A broken line of storms developed along a cold front Wednesday afternoon, June 22nd, across southern Minnesota. Initially, these storms were non-severe and produced some localized hail and gusty winds as they moved eastward into the western Twin Cities metro area.
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 broken line of storms developed along a cold front Wednesday afternoon, June 22nd, across southern Minnesota. Initially, these storms were non-severe and produced some localized hail and gusty winds as they moved eastward into the western Twin Cities metro area.
As the storms began to move more southeast into southeast Minnesota, a few reports of large hail were noted. The largest stone was southeast of Lonsdale which measured three inches in diameter. There were also reports of damaging winds, with the most significant damage near Kenyon where several large trees were blown down.
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 Jun 22, 2:52 PM CST, 2 hours 23 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 352 PM CDT WED JUN 22 2016 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Thursday) Issued at 351 PM CDT Wed Jun 22 2016 Inverted trough positioned across western MN into eastern North Dakota this afternoon dew points in the 60s and a few low 70s pooling across the southern half of Minnesota. Main upper level shortwave can be seen on satellite along the northern border of the North Dakota and Minnesota border. Most of the precipitation activity is expected to continue across northern MN toward Lake Superior and far northern Wisconsin. Instability has pooled across southern and western MN along the inverted trough and south a subtle surface low in west central MN. ML CAPE values have built to between 1000-2000 J/Kg. If storms can initiate, the effective shear values are impressive. The issue I see is, we will continue to struggle to see storms initiate. The cumulus field has been building through the afternoon, but is not impressive at this point in the afternoon in terms of height and depth. In addition, the hi-res CAMs have been initializing with thunderstorms too far south compared to reality. If this trend continues, storm development would be rather subdued. Leaning toward this thinking and not expecting too much development other than some scattered showers and a few thunderstorms popping up in central mn. The ingredients do look to come together a bit better on western Wisconsin late tonight, so included likely pops there. Overnight, the high pressure area will begin pushing in from the west and expecting the precip to slowly push off to the east. Expecting that by tomorrow morning, all the precip will have exited western Wisconsin to the east. Skies will gradually clear from west to east through the day, reaching western WI late in the day. Highs will top out in the mid to upper 70s. .LONG TERM...(Thursday night through Wednesday) Issued at 351 PM CDT Wed Jun 22 2016 After tonight's system moves out of the region, the main forecast concern will be the potential of severe weather Saturday and Saturday night. 50H will rise in the wake tonight's system as an upper ridge begins to build across the Rockies and into the Northern Plains. Return flow will commence late Thursday/Friday as the ridge moves off to the east and a storm system begins to move across the northern Rockies. By Friday afternoon, increasing southerly flow and deep layer moisture will begin to surge northward into the Northern Plains. This will set the stage for thunderstorms to develop across the Dakotas Friday night, and into Minnesota Saturday. The amount of instability Saturday will be determined by the amount of cloud cover and any nocturnal convection Friday night/Saturday morning. More than likely the best chance of widespread convection will occur along and north of the maximized moisture advection. Based on the latest model runs, central and northern Minnesota have the best chance of widespread convection, further to the south, it would be more low clouds and stratus to burn off. Wind shear values are higher in central and northern Minnesota Saturday afternoon and evening, with the main upper jet forecast to move across Minnesota late Saturday/Sunday morning. This would lead to a more high cape, low shear type of environment if the stratus/convection moves out by the afternoon. Other facts will also play into severity, however, over the past few runs of CIPS (Cooperative Institute for Precipitation Systems), analogs remain very adamant on forecasting a high probability of severe weather across Minnesota and Wisconsin Saturday. The number one analog continues to be the June 17, 2010 tornado outbreak we had across Minnesota. Using percentiles of the top 15 analogs exceeding 1 severe weather report within 110 km or 70 nm, there remains a high probability that most of southern and central Minnesota will see severe weather. The latest SPC day 4 outlook still has a 15% chance of severe weather on Saturday. One weather parameter that remains favorable for severe weather is the strong push of much drier air in the wake of the cold front moving across western Minnesota Saturday afternoon. This is similar to a dry line in the southern plains that gets these types of severe weather events if conditions are favorable. Past Saturday night, the mean upper air flow will become more north- northwest as cooler Canadian air begins to filter across the Upper Midwest. Based on the latest trends of the mean 50H flow next week and teleconnection of PNA/NAO both becoming positive, this is more conducive for a drier and cooler pattern for the Upper Midwest. