A well-defined cold front associated with a strong upper level low produced widespread wind damage in western Wisconsin, as well as three tornadoes in Pierce and St Croix Counties on August 29th, 2024.
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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 well-defined cold front associated with a strong upper level low produced widespread wind damage in western Wisconsin, as well as three tornadoes in Pierce and St Croix Counties on August 29th, 2024.
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 29, 2:17 PM CST, 2 hours 8 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 317 PM CDT Thu Aug 29 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - A line of severe storms is ongoing this afternoon and will continue through this evening. The main threats are damaging winds and heavy rainfall, but a couple of tornadoes and large hail are also possible. - Following this event, the weather will be pleasant through early next week. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 216 PM CDT Thu Aug 29 2024 Severe storms are ongoing across west central and south central Minnesota ahead of a front. Storm mode is somewhat messy, but these initial storms will pose the greatest risk for a tornado or two before things are expected to grow upscale and transition to more of a damaging wind threat. The question is when/how far east this transition will happen. SPC mesoanalysis suggests the environment is more favorable for tornadoes across east central Minnesota into western Wisconsin, so if cells can remain discreet enough, the tornado threat will persist. The 19z MPX special sounding shows impressive CAPE of 4200 J/kg and 35kts of shear, which is considerably more shear than we saw with Monday's round of severe weather. While pwats are around 1.5" (down from over 2" Monday evening), locally heavy rain is still possible with QPF totals around 1 to 1.5". Storms are also about an hour or so ahead of our initial thinking, so expecting storms to reach the metro closer to 4:30-5pm and Wisconsin by 6pm. Showers aren't expected to linger long behind this initial line, so thinking any precip will come to an end by midnight. Following this system, tranquil weather will prevail through the end of the period. Temperatures this weekend will be in the low 80s for Saturday before falling into the low 70s for Sunday and Monday. Temperatures slowly creep back into the 80s by midweek with dry weather continuing. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY/... Issued at 1240 PM CDT Thu Aug 29 2024 The IFR/MVFR stratus deck has shifted NE, but will still impact the western Wisconsin sites for the early afternoon. A pocket of clearing is visible over much of central Minnesota, while convection is becoming more widespread along the western MN border. As the front sags southeast, a period of heavy rain and convective wind gusts will likely impact each site. Behind the line, cigs will quickly rise and winds will weaken and shift out of the NW. There is a chance for low stratus and patchy fog for some locations overnight, especially over western Wisconsin. KMSP...Timing is still on track, so not too much change for the ongoing TAF. Scattered storms could arrive ahead of the front around 20z, with the main line moving through close to 21-23z. Some models indicate that more isolated storms storms could fill in behind the main line, so we have maintained the tempo through 01z for now. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ SAT...VFR. Wind SW 10-15kts. SUN...VFR. Wind N 5-10kts. MON...VFR. Wind S 5-10kts. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...None. WI...None. && DISCUSSION...Dye AVIATION...BED
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 338 PM CDT Thu Aug 29 2024 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 302045- 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- 338 PM CDT Thu Aug 29 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central and southern Minnesota, and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Strong to severe thunderstorms will continue through late this evening, mainly across eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Locally heavy rainfall is also possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN spotter activation may be needed.
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
446 PM CDT Thu Aug 29 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0422 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 ESE Ramsey 45.24N 93.39W
08/29/2024 Anoka MN Public
Photo report via X. Multiple large trees
snapped. Time estimated from radar.
&&
BEDSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
454 PM CDT Thu Aug 29 2024
MNZ077-084-085-292230-
Steele MN-Waseca MN-Rice MN-
454 PM CDT Thu Aug 29 2024
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT STEELE...EASTERN WASECA AND
SOUTHERN RICE COUNTIES THROUGH 530 PM CDT...
At 454 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Waterville to 5 miles east of Waldorf.
Movement was east at 50 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Owatonna, Faribault, Waseca, Medford, New Richland, Morristown,
Warsaw, Nerstrand, Otisco, Lemond, Clinton Falls, and Merton.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 35 between mile markers 32 and 58.
U.S. Highway 14 between mile markers 153 and 182.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM CDT for
south central Minnesota.
&&
LAT...LON 4386 9364 4420 9360 4420 9352 4426 9352
4439 9304 4399 9305
TIME...MOT...LOC 2154Z 252DEG 45KT 4420 9355 4392 9360
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
RMDPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
458 PM CDT Thu Aug 29 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0445 PM Tornado 4 E Isanti 45.50N 93.16W
08/29/2024 Isanti MN Law Enforcement
Law enforcement confirmed a tornado touched
down and has since lifted near the
intersection of Durant St and County Rd 5
east of Isanti.
&&
BEDPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
505 PM CDT Thu Aug 29 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0434 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 1 SSW Bethel 45.38N 93.28W
08/29/2024 Anoka MN Trained Spotter
Numerous large trees down, overturned truck
and camper trailer blocking road near the
intersection of 229th Ave and Holly St. Time
estimated from radar.
&&
BEDPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
516 PM CDT Thu Aug 29 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0446 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 4 E Isanti 45.50N 93.16W
08/29/2024 Isanti MN Trained Spotter
Delayed report of 8 inch, live trees snapped
off halfway up near County Road 5 and Durant
St east of Isanti.
&&
BEDPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
522 PM CDT Thu Aug 29 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0456 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 SE Eagan 44.79N 93.12W
08/29/2024 Dakota MN Public
Photo report via X. Maple tree snapped near
base. Time estimated from radar.
&&
BEDThe Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 110 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:24 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind, 3 tornado, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
County Dispatch reported trees down in the village of Balsam Lake.
A tornado developed at the southern edge of Bellwood Oaks Golf Course, in Dakota County. It moved northeast and tracked across a sliver of northern Goodhue County before crossing the Mississippi River into Wisconsin, about 5 miles southeast of Prescott. Several dozen trees were broken or uprooted and a trailer was flipped.
The tornado damaged a couple hundred trees along a sporadic path. It also hit a house, removing part of its roof with pole barn type construction, and one wall collapsed.
Photos provided via social media of several trees down in the village of Beldenville.
County Dispatch reported 4-5 inches of standing water in the village of Amery.
The tornado knocked down or broke about two dozen trees. It was caught on video by a Wisconsin Department of Transportation camera located at Interstate 94 and Highway 128.
Large tree down blocking road just south of I-94 near Wilson.
Two semi-truck trailers were flipped at a truck stop.
A few trees and power lines were down in the area near US-12 and CR K.
A few trees and large branches were down near 370th St and 950th Ave, southeast of Boyceville. Some were across roads.
County Dispatch reported trees down along 25 3/4 St.
Shed was uplifted which caused damage to lawn mower.
County Dispatch reported numerous trees and powerlines down in SW Eau Claire.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Wisconsin, 2024Warnings in Wisconsin, August 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: 1213263, 1200978, 1198806, 1213267, 1212639, 1198807, 1213275, 1213276, 1213279, 1213281, 1213282, 1213284, 1213283.