Tornado and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, June 17, 2012

Name: Tornado and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, June 17, 2012
Start: 2012-06-17T17:52
End: 2012-06-17T19:00
Location: Minnesota

June 17, 2012 · NWS ABR · 4 events in 2 counties and zones

A strong warm front brought severe thunderstorms to west central Minnesota with very damaging winds occurring across the region.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 ABR wrote it up.

A strong warm front brought severe thunderstorms to west central Minnesota with very damaging winds occurring across the region.

What forecasters said that day

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 Aberdeen, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 17, 2:41 PM CST, 3 hours 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 17, 2:41 PM CST, 3 hours 11 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
341 PM CDT SUN JUN 17 2012

.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT

STORMS ARE THE MAIN ISSUE IN THE SHORT RANGE. FOR TNT VERY STRONG
SHEAR VALUES WILL COMBINE WITH WEAK ENERGY ALOFT...AND HIGH CAPES
TO PRODUCE AT LEAST SCT SEVERE STORMS ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PART
OF THE STATE. MOST HIGH AND LOW RES MODELS DO INDICATE CONVECTION
INITIATING BETWEEN 21-00Z AROUND THE JAMES VALLEY WITH THE STORMS
THEN SHIFTING OFF INTO WESTERN MINNESOTA IN THE EARLY AND MID
EVENING HOURS. SCT SINGLE CELLS SHOULD BECOME A FORWARD
PROPAGATING MCS DURING THE EVENING. LARGE HAIL...HIGH WINDS AND
EVEN A COUPLE TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE.

POST FRONTAL CONDITIONS THEN MOVE IN FOR LATE TNT AND MONDAY WITH
ONLY SOME LINGERING SHOWERS. FOR MONDAY NIGHT ANOTHER WAVE LIFTS
ACROSS THE REGION WITH A PRETTY DECENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
STORMS. THE EURO MODELS ARE DISPLACED A BIT FURTHER NORTH WITH THE
LOW LEVEL BOUNDARY AND THUS HAVE MOST OF THEIR PCPN OVER THE
NORTHERN CWA. FOR NOW WILL STICK WITH SUITE OF NCEP MODELS THAT
ARE A BIT FURTHER SOUTH. THUS HAVE PRETTY HIGH POPS FOR MONDAY
NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. MORE ENERGY IS EXPECTED TO LIFT ACROSS
THE REGION ON TUESDAY NIGHT WITH THE HIGHEST POPS SITUATED OVER
THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN CWA. TEMPERATURES SHOULD AVERAGE OUT NEAR
TO SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL FOR THE TIME PERIOD.

.LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

THE MODELS SHOW UPPER LEVEL TROUGHING OUT WEST MOVING ACROSS THE
REGION ON WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL BRING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS FOR WEDNESDAY. WEDNESDAY WILL ALSO BE THE COOLEST
DAY IN THE LONG TERM WITH HIGHS IN THE 70S. OTHERWISE...ALL OF THE
MODELS SHOW A SLOW WARM UP INTO THE WEEKEND AS UPPER RIDGING OUT
WEST PUSHES/BUILDS INTO THE CENTRAL US THROUGH SUNDAY. THE NEXT
FEATURE TO BRING A DECENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS
FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING. THE MODELS SHOW A SURFACE
LOW PRESSURE AREA SLIDING ACROSS THE REGION WITH A WARM FRONT
LIFTING NORTHWARD ALONG WITH AN INCREASING LLJ MAINLY FRIDAY NIGHT
AND SATURDAY MORNING. ALREADY HAVE IN CHANCES FOR THIS TIME
PERIOD. TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE MOSTLY IN THE 80S ON FRIDAY.
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WILL ALSO BE INTERESTING AS THE UPPER LEVEL
HEIGHTS BUILD OVER THE REGION TO 588 OR SO BY SUNDAY EVENING.
ALTHOUGH...AT THE SURFACE CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE NOSING IN
FOR SATURDAY NIGHT AND MOVING SLOWLY EAST THROUGH SUNDAY. THIS
WILL AFFECT TEMPERATURES SOME MAINLY NORTH AND EAST IN THE CWA.
THERE SHOULD BE SOME 90S IN THE SOUTHERN CWA. WILL HAVE TO WAIT
AND SEE BUT WE COULD SEE A LOT MORE 90S IF THE WARMER AIR PUSHES
FARTHER NORTHWARD SUNDAY. OTHERWISE...IT LOOKS TO BE DRY FOR
SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY.

