Tornadoes · United States · Minnesota · 2020
EF2 tornado, Vining to Henning, Minnesota, July 8, 2020
From Vining to Henning, this EF2 tornado ran 2.0 miles across Otter Tail County on July 8, 2020, touching down at 5:10 AM CDT and reaching 300 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $200,000 of property damage.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 mphthis tornado
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
The record
- Rating
- EF2
- Date
- July 8, 2020
- Touchdown
- 5:10 AM CDT (10:10 UTC)
- Lifted
- 5:15 AM CDT (10:15 UTC)
- On the ground
- 5 minutes
- Path length
- 2.0 miles (3.2 km)
- Path width
- 300 yards (274 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Crop damage
- $10,000
- County
- Otter Tail County
- Touchdown point
- 46.290, -95.490
- Lift-off point
- 46.307, -95.422
- Record number
- 2007080410-01
What the Weather Service recorded
A bowing line of severe thunderstorms tracked from western into central North Dakota during the evening of Tuesday, July 7th. Slightly after midnight CDT, July 8th, storms out ahead of the main bowing segment entered the Barnes/Griggs county area. Eventually the main bowing segment tracked through Griggs and Steele counties before weakening. North of the main bowing segment, strong winds also tracked through portions of Benson and Ramsey counties. After 3 am CDT, a second bowing line of storms took shape over Richland County, North Dakota, which tracked through Otter Tail County, Minnesota. This segment also produced very strong winds.
The tornado, wrapped in heavy rain and downburst winds, snapped multiple power poles at three points along its path. It also tossed calving sheds and flipped an irrigation system, while surrounding winds blew down trees in and around its path. Peak winds were estimated at 115 mph.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
27 minutes of warning. NWS FGF issued a tornado warning for this county at 09:43 UTC, 27 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 10:30 UTC.
The county was under a severe thunderstorm watch, issued at 07:13 UTC and running to 11:00 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07:13 UTC | 11:00 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | FGF |
| 08:58 UTC | 10:00 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF |
| 09:14 UTC | 09:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | FGF |
| 09:43 UTC | 10:30 UTC | Tornado Warning | FGF |
| 10:00 UTC | 10:45 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF |
| 10:20 UTC | 11:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | FGF |
| 10:53 UTC | 11:20 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FGF |
| 21:15 UTC | 05:00 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | FGF |
| 22:08 UTC | 23:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | FGF |
| 23:35 UTC | 00:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | FGF |
Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.
The forecast that day
The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk, with a 0.02 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 05:25 UTC.
SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.
The air that afternoon
The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.
Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), 00:00Z
10.2 hours before the tornado, 216 km from the path. July 8, 2020.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1166 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -10 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 2579 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1464 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 23 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 6 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 23 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 51 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.1
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 7.7 K/km
Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), 12:00Z
1.8 hours after it, 216 km from the path. July 8, 2020.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1297 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -141 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 1094 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1096 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 19 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 23 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 163 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 291 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 4.4 K/km
