A cold front moved across the Upper Midwest on the 5th and led to the development of a few thunderstorms as it passed. One of the storms was stronger than most and led to some isolated wind damage in Pine County.
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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 cold front moved across the Upper Midwest on the 5th and led to the development of a few thunderstorms as it passed. One of the storms was stronger than most and led to some isolated wind damage in Pine County.
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 Jun 5, 11:28 AM CST, 39 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Duluth MN
1228 PM CDT Fri Jun 5 2026
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Isolated severe thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and
evening from the Brainerd Lakes area eastward across the
Interstate 35 corridor and northwest Wisconsin.
- Additional rainfall amounts through the weekend, mainly for
locations near and south of US-2, average 0.10 to 0.30 inch,
with most getting the lower amounts or less. Localized
locations under heavier storms could receive around 0.50 inch.
- Near critical to possible critical fire weather conditions for
areas north of the Iron Range in far northern Minnesota Sunday
afternoon and evening.
- Heat dome next week brings high confidence in at least
Moderate (Level 2 of 4) heat-related impacts to entire region
away from Lake Superior shorelines. Areas of Major (Level 3 of
4) impacts north-central Minnesota and inland northwest
Wisconsin.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 316 AM CDT Fri Jun 5 2026
A weak cool front is moving through the Northland this
morning, with a couple clusters of thunderstorms ongoing this
morning ahead of the front. Storms have shown a weakening trend
over the last couple hours, and expect that trend to continue
through sunrise. In the wake of rain, fog development is
expected especially at locations that saw rainfall Thursday
evening/night. Fog will linger through sunrise.
This afternoon and evening, a stronger cold front drives south
from Ontario into the region. Enhanced moisture and daytime
heating will build a moderately unstable environment ahead of
the front. Severe thunderstorms are expected to develop,
warranting a Level 1 out of 5 (Marginal risk) for severe weather
from Brainerd, eastward across the Interstate 35 corridor and
all of northwest Wisconsin. Deep-layer wind shear will be
stronger than previous days, supporting organized storm
structures capable of producing damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph
and large hail. The risk will peak during the late afternoon
and evening hours before tracking south and east out of the area
Friday night. Total rainfall through the end of the week will
remain light and highly variable, generally ranging from one-
tenth to four- tenths of an inch, though localized higher
amounts can accompany the stronger storms while some areas miss
out entirely.
High pressure builds across the Upper Midwest on Saturday, bringing a
brief reprieve with clear skies and dry conditions. This quiet
interlude will be short-lived as a upper-level ridge begins to
amplify over the central United States by Sunday. Southerly to
southwesterly low-level winds will tighten, initiating a
significant and prolonged warming trend. High temperatures this
weekend will quickly climb well above seasonal averages,
placing the region firmly into an early summer weather pattern.
A short reprieve from the heat is possible Monday as a weather
system within southwesterly flow rotates northeastward into the
region, bringing Gulf moisture northward. Increased cloud cover
and rain chances will keep highs in the 70s and lower 80s. A
couple concerns with this weather pattern - a warm and dry
ridge is hard to overcome, and convective activity to our south
couple prevent deeper moisture from advecting as far north as
the Northland, limiting rain coverage and amounts.
A heat dome sets up over the Great Lakes region through next
week. Multiple days of consecutive high temperatures reaching
the upper 80s to lower 90s are forecast for interior portions of
the Northland. Southerly flow will continue to draw high Gulf
moisture northward, driving up dew points and increasing
humidity levels. Due to the extended duration of these hot days
and warm overnight lows, we will be monitoring the need for
possible heat headlines by the middle of next week. Nearly all
of the region will see Moderate (Level 2 of 4) heat risk impacts
with areas of Major (Level 3 of 4) impacts possible in north-
central Minnesota and inland northwest Wisconsin. Active
southwesterly flow aloft around the periphery of the ridge will
maintain daily, isolated chances for showers and thunderstorms
from Tuesday through Thursday, though no widespread pattern-
breaking rainfall is expected to disrupt the heat.
