A slow moving area of thunderstorms ahead of a cold front led to rainfall amounts of 2 to 5 inches in a short amount of time across parts of Price and Sawyer Counties. Numerous roads and county highways had water over them or were washed out.
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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 DLH wrote it up.
A slow moving area of thunderstorms ahead of a cold front led to rainfall amounts of 2 to 5 inches in a short amount of time across parts of Price and Sawyer Counties. Numerous roads and county highways had water over them or were washed out. A few communities in Price County issued disaster declarations due to washed out roads due to culvert failures. In one community alone damage to roads was estimated at $25,000 to $30,000.
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 Duluth, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 25, 11:30 PM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Duluth MN 1230 AM CDT Sun Jul 26 2020 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Sunday night) Issued at 319 PM CDT Sat Jul 25 2020 A warm and humid airmass remains over the Northland with most areas experiencing dewpoints in the lower to middle seventies. MLCAPE values were 1000-2000 J/KG, highest over northern Wisconsin but effective shear was 25 knots or less over the most unstable air. Showers and thunderstorms have been increasing this afternoon and were most numerous over far northeast Minnesota and north central Wisconsin. A weak low level trough was over north central Minnesota with the cold front much further to the west over the Dakotas. We expect continued chances for showers and storms into tonight. An isolated severe storm is possible over roughly the southeast half of the Northland into this evening but shear and stronger forcing are tempering the threat. Heavy rain will be possible as we've already seen with the storms over northern Wisconsin. The slow moving complex of storms over Sawyer/Ashland/Iron/Price Counties has put down 1 to 1.5 inches of rain so far per radar estimates over parts of Sawyer County. The showers/storms will diminish from northwest to southeast overnight, lingering longest over northern Wisconsin. We expect some fog tonight and if any areas can clear, the fog could become dense in spots. The cold front will make it to northern Minnesota Sunday morning and push through northern Wisconsin during the afternoon/evening. More showers/storms will be possible along the front, especially over northern Wisconsin. The risk for severe storms is low on Sunday. Most of northern Minnesota will see lower temperatures Sunday and the humidity will drop through the day as winds veer to west to northwest. The showers/storms will end Sunday evening and cooler temperatures and lower humidity will move into northern Wisconsin as well. .LONG TERM...(Monday through Saturday) Issued at 319 PM CDT Sat Jul 25 2020 An upper trough will be over the Northland to start the period and it will move east through the week with an upper ridge building to the west. High pressure will become established at the surface, later Tuesday into Thursday night, shifting east on Friday. The upper trough will bring a chance for showers and a few thunderstorms over far northern Minnesota Monday and Tuesday with the rest of the region dry. High temperatures both days will be in the seventies. A dry period will then occur Tuesday night into Thursday with highs warming toward or a bit above normal. We have a chance for showers/storms late week into Saturday as the models do show a shortwave moving through during that time, although there are some significant timing differences. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Sunday night) Issued at 1221 AM CDT Sun Jul 26 2020 Thunderstorms will be east of HYR at the start of the forecast as a large storm complex moves through southern Minnesota. Areas of BR, with some isold FG, have developed over HIB with LIFR/VLIFR vsbys. Other stations are across the Northland are beginning to report FG as well. The BR and FG should erode around sunrise with vsbys and cigs returning to VFR. A cold front in eastern North Dakota will gradually move past the terminals on Sunday. Additional showers and a few thunderstorms may occur along and ahead of the front. Timing is in question and have VCSH mention until the activity gets closer. After fropa, look for a gusty northwest wind to affect the terminals. && .MARINE... Issued at 941 PM CDT Sat Jul 25 2020 There will be a scattered showers and thunderstorms tonight. Winds will veer to west to southwest on Sunday and be 15 knots or less. A few showers and storms will be possible through the day. Winds will veer to west to northwest Sunday night into Monday with speeds 15 knots or less Sunday night and they will be around 15 knots with higher gusts on Monday. Most of the area will be dry Sunday night into Monday. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DLH 69 83 59 77 / 50 30 0 0 INL 64 79 57 75 / 20 20 0 30 BRD 68 80 58 77 / 10 20 0 0 HYR 70 85 57 78 / 50 50 10 0 ASX 71 86 60 80 / 60 30 10 0 && .DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...None. MN...None. LS...None. && SHORT TERM...Melde LONG TERM...Melde AVIATION...Britt/GSF MARINE...GSF/Melde
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Duluth MN 806 PM CDT Sat Jul 25 2020 MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038-270115- Koochiching-North St. Louis-Northern Cook/Northern Lake- North Itasca-Central St. Louis-Southern Lake/North Shore- Southern Cook/North Shore-North Cass-South Itasca-South Cass- Crow Wing-Northern Aitkin-South Aitkin-Carlton/South St. Louis- Pine- 806 PM CDT Sat Jul 25 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Minnesota. .DAY ONE...Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday There is a chance of thunderstorms Sunday, mainly over far eastern Minnesota into northern Wisconsin. Severe weather is not expected. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Skywarn spotter activation will not be needed tonight. WIZ001>004-006>009-270115- Douglas-Bayfield-Ashland-Iron-Burnett-Washburn-Sawyer-Price- 806 PM CDT Sat Jul 25 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northwest Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Tonight An isolated thunderstorm or two is possible this evening in northwest Wisconsin. Storms may produce heavy rainfall, small hail, and gusty winds, but severe storms are not anticipated. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Additional chances of thunderstorms will be possible Sunday, mainly over far eastern Minnesota into northern Wisconsin. Severe weather is not expected. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Skywarn spotter activation will not be needed tonight. LSZ121-140>148-270115- Bayfield to Oak Point WI-Grand Portage to Grand Marais MN- Grand Marais to Taconite Harbor MN- Taconite Harbor to Silver Bay Harbor MN- Silver Bay Harbor to Two Harbors MN-Two Harbors to Duluth MN- Duluth MN to Port Wing WI-Port Wing to Sand Island WI- Sand Island to Bayfield WI-Oak Point to Saxon Harbor WI- 806 PM CDT Sat Jul 25 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the Nearshore waters of western Lake Superior. .DAY ONE...Tonight The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday There is a low chance for thunderstorms Sunday. Severe weather is not expected. Winds will gust to 20 to 25 knots Monday and Tuesday. JJM More information may be obtained at the following web address: http://www.weather.gov/duluth (all lower case)
The Duluth radar (KDLH), 203 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:01 UTC.
7 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous roads were washed out in the town of Emery with a few culvert failures as well.
The water level on Musser Lake rose to one foot above normal levels and triggered the opening of all but one gate on the Musser Dam. The increased outflow then rose over the Musser Drive bridge just downstream of the day for a period of time resulting in the road being closed.
Some streets were flooded and closed in the town of Phillips.
Water over the roadway in the town of Worcester led to the roads being closed.
Numerous roads were closed due to water in the town of Fifield.
Water was over one of the lanes of State Highway 70/27 near the village of Couderay, but the road was still passable.
Water was over portions of County Road H near the village of Radisson.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, July 2020
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: 908368, 908370, 908364, 908371, 908374, 908365, 908366.