During the afternoon of Tuesday, August 13th, severe storms developed along a line of instability across central, and southern Minnesota. Spotters and storm chasers video taped numerous funnel clouds across southern Minnesota> Three of these funnel clouds briefly touched the ground, but no damage was reported.
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.
During the afternoon of Tuesday, August 13th, severe storms developed along a line of instability across central, and southern Minnesota. Spotters and storm chasers video taped numerous funnel clouds across southern Minnesota> Three of these funnel clouds briefly touched the ground, but no damage was reported. Some corn was flattened on one of the touchdowns near Ellendale. Some of the storms in the afternoon did produce large hail in Dakota County where ping pong size hail was reported near New Trier.
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 Aug 13, 11:34 AM CST, 44 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 1234 PM CDT Tue Aug 13 2019 .UPDATE... Issued to include 18z aviation discussion below. && .SHORT TERM...(Today through Wednesday) Issued at 438 AM CDT Tue Aug 13 2019 Surface analysis shows a low pressure center over central ND with a leading warm front extending ease southeast into far southern MN. North and northwest of this system, high pressure prevails over southern Canada. Aloft, general west-to-east flow prevails over much of the CONUS, but there is a potent upper level low over northern ND while ridging builds into the western CONUS. As the upper ridge builds way out west, this will aid in tilting the upper flow to more northwest-southeast, helping drive the potent upper level disturbance southeast through MN today-tonight and into southern WI by daybreak Wednesday. This upper level impulse will help drive the surface low over SD into far western MN by midday today, into southeastern MN by this evening, then into northern IL by daybreak Wednesday. While a few isolated showers and thunderstorms can be expected through this morning, as convective temps are reached this afternoon, coverage of showers/thunderstorms will increase from central MN into eastern MN and western WI this afternoon and continue through the evening hours. MLCAPE is still expected to reach 1500-2000 J/kg in eastern MN into western WI this afternoon, coinciding with bulk shear increasing to around 35kt in the same area with the upper level impulse arriving. The degree of MLCAPE increase will be tied to the amount of insolation received, though there is no doubt there is plenty of low level moisture in place (alluded to by dewpoints early this morning in the low-mid 60s). However, also of some concern is the consistency of models showing 0-3km helicity in the 200-300 m2/s2 range in western and southwestern WI. As as result, SPC has maintained a Marginal Risk of severe weather in eastern MN into western WI with all 3 modes at play (large hail, damaging winds, isolated tornado). Precipitation intensity and coverage will diminish overnight as the surface and upper level disturbances shift away and high pressure moves into the area in their wake. This will result in cooler and drier conditions for Wednesday. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday night through Monday) Issued at 438 AM CDT Tue Aug 13 2019 Over the past several days, the mean upper pattern that was forecast by the models to support building heights across the Upper Midwest this weekend, has slowed. Thus, next weekend doesn't look as warm but still closer to normal. The normal high is around 80-82 degrees, but mid to late August, these normal highs begin to fall into the 70s as Fall approaches. There has been a persistent upper ridge centered across western Alaska, and the Gulf of Alaska over the past 10 days. The 5-day 500MB mean heights of GEFS/EC support this upper ridge to weaken and shift to the west the week of August 19th. This will allow for a continuation of the west/northwest flow aloft this week which keeps our region unsettled and seasonable mild. Once the upper ridge shifts and a broad trough begins to take hold over northwestern Canada, and eastern Alaska, this will lead to a shift in jet stream farther to the north across Canada. Thus, a beginning of a warmer pattern the week of August 19th. In terms of our weather this week, the Upper Midwest will remain either in a northwest, or westerly flow aloft which is conducive of near or slightly below normal temperatures. This type of flow will also lead to embedded short waves in the fast flow aloft. This is the case as the next short wave, which is currently off the Pacific Northwest, begins to move over the Canadian Rockies, and into the Northern Plains by Thursday. There are timing differences in the models on this short wave, but there remains enough consistency to continue high chance percentages Thursday night, and into Friday morning. I wouldn't be surprised to see percentage increase over the next day or so. The next short wave will arrive Saturday in this fast northwest/westerly flow aloft and continue the trend of unsettled weather conditions. Models have major differences in the best height falls with this feature over the Upper Midwest, which leads to uncertainties on where the best lift will occur. Timing and how widespread this activity becomes are still uncertain for anything more than low percentages. As discussed before, the broad trough will dive southward across northwest Canada, or at least strengthen in the region next week. As this feature becomes more pronounced, the mean long wave pattern will change across the western half of North America. Current models still suggest a warming trend the week of August 19th. However, until this pattern change develops, I wouldn't support anything more than slightly above above in temperatures. