MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Strong thunderstorms moved across Minnesota overnight Wednesday, bringing heavy rain, lightning, thunder and gusty winds to the Twin Cities metro and points west. The storms left thousands of Xcel Energy customers without power as they pushed east toward Wisconsin.
The National Weather Service kept parts of the region under severe weather alerts through the early morning hours, with some metro counties facing warnings and others covered by watches and special weather statements.
Warnings Across the Metro
By early Wednesday, a severe thunderstorm warning was in effect for parts of the northeast metro, including Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington counties. The warning also covered nearby areas in western Wisconsin, with small hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph possible.
Earlier statements warned of wind up to 40 mph and pea-sized hail in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington. Another special weather statement covered areas including Ramsey, Elk River and Otsego, where gusts up to 50 mph and pea-sized hail were possible.
Outages And Damage Risk
As of 3:45 a.m., Xcel Energy reported 460 outages affecting just over 45,000 customers in Minnesota. The storms also prompted severe thunderstorm warnings in central Minnesota, where stronger cells carried the potential for wind gusts up to 80 mph in some areas.
Forecasters said the main threats overnight included damaging straight-line winds, large hail, localized heavy rain and the chance of a brief tornado. Some places also saw a tornado watch as the system developed across western Minnesota and the Dakotas.
Another Round Possible
Forecasters said the overnight storms were expected to weaken as they moved east, but they could still bring strong winds and heavy rain before leaving the metro. The way the system evolves will also affect the next round of weather.
Wednesday is expected to stay warm and humid, with more storms possible during the afternoon and evening. The Twin Cities metro remains in an enhanced risk area, with damaging winds, large hail and isolated tornadoes still on the table.
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