Sunday AM thunder hammers metro; Minnehaha Creek springs to life
Our "May Monsoon" hit hard again early Sunday.
Another severe round of thunderstorms hammered the metro in the wee hours of Sunday morning.
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Source: Wx Underground
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A severe T-Storm warning was issued early Sunday as most of us woke to the sound of loud, sudden thunder, wind and rain.
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
144 AM CDT SUN MAY 6 2012
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
EASTERN CARVER COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
NORTHWESTERN DAKOTA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
SOUTHEASTERN HENNEPIN COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
SOUTHWESTERN RAMSEY COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
NORTHEASTERN SCOTT COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
* UNTIL 230 AM CDT
* AT 142 AM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
CHASKA...OR ABOUT 17 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PLYMOUTH...AND MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL MAY ALSO ACCOMPANY THESE
DAMAGING WINDS.
LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
PLYMOUTH...
MINNEAPOLIS...
CHASKA...
CARVER...
VICTORIA...
MARYSTOWN...
WACONIA...
MOUND...
CHANHASSEN...
SHAKOPEE...
PRIOR LAKE...
SHOREWOOD...
ORONO...
EXCELSIOR...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND HAIL. SEEK SHELTER NOW INSIDE
A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
Hail, high winds and torrential downpours pounded the metro again overnight.
Some storm reports from the Twin Cities NWS:
MPX: Bloomington [Hennepin Co, MN] trained spotter reports HAIL of nickel size (M0.88 INCH) at 02:18 AM CDT -- penny to nickel sized hail reported lasted less then a minute.
MPX: Victoria [Carver Co, MN] trained spotter reports HAIL of penny size (M0.75 INCH) at 01:47 AM CDT -- dime size hail
PX: 4 SW Shakopee [Scott Co, MN] nws employee reports HAIL of penny size (M0.75 INCH) at 01:45 AM CDT -- dime size hail.
MPX: Prior Lake [Scott Co, MN] nws employee reports HAIL of penny size (M0.75 INCH) at 01:56 AM CDT -- dime size hail.
The series of torrential downpours are part of a parade of Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS)....large organized thunderstorm complexes that raced through along a warm front in recent days.
What's going on with the series of strong storms?
An active jet stream overhead and strong warm frontal boundary in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa has been the focal point for our series of strong thunderstorms the past few days.
Source: Des Moines NWS
Highs reached the 90s in northwest Iowa Saturday.
Source: University of Illinois
The contrast of hit juicy summertime air and colder air over most of Minnesota has provided the fuel for an active storms train in southern Minnesota.
Drought Busting Rains:
The heavy rainfall has triggered flash flood watches and warnings, and 1" to 3" rainfall totals.
The heavy rain has (thankfully) pushed creeks and rivers rapidly higher. The flow in Minnehaha Creek has increased 10-fold in the past few days...from a mere trickle at 10 cubic feet per second (CFS) to well over 100 CFS by Sunday morning....and rising.
Minnehaha Creek shows "rain spikes" from recent frequent downpours.
Source: USGS
The stubborn low pressure system that has triggered our persistent, but much needed rainfall will finally slide east Sunday. Look for a drier pattern to finaly take hold Sunday afternoon into early next week. We may even finally see a few peeks of sunshine Sunday PM.
PH