During the morning of Wednesday, April 17th, a large area of showers developed across southern Minnesota. Several embedded thunderstorms developed after sunrise and moved into west central Wisconsin.
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 morning of Wednesday, April 17th, a large area of showers developed across southern Minnesota. Several embedded thunderstorms developed after sunrise and moved into west central Wisconsin. A very anomalous moist atmosphere was in place and rainfall was very efficient. One storm moved from Hastings Minnesota, and into west central Wisconsin near River Falls. Rainfall rates were high, and some observers and weather sensors reported up to 1 and 2 inches per hour. By the afternoon as the precipitation slowly ended, a band of 2 to 4 inches of rain fell from near Prescott, to River Falls Wisconsin.
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 Apr 17, 11:37 AM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 1237 PM CDT Wed Apr 17 2019 .SHORT TERM...(Today through Thursday) Issued at 406 AM CDT Wed Apr 17 2019 Early this morning, satellite imagery showed the main upper shortwave lifting into Nebraska with fairly widespread thunderstorm acitivity in portions of central Nebraska extending into southern South Dakota. The warm front extending from the surface low eastward through Iowa was lifting north as well, with a decent low level jet extending north toward the MN/IA border. A few thunderstorms have already broken out along this low level convergence zone which also coincides with the MUCAPE gradient lifting north of the front. Instability lifting into southern MN will be elevated and the threat for severe weather is very limited. The convective outlook for today changed little from SPC, but the marginal was pulled back slightly farther southeast, which makes sense. The main threat, which overnight has become a bigger threat than earlier thought, is the flooding/heavy rain potential from now through the afternoon. A combination of the hi-res CAMs have been trending wetter locally, with the common theme being a narrow (about a county or two wide) band of 2"+ QPF possible. There is some uncertainty as to whether or not amounts that high will be realized, but the potential is there given the strongest low/mid level f-gen aligns well with MUCAPES around 500 J/kg and precipitable water values of about 1.2". 850mb moisture transport peaks locally across southern MN mid morning while the winds remain around 30 knots at 850mb. The RAP indicates a more modest 1-2" in the narrow heavy band which is likely more realistic given the low level jet isn't really all that impressive. The surface low itself will lift northeast through the day, moving across southeast MN late afternoon through early evening. In addition to the showers and thunderstorms today, temepratures will remain on the cool side and winds will eventually turn northwesterly tonight behind the low. Increased pops a quite a bit for tomorrow as the main upper trough axis lags behind the surface low in departing the local area. Do not expect much in terms of QPF tomorrow, more of the scattered showery type of activity given the trough overhead and steep lapse rates associated with it. .LONG TERM...(Thursday night through Tuesday) Issued at 406 AM CDT Wed Apr 17 2019 A fairly quiet long term is expected, though it will include a gem of a weather day on Saturday. Model agreement is fairly good through the weekend, but breaks down next week as we transition to zonal flow. Friday through the weekend, the southern stream wave currently coming out of the 4-corners region will have become an expansive, slow moving stacked low over the eastern CONUS. We'll find ourselves to the northwest of this low in its subsidence region, so we'll see plenty of sunshine. Over the weekend, a shortwave going across Canada will send a cold front across the upper MS Valley. Right now, models are in very good agreement that the timing of this front will bring its pre-frontal warm sector over the MPX area during peak heating Saturday afternoon. 925mb temps are progged to be between 16c and 22c, which would translate to widespread highs in the 70s, with upper 70s possible in southwest/south central MN. Did bump highs above guidance some, though we could certainly see things end up 2-5 degrees warmer than we currently have on Saturday. Saturday evening, the cold front will pass through, but it will be dry as best upper forcing will be off to the north, while deeper moisture will be way down in KS/MO. All this front will do is switch our winds over to the northwest for Sunday and knock about 10 degrees off our highs. Next week, our upper flow goes zonal. There's poor agreement on strength/timing of any weak waves that will ripple across the area, which results in fairly high model spread, so did not deviate from blended guidance, which resulted in temperatures near climate normals. There are a couple of chances for precip Monday night/Tuesday that's being driven solely by the GFS, while small precip chances Tuesday night are more from the Canadian/ECMWF. At either rate, there are no significant weather makers indicated next week in any of the guidance, so at the moment it looks like we should have fairly uneventful weather next week. