Stormy Skies Over Minnesota: What’s Brewing and Who’s Affected

Minnesota is trading sunny skies for dark clouds as thunderstorms sweep in Tuesday, bringing warnings and potential hazards. The National Weather Service has flagged several counties—including McLeod, Sibley, Carver, Becker, Kandiyohi, and Swift—for severe thunderstorms until 5:30 p. m. These storms pack risks like golf-ball-sized hail, winds strong enough to uproot trees, and even a slight chance of tornadoes. Places like Arlington, Glencoe, and Henderson, just west of the Twin Cities, face the brunt first, while Becker County in the northwest braces for impact. Power flickers across the state as storms knock out lights. Over 1, 000 customers in Scott County lost service, and Eagan saw similar disruptions. Minnetonka’s outage hit 1, 500 people. The cause? Likely the storms, though crews haven’t confirmed yet. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s western edge sits in a low-risk zone for severe weather, but a narrow band holds a slight risk with smaller hail and gusty winds. Bigger storms rage farther southwest, from Colorado to Nebraska, leaving Minnesota in a calmer zone by comparison.Peak danger time? Between 3 p. m. and 9 p. m. , when the atmosphere’s most unstable. Most storms should fade by evening, but northern Minnesota might dodge a few late-night showers. Overnight, temperatures cool to the 60s—a relief after the day’s humidity. Tomorrow looks quieter, with only a few stray storms possible near I-94 in the afternoon. By sunset, even those will vanish, giving way to dry, pleasant days Thursday and Friday. Sunshine returns, with highs in the 70s—perfect for outdoor plans. But don’t get too comfortable. The weekend shifts gears, bringing rising humidity and warmer temps. Saturday hits the low 80s, Sunday the upper 80s, and next week could push into the 90s. The calm before the heatwave? Maybe. Either way, it’s a reminder that Minnesota’s weather is as unpredictable as it is changeable.