State Fair rides, free stages reopen after severe storm rolls through

A line of strong storms felled trees and power lines in parts of Minnesota but largely spared the State Fair, with rides and entertainment lineups only temporarily interrupted Monday night.

Crews worked to restore power to thousands left in the dark in the Twin Cities and into Wisconsin after powerful winds and heavy rain swept through the region.

As the storm approached Falcon Heights, fairgoers at the free stages were told to seek safety indoors or at one of five severe weather shelters on the fairgrounds, fair spokeswoman Danielle Dullinger said. Fair officials also closed all rides at the Mighty Midway and Kidway for about an hour but said the storms didn't leave behind any signs of damage.

"The worst of it really, truly missed us," Dullinger said. "Sometimes it seems like there's a bubble around the fairground, and it kind of just moves around it."

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Twin Cities metro, including the fairgrounds, about 5 p.m.

The fairgrounds quickly became a sea of umbrellas and blue ponchos as people scrambled to buy them when the rain hit. Once it stopped, workers dried off rides and seats at outdoor restaurants as things returned to normal.

Storms postponed some events and moved others indoors but pushed out of the area in time for the Beach Boys to take the grandstand stage.

A tornado warning was issued near Red Wing, where meteorologists reported a wind gust of 82 mph and authorities observed downed power lines, trees and some structural damage, according to the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office.

Photos on social media showed a downed structure and debris near the Red Wing Airport and trees sheared off on the north side of town.

As the storms raced east, weather officials also reported widespread wind damage in Wisconsin's Pierce County.

Temperatures in the 80s and dew points in the tropical 70s fueled the inclement weather, which had mostly left the region by 7 p.m.

"It wasn't as bad as it looked like it could have been," said Mike Griesinger, a meteorologist with the NWS in Chanhassen.

Behind a cold front, high temperatures will drop into the 70s on Tuesday as precipitation lingers. The sun will return Wednesday with a coolish high of 71 degrees before warming into the upper 70s for Thursday and Friday.

Staff writer Tim Harlow contributed to this report. Hannah Covington • 612-673-4751