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Wednesday afternoon) Issued at 1230 PM CDT Tue Aug 13 2019 Overall trend in the forecast looks good. Will continue to mention best threat of thunder along and east of the I94 corridor this afternoon into the evening as the weak surface low/front moves southeast. Will likely see at least brief heavy rain with the stronger cells and perhaps some hail/strong wind gusts as well, especially from east central MN into southeast MN into the evening. MVFR cigs likely as the upper low moves in and winds turn more NW into tonight. May see IFR cigs/FG develop, especially across far southern MN later tonight. SREF probs not too high but the possibility is there. May be stratus deck with dense fog but not expected to be widespread. SHould see cigs lift into Wednesday morning becoming VFR. KMSP... Best timing for convection 21z-24z with lingering -shra threat into the early evening. Should see brief IFR vsbys with heavy rain with the stronger convection. MVFR cigs likely following the rain with winds shifting more N overnight. Expect overall MVFR cigs to lift to VFR for Wednesday afternoon. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ Wed night...VFR. Wind NE 5-10 kts. Thu...VFR. Chc MVFR/TSRA overnight. Wind W 5-10 kts. Fri...VFR. Chc MVFR/TSRA. Wind SW 5-10 kts. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...None. MN...None. && UPDATE...JPC SHORT TERM...JPC LONG TERM...JLT AVIATION...DWE
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 1222 PM CDT Tue Aug 13 2019 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 141730- 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- 1222 PM CDT Tue Aug 13 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central and southern Minnesota...and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Scattered thunderstorms can be expected this afternoon into tonight over much of central Minnesota through western Wisconsin. There is a Marginal risk for severe thunderstorms from central Minnesota into western Wisconsin. The main hazards are large hail, damaging winds and heavy rain, but an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out, especially along the I94 corridor this afternoon. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are possible at times starting Thursday and continuing into early next week. Severe weather is not expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN spotter activation may be needed may be needed in central Minnesota and western Wisconsin this afternoon into tonight.
The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 150 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:15 UTC.
8 funnel cloud, 6 hail, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A storm spotter photographed a funnel that seemed to be close to the ground. It may have touched down but the chaser was too far away (12 miles across rolling terrain) and noted no debris cloud. Nobody who was closer to the storm saw the funnel touch down.
A funnel cloud was observed south of Sunburg.
A funnel cloud was observed near Rosendale.
A funnel cloud was observed for four minutes, but did not touch the ground near Bernadotte.
A funnel cloud was observed near Eagle Lake.
A funnel cloud was observed near Madison Lake.
In addition to the large hail stone, there was a power pole blown down in Waseca.
A funnel cloud was observed near Lemond.
Multiple storms chasers, spotters and citizens filmed and photographed this tornado. It mostly moved across fields, and there was minor damage to one soybean field. It blew a portable hoop barn across a field. There was a two mile gap in the middle of its path where it did not appear to be in contact with the ground, but video and pictures show the parent funnel cloud remained consistently evident.
A trained spotter filmed a brief touchdown. It moved across a tree line, uprooting a few trees and breaking large branches. No other damage was reported.
The hail lasted for 15 minutes, but the largest hail stone was ping pong size.
There were two separate reports of a funnel cloud near White Rock.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Minnesota, 2019Warnings in Minnesota, August 2019
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: 843269, 835486, 835487, 835488, 835489, 835494, 835490, 835495, 835497, 835491, 835504, 835498, 835503, 835501, 835500, 835493.