Scattered thunderstorms developed early Wednesday morning, September 3rd in southeast South Dakota, and moved northeast into southwest Minnesota. Some of the thunderstorms became severe as they moved eastward across Renville County, and into the western portions of the Twin Cities.
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.
Scattered thunderstorms developed early Wednesday morning, September 3rd in southeast South Dakota, and moved northeast into southwest Minnesota. Some of the thunderstorms became severe as they moved eastward across Renville County, and into the western portions of the Twin Cities. Two inch elongated hail was reported near Hector, and hail damaged an apple orchard in Wright 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 Sep 3, 5:04 AM CST, 2 hours 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 604 AM CDT WED SEP 3 2014 .UPDATED FOR 12Z AVIATION DISCUSSION... ISSUED AT 558 AM CDT WED SEP 3 2014 && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 351 AM CDT WED SEP 3 2014 SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON ALONG A WARM FRONT THAT IS FORECAST TO LIFT NORTHWARD THROUGH THE CWA. MUCAPE AND DEEP SHEAR PROFILES SUPPORT STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...WITH LOW LEVEL HODOGRAPHS AND LCLS FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES IF CONVECTION MANAGES TO BECOME SURFACE BASED ALONG THE WARM FRONT. THIS CONVECTION WILL EVENTUALLY GROW UPSCALE INTO AN MCS AFTER SUNSET AND SLIDE EAST SOUTHEAST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN BY THURSDAY MORNING ALONG THE NOSE OF THE LOW LEVEL JET...WHICH WILL MARK THE TRANSITION FROM A SEVERE WEATHER TO A HEAVY RAIN/FLOODING THREAT. THE MAIN DRIVER BEHIND THE SEVERE THREAT TODAY IS TWO-FOLD. FIRST...A POTENT SHORTWAVE WHICH AS OF THIS MORNING WAS LOCATED OVER WASHINGTON STATE ON THE POLEWARD SIDE OF A 100KT UPPER LEVEL JET WILL TRACK EASTWARD AND CROSS THE ROCKIES INTO MONTANA BY MIDDAY. LOW LEVEL THETA_E ADVECTION WILL OVERSPREAD THE UPPER MIDWEST AHEAD OF THIS WAVE...AND BOUNDARY LAYER DEWPOINTS NEAR 70 WILL SURGE INTO SOUTHERN MN. HOWEVER...THE WARM AIR ADVECTION WILL ACT TO CAP OFF THE CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL UNTIL A WEAK UPPER LEVEL WAVE ARRIVES LATER THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WAVE IS THE SECOND INGREDIENT NEEDED FOR SEVERE STORMS...AND ALTHOUGH SUBTLE...SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO DEVELOP AT LEAST ELEVATED CONVECTION ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE CAP. BASED ON THE BUFR SOUNDINGS OFF BOTH THE NAM AND GFS...THIS WILL BE MAINLY ALONG AND NORTH OF I-94. HERE...THE 800MB WARM LAYER IS MORE SUBDUED WITH AMPLE DEEP LAYER SHEAR. AT KSTC FOR EXAMPLE... 0-3KM HODOGRAPHS SHOW 300-400 M2/S2 OF STORM RELATIVE HELICITY BY 22/23Z. THE 03.00 RUNS OF THE HIRES WRFARW...WFRNMM...AND EMCNMM SUPPORT A MORE NORTHERN SOLUTION YET...WITH THE HIGHEST THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER NORTH OF A LINE FROM FERGUS FALLS...TO LAKE MILLE LACS...AND HAYWARD WI. AT THIS TIME...AM SLIGHTLY LEANING TOWARDS THIS NORTHERN SOLUTION BECAUSE FEEL THAT DESPITE THE INCREASING BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE TO THE SOUTH...THE WEAK SHORTWAVE WILL NOT BE STRONG ENOUGH TO OVERCOME THE SBCIN STEMMING FROM THE COMBINATION OF FILTERED SUNSHINE WITH THE STRENGTHENING CAP. THEREFORE STORMS WILL REMAIN ELEVATED...WITH PERHAPS A HAIL THREAT...DRIFT NORTHEAST OF THE FORECAST AREA WITH THE MEAN WIND...AND NOT REALIZE THE LOW LEVEL WIND FIELDS. IF STORMS START TO MOVE RIGHT...BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR TORNADOGENESIS AS THIS IS EVIDENCE THAT THE STORM HAS INDEED TAPPED INTO THE HELICAL FLOW OF THE BOUNDARY LAYER. IN SUMMARY...THE STRENGTHENING CAP SHOULD KEEP CONVECTION AT BAY ACROSS THE SOUTH TODAY...WHILE A WEAK SHORTWAVE MOVING UP FROM THE SOUTHWEST WILL TRIGGER CONVECTION FARTHER NORTH. CONFIDENCE IS WAVERING REGARDING THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE SEVERE WEATHER...AND THIS MORNINGS ELEVATED CONVECTION MAY LIMIT THE NORTHWARD PROPAGATION OF THE WARM FRONT TODAY...BUT FOR NOW FEEL THAT THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE SPC DAY1 SEVERE OUTLOOK HAS A HIGHER RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER THAN THE SOUTHERN HALF. