An isolated severe thunderstorm moved from northwest Minnesota during the late afternoon of Wednesday, July 24th, into central Minnesota and produced damaging winds in Todd County.
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.
An isolated severe thunderstorm moved from northwest Minnesota during the late afternoon of Wednesday, July 24th, into central Minnesota and produced damaging winds in Todd County.
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 24, 8:42 PM CST, 1 hour 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 942 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2013 .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 330 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2013 THE CURRENT STATE OF THE ATMOSPHERE HIGHLIGHTS SEVERAL UPPER LEVEL FEATURES THAT WILL INTERACT AND DICTATE HOW THE NEXT 48HOURS WILL UNFOLD. EARLY AFTERNOON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY TOGETHER WITH GFS 24.12 500MB HEIGHTS AND WINDS IDENTIFIED A POTENT CLOSED UPPER LEVEL LOW SPINNING OFF THE WESTERN SHORE OF HUDSON BAY. THE LAST FEW IMAGES SHOW THIS VORT MAX BEGINNING TO INTERACT WITH A POSITIVELY TILTED SHORTWAVE TROUGH...THE BASE OF WHICH WAS LOCATED IN NORTHERN ALBERTA. THIS SHORTWAVE TROUGH WAS CENTERED BETWEEN TWO JET STREAKS...ONE UPSTREAM...AND ANOTHER DOWNSTREAM. MEANWHILE A THIRD JET STREAK SAT ATOP THE TEMPERATURE GRADIENT LEFT BEHIND FROM MONDAYS PASSING COLD FRONT...AND THIS JET WAS LOCATED FROM MONTANA...DOWN THROUGH THE TENNESSEE RIVER VALLEY. A STAGNANT LEESIDE LOW WAS LOCATED BENEATH THIS THIRD JET STREAK...AND ITS CIRCULATION WILL THE PROGRESS OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY FORECAST TO TRAVERSE THE REGION ON THURSDAY. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 222 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2013 WEAK CIRCULATION NOTED ON KMPX RADAR ACROSS THE WESTERN SUBURBS OF THE TWIN CITIES EARLY THIS AFTN HAS PLAYED HAVOC ON WIND DIRECTION TODAY...BUT LIGHT ENOUGH FOR ONLY AFFECTING THE AVIATION COMMUNITY. THIS CIRCULATION AND ENOUGH INSTABILITY ALONG IT WILL PROVIDE FOR LATE AFTN/EARLY EVENING SHRA ACROSS FAR EAST CENTRAL MN AND WC WI BEFORE SUNSET. AFTER THIS EVENING...ONLY ISOLD SHRA/TSRA WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHERN...AND POSSIBLY CENTRAL MN AFT MIDNIGHT. BUT THE BULK OF THE SHRA/TSRA WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL AFT 18Z THURSDAY...AND MORE LIKELY THURSDAY EVENING. SVR WX PARAMETERS ARE AMPLE ENOUGH TO GENERATE STRONG TO POSSIBLY SVR TSRA LATE THURSDAY AFTN/EVENING. THIS IS HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE AMOUNT OF SUNSHINE AND WHERE THE SFC FRONT IS LOCATED. CURRENT MODELS INDICATE THAT MLCAPES ARE IN EXCESS OF 1000 J/KG...WITH MUCAPES IN EXCESS OF 1500 J/KG ACROSS SOUTHERN MN/WC WI. SEE THE LATEST SPC DAY2 OUTLOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 330 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2013 AT THE START OF THE PERIOD. