Lake-effect Snow and Whiteout Conditions in the Great Lakes Region; Below-average Temperatures in the East

Heavy lake-effect and lake-enhanced snow will persist downwind of the Great Lakes and produce some whiteout conditions that could cause difficult travel conditions. A coastal low will produce moderate to heavy snow over parts of southern and eastern New England into the afternoon. Below average temperatures are expected across the eastern U.S., particularly with chilly morning temperatures. Read More >

Overview

A nearly stationary front was draped across southern Minnesota on the afternoon of Monday, August 5, 2024. A very unstable airmass with strong shear was present along and south of the front. Two supercells initially developed over Nicollet and Watonwan Counties, then strengthened while tracking southeast. Supercells eventually formed a line of severe thunderstorms, which continued to result in occasional tornadoes and damaging wind gusts across south central MN through 8:30 PM.

Damage survey crews have examined 4 tornado tracks, but more are possible in the coming days as more information becomes available.

***This page will continue to be updated as more information comes in***

Tornado
Wind & Hail
Radar
Storm Reports

Tornadoes

Tornado - St. James, MN
Watonwan County

Date	8/5/2024
Time (Local)	5:26-5:28 PM
EF Rating	EF-1
Est. Peak Winds	100 MPH
Path Length	2.3 mi
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: Non-continuous crop damage, trees uprooted, and a power pole damaged.

Track Map

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Base Reflectivity (Left) and Velocity (Right) at 5:24 PM	Base Reflectivity (Left) and Velocity (Right) at 5:30 PM	Uprooted trees at residence near St. James.	Crop damage and tornado's path crossing Township Rd 125 (courtesy of Watonwan Co. Emergency Management)

Tornado - Janesville, MN
Blue Earth-Waseca Counties

Date	8/5/2024
Time (Local)	6:19-6:33PM
EF Rating	EF-1
Est. Peak Winds	105 MPH
Path Length	6.25 mi
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: Garage door blown in, an empty farm trailer was blown onto its side, numerous trees uprooted or snapped, and a couple power poles were down.

Track Map

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Roof panel blown into a tree	Snapped and uprooted trees	Uprooted tree fallen onto a grain bin	Radar image from around 6:20 PM

Tornado - Otisco/South of Waseca, MN
Waseca County

Date	8/5/2024
Time (Local)	6:58-7:00 PM
EF Rating	EF-1
Est. Peak Winds	105 MPH
Path Length	1.4 mi
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: Multiple large trees snapped or uprooted.

Track Map

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Large tree with trunk snapped	Several tree limbs blown onto a shed	Radar image from around 6:40pm	Radar image from around 6:40pm

Tornado - Wells, MN
Faribault County

Date	8/5/2024
Time (Local)	7:28-7:42 PM
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	80 MPH
Path Length	4.9 mi
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: A few trees uprooted or broken. This tornado mostly moved across corn and bean fields. Satellite imagery was used to determine the start and end points.

Track Map

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Tornado - Twin Lakes/Emmons, MN
Freeborn County

Date	8/5/2024
Time (Local)	7:50-8:06 PM
EF Rating	EF-1
Est. Peak Winds	105 MPH
Path Length	6.6 mi
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: Trees uprooted or trunks snapped. Some outbuildings were heavily damaged. One silo was lofted toward a tree line.

Track Map

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Velocity at 751 PM	Velocity at 756 PM	Damage near Emmons	Tree Damage along 120th St

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

Wind & Hail:

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Storm Reports

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Lake-effect Snow and Whiteout Conditions in the Great Lakes Region; Below-average Temperatures in the East

August 5, 2024 Southern Minnesota Tornadoes