The radar
The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 197 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 10:09 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
What was reported nearby
Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:29 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Erhard | Otter Tail, MN | LARGE BRANCHES BROKEN DOWN AROUND TOWN. |
| 09:32 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 N Western | Otter Tail, MN | SEVERAL LARGE OAK TREES WERE SNAPPED ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF WESTERN TOWNSHIP. A WIDE SNARL WAS EVIDENT INDICATING A WEAK EMBEDDED CIRCULATION IN AN OTHERWISE DOWNBURST PATTERN. |
| 09:33 UTC | TSTM WND GST 62 | Fergus Falls | Otter Tail, MN | PEAK WIND MEASURED AT A PERSONAL WEATHER STATION. |
| 09:34 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 Ene Elizabeth | Otter Tail, MN | LARGE TREES BLOWN DOWN. A TREE BRANCH BROKE THROUGH THE ROOF AND CEILING OF A HOME ON JEWETT LAKE. REPORT AND PHOTO POSTED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. TIME ESTIMATED BASED ON RADAR. |
| 09:35 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 N Fergus Falls | Otter Tail, MN | A WIND TURBINE BLADE WAS SHATTERED. TIME ESTIMATED BASED ON RADAR. |
| 09:35 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 Sw Edwards | Otter Tail, MN | PICTURE SHARED BY BROADCAST MEDIA. TREE BRANCH THROUGH ROOF AND CEILING OF HOME NEAR LAKE JEWETT. TIME ESTIMATED. |
| 09:35 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Fergus Falls | Otter Tail, MN | PICTURE SHARED BY BROADCAST MEDIA. WIND TURBINE BLADES BENT. TIME ESTIMATED. |
| 09:35 UTC | TSTM WND GST 83 | 2 W Fergus Falls | Otter Tail, MN | PEAK WIND MEASURED AT THE FERGUS FALLS AIRPORT /KFFM/. |
| 09:35 UTC | TSTM WND GST 83 | 2 W Fergus Falls | Otter Tail, MN | PEAK WIND MEASURED AT THE FERGUS FALLS AIRPORT /KFFM/. |
| 09:37 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | 2 E Fergus Falls | Otter Tail, MN | FUNNEL CLOUD OBSERVED EAST OF TOWN MOVING TOWARDS UNDERWOOD. |
| 09:37 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | 2 E Fergus Falls | Otter Tail, MN | FUNNEL CLOUD OBSERVED EAST OF TOWN MOVING TOWARDS UNDERWOOD. |
| 09:37 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | 2 Ne Fergus Falls | Otter Tail, MN | FUNNEL CLOUD OBSERVED EAST OF TOWN MOVING TOWARDS UNDERWOOD. |
| 09:38 UTC | TORNADO 1 | 3 Sse Edwards | Otter Tail, MN | A TORNADO WRAPPED IN DOWNBURST WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN TRACKED INTERMITTENTLY TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST FOR NEARLY 18 MILES. IT LIKELY CROSSED PICKERAL AND LONG LAKES, ENDING JUST BEFORE RUSH LAKE AROUND 4NNW OF OTTERTAIL BY 50 |
| 09:55 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 6 Nne Elbow Lake | Grant, MN | A FEW LARGE BRANCHES WERE BROKEN DOWN IN SHELTER BELTS ACROSS NORTHERN POMME DE TERRE TOWNSHIP. TIME ESTIMATED BASED ON RADAR. |
| 10:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Ottertail | Otter Tail, MN | RELAYED BY BROADCAST MEDIA. TIME ESTIMATED. REPORT OF CLOSE TO TEN CAMPERS FLIPPED OVER AT LAKESIDE RV PARK. PICTURE SHARED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. NO INJURIES REPORTED AT THIS TIME. |
| 10:04 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Wsw Vining | Otter Tail, MN | NUMEROUS LARGE OAK BRANCHES BROKEN DOWN. |
| 10:10 UTC | TORNADO 2 | 3 Sw Henning | Otter Tail, MN | A TORNADO WRAPPED IN HEAVY RAIN AND DOWNBURST WINDS TRACKED TO THE ENE FOR ABOUT 2 MILES,ENDING ABOUT 1 SSE OF HENNING BY 515 AM CDT. IT SNAPPED MULTIPLE POWER POLES AT THREE POINTS ALONG ITS PATH. IT ALSO TOSSED CALVING |
| 10:15 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 E Henning | Otter Tail, MN | TREES BLOWN DOWN, AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM FLIPPED, CALF SHEDS TOSSED. STRONG WINDS FROM 510 THROUGH 520 AM CDT. REPORTS AND PHOTOS POSTED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. |
| 10:15 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 E Henning | Otter Tail, MN | TREES BLOWN DOWN, AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM FLIPPED, CALF SHEDS TOSSED. STRONG WINDS FROM 510 THROUGH 520 AM CDT. REPORTS AND PHOTOS POSTED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. |
| 10:15 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Ssw Ashby | Grant, MN | A FEW LARGE TREE BRANCHES BROKEN DOWN. |
