Heavy hail and heavy rain hit Minnesota on Wednesday, and harsher weather will make its way through the twin cities tonight and Thursday.
The tornado warning for areas of Dakota County, including Egan, Lakeville and Burnsville, as well as for Anoka, Henpen and Ramsey counties, expired shortly before 9 pm, the National Weather Service said.
Parts of Waseka and Blue Earth counties in southern Minnesota were under tornado warning until 9:15 p.m., according to the service. A series of clocks and thunderstorm warnings were in effect around southern Minnesota, with more added across the St. Croix River, now including areas of northwestern Wisconsin.
The storms brought heavy rains and winds, as well as light hail. Storm sirens rang in the subway, including in Minneapolis. Widespread power outages have been reported with around 75,000 Xcel Energy customers without service. Heavy rain flooded the streets around the twin cities.
The flood warning was called for cars that stopped and partially sank in Minneapolis at 50th Street and Nicolet Avenue, 28th Street and Lindale Avenue, 38th Avenue, 42nd East Street and 78th Street at Gleason Road. in Edina. The flood in the Mall of America also led to a temporary shutdown of the light rail.
“It’s going to be a good night so you can get weather alerts,” said meteorologist Chris O’Brien, who works at the Chanhasen Meteorological Office.
A tornado clock was released earlier Wednesday in southeastern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities and northwestern Wisconsin subways until midnight. Another is in effect until 21:00 in southwestern Minnesota, covering an area from Mankato south to the Iowa border and west to Mitchell, SD The clock also covers northwestern Iowa, the National Weather Service said.
Heavy thunderstorms brought heavy rains and hail to much of southern and central Minnesota on Wednesday with winds up to 80 mph, the National Weather Service said.
“The subway escaped the first round,” he said. “We are expecting a more powerful storm later today,” it is forecast to arrive between 6pm and 9pm as it arrives on the subway. Rain, strong winds, hail and tornadoes are possible, O’Brien said.
Earlier on Wednesday, storms threw more than 3 inches of rain near Vaseka, and hail with a diameter of 1 inch or more was reported in Plainview, Casson, Pine Island, St. Michael and Cottonwood. The largest stones – 2 inches in diameter or the size of a tennis ball – fell in Oronoko, a town north of Rochester, the meteorological service said.
Some Xcel Energy customers lost their service in the St. Cloud area after the morning storms that passed through Stearns County.
Wednesday’s wild weather comes two days after powerful storms tore power lines, knocked down dozens of trees and damaged buildings in Chicago County and Polk County in western Wisconsin. Residents of Lindstrom, Minnesota, were still clearing damage from Monday’s storm. Damage has been reported throughout Chicago County, the sheriff’s office said.
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