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Thursday afternoon) Issued at 141 PM CDT Wed Jun 22 2016 Main concerns are thunder potential this afternoon and the potential for MVFR ceilings overnight, which mainly look to affect the eastern half of the area. Keeping an eye on a mid level shortwave dropping southeast across northwestern MN toward northern WI this afternoon and tonight. Still expect scattered showers and thunderstorms to possibly get going this afternoon along the southern periphery of this wave. How far south the precip extends is the question that is beginning to look like it may not be as far south as we once thought. Still included VCTS at a few sites but may be able to remove that depending on what we see develop as the afternoon goes on. KMSP...Have included VCTS in the TAF this afternoon because there is a possibility of thunder. However, hi-res CAMs are initializing too far south so far, which may indicate their solutions push storms too far south along the inverted trough. Will continue to monitor and update as needed. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ FRI...VFR. Winds SSE 5-10 kts. SAT...VFR. Chc MVFR TSRA in the aftn/eve. Winds S-SW 10 kts. SUN...VFR. Winds W 10-20kts. && .MPX Watches/Warnings/Advisories... WI...None. MN...None. && SHORT TERM...SPD LONG TERM...JLT AVIATION...SPD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 158 PM CDT WED JUN 22 2016 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 231900- 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- 158 PM CDT WED JUN 22 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA...EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA... SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...NORTHWEST WISCONSIN AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA INTO THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A COLD FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE AREA SATURDAY WILL BRING THE NEXT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS...WITH SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED SATURDAY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
550 PM CDT WED JUN 22 2016
MNZ066-222330-
MCLEOD-
550 PM CDT WED JUN 22 2016
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL MCLEOD COUNTY...
AT 550 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER LAKE MARION
REGIONAL PARK...OR NEAR HUTCHINSON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH AND HALF INCH HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
BROWNTON AROUND 600 PM CDT.
GLENCOE AROUND 610 PM CDT.
OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE LAKE MARION REGIONAL
PARK...SUMTER...GLENCOE AIRPORT...BISCAY AND HUTCHINSON AIRPORT.
THIS INCLUDES U.S. HIGHWAY 212 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 106 AND 125.
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 10 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.
LAT...LON 4474 9449 4491 9450 4485 9402 4471 9408
4472 9425 4469 9426
TIME...MOT...LOC 2250Z 293DEG 29KT 4481 9439
BORGHOFFThe Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 47 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:15 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A large tree blew down on Main Street in Glencoe. This tree landed on a boat and damaged it. There were also numerous reports of smaller tree branches blown down throughout the city of Glencoe.
There was a photo of 2 inch diameter hail near Montrose.
There were numerous reports of large hail from north to east of Lonsdale, with the largest measured at 1.25 inches.
There were numerous reports of large tree branches blown down north and east of Circle Lake in eastern Rice County.
A large two foot diameter tree was blown down in Faribault.
The local emergency manager surveyed an area from mile east of Faribault, on Minnesota Highway 60, southeast to approximately near 260th St E and Irwin Ave. The NWS also surveyed this area. Several areas in this 7 mile stretch had trees blown down or snapped off. Some of the trees were 80 feet tall, and snapped off 5 feet above the ground. There were also numerous power lines blown down in this location.
A social media video showed several large trees branches blown down, and a couple of large diameter trees uprooted near Kenyon. A local farm noted that their corn had been flattened near Kenyon.
A 8 inch diameter tree branch was blown across Highway 56, south of Kenyon.
Large branches were downed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, June 2016
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: 631289, 631501, 642114, 631284, 631285, 642118, 631288, 631290, 631291, 644782, 631292, 631293, 645181.