MINNEAPOLIS —In addition to the oppressive heat and humidity, Wednesday is a NEXT weather alert day due to possible severe storms.
Wednesday’s high will be around 32°C in the metro area. Thunderstorms will develop westward and move eastward from the Dakotas, arriving in the metro area around 5 p.m. and are expected to weaken by sunset.
The risk of severe weather is increased (3 on a scale of 5) in the southwest part of the state and the western Minnesota River Valley. Wind damage and large hail are the main concerns.
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There is also a slight risk – 2 on a scale of 5 – across a broad swath of the state from the northwest to the southeast, including the metropolitan area.
Severe weather warnings
As of 10 p.m., there are no severe thunderstorm warnings in Minnesota or western Wisconsin. A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for much of southern Minnesota.
Flash flood warnings have been issued for southeastern Dakota County and central Goodhue County until 11 p.m., west-central Lincoln County, Brookings County, southeastern Kingsbury County, northeastern Lake County and northern Moody County until 11:45 p.m., and Wabasha County until 11:30 p.m.
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Hail reports from the National Weather Service show hailstones up to five inches in size fell in Wednesday’s storms.
Storms bring down trees and cause power outages
According to Xcel Energy’s power outage map, more than 10,000 Minnesota customers were without power as storms battered the Twin Cities metropolis Wednesday night. That number had dropped to about 2,800 as of 9 p.m.
In northern Minnesota, Lake County Power reported that nearly 9,000 customers were without service Wednesday afternoon. As of 9:10 p.m., power had been restored to nearly 4,000 customers, the utility said.
Lightning is believed to have started a fire at a home in the 6500 block of Clover Circle in Cottage Gove, according to the city fire department.
Beltrami County officials say storms toppled hundreds of trees Wednesday.
And after?
Thunderstorms will persist through Thursday, but will dissipate in the early morning hours. High temperatures Thursday will be below 80 degrees.
Friday and Saturday will see highs around 90 degrees with sunshine.
Temperatures will drop slightly on Sunday, which will again bring a chance of a storm passing through. Maximum temperatures are expected to reach 21°C early next week.
Staying Cool in Heat and Humidity
With highs near 90 degrees forecast for Wednesday, summer camps are preparing to change their plans and brave the heat.
Brigid Murphy, program coordinator at the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul, says one thing is true.
“We’re all trying to stay cool here at the zoo, even the animals,” Murphy said.
Sea lions won’t be the only ones splashing around, as campers will be joining them.
“We could change our afternoon plans, instead of taking a long hike to Como Lake to fish, we could have campers bring a swimsuit, a towel and send them through the sprinkler,” she said.
For Camp Como, activities are weather dependent and change to ensure the safety of the children.
Zookeepers also modify equipment to accommodate the animals on warm days. One class even makes ice cream to feed to the polar bears on hot days.
Health officials recommend drinking plenty of fluids and taking frequent breaks in the shade during these summer days.
