A small complex of thunderstorms that developed across far southwest Minnesota during the morning of Thursday, September, 19th, moved northeast across southern |Minnesota. These storms produced straight-line winds across portions of southern Minnesota from near Granite Falls to Hutchinson, while another severe storm developed across the western Twin Cities Metro area, and moved northeast.
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 small complex of thunderstorms that developed across far southwest Minnesota during the morning of Thursday, September, 19th, moved northeast across southern |Minnesota. These storms produced straight-line winds across portions of southern Minnesota from near Granite Falls to Hutchinson, while another severe storm developed across the western Twin Cities Metro area, and moved northeast.
The severe storm that developed in the western Twin Cities Metro area, produced sporadic wind damage and large hail from near Buffalo, north and east to Monticello, Big Lake, to Zimmerman and Cambridge, to Rush City. It produced 2-inch diameter hail near Cambridge, Minnesota, while other reports ranged from penny, up to golf ball size hail from near Maple Lake to Big Lake and Zimmerman. Some brief damaging winds from the outflow of the severe storms produced wind damage in northeast Minneapolis, Andover, and Blaine.
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 Sep 19, 5:59 AM CST, 1 hour 34 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 659 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 312 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013 LATEST RADAR IMAGERY SHOWS CONVECTION CONTINUING TO FESTER AS IT MOVES INTO THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA. THIS ACTIVITY IS TAPPING SOME DECENT MUCAPE OF 1500-2000 J/KG... BUT IS OTHERWISE SUFFERING FROM A LACK OF GOOD LOW-LEVEL JET SUPPORT AND MOISTURE TRANSPORT... WHICH IS ACTUALLY SOUTHEAST OF THE FORECAST AREA HELPING ACTIVITY OVER NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND SOUTHERN WISCONSIN. A SHORTWAVE OUT AHEAD OF THE MAIN UPPER TROUGH AND SURFACE FRONT IS HELPING TO KEEP THINGS GOING OVER NORTHERN MINNESOTA... BUT WOULD EXPECT THE ACTIVITY FARTHER SOUTH TO STRUGGLE AS IT TRIES TO KEEP GOING INTO THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS MORNING. OTHERWISE... THE MAIN ISSUE OF CONCERN TODAY INTO TONIGHT WILL BE THE COLD FRONT CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER THE EASTERN DAKOTAS... WHICH WILL PUSH EAST THROUGH THIS EVENING... LIKELY EXITING THE FORECAST AREA BY LATE EVENING. EXPECT TO SEE SHRA/TSRA FILL IN ALONG/AHEAD OF THE FRONT DURING THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON AS IT APPROACHES THE I-35 CORRIDOR... WITH MLCAPE VALUES AOA 1500 J/KG AND DECENT FORCING AHEAD OF THE UPPER TROUGH. CHANCES FOR PCPN SHOULD INCREASE FURTHER TO THE EAST OF I-35. CHANCES FOR SEVERE WEATHER LOOK LIMITED WITH THE BETTER INSTABILITY OUTRUNNING THE STRONGER DEEP LAYER SHEAR... SO DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER... ALTHOUGH THERE/S CERTAINLY SOME CHANCE ALONG/EAST OF I-35 GIVEN THE MODERATE INSTABILITY AND AT LEAST A NARROW WINDOW OF BETTER SHEAR ON ITS WESTERN EDGE NEAR THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. PCPN SHOULD MOVE OUT OF THE AREA TONIGHT AS COLD ADVECTION AND SUBSIDENCE WORK IN BEHIND THE FRONT. WE WILL LIKELY SEE SOME COLD AIR STRATOCU WORK INTO THE AREA LATE TONIGHT AFTER AN INITIAL PERIOD OF CLEARING BEHIND THE FRONT. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 312 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013 STRONG CAA IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT AND RESULTANT STEEP LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES WILL PROMOTE GUSTY WINDS AND A DEVELOPMENT OF STRATOCU BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT TO THE NORTH AND WEST...PUSHING OVERHEAD FRIDAY. MODEST AMOUNTS OF INSTABILITY THROUGH THE CLOUD- BEARING LAYER MAY ALSO BRING A FEW SPRINKLES TO THE REGION... PARTICULARLY NORTH OF THE MINNESOTA RIVER. LIGHT QPF ON THE NAM/GFS/ECMWF ALSO HINT TOWARD THIS. THUS...INCREASED CLOUDS AND WINDS...AND DECREASED TEMPERATURES FRIDAY FROM THE LAST FORECAST PACKAGE. THE HIGH WILL PUSH ACROSS WESTERN MINNESOTA FRIDAY NIGHT. FORECAST SOUNDINGS REMAIN QUITE MIXED...BUT AM A BIT SKEPTICAL OF THIS WITH THE SURFACE HIGH SO NEARBY. CLOUDS WILL QUICKLY DISSIPATE FRIDAY EVENING AS CYCLONIC FLOW PUSHES OUT...SETTING THE STAGE FOR A COLD NIGHT OVER THE AREA WITH LOWS IN THE MID 30S TO LOWER 40S. UPPER RIDGING QUICKLY BUILDS BACK OVER THE