The afternoon of Tuesday, July 5th, two areas of thunderstorms that developed across west central Minnesota, moved southeast across central and southern Minnesota, and into portions of west central Wisconsin. The southern storm affected the southern part of the Twin Cities metro area during the late afternoon, and moved eastward into west central Wisconsin from near Prescott and Hager City to…
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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.
The afternoon of Tuesday, July 5th, two areas of thunderstorms that developed across west central Minnesota, moved southeast across central and southern Minnesota, and into portions of west central Wisconsin.
The southern storm affected the southern part of the Twin Cities metro area during the late afternoon, and moved eastward into west central Wisconsin from near Prescott and Hager City to Eau Claire Wisconsin by early evening. These storms produced damaging winds and two tornadoes near Plum City and Porcupine.
The hardest hit areas were in Pierce County from Prescott and Bay City, eastward to Ellsworth, Salem and Maiden Rock. Hundreds of trees were blown down with some structural damage to bridges near Ellsworth and home damage in Plum City. Local law enforcement officers reported a swept away trailer house at Highway 10 and 490th Avenue in the Town of Salem. There was also damage to a milking parlor in Ellsworth where 3 feet of water filled the calf barn.
The Pepin County Emergency Manager released a press statement that provided detailed information on widespread damage throughout the county. There was also structural damage to homes and agricultural, and at least three commercial properties in the Town of Waubeek's business park were damaged.
In addition to structural damage to homes and businesses, crop damage was extensive and the local emergency management submitted a disaster report based|on the widespread nature of the damage.
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 Jul 5, 5:32 PM CST, 24 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 632 PM CDT TUE JUL 5 2016 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Wednesday) Issued at 344 PM CDT Tue Jul 5 2016 The line has formed already from Appleton northeast into western Stearns county this afternoon. Confidence is now very high this line will continue strengthening while heading east southeast between the Minnesota River and I-94 for the next couple hours. As it develops a well organized cold pool, widespread wind damage will become the greatest threat with potential for high end wind gusts in excess of 80 mph. The swath of greatest wind damage will likely occur with the apex of the bow, which is currently forecast to track across the western and southern Twin Cities metro to as far south as Mankato - and points southeast later this evening. The SPC Day 1 outlook at 20Z has upgraded this area to a moderate risk with some potential for the line to become a derecho by the time it reaches Minneapolis/St Paul and points south. One thing that will need to be watched is whether a wake low develops, which may bring another round of damaging winds well behind the main thunderstorm activity. This will depend on the strength of the cold pool and forward speed of the line which will be monitored closely. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday night through Tuesday) Issued at 344 PM CDT Tue Jul 5 2016 In the extended we are looking at two periods with better, Thursday and again Monday into Tuesday next week. We will get a brief reprieve from the heat and humidity Friday and Saturday, but that looks to start its return back into the area Sunday out ahead of the system for early next week. Still a good deal of uncertainty with how precip chances will unfold Wednesday night into Thursday with models still showing a good deal of spread with how much convection will be accompanying the warm front as it lifts back north toward MN. Have highest pops during the day Thursday as an inverted trough develops across MN in response to a strong shortwave moving across the Dakotas. This upper low will allow a surface low to develop near Duluth Thursday night, with a good drying west wind and subsidence coming across southern MN, so sped up the departure of pops across MN Thursday night. Lingered some chance pops north of I-94 on Friday as they will be within the cyclonic flow and cold pool of a closed h5 low going across NW WI. This looks to be predominately diurnally driven, with weak instability limiting any severe threat on Friday. The nicest day of the week looks to line up perfectly with Saturday as high pressure moves across the state. This high will be off into the Great Lakes by Saturday night, with a strong return flow developing. Eventually this return flow will see a warm front come back on Sunday/Sunday night. The GFS/ECMWF keep us mainly dry through the weekend, but the Canadian shows a healthy burst of convection developing Sunday ahead of the warm front, which is why we maintained PoPs across MN as there will certainly be a good increase in elevated instability as the warm front moves in, so a thunder threat Sunday/Sunday night is certainly plausible, even if the ECMWF/GFS don't show anything at the moment. For the beginning of next week, the GFS/ECMWF show a low becoming occluded as it moves into southern Saskatchewan. Cold front associated with this low will move across MN on Monday, but will be running into a developing upper ridge as heights rise in response to the deepening low to our NW. This ridging and the stalling of the surface low in southern Canada will slow down the progress of the front, with the threat for showers and thunderstorms continuing for eastern MN and western WI going into Tuesday. Surface dewpoints ahead of the front will increase into the lower 70s and with temperatures again increasing into at least the mid/upper 80s, we should see another highly moist and unstable environment with the risk of severe weather and excessive rainfall returning. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Wednesday evening) Issued at 630 PM CDT Tue Jul 5 2016 Lines of thunderstorms developing along a front in southern Minnesota will be the main aviation concern in the next 6 hours with torrential rainfall, gusty winds, and very low visibilities of 1 mile or less. In addition, a few storms have produced wind gusts in excess of 50 knots. However, this will likely be very localized with mostly gusty winds of 20 to 40 knots. The best scenario is to continue thunderstorms along a line from KRWF to KMSP to KRNH with occasional visibilities dropping to 1-2 miles. Elsewhere, in central Minnesota, most of the thunderstorms will be far enough south to hold on to VFR conditions. After midnight, conditions will improve with VFR conditions expected through the remainder of the night and into Wednesday afternoon. Winds will eventually become more north- northeast. KMSP... As with the line of thunderstorms continued to build west to the South Dakota border, will leave thunder in the vicinity along with a temporary period of 2 miles in heavier rainfall. The strongest winds /gusts of 40 knots or more/ will have ended by 0030z, with only occasionally having a gust of 25-35 knots in the stronger storms. Conditions will improve after 3z with the best conditions after 6z along with winds slowly becoming more north-northeast. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ Wed night...Mainly VFR. Chc -TSRA late. Wind E 5 kts. Thu...Mainly VFR. TSRA likely. Wind E 5-10 kts. Fri...Mainly VFR. Chc -TSRA. Wind NW 10-15. && .MPX Watches/Warnings/Advisories... WI...None. MN...None. && SHORT TERM...BORGHOFF LONG TERM...MPG AVIATION...JLT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 305 PM CDT TUE JUL 5 2016 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 062015- 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- 305 PM CDT TUE JUL 5 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 WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE IS EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING...INCLUDING IN THE TWIN CITIES METRO AREA...WITH SOME LARGE HAIL AND A FEW TORNADOES ALSO POSSIBLE. THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND AN ENHANCED RISK ELSEWHERE. HEAVY RAINFALL AND LOCALIZED FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHERN MINNESOTA THURSDAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE AREA WIDE THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THROUGH THIS EVENING. BORGHOFF
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
639 PM CDT TUE JUL 5 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0615 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 WNW ST. PAUL 44.96N 93.14W
