Storm dumps 2" on Twin Cities

Strong thunderstorms that could produce large hail and damaging gusts are heading into Minnesota today, the National Weather Service says.

By Terry Collins, Star Tribune

Last update: July 25, 2006 - 7:56 AM

Strong thunderstorms that could produce large hail and damaging gusts are heading into Minnesota today, the National Weather Service says.

The storms are expected to arrive by late afternoon and early evening along a "quasi-stationary" front that leads a cold front in the Dakotas. The front will extend across portions of central and southern Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin, the weather service said.

The storms should bring heavy rains, especially across west-central Wisconsin, today and Wednesday.

On Monday, a late-afternoon storm dumped nearly 2 inches of rain in 45 minutes across parts of a very dry Twin Cities, causing flash flooding in some areas but missing others completely.

In addition to the rain that soaked downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul during the evening commute, there also were reports of golf-ball-size hail around the University of Minnesota, said Matt Friedlein, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen.

Large hail -- 1.75 inch -- was reported by a trained spotter near Broadway and Marshall in northeast Minneapolis and at the University of Minnesota. One-inch hail was reported near the Metrodome.

Wind gusts of 62 miles per hour were reported at the airport in St. Paul.

A combination of cool and warm air contributed to the heavy rains and large hail near the downtowns, Friedlein said.

Strong winds also caused some tree damage near Snelling and Larpenteur Avenues in St. Paul, he added. By 7 p.m., the storm had moved east into Wisconsin, while the sun peeked through clouds over downtown Minneapolis.

TERRY COLLINS

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