A welcome dry stretch; update on flooding, July Fourth Bemidji tornado
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It was great that most of Minnesota, including the Twin Cities metro area, had dry weather for the fireworks last evening.
There were some showers in parts of southwestern and south-central Minnesota.
Bemidji tornado was an EF-1
Some trees were uprooted and a garage was lifted off of its foundation early Wednesday in Bemidji, Minn.:
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The Grand Forks, N.D., office of the National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado occurred just west of Bemidji State University at around 6:18 a.m. on July Fourth.
Their public information statement has details of the NWS damage survey:
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
714 PM CDT WED JUL 4 2018
...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 07/04/18 TORNADO EVENT IN BEMIDJI
MINNESOTA...
.OVERVIEW...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVED QUICKLY EAST ACROSS
NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF JULY 4TH. THESE
STORMS PRODUCED SCATTERED BUT SIGNIFICANT WIND DAMAGE. ONE TORNADO
OCCURRED, WITH A RATING OF EF-1, IN THE CITY OF BEMIDJI JUST
PRIOR TO 630 AM CDT.
RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 100 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 0.7 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 200 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: JULY 04 2018
START TIME: 6:18 AM CDT
START LOCATION: NEAR 15TH ST NW & NORTON AVE NW
CITY OF BEMIDJI / BELTRAMI COUNTY MN
START LAT/LON: 47.4831 / -94.8934
END DATE: JULY 04 2018
END TIME: 6:19 AM CDT
END LOCATION: NEAR 19TH ST NE & BEMIDJI AVE
CITY OF BEMIDJI / BELTRAMI COUNTY MN
END LAT/LON: 47.8774 / -94.8797
THIS TORNADO OCCURRED WEST OF BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY. ALONG ITS
PATH A GARAGE WAS LIFTED OFF ITS FOUNDATION, MANY ASH AND PINE
TREES WERE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED, SHINGLES AND ROOFS WERE DAMAGED,
AND PROJECTILES DAMAGED WINDOWS.
OTHER WIND DAMAGE OCCURRED OVER A WIDE AREA TO THE NORTH AND
SOUTH OF THE TORNADO PATH THROUGH MUCH OF BELTRAMI COUNTY
BETWEEN 6 AND 7 AM CDT.
EF SCALE: THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO
THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES.
EF0...WEAK......65 TO 85 MPH
EF1...WEAK......86 TO 110 MPH
EF2...STRONG....111 TO 135 MPH
EF3...STRONG....136 TO 165 MPH
EF4...VIOLENT...166 TO 200 MPH
EF5...VIOLENT...>200 MPH*
NOTE:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT AND PUBLICATION IN
NWS STORM DATA.
Additional details about Wednesday morning storm damage in eastern North Dakota and northern Minnesota, plus the radar loop, have been posted by the NWS.
A press release from Beltrami County Emergency Management notes that there was also straight-line wind damage in Bemidji and that the tornado developed too quickly for warning sirens to be activated:
"STORMS AREN'T TAKING A HOLIDAY...
IT'S GETTING REALLY OLD!" -MULLER...
PRESS RELEASE – CONFIRMED TORNADO HITS BEMIDJI
JULY 4TH, 2018
The National Weather Service Office out of Grand Forks, North Dakota and Beltrami County Emergency Management conducted a damage assessment on the afternoon of July 4th, 2018 following damaging severe weather that impacted southern Beltrami County in the early morning hours on the 4th of July.
A concentrated area of damage was identified across Bemidji west of Bemidji State University. The hardest hit area was across the central part of the City of Bemidji along 18th Street NW from Delton Ave NW to Bemidji Ave N and was approximately 200 yards wide.
Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down. Several garages and lighter construction building sustained damage along with shingle damage to residential roofs. Reviewing the damage it has been determined that a tornado rated at EF1 with winds of 90-100MPH impacted the area.
There was additional damage observed to the west/southwest of Bemidji that was likely the result of strong straight-line winds. A retired Sheriff’s Deputy reported seeing a funnel cloud just west of Bemidji moments before the damage reports started to be received by the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office 911 Center.
The tornado was associated with a large complex of thunderstorms that were moving across northern Minnesota in the early morning hours of July 4th. While there were no active severe weather warnings for Beltrami County at the time, the National Weather Service did have the area under a “Significant Weather Advisory” as anticipated impacts were below severe weather criteria.
The tornado developed very quickly and there was little to no time for warning. Outdoor warning sirens and CodeRED were not utilized as the storm impacts had expired before activation could take place. The tornado hit at approximately 6:30AM.
