Severe drought conditions developed across portions of Houston, Wabasha and Winona Counties after a very dry summer. Precipitation deficits of 6 to 8 inches were common from July 1st through the end of September.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 ARX wrote it up.
Severe drought conditions developed across portions of Houston, Wabasha and Winona Counties after a very dry summer. Precipitation deficits of 6 to 8 inches were common from July 1st through the end of September. This, combined with above normal temperatures over the last half of August into September, caused the soil moisture to rapidly diminish leading to the development of the severe drought. Some trees across southeast Minnesota became stressed because of the drought and dropped their leaves. Thus the display of fall colors had the potential to not be as brilliant as other years.
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 La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 10, 5:00 AM CST, 1 hour earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 600 AM CDT TUE SEP 10 2013 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 354 AM CDT TUE SEP 10 2013 MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS THIS PACKAGE...POST-FRONTAL SHRA/TSRA CHANCES CENTERED ON THIS EVENING...TEMPERATURES. DATA ANALYSIS AT 06Z HAD LOW PRESSURE OVER THE U.P. OF MI WITH A COLD FRONT STRETCHING FROM THE LOW ACROSS NORTHWEST WI/IA TO A LOW OVER WESTERN KS/SOUTHEAST CO. SOUTH OF THE FRONT...CLEAR SKIES AND SEASONABLY MILD TEMPS WERE THE RULE ACROSS IA/MUCH OF WI/SOUTHEAST MN. SKIES WERE PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY NORTH OF THE FRONT...WITH AREAS OF FOG OVER NORTHERN WI/NORTHEAST MN. MOISTURE TRANSPORT/ THETA-E CONVERGENCE IN THE 800-700MB LAYER AND WEAK LIFT AHEAD OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS MID LEVEL TROUGH WERE PRODUCING SOME SHRA/TSRA NORTH OF THE FRONT FROM SOUTHWEST MN TO NORTHEAST CO. 10.00Z MODELS LOOK TO HAVE INITIALIZED QUITE WELL...BETTER THAN USUAL WITH NO SYSTEMATIC PROBLEMS NOTED. SOLUTIONS QUITE SIMILAR FOR TODAY/TONIGHT AS THE FIRST MID LEVEL TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE REGION AND THE COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO PUSH SLOWLY SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA. DPROG/DT OF 500MB HGTS AT 10.00Z SHOWED THE MODEL RUNS OF 08.00Z AND 09.00Z VERIFIED QUITE WELL ACROSS NOAM/EASTERN PAC...TRENDING TOWARD A TIGHTER COMPROMISE OF THE EARLIER RUNS. MODELS COME INTO A TIGHTER CONSENSUS TODAY/TONIGHT AS ONE MID LEVEL TROUGH AXIS PASSES AND THE NEXT DROPS SOUTH ACROSS MANITOBA. TREND BY 12Z WED IS TOWARD SLOWER OF THE EARLIER MODELS WITH BOTH TROUGHS. CHECK OF OBS VS. MODEL DATA AT 06Z SHOWED MODELS WERE REASONABLE WITH THE MI U.P. LOW AND FRONT STRETCHED SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE REGION. GFS ON THE LOW SIDE WITH SFC DEW POINTS ACROSS MUCH OF IA IN TO SOUTHWEST WI AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. PER WV IMAGERY...ALL APPEAR REASONABLE WITH THE SHORTWAVE DETAILS OVER NOAM. MODELS REASONABLE WITH THE 00-06Z POST-FRONTAL PRECIP FROM SOUTHWEST MN TO NORTHEAST CO...BUT HAD TOO MUCH PRECIP OVER NORTHERN WI. WITH THE TIGHT MODEL CONSENSUS...SHORT TERM FCST CONFIDENCE IS GOOD THIS CYCLE. IN THE SHORT TERM...WITH THE SLOWER APPROACH/PASSAGE OF THE MID LEVEL TROUGH AXIS...THE SFC COLD FRONT IS SLOWER TO PUSH SOUTH ACROSS THE FCST AREA TODAY/TONIGHT. LATEST MODEL SUITE DOES NOT PUSH THE FRONT SOUTH OF THE AREA UNTIL 12Z WED. DUE TO THE WARM START AND SLOWER FRONTAL PASSAGE TODAY...HAVE RAISED HIGHS A BIT... ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE FCST AREA WHERE SKIES ARE LOOKING TO BE SUNNY/MOSTLY SUNNY MUCH OF THE DAY. WITH SFC DEW POINTS IN THE LOW/MID 60S AHEAD OF THE FRONT...HEAT INDICES LOOK TO TOP OUT MOSTLY IN THE 85-95 RANGE. REMOVED SHRA/TSRA CHANCES FROM THIS MORNING AS LITTLE IN THE WAY OF FORCING/LIFT SEEN...EVEN AS THE FRONT SAGS INTO THE AREA. THIS CHANGES THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING AS THE MID-LEVEL TROUGH AXIS AND A SHORTWAVE APPROACH. THIS ALONG WITH DIVERGENCE ALOFT IN THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF AN 80-90 KT 300MB JET OVER LK SUPERIOR...MORE 700MB MOISTURE TRANSPORT AND SOME 700MB WARM ADVECTION. INCREASING FORCING/LIFT SIGNAL AT/ABOVE 700MB CENTERED ON THIS EVENING... INCLUDING SOME 700-500MB FN CONVERGENCE. MU CAPE OF 500-1500 J/KG OVER THE AREA FOR THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS WHEN LIFTING PARCELS AROUND 750MB. GIVEN THE DIFFERENT LIFTING/DIVERGENCE ALOFT SIGNALS COMING TOGETHER...RAISED SHRA/TSRA CHANCES THRU THE AFTERNOON...INTO THE 30-50 PERCENT RANGE FOR MUCH OF THE FCST AREA BY MID/LATE EVENING. PER SWODY1...ANY LATER AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING TSRA...WITH THE DRIER SFC-850MB SUB-CLOUD LAYER...COULD PRODUCES SOME STRONG/GUSTY WINDS. WITH PASSAGE OF THE MID LEVEL TROUGH AXIS/ SHORTWAVE...LIFT SIGNAL WEAKENS/MOVES EAST OF THE AREA...AND TRENDED SHRA/TSRA CHANCES DOWN AFTER MIDNIGHT. FAVORED WARMER OF GUIDANCE HIGHS TODAY THEN FAVORED THE MODEL/ENSEMBLE CONSENSUS FOR LOWS TONIGHT. .LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 354 AM CDT TUE SEP 10 2013 MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT... TEMPERATURES. MODELS CONTINUE TO OFFER A TIGHTER CONSENSUS AS THE MANITOBA SHORTWAVE TROUGH DROPS INTO/ACROSS THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES WED/WED NIGHT THEN INTO THE NORTHEAST CONUS THU/THU NIGHT. TREND FAVORS STRONGER OF THE EARLIER RUNS WITH THIS TROUGH WED-THU NIGHT. GIVEN THE IMPROVING MODEL CONSENSUS AND THIS TRENDING TO BE A QUIET WEATHER PERIOD...WED-THU NIGHT FCST CONFIDENCE IS GOOD. SOME WEAK MID/UPPER LEVEL FORCING/LIFT AND 700MB MOISTURE TRANSPORT REMAINS OVER THE SOUTH END OF THE FCST AREA WED MORNING...ALONG WITH UP TO 500 J/KG MU CAPE. LINGERED A 20-30 PERCENT SHRA/TSRA ACROSS THE SOUTH 1/4 OF THE FCST AREA WED...MAINLY IN THE MORNING. ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO THE NORTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE TO DROP SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES WED NIGHT/THU. THIS WAVE SENDS A SECONDARY COLD FRONT AND A SURGE OF COLDER AIR SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE REGION. MDT/STRONG 925-850MB COLD ADVECTION SPREADS ACROSS THE AREA WED NIGHT/THU...WITH 925MB TEMPS IN THE 13C-17C RANGE BY 00Z FRI. TEMPS REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL WED...THEN RETURN TO NEAR NORMAL FOR WED NIGHT/THU...TRENDING BELOW NORMAL THU NIGHT. PREVIOUS FCST SHIFT ADDED PATCHY VALLEY FOG TO GRIDS FOR LATE THU NIGHT/EARLY FRI MORNING. WILL LEAVE THIS FOR NOW BUT APPEARS CENTER OF THE HIGH MAY REMAIN NORTH OF THE AREA WITH SFC GRADIENT WINDS REMAINING A LITTLE STRONGER THAN EARLIER EXPECTED. THIS WOULD LIMIT THE VALLEY FOG POTENTIAL. FAVORING THE MODEL/ENSEMBLE CONSENSUS... USED A BLEND OF THE NUMERICAL GUIDANCE HIGHS/LOWS FOR WED THRU THU NIGHT. FOR FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY /DAYS 4-7/... MEDIUM RANGE MODEL RUNS OF 10.00Z IN GOOD AGREEMENT FRI/SAT AS THE TROUGH MOVES INTO THE EASTERN CONUS AND SHORTWAVE RIDGING BUILDS SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST. AGREEMENT BREAKS DOWN SUN/MON ON THE EVOLUTION OF SHORTWAVE ENERGY DROPPING TOWARD THE UPPER MIDWEST FROM CANADA AND SHORTWAVE ENERGY COMING OUT OF THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. ECMWF STRONGER/MORE PHASED WITH THESE 2 PIECES...GFS WEAKER/LESS PHASED. RUN-TO-RUN CONSISTENCY LEAVES A BIT TO BE DESIRED BY SUN/MON SO NO ONE MODEL FAVORITE APPEARS IN THE DAY 6/7 TIME-FRAME. FCST CONFIDENCE REMAINS GOOD THRU FRI/SAT THEN BELOW AVERAGE SUN/MON. QUIET/DRY/COOL WEATHER FRI/SAT