&&
.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/...
Issued at 1229 PM CDT Fri Jun 5 2026
A few different rounds of thunderstorms, isolated severe, are
expected through 06Z this evening for terminals south of the
Iron Range. Erratic, damaging wind gusts to 50 knots and large
hail around an inch in size are the primary hazards from any
isolated severe thunderstorms. After the storms depart, fog and
mist is again expected after 06Z tonight and to linger through
13Z...producing IFR to MVFR visibilities under mostly clear
skies. Terminals along the North and South Shore though could
see lake-enhanced dense fog though tomorrow morning so will be
monitoring those TAFs. Quiet VFR conditions Saturday daytime.
&&
.MARINE /FOR NEARSHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR/...
Issued at 316 AM CDT Fri Jun 5 2026
Quiet conditions prevail across the nearshore waters of western Lake
Superior through Saturday. Winds will be from the southwest at
5 to 10 knots today with waves 1 to 2 feet or less. Winds become
light and variable around 5 to 10 knots Saturday. Waves will
drop to 1 foot or less for Saturday. Scattered showers and
thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and night, with
locally higher wind gusts and small hail possible near any
stronger storms. Expect a wind shift to easterly Saturday
evening, then to the northeast on Sunday and increasing to from
10 to 15 knots.
For the open water discussion, refer to the NWS Marquette Area
Forecast Discussion at weather.gov/mqt.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 316 AM CDT Fri Jun 5 2026
A weak cold front moves through the area today, with light
westerly winds this morning increasing to 5-10 mph this
afternoon. Winds become light and variable tonight, then
predominantly from the northwest to north Saturday at less than
10 mph. Low- level moisture continues to increase today,
keeping minimum relative humidity values above 30 percent this
afternoon, despite highs warming into the 80s.
Wetting rain chances have dwindled, with sparse, scattered
amounts under one- quarter of an inch expected through tonight.
Dry conditions rule Saturday and Sunday, with relative humidity
values dropping to 25 to 30 percent north of the Iron Range.
Southwest winds increase Sunday with gusts to 25 mph. Sunday
will be another day to watch for near- critical fire weather
conditions.
See the Fire Weather Forecast product for a more thorough
breakdown of fire weather conditions.
&&
.DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...Fire Weather Watch from Sunday afternoon through Sunday
evening for MNZ010-011-018.
WI...None.
MARINE...None.
&&
DISCUSSION...NLy/HA
AVIATION...NLy
MARINE...HA
FIRE WEATHER...NLy/HAHazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Duluth MN 319 AM CDT Fri Jun 5 2026 MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038-WIZ001>004-006>009-060830- 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-Douglas-Bayfield-Ashland-Iron-Burnett-Washburn-Sawyer-Price- 319 AM CDT Fri Jun 5 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and evening. Isolated severe storms capable of producing large hail and damaging winds are possible from the Brainerd Lakes area eastward across the I-35 corridor and Northwest Wisconsin. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday A heat dome next week brings at least Moderate and possibly Major Heat Risk Impacts to the Northland. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Skywarn spotters are encouraged to report hail of any size and rainfall amounts to the National Weather Service. LSZ121-140>148-150-060830- 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- Outer Apostle Islands Beyond 5 NM from Mainland- 319 AM CDT Fri Jun 5 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of Lake Superior and the Nearshore waters of western Lake Superior. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Thunderstorms chances continue today. Isolated severe storms capable of producing large hail and damaging winds are most likely Friday afternoon and evening for the Twin Ports and South Shore .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday Sunday in the southwest arm may be a day of conditions hazardous to small craft from gusty northeast winds and building waves. HA More information may be obtained at the following web address: http://www.weather.gov/duluth
The Duluth radar (KDLH), 113 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:06 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several photos were received showing several broken large pine trees. The trees were snapped about 20 to 30 feet above the ground.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, June 2026
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: 1344807.