Severe Thunderstorms and Excessive Rainfall in the Central U.S.; Heat Building in the Western U.S.

A cold front pressing east across the central U.S. will be the focus for areas of strong to severe thunderstorms and excessive rainfall through this weekend. Strong to severe thunderstorms my bring damaging winds, hail, and a few tornadoes while excessive rainfall may lead to areas of flooding. Heat will build across the western U.S. with heat-related watches, warnings, and advisories issued. Read More >

Overview

On the evening of July 17, 2017 three EF-0 tornadoes occurred in west central Minnesota. Strong winds and hail were reported in the Carlos area of Douglas County, and up to 3.2 inches of rainfall was reported near Brandon. Power outages also occurred in which 950 people were without electricity in Douglas County.

Tornado
Photos
Radar
Storm Reports

Tornadoes:

Tornado #1- near Clarissa
Todd County

Date	17 July 2017
Time (Local)	5:39 PM - 5:50 PM CDT
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	65-85 mph
Path Length	4.4 miles
Max Width	200 yards
Injuries/Deaths	None
Summary: Several hundred trees were toppled or broken and a few trees landed on power lines. One old barn collapsed, but no other structural damage was noted or reported.

Tornado #1 Track Map

The green dots represent some of the locations of downburst damage.

Tornado #2 - near Brandon
Douglas County

Date	17 July 2017
Time (Local)	5:46 PM - 5:50 PM CDT
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	65-85 mph
Path Length	1.9 miles
Max Width	75 yards
Injuries/Deaths	None
Summary: This tornado knocked down a few dozen trees, but there was no structural damage.

Tornado #2 Track Map

The green dots represent some of the locations of downburst damage.

Tornado #3- near Carlos
Douglas County

Date	17 July 2017
Time (Local)	6:07 PM - 6:16 PM CDT
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	65-85 mph
Path Length	4.7 miles
Max Width	200 yards
Injuries/Deaths	None
Summary: Hundreds of trees were uprooted or broken near Lake Carlos. Some trees fell on power lines, causing power outages. An adjacent downburst caused tree damage at Carlos Creek Winery. Similar to the other tornadoes, no structural damage was noted or reported.

Tornado #3 Track Map

The green dot represents some of the locations of downburst damage.

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

Photos:


Tree damage near Lake Carlos	Broken tree near Clarissa	Tree damage around Lake Carlos	Severe tree damage near Lake Carlos

Radar:


KMPX reflectivity (left) and storm relative velocity (right) from 5:41 PM to 5:54 PM	KMPX reflectivity (left) and storm relative velocity (right) from 5:58 PM to 6:12 PM

Storm Reports

Click link to see storm reports for July 17, 2017: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20170717

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Severe Thunderstorms and Excessive Rainfall in the Central U.S.; Heat Building in the Western U.S.

Summary of July 17, 2017 West Central MN EF0 Tornadoes, Hail and Wind