Minnesota tornado tracker: When will twister reach Minneapolis, St Paul, Twin Cities and Park Rapids

Several parts of Minnesota were on a tornado watch on Monday, with twisters rapidly approaching populated areas like Minneapolis, Twin Cities, and St Paul

Several parts of Minnesota were on a tornado watch on Monday, with twisters rapidly approaching populated areas like Minneapolis, Twin Cities, and St Paul, the National Weather Service (NWS) noted in its press release. Severe thunderstorms with radar-indicated rotation threatened communities, including Minneapolis, St Paul, the Twin Cities, Park Rapids, Staples, and Wadena. 

Several parts of Minnesota were under a tornado watch(Unsplash)

The NWS issued urgent alerts, with tornado warnings expiring by 4:45 PM CDT but a Tornado Watch remaining until 9:00 PM CDT. 

Tornado Warnings and Storm Paths

Northwestern Todd County (Expired 4:30 PM CDT): At 4:06 PM, the NWS Twin Cities office issued a tornado warning for a storm 9 miles southwest of Bertha, moving east at 40 mph, with radar-indicated rotation. Impacted areas included Clarissa, Eagle Bend, and Bertha. The warning highlighted risks of flying debris, damage to mobile homes, roofs, windows, vehicles, and trees. By 4:30 PM, the warning expired as the storm weakened or moved out, per NWS bulletin.

Southwestern Cass and Northwestern Crow Wing Counties (Expired 4:45 PM CDT): At 4:21 PM, the NWS Duluth office warned of a tornado-capable storm near Leader, 18 miles west of Brainerd, moving northeast at 45 mph. 

When Will Twisters Reach Key Areas?

Minneapolis, St. Paul, Twin Cities: No active tornado warnings targeted the Twin Cities as of 4:45 PM CDT, but a Tornado Watch remains until 9:00 PM for Hennepin and Ramsey counties, including Minneapolis and St Paul. 

Park Rapids: Included in the Tornado Watch until 9:00 PM for Hubbard County, Park Rapids was near a warning for Wadena County. A 4:00 PM warning for Wadena, 30 miles southeast, expired without impacting Park Rapids directly, per NWS bulletin. 

Current Conditions and Outlook

Storm Activity: As of 5:00 PM CDT, no new tornado warnings are active for the listed areas, but the Tornado Watch covers 34 Minnesota counties, including Aitkin, Anoka, Cass, Crow Wing, Hennepin, Ramsey, Todd, and Wadena, until 9:00 PM. 

Safety Measures: The NWS urges residents to seek shelter in basements or interior rooms, avoid windows, and move to sturdy buildings if outdoors, per the NWS bulletin. Minneapolis and St. Paul schools canceled after-school activities, and emergency operations centers were activated.