Rain and thunder into this evening; tornado watch in far southern Minnesota until 10 p.m.
Scattered showers will linger into this Saturday evening in the Twin Cities metro area, with an isolated thunderstorm also possible in the south metro.
Steadier rains and more numerous thunderstorms will move across portions of southern Minnesota.
Thunderstorms could become severe in parts of south-central and southeastern Minnesota this Saturday afternoon and evening.
The Storm Prediction Center of the National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch which runs until 10 p.m. CDT Saturday for seven counties in southern Minnesota:
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The tornado watch does not include the Twin Cities metro area.
Details of the tornado watch:
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Tornado Watch Number 165
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
225 PM CDT Sat Jun 9 2018
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Tornado Watch for portions of
North-central and northeast Iowa
Far south-central and southeast Minnesota
* Effective this Saturday afternoon and evening from 225 PM until
1000 PM CDT.
* Primary threats include...
A few tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes possible
Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
to 75 mph possible
Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
inches in diameter possible
SUMMARY...A few supercells should develop near the Minnesota-Iowa
border and spread southeast across north-central and northeast Iowa
into the evening. All severe hazards will be possible, before a
likely transition to a linear cluster later this evening, with
damaging winds becoming the primary hazard.
The tornado watch area is approximately along and 70 statute miles
east and west of a line from 30 miles west northwest of Rochester MN
to 40 miles southeast of Waterloo IA. For a complete depiction of
the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS
WOU5).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
REMEMBER...A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
and possible warnings.
&&
AVIATION...Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
storm motion vector 28030.
The tornado watch includes seven Minnesota counties, per the SPC:
MINNESOTA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE
DODGE FARIBAULT FILLMORE
FREEBORN MOWER STEELE
WASECA
Updated weather information can be heard on the Minnesota Public Radio Network, and updates are also posted on the MPR News live weather blog.
Flooding possible
Some areas have seen heavy rain today, and additional rain is expected in the Twin Cities metro area and much of southern Minnesota into this Saturday evening.
The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood watch for parts of southern Minnesota through this Saturday afternoon and evening:
The Twin Cities metro area is not included the flash flood watch, which covers much of south-central Minnesota and part of southeastern Minnesota.
Programming note
You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:49 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:35 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.