Issued at 8:21 PM CDT, Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
- Occasional rain thru Wednesday for Northwest Wisconsin/Eastcentral Minnesota
- Northern Minnesota should be rain-free into Thursday Morning
- Temperatures remain above average into early next week
- Rain chance area-wide late this week
*EF0 TORNADO in Southern Minnesota on Monday, March 19th, 2012*
Source: National Weather Service Chanhassen, Minnesota
An EF0 tornado packing winds of 80-85 mph touched down in Northern Waseca and Southern Le Sueur Counties in Southern Minnesota on Monday, March 19th, 2012.
*Location: The tornado touched down just south of Elysian Lake Road. It moved north for 2 miles, passed west of the town of Elysian before going across the eastern tip of the Shoreview area north of Elysian. The tornado continued on it’s northward journey for about 4 more miles before lifting.
*Path length: Approximately 7 miles.
*Maximum wind speed: 80-85 mph.
*Maximum width: 100 yards
*Timing: Approximately 6:25 PM CDT per radar and damage reports. The tornado lifted at approximately 6:35 PM CDT.
Note: This is the second earliest tornado ever in Minnesota according to the Minnesota State Climatologist. The earliest tornado on record occurred on March 18th, 1968 in Truman, north of Fairmont.
Rainfall report for Monday Night, March 19th, 2012
Source: National Weather Service Duluth, Minnesota
Breezy Point, MN: 1.69″
Baxter, MN: 1.36″
3 miles north of Brainerd, MN: 1.30″
Brainerd, MN: 1.25″
Dixon Lake, MN: 1.15″
Longville, MN: 0.92″
Cass Lake, MN: 0.79″
4 miles south of Bruno, MN: 0.50″
Askov, MN: 0.44″
McGregor, MN: 0.44″
Webster, WI: 0.39″
12 miles north of Isle, MN: 0.27″
Hibbing, MN: 0.24″
Prentice, WI: 0.16″
Solon Springs, WI: 0.12″
Duluth, MN: 0.12″
Rainfall totals from Monday per MRCC. Heaviest rain fell in Central-Southern Minnesota with anywhere from 0.50-1.50″. Note how most of the North Shore and Arrowhead of Minnesota missed out on most of the rain Monday Night.
High temperature report for Monday, March 19th, 2012
Source: National Weather Service Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, MN: 72 degrees
International Falls, MN: 78 degrees
Brainerd, MN: 76 degrees
Hibbing, MN: 75 degrees
Ashland, WI: 82 degrees
Hayward, WI: 77 degrees
Eveleth, MN: 77 degrees
Bigfork, MN: 77 degrees
Grand Rapids, MN: 73 degrees
Moose Lake, MN: 77 degrees
McGregor, MN: 77 degrees
Siren, WI: 77 degrees
Phillips, WI: 79 degrees
Bruno, MN: 77 degrees
Babbitt, MN: 75 degrees
Cook, MN: 75 degrees
Kabetogama, MN: 77 degrees
2 miles south of Tower, MN: 77 degrees
Butternut, WI: 76 degrees
Madeline Island, WI: 80 degrees
Upson, WI: 78 degrees
Solon Springs, WI: 76 degrees
Winter, WI: 75 degrees
Weather Tidbits:
*7 severe weather reports in the form of damaging winds in Central and Southern Minnesota on Monday, March 19th, 2012. (SPC) Blue icons on the map below represent wind damage reports.
*Low temperature of 60 degrees at International Falls, Minnesota on Monday, March 19th, 2012 was 46 degrees above the normal low of 14 degrees and was 66 degrees warmer than the low of 6 above in 2011.
*3rd earliest ice out date on Lake Minnetonka. The 2nd earliest ice out date was on March 18th, 2000. The earliest ice out date occurred on March 11th, 1878. (KSTP)
*1,054 record high temperature in the U.S. from March 13th-20th, 2012 (HAMweather)
*36.6 degrees=average March temperature thru the 19th at Duluth, Minnesota…This is 13.1 degrees above normal.
*35.7 degrees=average March temperature thru the 19th at International Falls, Minnesota…This is 15.1 degrees above normal.
