Bob CollinsWe’d love to have your pictures of any weather phenomena in your region. Send them to me here.
9:52 p.m. – Via Twitter, hearing of some power outages in St. Paul.
9:33 p.m. West Central Tribune in Willmar has the story of a couple who survived. Also features an unbelievable image. (May require registration). Here’s the large photo. Isn’t that something?
9:32 p.m. – Warnings should be going up for the Rochester area shortly, as well as Austin and Albert Lea.
9:30 p.m. Air temperature dropped from 84 to 68 with the storm’s passage.
9:20 p.m. The storm has now mostly passed the Twin Cities. But there’s still a trail to the southwest. It’s just clearing Mankato. Resume the party in Mankato, folks. A Twitter post from @PrinceJvstin says:
Very nasty trip back from my friend’s Condo in Bloomington up to Circle Pines. Heavy wind, rain, a bit of hail.
9:17 p.m. – WCCO now wall-to-wall. Other stations resuming network programming.
9:05 p.m. – Rain in Woodbury but thunder is obviously north. Lights flickering. But so far, I’m not too impressed. Dish Network signal just went out because of rain interference. So long, Belinda!
9:04 p.m. – Matthew Foster has sent an image of the storm hitting Lowry Hill East, near the Walker in Minneapolis.
8:57 p.m. – I almost never want to work for a TV station. The exception is when I’m looking for photos from the audience. People think TV first and only during those times. Enough of that. Here’s KARE-11’s photo gallery from Willmar.
8:47 p.m. The severe thunderstorm warning for the next half hour or so has now been issued for Chisago County, northeast Washington County, and Polk County in Wisconsin. So far the Woodbury bureau of News Cut is escaping this mess.
8:37 p.m. – Second verse, same as the first for Goodhue and Rice County. Severe thunderstorm warning for the next half hour or so.
8:34 p.m. – St. Croix County Wisconsin has a severe thunderstorm warning until 9 p.m.
8:24 p.m. — KSTP and KARE 11 are wall-to-wall. WCCO sticking with CBS programming for now.
8:21 p.m. – Scott and Le Sueur County, you’re next. A severe thunderstorm warning has just been posted.
8:19 p.m. – Severe thunderstorm warning posted for Western Carver County and Eastern Sibley County.
8:11 p.m. Associated Press quoted West Central Tribune newspaper. The tornado hit a farm. Also caused heavy damage on the south side of Willmar. Severe thunderstorm warning just posted for the area around Gaylord and Norwood Young America.
7:50 p.m. MPR’s Than Tibbets, who operates out of Moorhead, just sent this picture from the Thursday night storm.
7:46 p.m. – Mamatus clouds arrive in Twin Cities.
7:41 p.m. – Updated damage info (thanks to Paul Huttner)
Waite Park [Stearns Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND DMG at 07:20 PM CDT — power lines toppled, multiple trees downed.
Sw Little Falls [Morrison Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND GST of M62 MPH at 06:53 PM CDT — 62 mph gust recorded with dozens of trees down in vicinity.
4 Nne Hutchinson [Mcleod Co, MN] mesonet reports TSTM WND GST of E62 MPH 07:26 PM CDT — 62 mph wind gust measured at hook lake rd.
7:30 p.m. – Severe thunderstorm warning around Hutchinson area.
7:25 p.m. – Severe thunderstorm warning posted for Wright County. Stockholm is specifically mentioned.
7:20 p.m. The weather radio pops off for the first time tonight to tell me — and you — that the storms are bearing down on Foley, Waverly, Becker, and Fosston. Winds near 70.
7:07 p.m. Paul Huttner reports two houses have been heavily damaged in Willmar:
MPX: 4 Se Willmar [Kandiyohi Co, MN] law enforcement reports TORNADO at 06:45 PM CDT — 2 houses heavily damaged on sw 26th ave near 40th st se. (7:04:23 PM) iembot: MPX: Se Willmar [Kandiyohi Co, MN] trained spotter reports TORNADO at 06:32 PM CDT — near intersection of county road 8 and 19.
Paul will be posting more damage and storm report information on Updraft.
7:02 p.m. Looks like we’re in for a wild ride tonight. Several tornadoes have already been reported in the region. MPR meteorologist Paul Huttner has already sent along one damage report:
MPX: 1 S Willmar [Kandiyohi Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND DMG at 06:46 PM CDT — shed flattened. small trailor turned on its side. several farm tractors turned on their sides. occurred at 23171 s. wilmar road and county rd. 19. damage resulted from tornado.
At the moment it looks like this initial band is going to slide north of the Twin Cities. But it doesn’t look like the folks up at the cabin in northwest Wisconsin are going to have much fun this evening.