07/05/2016 RAMSEY MN EMERGENCY MNGR
2 LARGE TREES DOWN ON ROAD.
&&
CARLYONPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
642 PM CDT TUE JUL 5 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0440 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 NE KINGSTON 45.22N 94.28W
07/05/2016 MEEKER MN TRAINED SPOTTER
LOTS OF TREES DOWN. TIME ESTIMATED.
&&
CARLYONPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
644 PM CDT TUE JUL 5 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0643 PM FLOOD COLUMBIA HEIGHTS 45.05N 93.25W
07/05/2016 ANOKA MN TRAINED SPOTTER
STAGNANT FLOOD 3 TO 4 FT DEEP. CARS
FLOATING.
&&
CARLYONPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
647 PM CDT TUE JUL 5 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0645 PM TSTM WND GST 2 ESE ST. PAUL 44.94N 93.06W
07/05/2016 M67 MPH RAMSEY MN ASOS
.
&&
CARLYONPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
649 PM CDT TUE JUL 5 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0647 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 S ROGERS 45.16N 93.55W
07/05/2016 HENNEPIN MN BROADCAST MEDIA
LARGE OAK TREE DOWN ON POWER LINES.
&&
CARLYONPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
651 PM CDT TUE JUL 5 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0648 PM FLOOD 1 WSW ROSEVILLE 45.01N 93.18W
07/05/2016 RAMSEY MN TRAINED SPOTTER
CARS SUBMERGED. REPORTED AT HWY 36 AND
FAIRVIEW, ST. PAUL, MN.
&&
CARLYONThe Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 75 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:57 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
An eight inch diameter tree was blown down near River Falls.
The public reported several large trees, up to 10-12 inches in diameter, blown down east of Prescott.
Scattered trees and power lines were blown down, mainly just east and southeast of Ellsworth.
Numerous trees were downed from a storm that would go on to produce a tornado at Nugget Lake (see separate entry for the tornado). Local law enforcement officials also indicated a trailer house was blown over at Highway 10 and 490th Avenue in the Town of Salem.
A brief tornado touched down on the north end of Nugget Lake, knocking down trees. There was also downburst damage near the tornado (see separate entry for the wind damage).
A measured wind gust at the Red Wing airport. Several trees were downed in Hager City, with some landing on vehicles.
A mesocyclone originated in Pierce County and caused widespread downburst damage across a 1.5 mile wide area. It knocked down many hundreds of trees, and partially removed the roof off of one house. The mesocyclone continued into Pepin County, where it continued to produce wind damage and then a tornado (see separate entries for Pepin County).
Minor damage occurred in the southwest corner of Dunn County. The area most affected was Eau Galle township, south of County Road P, to the county line. High winds blew down a cattle barn at N739 County Road D in Eau Galle.
A mesocyclone that was sometimes three miles wide caused widespread wind damage, knocking down trees, destroying sheds and causing other building damage. The downburst wind damage from the mesocyclone was mostly spread across a 1.5 mile wide area, but occasionally reached a width of three miles. There was also a tornado embedded within the mesocyclone (see separate entry for the tornado).
A tornado was embedded within a broader mesocyclone that was sometimes three miles wide (see separate entry for the wind damage from the mesocyclone). The tornado itself moved east, hitting two farmsteads where barns and sheds were destroyed. The tornado also produced a narrow corridor of uprooted and snapped trees. It dissipated just as it was exiting Pepin County.
Significant straight line wind damage occurred west and northwest of Durand, in the Towns of Waterville and Waubeek. Trees were downed from several miles west of Arkansaw to north-northwest of Durand, near Highway 25. Some of the worst damage was near County Road D and Highway 25. Damage occurred to a roof which came off of a storage shed, as well as damage to Eau Galle Cheese Factory, plus a few campers in Dick's RV lot.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Wisconsin, 2016Warnings in Wisconsin, July 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: 650127, 650126, 650170, 650166, 634177, 634389, 652892, 650172, 652875, 634174, 650179.