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAFS FOR THE KABR...KATY...KPIR AND KMBG TERMINALS

VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT ALL TAF LOCATIONS THROUGH TODAY...
TONIGHT...AND MONDAY MORNING. A SHORT WAVE TROUGH ALONG WITH A
WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE MOVING ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WITH INSTABILITY BUILDING UP
TODAY...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG THIS SURFACE
BOUNDARY. SOME OF THESE COULD BECOME SEVERE. ABR AND ATY LOOK TO
BE THE ONLY LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED. INSERTED SOME VCTS AT
BOTH OF THESE LOCATIONS. OTHERWISE...SKIES WILL CLEAR IN BEHIND
THE FRONT ALONG WITH WINDS BECOMING NORTHWEST.

&&

.ABR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SD...NONE.
MN...NONE.

&&

SHORT TERM...TDK
LONG TERM...MOHR
AVIATION...MOHR

WEATHER.GOV/ABERDEEN

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 17, 3:36 AM CST, 14 hours 16 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
436 AM CDT SUN JUN 17 2012

MNZ039-046-SDZ003>011-015>023-033>037-045-048-051-180945-
TRAVERSE-BIG STONE-CORSON-CAMPBELL-MCPHERSON-BROWN-MARSHALL-
ROBERTS-WALWORTH-EDMUNDS-DAY-DEWEY-POTTER-FAULK-SPINK-CLARK-
CODINGTON-GRANT-HAMLIN-DEUEL-STANLEY-SULLY-HUGHES-HYDE-HAND-JONES-
LYMAN-BUFFALO-
436 AM CDT SUN JUN 17 2012 /336 AM MDT SUN JUN 17 2012/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA...CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA...NORTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA AND
NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO
TONIGHT...MAINLY FOR LOCATIONS EAST OF THE MISSOURI RIVER. THE
MAIN TREATS WILL BE VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. TORNADIC
THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY FOR LOCATIONS ALONG
AND EAST OF THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

OFF AND ON CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...ESPECIALLY FOR LOCATIONS ALONG AND EAST OF THE JAMES
RIVER VALLEY.

SD

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 17, 4:31 PM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
531 PM CDT SUN JUN 17 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0529 PM     HAIL             RICHMOND LAKE REC AREA  45.54N  98.61W
06/17/2012  E1.00 INCH       BROWN              SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

EVENT NUMBER ABR1200216

TDK

Local storm report, Jun 17, 4:39 PM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
539 PM CDT SUN JUN 17 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0535 PM     HAIL             10 E RICHMOND LAKE REC  45.54N  98.40W
06/17/2012  E1.00 INCH       BROWN              SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

EVENT NUMBER ABR1200217

TDK

Local storm report, Jun 17, 4:58 PM CST, 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
558 PM CDT SUN JUN 17 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0549 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 E ABERDEEN            45.47N  98.44W
06/17/2012  M63 MPH          BROWN              SD   ASOS

&&

EVENT NUMBER ABR1200218

TDK

Local storm report, Jun 17, 5:01 PM CST, 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
601 PM CDT SUN JUN 17 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0555 PM     HAIL             7 SW VEBLEN             45.79N  97.39W
06/17/2012  E2.50 INCH       MARSHALL           SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

EVENT NUMBER ABR1200219

TDK

Local storm report, Jun 17, 5:36 PM CST, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
636 PM CDT SUN JUN 17 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0615 PM     HAIL             5 N GROTON              45.52N  98.10W
06/17/2012  E1.00 INCH       BROWN              SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

EVENT NUMBER ABR1200220

TDK

The radar

The Aberdeen radar (KABR), 169 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:49 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Traverse

When: June 17, 5:52 PM CST to 5:53 PM CST
Where: Traverse County, 3.55 mi SW of Charlesville
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.05 mi
Path width: 5 yd
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.920, -96.340

Brief touchdown in a field.

Thunderstorm Wind, Traverse

When: June 17, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Traverse County, 5.8 mi W of Collis
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.650, -96.550

Seventy mph winds downed a twelve inch diameter tree.

Thunderstorm Wind, Big Stone

When: June 17, 6:50 PM CST
Where: Big Stone County, Ortonville
Measured: 91 kt (105 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 45.320, -96.450

Winds over 100 mph caused quite a bit of tree damage in Ortonville. Some trees were downed along with many tree branches. Some businesses sustained some facade damage. There were a few structures that suffered roof damage ranging from loss of shingles to a section of the roof being blown off. A storage building on the east side of town near the intersections of Highway 75 and 12 was blown down with a grain bin destroyed half mile east. Another grain bin suffered damage when it was hit by debris from the first grain bin.

Thunderstorm Wind, Big Stone

When: June 17, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Big Stone County, 3.19 mi NE of Odessa
Measured: 91 kt (105 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 45.300, -96.280

Several power poles were snapped about four feet off the ground by very strong winds of over 100 mph.

What these are

Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Minnesota in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Minnesota, 2012 Warnings in Minnesota, June 2012

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: 398027, 392508, 392509, 392510.