Flash flooding could accompany this morning's storms
Updated: 8:17 a.m. | Posted: 6:50 a.m
Thunderstorms swept across western Wisconsin and central and southern Minnesota on Friday morning.
The National Weather Service issued warnings in the early morning that there could be flash flooding, high winds or hail in parts of the state.
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Rainfall totals at 8 a.m. showed 4.24 inches of rain in French Lake west of the Twin Cities, 3.14 inches near Manannah in Meeker County and 2.39 inches near Morristown in Rice County.
The service issued a flash flood warning for some central and west-central Minnesota counties for a time in the early warning.
The flash flood warning included southern Stearns County, southeastern Pope County, northern Meeker County, western Wright County, northern Kandiyohi County and northeastern Swift County.
About three inches of rain had already fallen in the affected area between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., according to the weather service. Authorities recommend that people in the path of flash floods move to higher ground and that motorists avoid flooded roads.
The National Weather Service also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for southeastern Faribault County and Freeborn County until 8 a.m. The agency wanted that storms there could include winds of up to 60 mph, with expected damage to trees, roofs and building siding.
Forecasters predict that some of Friday's storms could produce strong wind gusts and quarter-sized hail. As storms move out of west-central and south-central Minnesota on Friday afternoon, the heat may rise to 95 degrees.
Thunderstorms are again possible on Friday afternoon, primarily east of Interstate Hwy. 35. More thunderstorms are expected throughout the weekend and the again on Monday night.