PLAINS DURING THE WEEKEND. A FAIRLY IMPRESSIVE TEMPERATURE GRADIENT IS POSSIBLE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SURFACE RIDGE AXIS ACROSS THE CWA SATURDAY AFTERNOON. A SOUTHEASTERLY SURFACE FLOW WILL ENVELOP THE ENTIRE AREA FROM SUNDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS A SOUTHWEST FLOW IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE STEERS WEAKENING SYSTEMS TO THE NORTH. ONE SUCH SYSTEM WILL LIMP THROUGH MONDAY/MONDAY NIGHT. WITH RIDGING BUILDING IN IMMEDIATELY IN THE WAKE OF THE SYSTEM...A DE-AMPLIFICATION OF SAID SYSTEM WILL TAKE PLACE AND LITTLE OR NO FORCING WILL ACCOMPANY WHAT IS LEFT OF THE FRONT. THUS...MAINTAINED ONLY LOW POPS. WINDS WILL VEER MORE SOUTHERLY MIDWEEK WITH WARMER AND MORE HUMID AIR RETURNING. MODELS ARE INCONSISTENT WITH THE POSITIONING OF A SW-NW ORIENTED SURFACE BOUNDARY WITH THE EC FURTHER NORTH THAN THE GFS. GFS SOLUTION WOULD BRING HIGHER POPS. EITHER WAY...TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE 10-15 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE DURING THIS PERIOD. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 648 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013 MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR THIS TAF CYCLE...ASIDE FROM WITHIN ANY TSRA. MUCH OF THE TSRA ACTIVITY IS LOCATED ACROSS WRN MN AND ERN SD AT TAF ISSUANCE TIME. THESE STORMS WILL TRACK NORTHEAST ACROSS MN THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON...AND INTO WRN WI BY MID/LATE AFTERNOON. THERE REMAINS A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY WITH PRECISE TIMING AND PLACEMENT OF GREATEST RAINFALL...SO DID NOT STRAY TOO FAR FROM THE LAST SET OF TAFS. A PERIOD OF CLEARING IS ANTICIPATED IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE FRONT THIS EVENING BEFORE MVFR STRATOCU RETURNS FROM THE NORTHWEST EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. KMSP...BEST POTENTIAL FOR TSRA IS FROM 17-20Z WITH THE COLD FROPA... BUT COULD CERTAINLY SEE A STRAY CELL APPROACH THE AIRPORT THIS MORNING GIVEN THE CHAOTIC DEPICTION THIS MORNING ON RADAR. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ FRI...MVFR CIGS LIKELY...ESP EARLY. NORTHWEST WIND 10-15G23 KT. SAT...VFR. NORTHWEST WIND 5 KTS. SUN...VFR. SOUTHEAST WIND 10-15 KTS. MON...VFR. SOUTHEAST WIND 10-15 KTS. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...NONE. WI...NONE. && SHORT TERM... LONG TERM...BORGHOFF AVIATION...BORGHOFF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 327 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013 MNZ041>044-047>051-054>059-064>067-073>075-082-083-091-092-200830- DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-BENTON- SHERBURNE-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-WRIGHT- YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET- WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-MARTIN-FARIBAULT- 327 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA...EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA... SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON. A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION SHOULD NOT BE NEEDED. MNZ045-052-053-060>063-068>070-076>078-084-085-093-WIZ014>016- 023>028-200830- KANABEC-ISANTI-CHISAGO-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-CARVER- SCOTT-DAKOTA-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WASECA-STEELE-FREEBORN-POLK- BARRON-RUSK-ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-CHIPPEWA-EAU CLAIRE- 327 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA... NORTHWEST WISCONSIN AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND EARLY THIS EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY ALONG A COLD FRONT... PARTICULARLY THIS AFTERNOON. SOME STORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. BORGHOFF
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
400 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013
MNZ054>056-191000-
CHIPPEWA-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-
400 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013
...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER CHIPPEWA...LAC QUI PARLE AND SWIFT
COUNTIES THROUGH 500 AM CDT...
AT 359 AM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BIG
STONE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE TO 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MORITZ. THESE
STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 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...
BELLINGHAM.
MARIETTA.
LOUISBURG.
APPLETON AIRPORT.
HOLLOWAY.
MADISON.