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Thursday afternoon) Issued at 1235 PM CDT Wed Apr 17 2019 A wide area of MVFR cigs/vsbys with embedded IFR cigs/vsbys in SHRA/TSRA, will continue for most of central/southern Minnesota, and adjacent west central Wisconsin through the afternoon. Confidence is high that TSRA will remain along and south of a line from KRWF-KMSP-KRNH through 00z, with only isolated TSRA north of this boundary. Otherwise, once the surface low moves from northwest Iowa early this afternoon, to west central, and northern Wisconsin by this evening, winds will shift from the east/northeast, to the northwest. Gusty winds will occur through tonight. Confidence remains low on when MVFR cigs develop Thursday morning. KMSP... A broad area of moderate to heavy rainfall, with embedded thunderstorms will continue through 20-21z, with only an isolated storm between 21-00z. However, confidence is low for the chance of thunderstorms decreases during the afternoon based on the location of the surface low. Otherwise, IFR cigs will develop, with a slow improvement Thursday. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ Fri...VFR. Wind light/variable. Sat...VFR. Wind S 10G20-30 kts. Sun...VFR. Chc -SHRA/TSRA. Wind NW 10-15 kts. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...None. MN...None. && SHORT TERM...SPD LONG TERM...MPG AVIATION...JLT
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 1136 AM CDT Wed Apr 17 2019 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 181645- 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- 1136 AM CDT Wed Apr 17 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central and southern Minnesota...and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Occasional thunderstorms will occur along and south of the Minnesota River Valley through the afternoon, and taper off this evening. Heavy rainfall, localized flooding and small hail will be possible. There remains a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms south of the Minnesota River Valley, this afternoon. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Flooding continues across many area rivers. A combination of recent snowmelt and anticipated rainfall will keep rivers running high, with additional rises in river levels expected across portions of the area. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Due to the isolated nature of the severe weather, skywarn spotter activation will not be needed. jlt
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
1126 AM CDT WED APR 17 2019
MNZ063-070-077-078-WIZ023-024-171715-
Washington-Dakota-Rice-Goodhue-Pierce-St. Croix-
1126 AM CDT WED APR 17 2019
...AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN DAKOTA...
NORTHWESTERN GOODHUE...NORTHEASTERN RICE...SOUTHEASTERN WASHINGTON...
PIERCE AND SOUTHWESTERN ST. CROIX COUNTIES...
At 1125 AM CDT, strong thunderstorms were clustered over New Trier,
or 14 miles northeast of Northfield, moving northeast at 40 mph.
Dime size hail is possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Northfield, Red Wing, River Falls, Cottage Grove, Hastings,
Rosemount, Farmington, Hudson, Prescott, Cannon Falls, Ellsworth and
Afton.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 35 between mile markers 72 and 74.
Interstate 94 in Wisconsin between mile markers 5 and 8.
U.S. Highway 61 between mile markers 89 and 104.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may cause
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
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 4435 9305 4453 9333 4455 9331 4454 9328
4456 9328 4499 9264 4467 9218
TIME...MOT...LOC 1625Z 228DEG 33KT 4460 9296
ETAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1205 PM CDT WED APR 17 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 PM HAIL 2 W FARIBAULT 44.29N 93.31W
04/17/2019 M0.25 INCH RICE MN PUBLIC
&&
TDHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1217 PM CDT WED APR 17 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1210 PM HEAVY RAIN 2 W HASTINGS 44.74N 92.88W
04/17/2019 M2.44 INCH DAKOTA MN TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
TDHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1237 PM CDT WED APR 17 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1232 PM FLASH FLOOD 5 NNW CLEVELAND 44.38N 93.89W
04/17/2019 LE SUEUR MN DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
WATER RUNNING OVER STATE HWY 112 AT 311 AVE,
SOUTH OF LESUEUR HAS CLOSED THE ROAD.
REPORTED BY MNDOT DISTRICT 7.
&&
CCSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
104 PM CDT WED APR 17 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0103 PM FLOOD DUNDAS 44.43N 93.19W
04/17/2019 RICE MN TRAINED SPOTTER
2FT STANDING WATER IN INTERSECTION. HEAVY
RAIN CONTINUES TO FALL.
&&
TDHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
129 PM CDT WED APR 17 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1250 PM FLASH FLOOD NORTHFIELD 44.46N 93.16W
04/17/2019 RICE MN EMERGENCY MNGR
FLOWING WATER OVER ROADWAYS IN AND AROUND
NORTHFIELD, INTERSECTIONS FLOODED UP TO KNEE
DEEP.
&&
CCSThe Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 79 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:45 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Several inches of rain caused a driveway to wash out north of River Falls.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, April 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: 809047.