There were no injuries as a result of these storms.
This was the fourth significant severe weather incident to impact Beltrami County in the last six days. Beltrami County remains in a State of Emergency due to impacts from severe weather last week where winds of 80-100MPH did significant damage in the central and northeastern part of the county.
The National Weather Service will be releasing additional information on this weather event.
Some needed dry weather
Many parts of Minnesota have seen a lot of rain over the past week.
This rainfall map from the NWS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service covers the seven-day period ending at 7 a.m. Thursday:
Portions of southwestern Minnesota have seen 6 to 8 inches of rain this past week, with the bulk of that rain falling early Tuesday morning. There is one area of 5 to 8 inches of rain in northern Minnesota.
Mostly dry weather is expected across Minnesota through Saturday. There's a chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms Saturday night and Sunday in the north. Southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro area could see a few scattered showers and thunderstorms Sunday evening and Sunday night.
Flood warning update
The Twin Cities office of the NWS has flood warnings shaded green on their main page:
You can click on the map on the NWS site to get warning details.
Here is a sampling of current flood warnings:
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
344 PM CDT WED JUL 4 2018
MNC127-052115-
/O.EXT.KMPX.FA.W.0010.000000T0000Z-180705T2115Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Redwood MN-
344 PM CDT WED JUL 4 2018
The National Weather Service in The Twin Cities has extended the
* Flood Warning for...
West central Redwood County in southwestern Minnesota...
* Until 415 PM CDT Thursday.
* At 330 PM CDT, several reports from law enforcement, river gauges
along the Redwood River, and observed flooding, the flood warning
will be extended through 4 PM CDT Thursday. The Redwood River from
Russell, downstream to Redwood Falls has fluctuated over the past
24 hours, with another crest likely from Russell, downstream to
Redwood Falls, in the next 24 to 48 hours.
* Some locations that will experience flooding include...
Vesta and Milroy.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small
creeks and streams, country roads, farmland, and other low lying
spots.
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
333 PM CDT WED JUL 4 2018
MNC015-127-052100-
/O.EXT.KMPX.FA.W.0009.000000T0000Z-180705T2100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Redwood MN-Brown MN-
333 PM CDT WED JUL 4 2018
The National Weather Service in The Twin Cities has extended the
* Flood Warning for...
Southern Redwood County in southwestern Minnesota...
Southwestern Brown County in south central Minnesota...
* Until 400 PM CDT Thursday.
* At 330 PM CDT, local law enforcement, river gauges, and observed
high water along many creeks, streams and rivers, the flood
warning has been extended until 4 PM CDT Thursday. The Cottonwood
River has not crested downstream from Lamberton to New Ulm.
However, based on a river gauge at Lamberton, the river has
crested at this point. In addition, a record flood crest is
expected at Springfield, along the Cottonwood River, on Thursday.
Any additional rainfall will likely alter the river levels through
tomorrow.
* Some locations that will experience flooding include...
Sleepy Eye, Springfield, Walnut Grove, Lamberton, Sanborn, Lucan,
Clements, Revere, Wanda and Cobden.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small
creeks and streams, country roads, farmland, and other low lying
spots.
Flood Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
514 AM CDT Thu Jul 5 2018
...The flood warning continues for the following rivers in
Minnesota...
Cottonwood River at New Ulm affecting Brown County
Minnesota River at Henderson MN19 affecting Le Sueur...Scott and
Sibley Counties
Minnesota River near Jordan affecting Carver and Scott Counties
Minnesota River at Savage affecting Dakota...Hennepin and Scott
Counties
Redwood River near Redwood Falls affecting Redwood County
.Overview...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Do not drive cars through flooded areas. Turn Around...Don`t Drown.
Stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio or your local radio or TV station
for the latest information concerning this flood event.
You can also find graphical NWS updates on river levels for many spots around Minnesota throughout the day and night.
If the location of interest is not listed there, try the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service page and click on a location for river level details and forecasts.
The latest hydrograph for the Cottonwood River at New Ulm, Minn., shows that it has risen almost five feet in the past two days and it is expected to rise about another 3.5 feet by late Thursday night:
Temperature trends
The Twin Cities metro area and southeastern Minnesota should see highs in the lower 80s this afternoon. 70s will be common elsewhere in Minnesota.
Highs on Friday will be in the upper 70s to the north and lower 80 south:
Mid to upper 80s are expected over most of Minnesota this coming weekend.
Updated weather information can be heard on the Minnesota Public Radio Network, and updates are also posted on the MPR News live weather blog.