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT SHOULD BE MOVING EASTWARD ACROSS THE CWA. THE TAIL END OF SOME OF THE HIRES GUIDANCE SHOWS THIS LINE EAST OF I-35 BY 00Z...SO MAY BE A LITTLE SLOW WITH CLEARING POPS ON THE BACK SIDE. IN THE WAKE OF THIS FRONT NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE WITH THE COLD AIR ADVECTION...AND THEREFORE INCREASED WINDS FOR FRIDAY AFTERNOON...AND LOWERED TEMPERATURES. HAVE HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT FRIDAY WILL BE BREEZY BASED ON NOT ONLY THE MIXING BUT ALSO PRESSURE GRADIENT GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE WILL BE INTENSIFYING...AND THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW DEEPENING OVER NORTHERN MICHIGAN AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS THE DAKOTAS. FORECAST SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO SHOW SATURATION BY LATE AFTERNOON...SO SHOULD SEE INCREASING CLOUDS THROUGHOUT THE DAY WITH A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS AND SPRINKLES AS WELL. THE UPPER LEVEL LOW LINGERS ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES REGION...WITH COLD AIR ALOFT LEADING TO INSTABILITY CU ON SATURDAY AS WELL. DECREASED HIGH TEMPS ON SATURDAY...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHEAST WHERE THERE WILL BE MORE MOISTURE AND CLOUD COVER. LOOKING AHEAD...SATURDAY NIGHT WILL BE 10 TO 15 DEGREES BELOW THE SEASONAL AVERAGE...AND MAY NEED TO BE LOWERED FURTHER ACROSS WESTERN WISCONSIN AND EASTERN MN. HOWEVER WARMER AIR WILL BEGIN TO OVERSPREAD THE REGION ON SUNDAY AS THE SURFACE HIGH DRIFTS EASTWARD ALLOWING SOUTHERLY FLOW TO DEVELOP ON THE BACK SIDE. BY MONDAY ANOTHER SHORTWAVE EMBEDDED WITHIN ZONAL FLOW WILL BRING CONTINUED CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AND DRIVE A FRONTAL BOUNDARY EASTWARD ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST. THE ECMWF AND GFS 24.12 ARE IN BETTER AGREEMENT WITH THE TIMING AND PLACEMENT && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 936 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2013 THINKING HASN/T CHANGED MUCH FROM PREVIOUS SET OF TAFS. THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS WITH THE ACTIVITY CURRENTLY MOVING INTO THE NORTHERN PART OF THE FORECAST AREA... WHICH WAS A MILD CONCERN EARLIER. IT IS LASTING LONGER THAN MUCAPE AND ANY LLJ FORCING WOULD SUGGEST... SO MAY NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR IT AT AT LEAST KSTC. HOWEVER... STILL WOULD EXPECT IT TO HAVE TROUBLE MOVING VERY FAR EAST INTO MORE STABLE AIR. CONFIDENCE REMAINS FAIRLY LOW ON TIMING/LOCATION OF SHRA/TSRA ON THURSDAY... ALTHOUGH THERE IS STILL GOOD CONFIDENCE ON OCCURRENCE SOMEWHERE ACROSS THE AREA. SO... CONTINUED TO MAINLY HIT CHANCES FOR EASTERN SITES... BUT NOT GO TOO PESSIMISTIC WITH RESPECT TO FLIGHT CONDITIONS GIVEN LACK OF CONFIDENCE OF WHEN/WHERE THINGS WILL OCCUR. KMSP...TAF REFLECTS EXPECTATIONS WITH MAIN UNCERTAINTIES BEING IF/WHEN SHRA/TSRA WILL OCCUR ON THURSDAY. IF WE DO SEE SOME STORMS AT THE SITE... WE/LL MORE THAN LIKELY GET DOWN INTO MVFR FLIGHT CONDITIONS. WILL STILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON ACTIVITY CURRENTLY TO THE NORTHWEST... WHICH IF IT SURVIVES WOULD ARRIVE SOMETIME BEFORE 09Z. BUT... LEFT IT OUT FOR NOW WITH EXPECTATION IT WILL WEAKEN. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ FRIDAY...VFR EXPECTED... MVFR POSSIBLE WITH A CHANCE OF SHRA. NORTHWEST WIND 10 TO 20 KT. FRIDAY NIGHT...MVFR CEILINGS POSSIBLE... OTHERWISE VFR. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 15 KT. SATURDAY...VFR EXPECTED. NORTHWEST WIND 10 TO 20 KT. SATURDAY NIGHT...VFR EXPECTED... MVFR CEILINGS POSSIBLE. VARIABLE WIND LESS THAN 10 KT. SUNDAY...VFR EXPECTED... MVFR CEILINGS POSSIBLE EARLY. NORTH WIND LESS THAN 10 KT BECOMING VARIABLE. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...NONE. WI...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JRB SHORT TERM...JLT LONG TERM...JRB AVIATION...
