Severe Weather Hits Parts of Central Minnesota Monday Afternoon

A line of strong storms rolled through Central Minnesota Monday afternoon.

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On Monday afternoon the National Weather Service declared a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for portions of Stearns County, Wright County, and Sherburne County. The storm moved from the Northwest portion of Stearns County and moved South and Southeast at 20 miles per hour.

Areas affected by the storm saw wind gusts of 60 miles an hour and quarter-sized hail.

The initial severe thunderstorm warning happened at 3:26pm and was in effect until 4:15pm. At 3:59pm another severe thunderstorm warning was issued for portions of Southern Stearns County until 5:00pm. Areas that were impacted by this storm, that had wind impacts of 60 miles an hour, and the ability to produce quarter-sized hail.

Central Minnesota wasn't the only portion of the state to see severe thunderstorms pop up in the early afternoon. Areas of South Central Minnesota also saw severe weather move through at about the same time Central Minnesota was seeing severe weather.

Minnesota Public Radio's Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner tweeted that St. Cloud's airport saw a peak gust of 63 miles an hour at 3:53 p.m.

At 4:17pm the severe thunderstorm warning was lifted for the Stearns County area.

Stearns County Emergency Management Director Erin Tufte, when reached by phone for comment on the severe weather, noted that Stearns County experienced 3 severe warnings, two 55-mile-an-hour peak wind gusts measured near both Albany and Richmond, as well as marble-sized hail that fell.

Throughout Stearns County there were various branches and trees that were downed from the storms, but no large spread damage.