Today’s Weather Summary for Northeast Minnesota and Northwest Wisconsin
Another warm one with highs in the upper 50s and 60s with a few spots in Northwest Wisconsin reaching the low to mid 70s! Skies were generally mostly cloudy with some passing showers in Eastern/Northeast Minnesota and Northwest Wisconsin. Winds were light from the west, southwest or northwest at 5 to 10 mph.
Today’s Upper Level Analysis:
500mb low covered was over West Texas while another potent upper low heads northeast through Northern Manitoba Province per water vapor satellite imagery. Southwest flow aloft continued Today across the Upper Midwest while a massive upper level ridge covered most of the Eastern U.S. per RUC model analysis. 850mb temperatures as of 7pm ranged from +1C in far Northwest Minnesota to +8 to +10C in Northeast Minnesota to +12C in far Southeast Minnesota.
Forecast Discussion for Northeast Minnesota and Northwest Wisconsin
Tonight (March 20th)
A frontal boundary will be nearly stationary in Eastcentral Minnesota and Northwest Wisconsin. Occasional rain showers will develop near this boundary Tonight in Eastern-Northeast Minnesota and Northwest Wisconsin while Northern Minnesota remains dry. Partly to mostly cloudy skies are forecast Tonight with areas of fog. Lows will be in the 40s and 50s, but a few spots up North could dip into the 30s. Winds will be out of the southwest, west or east at around 10 mph.
Wednesday and Wednesday Night (March 21st)
A stationary front will remain over Eastern Minnesota-Northern Wisconsin during this period. This boundary will be the focal point for some more rain showers across Northwest Wisconsin, and Eastern-Northeast Minnesota Tomorrow and Tomorrow Night with dry conditions continuing in Northern Minnesota. Partly to mostly cloudy skies will be found in our area this period with highs on Wednesday in the 50s and 60s with lows Wednesday Night in the 40s and 50s. East, north or southwest winds are expected at 5 to 15 mph.
Note: Rainfall totals in Northeast Minnesota from Tonight through Wednesday Night will range from 0.10-0.25″. Heavier amounts of 0.25-0.50″ with localized higher totals are expected for Northwest Wisconsin.
Extended Forecast, Thursday-Saturday (March 22nd-24th)
Upper level low which was over Texas Tonight will move slowly toward the N-NE through Saturday. This system will pass south/southeast of our local area, but rain associated with this system will overspread the area from south to north on Thursday with some lingering rain expected for Friday and possibly even into early Saturday. High temperatures from Thursday through Saturday will be in the 50s and 60s with 40s nea Lake Superior. Low temperatures Thursday Night and Friday Night will be in the 40s to around 50 degrees.
Long Range Forecast (March 25th-31st)
Sunday-Wednesday (25th-28th) could be wet at times as a new storm system develops to our west and passes through the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes sometime between Tuesday-Wednesday (27th-28th) Strong high pressure passing through Central-Eastern Canada combined with the low to our west will result in the familar lake breeze keeping it cool around the shores of Lake Superior this weekend into early next week, elsewhere expect mild temperatures to continue. Looks like we dry out by the end of next week and it could cool off a bit behind that storm earlier in the week.
5 DAY FORECAST FOR DULUTH/SUPERIOR
.Tonight… Mostly cloudy. Occasional light rain. Patchy fog possible. Low 45 to 50. Wind variable around 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
.Wednesday… Considerable cloudiness. Light rain possible at times. High 55 to 60. Wind variable around 12 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
.Wednesday Night… Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 40 to 45. Wind east at 5 to 15 mph.
.Thursday… Mostly cloudy. Rain possible. High 55 to 60 but cooler near Lake Superior. Chance of rain 40%.
.Thursday Night… Mostly cloudy. Rain possible. Low 40 to 45. Chance of rain 60%.
.Friday… Mostly cloudy. Rain possible. High 45 to 50. Chance of rain 60%.
.Friday Night… Considerable cloudiness. Rain possible. Low 40 to 45. Chance of rain 30%.
.Saturday… Mostly cloudy. High 50 to 55 but cooler near Lake Superior.
Normal temperatures for Tomorrow
High: 36
Low: 20
Sunrise Wednesday: 7:09 AM CDT
Sunset Wednesday: 7:24 PM CDT
Tim
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