Slight severe risk; Mass tornado shatters “urban” myth again
You may want to keep one eye peeled toward the sky today as a warm front pushes north into Minnesota.
The front will trigger a few scattered showers & T-Storms, but it looks like the severe risk is fairly low according to SPC & the Twin Cities NWS. Expect a few scattered showers & storms today, but the severe risk looks fairly low, and focused mainly in western Minnesota.
SPC highlights slight severe risk in western Minnesota today.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
Severe weather parameters are "marginal" today, and the forecast discussions do not exactly provide ringing endorsements for severe weather.
From SPC: "LOW-LEVEL SHEAR WILL BE MORE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADIC SUPERCELLS FROM NE SD INTO ERN ND INVOF THE WARM FRONT...BUT SURFACE-BASED STORM DEVELOPMENT IS QUITE UNCERTAIN THIS AFTERNOON."
From Twin Cities NWS forecast discussion: "KMSP...A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS PASSING THE AIRPORT OUT THE GATE THIS MORNING...BUT NO REAL ORGANIZED ACTIVITY SEEN TODAY/TONIGHT."
-Latest Twin Cities radar loop
Heat returns tomorrow: A shot at 90?
You'll notice an increase in heat and humidity after the warm front pushes through tonight & Friday. We have a shot at our first 90 of the year in southern Minnesota Friday.
Temperatures make a run at 90 in southern Minnesota Friday.
A cool front should bring a transfusion of Canadian air featuring lower humidity and pleasant temps near 80 this weekend.
Dew points drop from the sticky 70s Friday to comfy 50s this weekend.
Springfield, Mass: Latest "Urban Tornado" casualty
This is getting crazy.
Tuscaloosa, Joplin, Minneapolis and now Springfield, Massachusetts. The list of "tornado towns" in 2011 continues to grow. So much for the myth that tornadoes do not strike urban areas.
When the tornado struck the 3rd largest city in Massachusetts Wednesday at rush hour, amazing video shows the debris cloud and something we rarely see on video. The tornado literally sweeps across the Connecticut River, shattering another myth that bodies of water can stop tornadoes.
Look closely at the amazing video below and you can see cars stranded on a bridge that take a direct hit from the tornado. Imagine the feeling of sheer panic as the cars are trapped on a bridge, over water and inside the swirling tornado vortex.
Damage reports form the Springfield NWS office here.
0432 PM TORNADO SPRINGFIELD 42.12N 72.54W
06/01/2011 HAMPDEN MA AMATEUR RADIO
AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR REPORTED TORNADO ON THE GROUND
ONE HALF MILE FROM MAIN STREET. WIDESPREAD DAMAGE.
0432 PM TORNADO SPRINGFIELD 42.12N 72.54W
06/01/2011 HAMPDEN MA AMATEUR RADIO
A LETTER FROM SPRINGFIELD CAUGHT IN UPDRAFTS WAS FOUND
IN MILLBURY AT 820 PM
0432 PM TSTM WND DMG SPRINGFIELD 42.12N 72.54W
06/01/2011 HAMPDEN MA TRAINED SPOTTER
ROUTE 5 FROM MEMORIAL BRIDGE TO NORTH END BRIDGE ...
TREES AND WIRES DOWN. ROOSEVELT AVENUE ... HOUSE WITH
ROOFS AND OTHER PARTS OF HOMES BLOWN OFF AROUND
CATHEDRAL HIGH SCHOOL.
0432 PM TSTM WND DMG SPRINGFIELD 42.12N 72.54W
06/01/2011 HAMPDEN MA TRAINED SPOTTER
MULTIPLE TREES AND WIRES DOWN ON MAIN STREET AND UNION
STREET.
0432 PM TSTM WND DMG WEST SPRINGFIELD 42.12N 72.65W
06/01/2011 HAMPDEN MA TRAINED SPOTTER
TREE DOWN ON HOUSE ON HILL STREET. TREE DOWN ON CAR ON
UNION STREET. ROOF OFF OF HOUSE ALONG WILCOX STREET NEAR
MAIN STREET. THREE STORY BUILDING COLLAPSE ON WILCOX
STREET. MULTIPLE REPORTS OF THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE
ALONG WEST SPRINGFIELD AND SPRINGFIELD TOWN LINE.
0432 PM TSTM WND DMG SPRINGFIELD 42.12N 72.54W
06/01/2011 HAMPDEN MA TRAINED SPOTTER
MCDUFFY SCHOOL ON AMES HILL ROAD RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT
DAMAGE. TRACTOR TRAILER BLOWN OVER ON MEMORIAL BRIDGE.
SEVERAL HOMES DESTROYED ON ALLEN STREET AND BROADWAY.
PH