A small complex of severe storms drifted southward across northern Kanabec County and produced a swath of large hail, torrential rainfall and flooding. The hail lasted nearly an hour in some spots, with damaging hail generally from the Knife Lake area northeast to the Pomroy Lake area.
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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.
A small complex of severe storms drifted southward across northern Kanabec County and produced a swath of large hail, torrential rainfall and flooding. The hail lasted nearly an hour in some spots, with damaging hail generally from the Knife Lake area northeast to the Pomroy Lake area. Flooding was also reported, with damage to area roads.
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, 10:01 PM CST, 3 hours 14 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 1101 PM CDT Wed Jul 5 2017 .UPDATE... Issued at 809 PM CDT Wed Jul 5 2017 Despite an extremely unstable airmass with uncapped SBCAPE of greater than 5000 J/kg thanks to dewpoints in the low to mid 70s, the lack of forcing has greatly limited the thunderstorm potential this evening. A developing LLJ may be enough to spark a few storms after midnight, primarily across central MN, but the best chance will be further north with a stronger short wave. Even the cu field is largely non-existent across northeast ND and northern MN this evening, but there are some hints at better development near Minot, ND and especially across southern Canada. Already reduced PoPs earlier, but will need to take them out for at least the next several hours until the developing complex well to the north spreads activity southeastward. This may not occur until Thursday morning. && .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Thursday) Issued at 332 PM CDT Wed Jul 5 2017 The short term concerns remain convective/severe potential tonight and thursday. Water vapor imagery showing the back end of upper trough exiting eastern MN at this time. Some mid cloud trying to develop along/ahead of the western fringe...but latest mesoanalysis shows decent capping remains to the east. We may yet see some redevelopment associated with this feature...but should be mainly into west central WI. Then HIRES models have continued to trend some redevelopment to the northwest cwa late this afternoon/evening. Main boundary is farther north but the RUC and water vapor imagery suggests a weak short wave moving through eastern NODAK now. This may be enough to generate at least some widely scattered convection mainly this evening to the northwest. Then the HRRR tries to develop something farther to the west as the cold front moves across North Dakota and drops that into central MN after 06z. We will trend PoPs up to high end chance for now after 06z and spread them southeast through 12z. SPC Day1 looks good for the overnight. Activity is conditional but if it does develop it would likely become severe with high cape and decent shear expected. It will definitely have to be monitored this evening. The front is progged into eastern MN by 18z THU and redevelopment is still a question...especially if we do get any outflow from overnight activity. We will continue to play the chance PoP scenario over the eastern area through the day. Expected temperatures will still warm through the lower 90s into sc MN ahead of boundary .LONG TERM...(Thursday night through Wednesday) Issued at 332 PM CDT Wed Jul 5 2017 Not much change to the extended part of the forecast. Northwest flow Thursday night will lead to subsidence and surface high pressure building in for the weekend, meaning cooler and drier air starting Friday. As of now, the best chance for showers and thunderstorms is Sunday night into Monday where the GFS/GEM/ECMWF 05.12 all depict an MCS moving across southern Minnesota into western Wisconsin. Beyond that, there will be a few additional chances for showers and thunderstorms heading into next week. Friday will have breezy northerly winds as high pressure moves into the area. Forecast soundings show a thin sliver of elevated instability, but large-scale subsidence should win out. There is a compact PV anomaly, but it should be east of the region by Friday afternoon so any pops associated with is will be across eastern Wisconsin. Saturday will be sunny with light winds and dewpoints in the upper 50s to the north and lower 60s to the south. Moisture will try to return on Sunday, which will lead to around 2000-3000 J/kg of MUCAPE by late afternoon. Deep layer shear will be around 40 to 50 kts, so should see organized storms grow upscale into a squall line that moves across the region overnight. Temperatures beyond Sunday will be near the seasonal average for mid July. A few shortwave troughs could bring showers and thunderstorms at times next week, but timing and placement of these features is unrealistic at this point in the forecast, so continued with blended model guidance which carries slight chances for showers and thunderstorms across parts of the region Tuesday and Wednesday. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Thursday night) Issued at 1101 PM CDT Wed Jul 5 2017 Clear skies at taf issuance time, with increasing potential for thunderstorms overnight mainly north of I-94. More storms may develop near EAU Thursday, but it appears the best chance will be to the east across central Wisconsin. KMSP...No concerns this evening. The risk of storms overnight appears to be diminishing a bit, with the best chances north. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ Fri...VFR. Wind NW at 10G15kts. Sat...VFR. Wind S at 5 kts. Sun...VFR. Wind SW 5-10 kts. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...None. MN...None. && UPDATE...BORGHOFF SHORT TERM...DWE LONG TERM...JRB AVIATION...BORGHOFF
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 802 PM CDT Wed Jul 5 2017 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 070115- 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- 802 PM CDT Wed Jul 5 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central and southern Minnesota...and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Tonight There is a marginal risk of severe weather late tonight. A few storms could produce large hail and damaging winds. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday There is an enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms on Thursday toward central Wisconsin, with a slight risk across the remainder of west central Wisconsin and southeast Minnesota. However, a severe storm is possible as far west as the Twin Cities metro and Mankato. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN spotter activation may be needed overnight and Thursday. Borghoff
The Duluth radar (KDLH), 115 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:13 UTC.
2 hail, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
There was a swath of large hail, up to golf ball size, that damaged siding, broke windows and damage campers in northern Kanabec County.
Another area of large hail, up to golf ball size, occurred north of Mora, between Knife Lake area east to Pomroy Lake area, lasting for 15 minutes. Some damage was reported to area homes and campers.
Torrential rainfall that lasted over two hours, caused flooding, especially between the Knife Lake area, east to the Pomroy Lake area. There was some damage to roads due to the flooding.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, July 2017
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: 712364, 712365, 712663.