AS THE LARGE CAN HIGH DRIFTS SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION. 925MB TEMPS IN THE 8C-12C RANGE YET SAT MORNING...FOR ANOTHER COOLER MORNING. WITH CENTER OF THE HIGH LOOKING TO BE OVER SOUTHEAST WI AT 12Z SAT...ADDED PATCHY VALLEY FOG TO GRIDS FOR LATE FRI NIGHT/EARLY SAT MORNING. THERMAL RIDGE AND MAIN AXIS OF LOWER LEVEL MOISTURE RETURN REMAINS WELL WEST OF THE FCST AREA SAT...AND REMOVED SMALL SHRA/TSRA CHANCES FROM THE WEST END OF THE FCST AREA. MOISTURE INCREASE SPREADS EAST INTO THE REGION SAT NIGHT/SUN...AHEAD OF LOW PRESSURE/TROUGHING MOVING ACROSS THE CENTRAL/NORTHERN PLAINS. SHRA/TSRA CHANCES PER THE MODEL/ENSEMBLE CONSENSUS FOR SAT NIGHT THRU MON LOOK REASONABLE...ECMWF WOULD SUPPORT MORE OF THE CHANCES SAT NIGHT/SUN...GFS SUN NIGHT/MON. TEMPERATURES GENERALLY BELOW NORMAL FOR FRI THRU MON...PER THE MODEL/ENSEMBLE CONSENSUS LOOK WELL TRENDED FOR NOW. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 600 AM CDT TUE SEP 10 2013 A COLD FRONT WILL SINK SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. RATHER BAGGY PRESSURE GRADIENT AROUND IT...AND WINDS LOOK MOSTLY LIGHT WEST TO VRB THROUGH TONIGHT. SOME CONVERGENCE AROUND THE BOUNDARY...BUT ITS GOING TO NEED THE HELP OF AN IMPULSE A LOFT AND LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT TO SPARK A BROADER AREA OF SHRA/TS...AND THIS OCCURS TONIGHT. COULD SEE SOME ISOLD/SCT ACTIVITY BEFORE THIS EVENING...BUT THE CONFLUENCE OF THE VARIOUS PARAMETERS MAKES TONIGHT A BETTER BET. THAT SAID...THE FRONT MAY HAVE SLIPPED FAR ENOUGH SOUTH THAT MOST OF THE ASSOCIATED RAIN WOULD BE SOUTH OF KRST/KLSE. AS IT STANDS...IT LOOKS LIKE HIGH BASED SHRA/TS...VFR CIGS. WITH A DRY NEAR SFC LAYER...HOWEVER...THERE COULD BE ENHANCED GUSTS AROUND ANY STORM. WILL STAY WITH VCSH FOR THE MOST PART...HIGHLIGHTING THE HIGHER CHANCE PERIOD WITH -SHRA. WILL KEEP ANY TS OUT OF THE FORECAST FOR THE MOMENT. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && SHORT TERM...RRS LONG TERM....RRS AVIATION.....RIECK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 500 AM CDT TUE SEP 10 2013 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034- 041>044-053>055-061-111000- ADAMS-ALLAMAKEE-BUFFALO-CHICKASAW-CLARK-CLAYTON-CRAWFORD-DODGE- FAYETTE-FILLMORE-FLOYD-GRANT-HOUSTON-HOWARD-JACKSON-JUNEAU-LA CROSSE- MITCHELL-MONROE-MOWER-OLMSTED-RICHLAND-TAYLOR-TREMPEALEAU-VERNON- WABASHA-WINNESHIEK-WINONA- 500 AM CDT TUE SEP 10 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTHEAST IOWA...AND WESTERN INTO NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...BUT THERE COULD BE SOME ENHANCED GUSTINESS AROUND ANY THUNDERSTORM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES RETURN SATURDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. ITS TOO EARLY TO DISCERN IF THERE WOULD BE A SEVERE THREAT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. RIECK
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe drought conditions developed across the eastern portions of Houston County. Precipitation deficits of 6 to 8 inches since the beginning of July, combined with above normal temperatures over the last half of August into September, led to the development of the drought.
Severe drought conditions developed across the eastern portions of Winona County. Precipitation deficits of 6 to 8 inches since the beginning of July, combined with above normal temperatures over the last half of August into September, led to the development of the drought.
Severe drought conditions developed across the eastern portions of Wabasha County. Precipitation deficits of 6 to 8 inches since the beginning of July, combined with above normal temperatures over the last half of August into September, led to the development of the drought.
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, September 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: 472764, 472765, 473302.