Winter storm warnings in northern Minnesota

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The first tornadoes ever recorded in Minnesota

 in December (and meteorological winter) touched down and caused damage Wednesday night. 

The Twin Cities National Weather Service office field survey team confirms tornado damage in Hartland, Minn., about 13 miles northwest of Albert Lea. 

A second tornado is confirmed near Lewiston near Winona by the La Crosse National Weather Service office. This tornado is part of a string of eight tornadoes touching down from northeast Iowa into Wisconsin. 

The previous record for the latest tornado in Minnesota was Nov. 16. The earliest tornado ever recorded in Minnesota in spring is March 6. 

The bigger picture of this unprecedented December severe weather event makes it one of the strongest storms on record in the U.S. It has produced more 75 mph wind gusts than any U.S. storm since 2004. It’s the first such storm to do so in winter. It even surpassed the Iowa derecho from August 2020. 

The next week looks much more like December on the weather maps. Highs in the 20s will be common over the next week in the south, with teens up north. Light snow will fall across much of central and northern Minnesota late Friday and Friday night. Most of the accumulation will be north of the Twin Cities. 

I think we can all use a respite from our wild record “December” weather. 

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

A powerful unseasonable December storm sets records. 

Debris covers a car following a severe storm

First December tornadoes on record confirmed; more typical winter weather ahead

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