Several thunderstorms moved across southern Minnesota during the early morning of Tuesday, September 8th. Rainfall rates increased to around 1-2 inches per hour.
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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.
Several thunderstorms moved across southern Minnesota during the early morning of Tuesday, September 8th. Rainfall rates increased to around 1-2 inches per hour. Soil moisture was high across southern Minnesota from previous thunderstorms a day earlier. Therefore, more heavy rainfall in localized areas caused roads around Wells, Minnesota to become inundated with flood waters.
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 7, 9:28 PM CST, 5 hours 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 1028 PM CDT MON SEP 7 2015 .UPDATE...FOR 06Z AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 338 PM CDT MON SEP 7 2015 RATHER CHALLENGING FORECAST IN THE SHORT TERM CONCERNING POPS AND QPF. THERE WAS A SUBTLE DEWPOINT BOUNDARY IN PLACE ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN PART OF THE FORECAST AREA THAT MATCHED UP WITH THE LOW CLOUDS SEEN ON VISIBLE SATELLITE. HOWEVER...THE MAIN FRONTAL BOUNDARY WAS TO THE SOUTH ACROSS IOWA...AND THIS IS EXPECTED TO BE THE FOCUS FOR THE HEAVIER RAIN TONIGHT. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WAS LOCATED ALONG THE MANITOBA/SASKATCHEWAN BORDER...WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS OVER THE MIDWEST. WEAK DISTURBANCES WITHIN THIS SOUTHWEST FLOW WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME LIGHT SHOWER/THUNDER ACTIVITY ACROSS THE DAKOTAS AND WESTERN MN. THESE STORM ARE QUITE ELEVATED...AND THE PRECIP IS HAVING TROUBLE TO MAKE IT TO THE GROUND...BUT FEEL THAT A SMALL POP IS WARRANTED THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. LATER TONIGHT HIRES MODELS BRING THE MAIN AREA OF STORMS NEAR IA/MO AS MENTIONED EARLIER...BUT A NORTHERN AREA OF PRECIP DEVELOPS AND PASSES THROUGH THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA BETWEEN 06-12Z TIME FRAME. HAVE INCREASES POPS DURING THIS TIME FRAME GIVEN THE REMARKABLE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE HRRR/DEV AND LAST FEW FRAMES OF THE HOPWRF. CLOUDS TONIGHT WILL KEEP OVERNIGHT LOWS ABOVE CLIMATOLOGY. ON TUESDAY HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN WITH DRY WEATHER ANTICIPATED AND HIGHS IN THE 70S. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 338 PM CDT MON SEP 7 2015 HIGH PRESSURE MOVING IN WILL BRING CLEARING SKIES MIDWEEK WITH NORMAL TEMPERATURES. A WEAK CLIPPER OF SORTS WILL ROTATE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF BROAD TROUGHING OVER EASTERN NORTH AMERICA WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. THE 12Z ECMWF HAS BACKED OFF SIGNIFICANTLY ON ITS MORE DEVELOPED NORTHERLY SOLUTION ACROSS NORTHERN MINNESOTA AND HAS FALLEN IN LINE WITH THE REMAINING GUIDANCE KEEPING A WEAK...ILL-DEFINED LOW JUST TO THE SOUTH. A FEW SHOWERS MAY ACCOMPANY THIS FEATURE...BUT NOT THINKING TOO MANY LOCATIONS WILL SEE MORE THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH. A REINFORCING SHOT OF CANADIAN AIR WILL FOLLOW THAT SYSTEM THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. COULD SEE LOWS IN THE LOW 40S IN SOME LOCATIONS OF CENTRAL MN AND WESTERN WI...DEPENDING ON WHERE THE HIGH TRACKS. THE HIGH WILL SETTLE DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY FOR THE WEEKEND AS A LOW CUTS OFF NEAR THE MID ATLANTIC. THIS SHOULD SLOW THE PROGRESSION OF RIDGES AND TROUGHS A BIT...WITH RIDGING BUILDING IN GRADUALLY THROUGH THE REST OF THE PERIOD. ANOTHER COLD FRONT MAY BE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR BY EARLY NEXT WEEK...BUT THE LACK OF SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE RETURN AHEAD OF IT COULD HAMPER MEANINGFUL PRECIP DEVELOPMENT ALONG IT. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1028 PM CDT MON SEP 7 2015 HI-RES MODELS ARE MORE INDICATIVE OF A SLIGHT NORTHWARD SHIFT IN PRECIP OVERNIGHT. LOOKS AS IF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY SNEAK AS FAR NORTH AS KRWF-KMSP-KRNH-KEAU OVERNIGHT AND EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. HAVE INCLUDED A MENTION OF -SHRA AT THOSE SITES BUT WILL HOLD OFF ON THE THUNDER MENTION AT THIS POINT. HAVE ALSO BACKED OFF SLIGHTLY ON THE FOG MENTION AT KRNH AND KEAU GIVEN THE INCREASED CLOUD COVER...BUT STILL COULD SEE MVFR CONDITIONS THERE. WINDS WILL BE LIGHT AND VARIABLE OVERNIGHT...AND THEN INCREASE FROM THE NORTHWEST ON TUESDAY WITH GUSTS TO BETWEEN 15 AND 20KTS EXPECTED BY 18Z. SPEEDS THEN DECLINE TO AOB 5KTS FOR TUESDAY EVE WITH CLEARING SKIES. KMSP... THE WINDOW OF POTENTIAL FOR LIGHT SHOWERS AT KMSP LOOKS TO BE CENTERED BETWEEN 09Z AND 12Z...ALTHOUGH VSBYS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO DIP BELOW 5SM. OTHERWISE BENIGN/VFR CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH THE ONLY OTHER ITEM OF NOTE BEING THE WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 20KTS TUESDAY AFTERNOON. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ WED...VFR. WIND SW 5-10 KTS. THU...MAINLY VFR. CHC MVFR IN -SHRA/-TSRA EARLY. WIND WNW 5-10 KTS. FRI...VFR. WIND NW 5-10 KTS. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...NONE. WI...NONE. && SHORT TERM...JRB LONG TERM...BORGHOFF AVIATION...LS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 200 PM CDT MON SEP 7 2015 MNZ069-070-074>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ015-016-023>028-081900- SCOTT-DAKOTA-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN- BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-BARRON-RUSK- ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-CHIPPEWA-EAU CLAIRE- 200 PM CDT MON SEP 7 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA... NORTHWEST WISCONSIN AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. MNZ041>045-047>068-073-WIZ014-081900- 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-REDWOOD-POLK- 200 PM CDT MON SEP 7 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA...EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND NORTHWEST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 122 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:31 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Several streets were flooded in the town of Wells.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, September 2015
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: 593771.