Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Tornado watch cancelled for Twin Cities: Storms produced flooding and tornadoes up north

Significant flash flooding across northern Minnesota. Waterspout over Lake Superior.

A storm cloud rolls over fields
A shelf cloud on the leading edge of a severe-warned storm passes over open fields near Becker, Minn. on Wednesday, June 12, 2024.
Ben Hovland | MPR News

It’s been a wild weather Tuesday across much of northern Minnesota.

But the severe weather threat for the Twin Cities has ended, The tornado watch has been canceled as of 7:45 p.m. Tuesday evening.

The tornado watch yielded at least 2 tornado reports in northern Minnesota. Law enforcement confirmed a tornado in Cotton in St. Louis County.

  • DLH issues Tornado Warning [tornado: OBSERVED, hail: 0.00 IN] for St. Louis till 6:15 p.m. * At 5:34 p.m., a confirmed tornado was located over Cotton, or 28 miles southeast of Hibbing, moving east at 30 mph.

  • This waterspout was also photographed over Lake Superior near Tofte.

Flash flood warnings covered a huge chunk of northeast Minnesota Tuesday evening.

Flash flood warning
Flash flood warning until midnight Wednesday.
Duluth National Weather Service

Numerous flash flood reports have come in from northern Minnesota. Some roads have been washed out by heavy rainfall.

Highway 169 in Hibbing is reported to be closed.

Reports indicate between 4 and 8 inches of rain has fallen across parts of northern Minnesota centered on the Iron Range communities.

Flooding is reported in Chisholm, Cook, and Hibbing.

Here are some flood and storm reports from northern Minnesota Tuesday.

  • 8 WNW Tower [St. Louis Co.] Public reports Flash Flood at 6:00 p.m. CDT — Report via social media with video. Breezy Point road complete washout. At least 8 feet across.

  • Hibbing [St. Louis Co.] Public reports Flash Flood at 5:05 p.m. CDT — Video from social media. Streets covered completely with at least a foot of water, maybe more in deeper spots.

  • 2 ENE Angora [St. Louis Co.] Dept of Highways reports Flash Flood at 5:52 p.m. CDT — Per MNDOT. flooding on Minnesota Highway 1 in both directions. between Sassas Road and Brown Road.

  • 2 SW Side Lake [St. Louis Co.] Cocorahs reports Rain of 3.90 Inch at 4:45 p.m. CDT — Rain totals since morning observation. Observer reports severe flooding and that they havent seen this amount of rain in this period of time in their 26 years of living at the location.

  • 1 E Iron Junction [St. Louis Co.] Trained Spotter reports Rain of 5.00 Inch at 5:29 p.m. CDT — 1 inch of rain in the last hour.

  • 1 NW Chisholm [St. Louis Co.] Trained Spotter reports Rain of 3.82 Inch at 5:10 p.m. CDT — Significant street flooding all over town.

  • 1 SW Ely [St. Louis Co.] Trained Spotter reports Flash Flood at 4:11 p.m. CDT — Pattison St and 2nd Ave E, Ely; street flooding incl. water flowing out of storm drain.

  • 3 S Cohasset [Itasca Co.] Trained Spotter reports Rain of 3.91 Inch at 5:01 p.m. CDT — Still raining.

  • 3 WSW Cook [St. Louis Co.] Public reports Flash Flood at 4:50 p.m. CDT — Report via social media with photo. Roads entirely covered with 6 inches of water.

  • 1 S Brevik [Cass Co.] Emergency Mngr reports Tstm Wnd Dmg at 2:30 p.m. CDT — Several trees snapped. One a large pine at least several feet in diameter snapped near the ground. Time estimated from radar.

Quiet Wednesday

We catch a break from the rain Wednesday across Minnesota. High pressure will bring quiet weather and highs generally in the 70s.

Forecast high temperatures Wednesday
Forecast high temperatures Wednesday.
NOAA