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 4503 9646 4517 9630 4523 9625 4520 9617
4520 9611 4537 9613 4541 9610 4529 9574
4490 9575 4481 9642 4481 9646
TIME...MOT...LOC 0900Z 241DEG 28KT 4514 9627 4476 9673SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
528 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013
MNZ054-064-191115-
LAC QUI PARLE-YELLOW MEDICINE-
528 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013
AT 522 AM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES EAST OF LAKE COCHRANE REC AREA. THIS STORM WAS
MOVING NORTH AT 10 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...
BURR.
CANBY AIRPORT.
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 4480 9646 4493 9647 4498 9646 4491 9612
4462 9629 4462 9632 4465 9646 4480 9647
TIME...MOT...LOC 1028Z 196DEG 8KT 4473 9638
BORGHOFFSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 734 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013 MNZ054-191315- LAC QUI PARLE- 734 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013 AT 732 AM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS TRACKING A THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LAC QUI PARLE STATE PARK. THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTH AT 5 MPH. ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... DAWSON. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... && LAT...LON 4511 9602 4497 9584 4486 9596 4490 9610 TIME...MOT...LOC 1233Z 198DEG 6KT 4493 9600 CLF
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
807 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013
MNZ054-064-073-191400-
LAC QUI PARLE-REDWOOD-YELLOW MEDICINE-
807 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO LAC QUI PARLE...REDWOOD AND
YELLOW MEDICINE COUNTIES THROUGH 900 AM CDT...
AT 804 AM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES EAST OF CANBY TO 2
MILES NORTH OF MARSHALL TO DOVRAY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 30 MPH.
HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.
* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
PORTER.
ST LEO.
PROVIDENCE.
SPRING CREEK.
REVERE.
BOYD.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS COULD INTENSIFY QUICKLY...SO BE READY TO
ACT IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL
TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS
CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.
&&
LAT...LON 4499 9583 4495 9580 4493 9573 4491 9572
4491 9568 4479 9550 4477 9552 4455 9501
4431 9488 4428 9494 4428 9510 4418 9513
4419 9558 4462 9561 4463 9616 4474 9634
TIME...MOT...LOC 1307Z 235DEG 24KT 4473 9613 4450 9575
4409 9553
JPCThe Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 157 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:32 UTC.
13 thunderstorm wind, 11 hail, 3 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
A measured wind gust of 50 knots occurred at the Granite Falls Airport. In addition, there was a measured wind gust at the Minnesota Department of Transportation Weather Station of 56 mph at 720 LST. This station is in Hanley Falls, southwest of the Granite Falls Airport.
A power line was blown down, along with several large tree branches scattered across the town of Sacred Heart.
Several large tree limbs were blown down in Renville. In addition, there was a measured wind gust of 48 mph at the Olivia Airport approximately 10 miles east of Renville at 753 LST.
Golf ball size hail was reported near Granite Lake, southwest of the city of Maple Lake.
A large tree was blown down approximately 5 miles south of Litchfield. In addition, a pontoon boat was dislodged from its boat lift on Belle Lake, along the Meeker, McLeod county line.
A large tree fell on a vehicle on Jefferson Street, in Hutchinson, Minnesota. The person in the car was injured. There was a measured wind gust of 46 mph at the Hutchinson Airport at 829 LST.
Several large tree limbs, and one large tree were blown down northwest of Silver Lake, including an area of flattened corn in the same area of the downed tree limbs.
Large tree limbs were blown down near Waverly, on County Road 8.
Quarter size hail was reported near interstate 94, and Highway 118.
A trained observer measured 2.98 inches of rainfall in less than one hour, southeast of Orrock.
A trained observer measured 2.95 inches of rainfall in 45 minutes, southwest of Zimmerman.
A trained weather observer measured 2.33 inches of rainfall in less than one hour, east of Orrock.
A metal stoplight was blown down at the intersection of Hanson Blvd, and Bunker Lake Blvd, in Andover.
A metal stop light was blown down near the intersection of Highway 10, and Foley Blvd.
Several large trees were blown down across southwestern Isanti County.
A large tree fell on a car in northeast Minneapolis, near the intersection of 37th Avenue Northeast, and 2 1/2 Street Northeast. In addition, there was a measured 46 mph wind gust at the Crystal Airport, which is approximately 5 miles northeast of the incident at 0926 LST.
A few trees were blown down south of 125th Avenue, on Sunset Avenue, near the Blaine-Lino Lakes border.
Scattered large trees were blown down across the northern half of Chisago County, including a tree falling on a house west of Rush City.
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: 469231, 469226, 469232, 469200, 469402, 469222, 469201, 469211, 469227, 469203, 469219, 469210, 469212, 469253, 469255, 469256, 469213, 469214, 469215, 469367, 469494, 469225, 469229, 469224, 469216, 469217, 469230.