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 351 AM CDT WED SEP 3 2014 THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD WILL BE CONFINED TO PORTIONS OF WI WITH THE REMNANTS OF THE MCS PUSHING THROUGH TONIGHT...AND ACROSS WEST CENTRAL MN WHERE ANOTHER WEAK CLUSTER MAY BE PUSHING IN FROM OVERNIGHT DEVELOPMENT OVER THE DAKOTAS. THAT WILL PROBABLY BE ABOUT IT FOR CONVECTION THURSDAY UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON. A VERY WARM THERMAL RIDGE WILL BUILD NORTH INTO ERN MN AND WRN WI AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT AND WILL LEAD TO BOUNDARY LAYER CAPPING ON THE ORDER OF 200-500 J/KG FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. GIVEN THE POSITIVELY TILTED NATURE OF THE SYSTEM... FORCING WITH THE FRONT AND MEAGER HEIGHT FALLS WILL VERY LIKELY NOT BE ENOUGH TO GENERATE MUCH ALONG THE FRONT. REDUCED POPS RATHER MARKEDLY INTO THE SCHC CATEGORY. DID NOT REMOVE THEM COMPLETELY DUE TO HI RES MODELS STILL DEVELOPING WEAK ELEVATED ECHOS OR ACCAS. THIS MAY JUST BE THE RESULT OF THE VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS MODELS GENERATE. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE GRID WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THURSDAY. THE FRONT WILL BE COMING THROUGH DURING THE LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON WITH GOOD MIXING AND THE AFOREMENTIONED IMPRESSIVE THERMAL RIDGE JUST AHEAD OF IT. MODELS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH TIMING AND THE CHALLENGE STEMS MORE FROM HOW DEEP THE MIXING WILL GET BEFORE THE FRONT PUSHES THROUGH. IT IS USUALLY EASY TO MIX AT LEAST TO 925 MB WITH SOME SUN...IN WHICH CASE UPPER 80S WOULD BE ACHIEVED BY EARLY AFTERNOON. COULD SEE SOME 90S IN WI WHERE THE LONGEST POTENTIAL FOR HEATING WILL RESIDE. OBVIOUSLY ANY CHANGE IN TIMING THE FRONT OR CONSIDERABLE CLOUDINESS WOULD IMPACT THESE HIGHS A BIT. IT IS SOMEWHAT INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT ALL GLOBAL MODELS...INCLUDING THE GFS COLD BIAS...BRING 2M TEMPS INTO THE UPPER 80S AT 18Z. MUCH COOLER AIR WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. DRY CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. NEXT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL ACCOMPANY A STRONG CYCLONE TRAVERSING SOUTHERN CANADA EARLY NEXT WEEK. KEPT POPS IN THE CHC CATEGORY...ALTHOUGH MODELS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT FOR THIS RANGE. IF THIS TREND CONTINUES...THE NEXT COUPLE SHIFTS MAY CONSIDER ALLOWING LIKELY POPS. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 558 AM CDT WED SEP 3 2014 THUNDERSTORMS IN WESTERN MN SHOULD GRADUALLY WEAKEN TO SHOWERS AS THEY SLOWLY DRIFT EASTWARD THIS MORNING. LATER THIS AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP NEAR KAXN/KSTC AND COULD PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER. THERE IS SOME INDICATION THE STORMS COULD BUILD SOUTHEAST OVERNIGHT AND AFFECT KRNH/KMSP/KEAU. GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW LOW CLOUDS LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING...SO WILL CONTINUE THIS TREND IN THE TAFS. KMSP... MORNING CONVECTION OUT WEST SHOULD TAPER OFF TO SHOWERS...SO HAVE VFR PRECIP COMING IN BY MID MORNING. LATER THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT IT APPEARS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PRECIP WILL BE NORTH OF KMSP...SO HAVE NARROWED DOWN THE THUNDER WINDOW. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE TRENDS. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ THU...MVFR/IFR CIGS/VSBYS POSSIBLE EARLY THEN SCT TSRA IN THE AFTN. WINDS S 10-15 KTS BCMG W AT 10G20KTS. FRI...VFR. WINDS NW 10G15 KTS. SAT...VFR. WINDS W 05 KTS. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...NONE. WI...NONE. && SHORT TERM...JRB LONG TERM...BORGHOFF AVIATION...JRB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 352 AM CDT WED SEP 3 2014 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 040900- DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS- BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA- KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON- YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA- REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH- WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-POLK-BARRON-RUSK- ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-EAU CLAIRE- 352 AM CDT WED SEP 3 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA... AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF I-94. SOME STORMS WILL BE STRONG TO SEVERE. THE MAIN THREAT IS LARGE HAIL...BUT A FEW TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE AS WELL AS HEAVY RAIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN LATE THURSDAY IN EASTERN MN AND WESTERN WI. SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER THIS AFTERNOON. JRB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 503 AM CDT WED SEP 3 2014 MNZ056-064-065-031045- CHIPPEWA-RENVILLE-YELLOW MEDICINE- 503 AM CDT WED SEP 3 2014 AT 501 AM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES WEST OF GRANITE FALLS...OR 14 MILES NORTHWEST OF UPPER SIOUX AGENCY. THIS STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... CLARKFIELD. GRANITE FALLS. MINNESOTA FALLS. SACRED HEART. RENVILLE. DANUBE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... SEEK SHELTER AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED. && LAT...LON 4489 9508 4472 9511 4477 9583 4489 9580 TIME...MOT...LOC 1003Z 271DEG 36KT 4482 9567 BORGHOFF
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
642 AM CDT WED SEP 3 2014
MNZ054-056-057-064-065-031345-
CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-LAC QUI PARLE-RENVILLE-YELLOW MEDICINE-
642 AM CDT WED SEP 3 2014
...URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING IS LIKELY IN THE AREA...
AT 642 AM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL WERE RESULTING IN
URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING.
PEOPLE IN NORTHEASTERN YELLOW MEDICINE...NORTHWESTERN RENVILLE...
SOUTHEASTERN LAC QUI PARLE...SOUTHERN CHIPPEWA AND SOUTHWESTERN
KANDIYOHI COUNTIES...SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY AND
EXERCISE APPROPRIATE CAUTION.
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS
AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES.
&&
LAT...LON 4493 9612 4500 9526 4494 9524 4489 9525
4489 9519 4469 9497 4475 9611
BORGHOFFSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
644 AM CDT WED SEP 3 2014
MNZ054>056-031345-
CHIPPEWA-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-
644 AM CDT WED SEP 3 2014
...URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING IS LIKELY IN THE AREA...
AT 644 AM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL WERE RESULTING IN
URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING.
PEOPLE IN NORTHERN CHIPPEWA...NORTHERN LAC QUI PARLE AND SOUTHERN
SWIFT COUNTIES...SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY AND
EXERCISE APPROPRIATE CAUTION.
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS
AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES.
&&
LAT...LON 4528 9645 4526 9630 4522 9625 4523 9622
4520 9617 4519 9612 4532 9612 4530 9526
4501 9525 4513 9647
BORGHOFFPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
709 AM CDT WED SEP 03 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 6 SSE MONTEVIDEO 44.87N 95.69W
09/03/2014 E2.50 INCH YELLOW MEDICINE MN TRAINED SPOTTER
THREE HOUR TOTAL
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 4 S MONTEVIDEO 44.89N 95.73W
09/03/2014 M1.93 INCH YELLOW MEDICINE MN TRAINED SPOTTER
THREE HOUR TOTAL
&&
CARLYONPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
723 AM CDT WED SEP 03 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0715 AM HEAVY RAIN 1 N ASBURY 44.95N 95.56W
09/03/2014 M2.50 INCH CHIPPEWA MN TRAINED SPOTTER
THREE HOUR TOTAL
&&
CARLYONSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 815 AM CDT WED SEP 3 2014 MNZ056-057-065-031515- CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-RENVILLE- 815 AM CDT WED SEP 3 2014 ...URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING IS LIKELY IN EASTERN CHIPPEWA...SOUTHERN KANDIYOHI AND NORTHERN RENVILLE COUNTIES... AT 815 AM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WERE RESULTING IN URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING. THESE STORMS HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN IN 3 HOURS OR LESS BACK TOWARD MONTEVIDEO AND GRANITE FALLS. EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...AND FARMLAND ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS. && LAT...LON 4515 9536 4514 9476 4474 9477 4476 9536
The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 116 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:33 UTC.
6 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A semi truck was blown over on U.S. Highway 71 north of Olivia.
Penny size hail, up to three inches deep, destroyed a 25 acre apple orchard west of the Twin Cities. The largest hail stone was 1 1/4 in diameter.
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, September 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: 532271, 532273, 532272, 532274, 532275, 532276, 532277.