1st MN Tornado of 2013; Sun, rain & thunder; Record late Mille Lacs ice out

First Tornado of 2013 skips through southwest Minnesota Friday evening:

A lone supercell thunderstorm produced the season's 1st confirmed tornado sightings in Minnesota Friday evening. Here are the reports from the Sioux Falls NWS.

FSD issues Tornado Warning for Cottonwood, Jackson [MN] till 6:15 PM CDT * AT 545 PM CDT...A CONFIRMED TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR WILDER AND MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH.

FSD: 3 N Lakefield [Jackson Co, MN] law enforcement reports TORNADO at 06:10 PM CDT -- relayed by jackson county emergency management

Splash & Dash

This weekend features a little something for everyone in Minnesota.

Soaking rain for your lawn & garden? Check.

Sunny, "beach-worthy" hours with highs in the 80s? Roger that.

A little humidity with dew points in the 60s? Copy that.

A Sunday PM severe threat just to keep the weatherman on his toes? Yup.

Big, recently angry Lake Mille Lacs will finally go completely ice free this weekend after stubbornly clinging to the last chunks of ice this week.

Progress.

You can't please all of the people all of the time, but here's a look at why this weekend's weather may offer a little something for everyone.

Weekend Weather Grab Bag: Pick your spots

Timing is everything.

You'll have opportunities to get just about anything done this weekend outside...but you'll have to pick your spots.

After a possible early morning round of showers and T-Storms, Saturday looks like the "drier" day of the weekend...but with that pesky low swirling in the eastern Dakotas we can't rule out an isolated shower or T-Storm at any point this weekend.

Still...I can see many dry hours Saturday, and high should reach the lower 80s. It will feel like summer again in most of Minnesota Saturday afternoon.

Saturday's severe threat is focused in western Minnesota and the eastern Dakotas. The best chance for a T-Storm with damaging winds and hail? Sioux Falls to Canby and Ortonville.

Here's Saturday's risk area from SPC.

By Sunday the severe risk spreads east as upper level energy moves in over southern Minnesota. That means severe storms may roam southern Minnesota Sunday afternoon and evening...including the Twin Cities.

Here's the verbiage in Sunday's "convective outlook" from SPC.

...NRN PLAINS/UPPER MS VALLEY/MID-MO VALLEY...

AN UPPER-LEVEL LOW IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE NRN PLAINS ON SUNDAY AS SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE MID-MO VALLEY AND UPPER MS VALLEY. AT THE SFC...A LOW IS FORECAST TO MOVE SLOWLY ACROSS THE NRN PLAINS WITH A TROUGH EXTENDING SWD INTO THE MID-MO VALLEY. THE SFC TROUGH SHOULD BE THE FOCUS FOR CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE MODELS SUGGEST SEVERAL THUNDERSTORM CLUSTERS OR AN MCS WILL DEVELOP AND MOVE NEWD ACROSS THE REGION. A MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIRMASS IS FORECAST ALONG WITH STRONG DEEP LAYER SHEAR PROFILES SUGGESTING THAT WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

Bottom Line? Keep an eye out Sunday afternoon/evening for the possibility of watches and warnings and severe storms.

"Enhanced language" in new Impact Based Warnings:

Friday we got our 1st preview of some eye catching language in NWS new "Impact Based Warnings" that debut in Minnesota this year.

This storm near Windom produced the 1st tornado report of the year in Minnesota Friday evening.

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Here's the warning for the 1st tornado of 2013 in Minnesota Friday evening.

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED

TORNADO WARNING

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD

547 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SIOUX FALLS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...

SOUTH CENTRAL COTTONWOOD COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...

NORTH CENTRAL JACKSON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 615 PM CDT

* AT 545 PM CDT...A CONFIRMED TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR WILDER

AND MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH.

HAZARD...DAMAGING TORNADO AND TENNIS BALL SIZE HAIL.

SOURCE...WEATHER SPOTTERS CONFIRMED TORNADO.

IMPACT...MOBILE HOMES WILL BE HEAVILY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR. FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DEADLY TO PEOPLE AND ANIMALS. EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE IS LIKELY.

* THE TORNADO WILL AFFECT MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTH CENTRAL JACKSON AND SOUTH CENTRAL COTTONWOOD COUNTIES.

Get used to the more "graphic" language as part of an effort to get us all to take appropriate action...and warnings more seriously when they are issued.

Soaking Rains:

The slow moving weather systems does have it's benefits.

We still need a good soaking in many areas to douse the drought. Take a look at NOAA's rainfall forecast for the next 5-7 days.

Good news for farmers and anyone else who depends on water for life. Oh wait...that's all of us.

Mille Lacs: Latest ice out on record

Lake Mille Lacs has been one big, stubborn, angry lake lately.

You can still see chunks of ice floating on the east side of the big lake Friday from the Hunter's Point resort webcam.

Last weekend's "ice attack" was one thing. This week Mille Lacs decided to deliver another unprecedented event.

According to the MN DNR, this is the latest ice out on record for Mille Lacs, besting the previous record of May 15th, 1950.

Most other lakes in central and northern Minnesota have been totally ice free for days including Leech, Red and even Fall lake near Ely.

Get the latest ice out dates here.

And then there's... Prom Night 2013:

Please forgive the brief digression, but I just can't resist.

Friday evening is Prom Night for Minnetonka High School, and many other young people in Minnesota.

Our son Luke is a senior at MHS and will graduate in 3 weeks. He's headed for the University of Kansas later this summer where's he's been accepted into the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications to study advertising.

Here's what it's like to be almost 18 and headed for prom night. Ahh...to be 18 again, if only for a night!

And no that's not his cherry red Audi...a loaner from some very generous friends.

Travel well young man!

Paul Huttner