Strong to severe storms likely Tuesday night across southern Minnesota
Season's first severe risk late Tuesday for Twin Cities; weekend was a soaker
Our fading drought is turning into a soggy spring across much of Minnesota.
Our latest soaking rainfall delivered between 1 and 3 inches of rainfall across much of Minnesota since last Friday morning.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor System precipitation map below shows the widespread soak zone since last Friday morning.
Here are some select three-day rainfall totals from last Friday through Monday morning. Some areas picked up more than 3 inches of rainfall!
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Annandale, 4.02 inches
Pipestone, 3.48 inches
Montevideo, 3.32 inches
Sartell, 2.84 inches
Victoria, 1.36 inches (west metro)
Maplewood, 1.26 inches (east metro)
So far this month there are some impressive rainfall totals:
Montevideo, 5.24 inches
Pipestone, 5.44 inches
Sartell, 6.3 inches
Sartell has picked up a total of 9.4 inches of precipitation so far this year.
Severe risk Tuesday
It’s gray and a little soggy out there this Monday. Our next significant storm arrives in Minnesota Tuesday afternoon and evening.
NOAA’s Finite-Volume Cubed-Sphere Dynamical Core model shows a low-pressure wave and cold front driving a line of thunderstorms across Minnesota Tuesday afternoon into the evening.
The storms are most likely to reach the Twin Cities between about 6 and 8 p.m. Tuesday.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center lays out a slight risk for severe storms across southwestern Minnesota Tuesday. A marginal (lower) risk extends farther north and includes the greater Twin Cities area.
The primary threats Tuesday are damaging wind gusts to 70 mph and large hail of at least 1 inch in diameter. Tornadoes do not look to be widespread but these types of storms can occasionally produce relatively brief squall line-type tornadoes.
Keep an eye and ear out for possible severe weather watches and warnings on Tuesday!