A line of thunderstorms moved across southern Minnesota during the early morning of May 24, 2024. Trees were snapped and the dugout at the baseball field was damaged in Waldorf MN.
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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 line of thunderstorms moved across southern Minnesota during the early morning of May 24, 2024. Trees were snapped and the dugout at the baseball field was damaged in Waldorf MN.
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 May 24, 2:29 AM CST, 1 hour 52 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 329 AM CDT Fri May 24 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Showers & thunderstorms expected this morning. A Marginal Risk of severe weather (mainly damaging wind and hail) across western Wisconsin this afternoon. - Cooler Memorial Day weekend with periodic chances for rain, mainly on Sunday.&& .DISCUSSION... Issued at 328 AM CDT Fri May 24 2024 Now through this evening...IR satellite imagery this morning showing a broad area of cold cloud tops extending from SW Minnesota to northern Kansas. Beneath the cloud cover, radar reflectivity showing an MCS that is producing quite the pre-dawn stir in Nebraska and Iowa. Meanwhile at the Minnesota/Iowa border, a discrete warm front is providing some buoyancy to where convection has developed. These storms will gradually make there way north/northeast and eventually become less organized as they decouple away from the better forcing environment over Iowa. Prior to sunrise, the threat of severe weather remains low however near-term RAP Soundings showing elevated instability of ~1500 J/kg along with weak low-level shear of 30kts. Therefore a few cells across southern MN may become strong and briefly produce sub-severe hail and gusty winds. Rainfall is expected to have a few hours of pause late this morning before redevelopment occurs mainly along and east of the I-35 corridor this afternoon. Another round of severe storms is possible for this region but the ongoing convection early this morning will have influence on the environment later this afternoon as noted in the latest SPC Convective Outlook. Highest confidence for the strongest convection will be tied to our Wisconsin counties with the primary hazards being mainly wind and hail, however a weak tornado cannot be ruled out given shear profiles. Rainfall amounts remaining on track with previous thinking ranging from 0.25" to 0.50" across central MN and southern MN to western WI seeing 0.50 to an 1.00" Temperatures today will near be near the 70 deg mark. Winds will also be increased given the passage of this cold front. Western MN could see 30-35mph wind gusts before decreasing this evening. Memorial Day weekend...For the eager beavers ready to kick off their memorial day holiday plans, overall the forecast looks fairly decent and slightly cooler. A series of shortwaves associated with an upper- level troughing pattern out to our west will eject several shortwaves towards the central CONUS. Saturday will be quiet except for increasing cloudiness in the afternoon with temps in the low 70s. Sunday looks like "worst" day of the weekend as likely PoPs have been introduced with the latest NBM guidance, especially across southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Sunday temps will range in the mid 60s to low 70s. Memorial Day Monday features partly cloudy skies with a chance of showers/storms and highs in the upper 60s. According to the MN State Climatology office, this temperature forecast falls in slightly cooler than what we typically see for this holiday weekend. As there have been some hot Memorial Days in the past. Looking into the latter half of next week, temperatures will remain in the 70s with periodic rain chances but also potential to dry out for a few days and slightly warmer than average temperatures as we head into June. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 1215 AM CDT Fri May 24 2024 VFR to start for all TAF sites. However, conditions are expected to become degraded starting in SW MN as SHRA/TSRA move in from the central Plains. MVFR conditions are likely with the activity, with IFR visibilities possible in some of the heavier storms. TSRA may well persist into the early afternoon hours with additional rounds of precipitation that look to develop. Clearing is likely late afternoon through the evening hours as the frontal boundary responsible for the precipitation moves into WI, towards the Great Lakes. Winds will start out SE, then gradually veer around the compass, eventually becoming W by late this afternoon into this evening. Speeds will increase to around 15G25kts this afternoon, mainly behind the precipitation. KMSP...Timing for initial round of TS looks to be between 11z-15z, or essentially throughout the duration of the morning push. Have held conditions as MVFR but visibilities down to around 2sm cannot be ruled out. Next round of TS may be around 18z or so, but confidence on that occurrence is lower so have held TS to just the morning hours at this point and will see how radar trends evolve later on this morning into early afternoon. VFR conditions likely come time of the afternoon push. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ SAT...VFR. Wind SW 10 kts. SUN...VFR. Chance -SHRA/MVFR. Wind E to NE 10 kts. MON...VFR. Chance -SHRA/MVFR. Wind NW 10-15 kts. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...None. WI...None. && DISCUSSION...Dunleavy AVIATION...JPC
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 315 AM CDT Fri May 24 2024 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 250800- 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- 315 AM CDT Fri May 24 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central and southern Minnesota, and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Scattered thunderstorms are expected through this afternoon. A few storms may be strong to severe, with large hail and damaging winds the main hazards. Recent heavy rainfall will lead to rises on rivers and their tributaries. While additional flooding may not occur today, precautions may be advisable at several locations. Refer to the latest river level forecasts for additional information. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Recent heavy rainfall will lead to rises on rivers and their tributaries through the Memorial Day weekend, with some rivers reaching flood stage. Refer to the latest river level forecasts for additional information. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN spotter activation may be needed today.
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 225 AM CDT Fri May 24 2024 MNZ091-240800- Martin MN- 225 AM CDT Fri May 24 2024 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT MARTIN COUNTY THROUGH 300 AM CDT... At 224 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from near Jackson In Jackson County to near Iowa Lake. Movement was north at 30 mph. HAZARD...Penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible. Locations impacted include... Fairmont, Sherburn, Truman, Trimont, Welcome, Ceylon, Iowa Lake, Granada, Northrop, Dunnell, Ormsby, and Fairmont Airport. This includes Interstate 90 between mile markers 82 and 106. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement agency. They will relay your report to the National Weather Service office in the Twin Cities. && LAT...LON 4351 9485 4385 9485 4385 9427 4350 9446 TIME...MOT...LOC 0724Z 184DEG 25KT 4359 9504 4349 9452 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH JPC
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
517 AM CDT Fri May 24 2024
MNZ076-083-084-241100-
Le Sueur MN-Waseca MN-Blue Earth MN-
517 AM CDT Fri May 24 2024
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT SOUTHWESTERN LE SUEUR...
NORTHEASTERN BLUE EARTH AND WESTERN WASECA COUNTIES THROUGH 600 AM
CDT...
At 516 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a cluster of strong
thunderstorms along a line extending from near Mankato to Waldorf.
Movement was north at 40 mph.
HAZARD...Penny size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible.
Locations impacted include...
Mankato, North Mankato, St. Peter, Waseca, Le Sueur, Le Center, Eagle
Lake, Janesville, Waterville, Madison Lake, St. Clair, and Kasota.
This includes the following highways...
U.S. Highway 14 between mile markers 130 and 158.
U.S. Highway 169 between mile markers 53 and 55, and mile marker 69
and near mile marker 79.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 4411 9405 4417 9403 4417 9401 4420 9402
4430 9398 4434 9393 4436 9396 4449 9390
4424 9351 4420 9352 4419 9348 4385 9361
TIME...MOT...LOC 1016Z 193DEG 35KT 4412 9396 4394 9367
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH
JPCThe Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 103 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:20 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A baseball field dugout was destroyed and a large tree was split. Large branches were also downed. Pictures were relayed via Slack. Time estimated by radar.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, May 2024
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: 1184767.