERING INTO NEXT WEEK ACROSS THE SOUTH. WILL HAVE TO WATCH OUT HERE...AS THE PATTERN COULD BE FAVORABLE FOR NOCTURNAL MCSS TO WORK ACROSS NORTH OF THE FRONT...RUNNING AROUND THE NRN EDGE OF THE SUB-TROPICAL RIDGE. && .AVIATION.../18Z TAF ISSUANCE/ COOL FRONTAL BOUNDARY LOCATED NEAR A LINE...FROM KJMR TO KOVL TO KMML. FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXPECTED TO TRAVERSE ALL MN TAF SITES BY LATE THIS AFTN...AND ALL OF WEST CENTRAL SITES BY 06/03Z. VFR VSBY AND CIG CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH ALL FORECAST SITES THROUGH PERIOD. VCSH MAINLY MSP/STC EAST...DUE TO INSTABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH HEATING AND FRONTAL BOUNDARY. BEST CHANCE PCPN WILL OCCUR OVER WEST CENTRAL AIRPORT LOCALES. NW FLOW ANTICIPATED TO SLACKEN CONSIDERABLY AT OR AROUND 06/00Z. SKC OR FEW CIRRUS WILL BE SEEN DURING THE OVERNIGHT. CU RULE INDICATING FEW FAIR WEATHER CU MOST SITES BY LATE WED MORN. MSP...COOL FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL EXIT MSP BY 22Z...ALONG WITH SLIGHT SHRA CHANCES. EXPECTING SHORT PERIOD OF MID DECK ASSOCIATED WITH MID TO LATE AFTN HEATING POST FRONT. VFR CIGS AND VSBYS THROUGH FORECAST PERIOD. LIGHT NW FLOW ANTICIPATED 06/00Z THROUGH END OF PERIOD. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...NONE. WI...NONE. && MPG/AJZ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 1252 PM CDT TUE JUL 5 2011 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 061800- 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- 1252 PM CDT TUE JUL 5 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA... AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND FAR WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN THIS AFTERNOON. IT WILL MARCH THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN BY THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED...MAINLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM ST JAMES...TO MINNEAPOLIS TO AMERY. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA INTO WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN WITH THE MAIN HAZARDS BEING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A COLD FRONT IS FORECAST FOR THE UPCOMING WEEKEND WHICH WILL BRING A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. AZ
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
141 PM CDT TUE JUL 05 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0431 PM TORNADO 6 W VESTA 44.51N 95.54W
07/01/2011 REDWOOD MN NWS STORM SURVEY
TORNADO RATED EF-1. IT TOUCHED DOWN IN REDWOOD COUNTY...
MOVED ACROSS A CORNER OF YELLOW MEDICINE COUNTY... BACK
INTO REDWOOD COUNTY WHERE IT MOVED THROUGH BELVIEW...
THEN INTO RENVILLE COUNTY... DISSIPATING NEAR 740TH
AVENUE AND 240TH STREET AT 451 PM. PATH LENGTH 21 MILES
AND MAXIMUM WIDTH 1/2 MILE. HUNDREDS OF TREES WERE
SNAPPED OR UPROOTED...SOME ON HOMES. SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS
HEAVILY DAMAGED.
0431 PM TORNADO 6 NNW MILROY 44.51N 95.58W
07/01/2011 REDWOOD MN NWS STORM SURVEY
TORNADO RATED EF-1. TOUCHED DOWN JUST EAST OF THE BORDER
WITH LYON COUNTY AND MOVED NORTHEAST TO 8 N MILROY. PATH
LENGTH 2.5 MILES WITH A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF 300 YARDS. TREES
WERE SNAPPED AND A GRAIN BIN WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED.
0503 PM TORNADO 1 NW DANUBE 44.80N 95.12W
07/01/2011 RENVILLE MN NWS STORM SURVEY
TORNADO RATED EF-1. TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 1/2 MILE NORTHWEST
OF DANUBE AND MOVED NORTH-NORTHEAST. IT DISSIPATED 3 N
DANUBE. PATH LENGTH 2.5 MILES AND MAXIMUM WIDTH 300
YARDS. A HOUSE HAD MUCH OF ITS ROOF LIFTED OFF AND A
LARGE EQUIPMENT SHED WAS NEARLY COMPLETELY DESTROYED.
&&
TDKThe Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 60 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:42 UTC.
1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A brief tornado touched down on Coon Lake, East of East Bethel. Damage occurred to a boat and the boat dock.
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: 308969.