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 1012 AM CDT WED JUL 24 2013 MNZ042>045-049>053-058>063-066>070-076>078-WIZ014>016-023>028- 251515- TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEARNS-BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI- CHISAGO-MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-MCLEOD- SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-POLK-BARRON-RUSK- ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-CHIPPEWA-EAU CLAIRE- 1012 AM CDT WED JUL 24 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA...EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA... SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTHWEST WISCONSIN AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING ...AND OVERNIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT AREA WILL BE ACROSS CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS INCREASE THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...PARTICULARLY FOR SOUTHERN AND EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA INTO WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...WITH THE MAIN HAZARDS BEING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES BEING POSSIBLE AS WELL. CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS RETURN FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. MNZ041-047-048-054>057-064-065-073>075-082>085-091>093-251515- DOUGLAS-STEVENS-POPE-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI- YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-WATONWAN- BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN- 1012 AM CDT WED JUL 24 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS INCREASE THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...PARTICULARLY FOR SOUTHERN AND EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA INTO WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...WITH THE MAIN HAZARDS BEING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES BEING POSSIBLE AS WELL. CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS RETURN FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. JLT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
838 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2013
MNZ042-250245-
TODD-
838 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2013
...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO TODD COUNTY THROUGH 945 PM CDT...
AT 834 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 3 MILES NORTH OF VERNDALE
TO 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF HENNING. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST
AT 25 MPH.
PEA SIZE HAIL AND WINDS UP TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.
* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
STAPLES.
BERTHA.
PHILBROOK.
EAGLE BEND.
CLARISSA.
BROWERVILLE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE
STORM TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.
&&
LAT...LON 4624 9465 4599 9465 4595 9501 4608 9515
4636 9517 4637 9515 4638 9480
TIME...MOT...LOC 0138Z 323DEG 24KT 4642 9498 4638 9534SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1009 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2013
MNZ042-250400-
TODD-
1009 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2013
...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER TODD COUNTY THROUGH 1100 PM CDT...
AT 1007 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES WEST OF LONG PRAIRIE...OR 17 MILES NORTH OF SAUK
CENTRE. THIS STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
HAIL UP TO NICKEL SIZE AND WINDS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
LONG PRAIRIE.
LITTLE SAUK.
BURTRUM.
NORTH SHORE.
PLEASANT BEACH.
LAT...LON 4583 9464 4578 9465 4577 9494 4582 9498
4600 9512 4610 9490
TIME...MOT...LOC 0309Z 329DEG 20KT 4597 9494SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1041 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2013
MNZ049-250430-
STEARNS-
1041 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2013
...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO STEARNS COUNTY THROUGH 1130 PM CDT...
AT 1038 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF SAUK CENTRE. THIS STORM WAS MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
HAIL UP TO NICKEL SIZE AND WINDS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
ST ROSA.
MELROSE.
FREEPORT.
ALBANY.
NEW MUNICH.
LAT...LON 4570 9458 4559 9451 4550 9480 4577 9495
4577 9465
TIME...MOT...LOC 0340Z 335DEG 21KT 4580 9483SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1123 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2013
MNZ049-250515-
STEARNS-
1123 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2013
...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER STEARNS COUNTY THROUGH 1215 AM CDT...
AT 1120 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ALBANY. THIS STORM WAS MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
HAIL UP TO NICKEL SIZE AND WINDS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
NEW MUNICH.
FARMING.
ST MARTIN.
ROSCOE.
RICHMOND.
COLD SPRING.
LAT...LON 4570 9460 4536 9434 4532 9447 4533 9467
4563 9484
TIME...MOT...LOC 0423Z 335DEG 22KT 4558 9466The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 143 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:38 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A two mile long swath of tree damage occurred near Grey Eagle. Several of the trees were blocking roads. Power was out in Grey Eagle.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, July 2013
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: 455388.