| 10:30 UTC | TSTM WND GST 60 | 1 N New York Mills | Otter Tail, MN | PEAK WINDS MEASURED AT A PERSONAL WEATHER STATION. STRONG AND PERSISTENT WINDS WITH TREES LAYING SIDEWAYS. MULTIPLE GUSTS TO 60 MPH FROM 530 THROUGH 535 AM CDT. |
| 10:30 UTC | TSTM WND GST 60 | 1 N New York Mills | Otter Tail, MN | PEAK WINDS MEASURED AT A PERSONAL WEATHER STATION. STRONG AND PERSISTENT WINDS WITH TREES LAYING SIDEWAYS. MULTIPLE GUSTS TO 60 MPH FROM 530 THROUGH 535 AM CDT. |
| 10:34 UTC | TSTM WND GST 60 | 1 N New York Mills | Otter Tail, MN | PEAK WINDS MEASURED AT A PERSONAL WEATHER STATION. STRONG AND PERSISTENT WINDS WITH TREES LAYING SIDEWAYS. |
| 10:34 UTC | TSTM WND GST 60 | 1 N New York Mills | Otter Tail, MN | PEAK WINDS MEASURED AT A PERSONAL WEATHER STATION. STRONG AND PERSISTENT WINDS WITH TREES LAYING SIDEWAYS. |
| 11:05 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Nimrod | Wadena, MN | A FEW LARGE BRANCHES BROKEN DOWN. |
| 11:35 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1.5 | 1 Nnw Motley | Cass, MN | WIND GUSTS KNOCKED OVER 2 FT PLANTERS. |
| 11:48 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1.27 | 1 Nw Motley | Cass, MN | STILL RAINING AT THE TIME OF THE REPORT. RAIN HAD FALLEN OVER ABOUT A 30 MINUTE PERIOD. |
| 12:00 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1 | 2 Wsw Deer Creek | Otter Tail, MN | COCORAHS STATION MN-OT-7 DEER CREEK MN 2.0 WSW. |
| 12:00 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1.06 | 2 Wnw Ottertail | Otter Tail, MN | COCORAHS STATION MN-OT-9 OTTERTAIL MN 1.5 NNW. |
| 12:00 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1.09 | Fergus Falls | Otter Tail, MN | COCORAHS STATION MN-OT-5 FERGUS FALLS MN 0.5 E. |
| 12:00 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1.22 | Sebeka | Wadena, MN | CO-OP OBSERVER STATION SEBM5 SEBEKA MN. |
| 12:00 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1.24 | 6 Nne Fergus Falls | Otter Tail, MN | COCORAHS STATION MN-OT-16 FERGUS FALLS MN 5.6 NNE. |
| 12:00 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1.54 | 12 E Detroit Lakes | Otter Tail, MN | |
| 12:00 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1.76 | 5 Nw Dalton | Otter Tail, MN | COCORAHS STATION MN-OT-17 FERGUS FALLS MN 6.3 SE. |
| 12:00 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1.87 | 6 E Perham | Otter Tail, MN | COCORAHS STATION MN-OT-33 PERHAM MN 5.7 E. |
| 12:00 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1.88 | 3 Ene Clitherall | Otter Tail, MN | COCORAHS STATION MN-OT-32 HENNING MN 6.9 WSW. |
| 12:00 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1.98 | 1 Wsw Clitherall | Otter Tail, MN | COCORAHS STATION MN-OT-11 CLITHERALL MN 1.1 WSW. |
| 12:00 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 2.19 | 4 Sse Battle Lake | Otter Tail, MN | COCORAHS STATION MN-OT-36 BATTLE LAKE MN 3.3 SSE. |
| 12:30 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 1.3 | 1 Ssw New York Mills | Otter Tail, MN | CO-OP OBSERVER STATION NYMM5 NEW YORK MILLS MN. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2020 tornado in MinnesotaEvery tornado in Minnesota since 1950Warnings in force in Minnesota nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of July 8, 2020
17 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 8 | 4:20 AM CDT | EF1 | Wilkin, MN | 12.4 | 200 | $550,000 | ||
| July 8 | 4:38 AM CDT | EF1 | Otter Tail, MN | 18.7 | 250 | $750,000 | ||
| July 8 | 4:04 PM CDT | Unrated | Whiteside, IL | 0.3 | 10 | |||
| July 8 | 5:08 PM CDT | EF4 | Ashby–Dalton tornado, MN | 8.9 | 650 | 1 | 2 | $1.6 million |
| July 8 | 6:32 PM CDT | EF0 | Otter Tail, MN | 0.2 | 20 | |||
| July 8 | 5:49 PM MDT | EF0 | Sedgwick, CO | 0.0 | 50 | |||
| July 8 | 5:50 PM MDT | Unrated | Perkins, NE | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| July 8 | 5:55 PM MDT | Unrated | Perkins, NE | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| July 8 | 5:59 PM MDT | EF0 | Sedgwick, CO | 0.0 | 50 | |||
| July 8 | 6:01 PM MDT | Unrated | Perkins, NE | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| July 8 | 6:04 PM MDT | EF0 | Sedgwick, CO | 0.0 | 50 | |||
| July 8 | 6:04 PM MDT | EF0 | Phillips, CO | 0.0 | 50 | |||
| July 8 | 6:10 PM MDT | EF0 | Sedgwick, CO | 0.0 | 50 | |||
| July 8 | 7:15 PM CDT | EF0 | Crow Wing, MN | 7.4 | 50 | $10,000 | ||
| July 8 | 6:19 PM MDT | EF0 | Sedgwick, CO | 0.0 | 50 | |||
| July 8 | 7:55 PM CDT | Unrated | Thomas, NE | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| July 8 | 11:29 PM CDT | EF0 | Merrick, NE | 4.2 | 130 | $200,000 |
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.