A few severe thunderstorms developed across southeast Minnesota during the evening of July 7th. These storms formed along a cold front that was moving across the region, and blew down trees in Stewartville (Olmsted County) and produced quarter sized hail in Spring Grove (Houston 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 ARX wrote it up.
A few severe thunderstorms developed across southeast Minnesota during the evening of July 7th. These storms formed along a cold front that was moving across the region, and blew down trees in Stewartville (Olmsted County) and produced quarter sized hail in Spring Grove (Houston 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 La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 7, 5:10 PM CST, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 610 PM CDT MON JUL 7 2014 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 203 PM CDT MON JUL 7 2014 MAIN SHORT TERM CONCERN IS ON SEVERE POTENTIAL THROUGH THE EVENING. CURRENTLY AS OF 19Z...WATER VAPOR LOOP AND RAP 500MB HEIGHT ANALYSIS SHOWED RIDGING OVER THE WESTERN U.S. INTO BRITISH COLUMBIA WHILE TROUGHING PRESIDED OVER EASTERN CANADA. THE MAIN FEATURE OF INTEREST WAS A FAIRLY POTENT SHORTWAVE AT THE SOUTHWEST END OF THIS TROUGHING OVER NORTH DAKOTA. A CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES TO ROLL AHEAD OF THE SHORTWAVE IN THE DPVA REGION...BEING ENHANCED NOW BY DAYTIME HEATING. THERE IS ALSO AN UPPER JET STREAK GOING FROM MONTANA INTO SOUTH DAKOTA...PROVIDING UPPER DIVERGENCE FOR THOSE STORMS. CLOSER TO THE FORECAST AREA...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING FROM CENTRAL MN INTO THE NORTH HALF OF WI. A WEAK SHORTWAVE TRAVERSING THROUGH THE FLOW...COMBINED WITH WEAK MID LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS AND 1000 J/KG OF UNCAPPED MLCAPE PER RAP ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THEIR DEVELOPMENT. HAVE HAD A FEW ISOLATED SEVERE SUPERCELLS DEVELOP TOO. ANOTHER PLUME OF LITTLE HIGHER INSTABILITY...1000-2000 J/KG PER RAP...WAS EVIDENT ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL IOWA STREAMING NORTHEASTWARD ASSOCIATED WITH CORN EVAPOTRANSPORATION. TEMPERATURES HAVE CLIMBED NICELY DUE TO CLEAR SKIES THIS MORNING AND HAVING 850MB TEMPS OF 15-18C. MAIN SURFACE COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM NORTHERN MN INTO EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. THE POTENT SHORTWAVE OVER NORTH DAKOTA IS FORECAST TO MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. IN RESPONSE...THERE ARE SOME VERY IMPRESSIVE 500MB HEIGHT FALLS FOR EARLY JULY...ON THE ORDER OF 60-80 METERS IN 12 HOURS. NEEDLESS TO SAY...THERE IS PLENTY OF DYNAMIC FORCING COMING ACROSS THIS EVENING. ADDITIONALLY...THAT UPPER JET STREAK GOING ACROSS SOUTH DAKOTA NOW SHOULD SLIDE JUST TO OUR SOUTH IN IOWA...PROVIDING UPPER DIVERGENCE SUPPORT. THROW IN LINGERING AFTERNOON INSTABILITY AND THIS PROVIDES A GREAT RECIPE FOR CONVECTION THIS EVENING. MAJORITY OF DETERMINISTIC AND HIGH RESOLUTION MODELS AGREE AS WELL...WITH A MAX PRECIPITATION COVERAGE TIME LIKELY CENTERED NEAR 03Z. THE GREATEST SEVERE POTENTIAL WILL EXIST MOSTLY BETWEEN 23-03Z... WHEN THE DYNAMICS ARE JUXTAPOSED ON TOP OF THE THERMODYNAMICS...AND STORMS CAN MAINTAIN SOME ISOLATION OF INFLOW. STILL COULD HAVE SOME ISOLATED SEVERE BEFORE THEN LIKE WE ARE OBSERVING NOW. 0-3KM AND 0-6 KM SHEAR STILL REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR ORGANIZED SEVERE CONVECTION...30- 35 KT AND 40-55 KT RESPECTIVELY. HODOGRAPHS ARE MAINLY STRAIGHT LINE...SUGGESTING SPLITTING SUPERCELLS...WHILE THE SHEAR ALSO FAVORS BOWING LINE SEGMENTS. GIVEN A MAINLY UNIDIRECTIONAL FLOW FROM SURFACE TO THE MID LEVELS...BELIEVE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE THE MAIN CONCERNS. STRONG SUBSIDENCE IN THE WAKE OF THE POTENT SHORTWAVE OVERNIGHT SHOULD HELP TO CLEAR THE PRECIPITATION WEST TO EAST. THE FORECAST AREA COULD BE COMPLETELY DRY BY 09Z. ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO THE UPPER TROUGH SET UP FROM NORTHERN ONTARIO SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION ON TUESDAY. THE COLD POOL ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TROUGH...REFLECTED BY 500MB TEMPS OF -13 TO -15C...COULD BE ENOUGH TO INSTIGATE SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAYTIME HEATING. HOWEVER...THERE ARE SOME ISSUES THAT WOULD FAVOR A DRIER FORECAST. FIRST...MODELS AGAIN ARE LIKELY OVERDOING SURFACE DEWPOINTS AND INSTABILITY...ESPECIALLY GIVEN A NORTHWEST FLOW WOULD FAVOR A GOOD DRYING/MIXING SCENARIO. SECOND...SHORTWAVES ROTATING THROUGH THE UPPER TROUGH APPEAR TO TRACK NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. THUS...HAVE ONLY KEPT PRECIPITATION CHANCES IN THE 20-30 RANGE. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 203 PM CDT MON JUL 7 2014 A NICE DRY PERIOD IS EXPECTED FOR THE FORECAST AREA TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...RESULTING FROM THE UPPER TROUGH GRADUALLY SHIFTING EAST...UPPER RIDGING EVENTUALLY BUILDING INTO THE AREA BY 00Z FRIDAY...AND SURFACE RIDGING BUILDING IN. PRECIPITABLE WATER IS ALSO FORECAST BETWEEN 0.5-1 INCH...OR ANYWHERE FROM 50-100 PERCENT OF NORMAL...SUPPORTING A DRY FORECAST AND ALSO ALLOWING FOR LARGER DIURNAL SWINGS. NIGHTTIME LOWS COULD GET RELATIVELY CHILLY WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN WITH THE SURFACE RIDGE OVERHEAD. THEREFORE IT ALSO SEEMS TO BE THE BEST NIGHT TO HAVE TRIBUTARY VALLEY FOG. THE WEATHER THEN STARTS TO POSSIBLY TURN MORE ACTIVE AGAIN LATE THURSDAY NIGHT AND RIGHT INTO THE WEEKEND. THIS IS A RESULT OF VERY GOOD MOISTURE RETURN...CHARACTERIZED BY PRECIPITABLE WATER UPWARDS OF 1.5-1.8 INCHES...FLOWING BACK INTO THE AREA ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE SURFACE HIGH. MEANWHILE...IN THE SYNOPTIC SCALE...AN UPPER TROUGH IS PROGGED TO DROP SOUTH OUT OF CANADA INTO OUR REGION. SOME OF THE DETAILS ARE HARD TO PIN DOWN RIGHT NOW...BUT CERTAINLY FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY THERE COULD BE OFF AND ON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AROUND. THIS CREATES SOME UNCERTAINTY ON TEMPERATURES...ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT AT LEAST FRIDAY 850MB TEMPS ARE 15-18C AND COULD BE SIMILAR ON SATURDAY. NOTE THAT A GENERAL COOLING IS EXPECTED HEADING INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...ESPECIALLY IF THE 07.00Z/12Z ECMWF RUNS ARE RIGHT WHERE THEY SHOW 850MB TEMPS FALLING TO 6C ON MONDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 610 PM CDT MON JUL 7 2014 SHRA/TS GOING TO ROLL SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH 03Z. SOME WILL BRING STRONG NORTHWESTLY WINDS...GUSTS COULD EXCEED 40 MPH...MORE IF THE LINE BECOMES SEVERE. COULD SEE A BRIEF DIP INTO IFR/MVFR CONDITIONS WITH THE STORMS. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AFTER THE STORMS EXITS AND THE RESPONSIBLE UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE SHIFTS EAST. SOME HINTS VIA THE NAM THAT THERE COULD BE A PERIOD OF MVFR CIGS...ALTHOUGH CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO INCLUDE AT THIS TIME. WILL HAVE TO MONITOR AND MAKE UPDATES TO THE FORECAST AS NEEDED. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 203 PM CDT MON JUL 7 2014 THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER CONTINUES TO FALL. IN FACT...WE ARE EXPECTING ALL THE RIVER FORECAST POINTS WITHIN THE ARX FORECAST AREA TO FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE BY THURSDAY FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. FLOOD WARNINGS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED AT WINONA AND LA CROSSE AND WILL SOON BE AT WABASHA. PERIODIC RAIN IS FORECAST OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS...BUT IT APPEARS THIS RAINFALL WILL NOT BE ENOUGH TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE MISSISSIPPI...OR ITS TRIBUTARIES FOR THAT MATTER. FOR THE CURRENT AND FORECAST RIVER LEVELS...SEE OUR INTERNET PAGE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/LACROSSE. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && SHORT TERM...AJ LONG TERM....AJ AVIATION.....RIECK HYDROLOGY....AJ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 237 PM CDT MON JUL 7 2014 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029- 032>034-041>044-053>055-061-081200- MITCHELL-HOWARD-WINNESHIEK-ALLAMAKEE-FLOYD-CHICKASAW-FAYETTE- CLAYTON-WABASHA-DODGE-OLMSTED-WINONA-MOWER-FILLMORE-HOUSTON- TAYLOR-CLARK-BUFFALO-TREMPEALEAU-JACKSON-LA CROSSE-MONROE-JUNEAU- ADAMS-VERNON-CRAWFORD-RICHLAND-GRANT- 237 PM CDT MON JUL 7 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST IOWA...SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...AND WESTERN...INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE EVENING...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 90. SHOULD SEVERE STORMS OCCUR...DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WOULD BE THE MAIN HAZARDS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. EXPECT THE STORMS TO WEAKEN AND SHIFT EAST OF THE REGION AFTER MIDNIGHT. FLOOD WARNINGS ALSO CONTINUE FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THE RIVER HAS CRESTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ON TUESDAY ALONG AND EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. LIGHTNING WOULD BE THE MAIN HAZARD WITH ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP. THERE ARE MORE CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS CHANCES THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE THE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL WITH THESE STORMS. FLOOD WARNINGS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MID WEEK. THE RIVER HAS CRESTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED AT TIMES THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 90. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. AJ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
611 PM CDT MON JUL 7 2014
WIZ032-033-042-072345-
BUFFALO-TREMPEALEAU-MONROE-
611 PM CDT MON JUL 7 2014
...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN BUFFALO...
SOUTHERN TREMPEALEAU AND NORTHWESTERN MONROE COUNTIES...
AT 610 PM CDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM NEAR FOUNTAIN CITY TO 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF
TREMPEALEAU...AND MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ARCADIA...GALESVILLE...INDEPENDENCE...BUFFALO CITY...FOUNTAIN CITY...
DODGE...ETTRICK...MELROSE...COCHRANE...HEGG...THIMBLE PARK...BEACH
CORNERS...PERROT STATE PARK...FRENCHVILLE...SQUARE BLUFF AND MERRICK
STATE PARK.
THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND
TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
LAT...LON 4437 9143 4424 9115 4412 9115 4413 9097
4412 9097 4411 9115 4408 9115 4409 9119
4406 9122 4407 9127 4405 9132 4402 9151
4410 9170 4413 9173 4416 9181 4421 9188
TIME...MOT...LOC 2310Z 252DEG 28KT 4419 9175 4408 9150
AJSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
612 PM CDT MON JUL 7 2014
WIZ032-033-072345-
BUFFALO-TREMPEALEAU-
612 PM CDT MON JUL 7 2014
...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN BUFFALO
AND SOUTHERN TREMPEALEAU COUNTIES...
AT 610 PM CDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM NEAR FOUNTAIN CITY TO 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF
TREMPEALEAU...AND MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ARCADIA...GALESVILLE...INDEPENDENCE...BUFFALO CITY...FOUNTAIN CITY...
DODGE...ETTRICK...MELROSE...COCHRANE...HEGG...THIMBLE PARK...BEACH
CORNERS...PERROT STATE PARK...FRENCHVILLE...SQUARE BLUFF AND MERRICK
STATE PARK.
THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND
TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
LAT...LON 4437 9143 4424 9115 4412 9115 4413 9097
4412 9097 4411 9115 4408 9115 4409 9119
4406 9122 4407 9127 4405 9132 4402 9151
4410 9170 4413 9173 4416 9181 4421 9188
TIME...MOT...LOC 2310Z 252DEG 28KT 4419 9175 4408 9150
AJPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
638 PM CDT MON JUL 07 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0627 PM TSTM WND DMG 7 ENE NEW LISBON 43.92N 90.03W
07/07/2014 JUNEAU WI 911 CALL CENTER
JUNEAU COUNTY 911 CALL REPORTED A COUPLE OF TREES DOWN IN
GERMANTOWN TOWNSHIP
&&
DTJSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
655 PM CDT MON JUL 7 2014
MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ029-032>034-041>044-053-080145-
WINONA-OLMSTED-WABASHA-FILLMORE-HOUSTON-DODGE-MOWER-BUFFALO-ADAMS-LA
CROSSE-JUNEAU-JACKSON-MONROE-CLARK-TREMPEALEAU-VERNON-
655 PM CDT MON JUL 7 2014
...THUNDERSTORMS WILL ROLL ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND
WESTERN WISCONSIN EARLY THIS EVENING...
STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL TRACK EAST SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE
REGION THROUGH 9 PM. THE STRONGER STORMS WILL PRODUCE 40 TO 50 MPH
WIND GUSTS WITH HAIL AROUND 1/2 INCH.
HOWEVER...MANY OF THE STORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF SEVERE WEATHER...
WITH WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND 1 INCH HAIL. THOSE ALONG AND
NORTH OF I-90 SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR STRONG TO DAMAGING WINDS AND
TAKE SHELTER WHEN STORMS APPROACH.
MORE WARNINGS ARE LIKELY FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND
WESTERN WISCONSIN OVER THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS.
LAT...LON 4364 8960 4363 9040 4370 9305 4420 9305
4419 9255 4436 9255 4437 9244 4445 9243
4441 9209 4460 9200 4459 9092 4503 9092
4503 9032 4425 9031 4424 8960
TIME...MOT...LOC 2349Z 276DEG 59KT 4391 9155
RIECKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
738 PM CDT MON JUL 07 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0736 PM TSTM WND GST DODGE CENTER 44.03N 92.85W
07/07/2014 M55.00 MPH DODGE MN AWOS
&&
CROIXCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
805 PM CDT MON JUL 07 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0745 PM TSTM WND GST 8 S ROCHESTER 43.90N 92.48W
07/07/2014 M52 MPH OLMSTED MN ASOS
AUTOMATED OBSERVING EQUIPMENT AT THE ROCHESTER
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MEASURED A 52 MILES PER HOUR
&&
DTJThe La Crosse radar (KARX), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:07 UTC.
2 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were damaged by high winds in Stewartville.
Quarter sized hail fell in Spring Grove.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, July 2014
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: 531586, 531588, 531589.