A deep low pressure area centered over Thunder Bay on July 10 dragged a strong cold front across Minnesota. Behind this front were some very gusty non-thunderstorm winds, more typical for April or may than July. Some peak wind gusts were 43 mph at both the Twin Cities and St. Cloud, 60 mph at the Duluth Airport, and 61mph at Fargo. Moorhead had one of the highest wind gusts in Minnesota with 66mph. There were 20,000 power outages in Duluth, sending many flocking to restaurants in town that still had their lights on. Just about all the outages were caused by trees falling on power lines. Falling trees also cut power in Fargo as well. Along with the winds, much cooler and drier air swept across Minnesota and put an end to the muggy 80's and 90's.
Listed below are reports from this high wind event courtesy the National Weather Service.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN 1029 AM CDT WED JUL 11 2007 ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 0930 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG BREEZY POINT 46.60N 94.22W 07/10/2007 CROW WING MN TRAINED SPOTTER TREES DOWN AND BLOCKING ROADWAYS. 0308 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG COLERAINE 47.31N 93.42W 07/10/2007 SOUTHERN ITASCA MN TRAINED SPOTTER NUMEROUS TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN. PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN 623 PM CDT TUE JUL 10 2007 ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 0620 PM NON-TSTM WND GST DULUTH 46.78N 92.12W 07/10/2007 M60 MPH ST. LOUIS MN ASOS 1156 AM. PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN 620 PM CDT TUE JUL 10 2007 ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 0500 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG 2 S BAYFIELD 46.78N 90.82W 07/10/2007 LSZ121 WI TRAINED SPOTTER FISH HATCHERY...ONE QUARTER OF STEEL ROOF TORN OFF. MANY LARGE TREES DOWN. 0600 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG DULUTH 46.78N 92.12W 07/10/2007 ST. LOUIS MN NWS EMPLOYEE MANY LARGE TREES DOWN...AND POWER LINES THROUGH OUT CITY AREA. PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN 518 PM CDT TUE JUL 10 2007 ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 1010 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG 1 SW GRAND RAPIDS 47.22N 93.54W 07/10/2007 ITASCA MN TRAINED SPOTTER SEVERAL 6-8 INCH DIAMETER POPLAR AND ASPEN TREES DOWN 1030 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG 1 SE GRAND RAPIDS 47.22N 93.51W 07/10/2007 ITASCA MN PUBLIC 1 TO 2 INCH DIAMETER TREE BRANCHES DOWN 1100 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG 3 N SWAN RIVER 47.13N 93.20W 07/10/2007 ITASCA MN TRAINED SPOTTER TEN INCH DIAMETER TREES DOWN 1130 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG JACOBSON 47.00N 93.26W 07/10/2007 NORTHERN AITKIN MN LAW ENFORCEMENT TREES DOWN ON POWER LINES AND POWER OUTAGE 0255 PM NON-TSTM WND GST DULUTH 46.78N 92.12W 07/10/2007 M56.00 MPH ST. LOUIS MN ASOS SKY HARBOR KDYT OBSERVATION 0435 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG ASHLAND 46.58N 90.87W 07/10/2007 ASHLAND WI TRAINED SPOTTER TWELEVE INCH DIAMETER TREE DOWN ON POWER LINES 0440 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG WEST DULUTH 46.74N 92.19W 07/10/2007 SOUTHEAST ST. LOUI MN PUBLIC TREE DOWN ACROSS GRAND AVENUE PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND 1235 PM CDT TUE JUL 10 2007 ...STRONG WINDS HIT THE AREA EARLY TUESDAY MORNING... HERE ARE SOME WIND GUSTS REPORTED BY WIND MEASURING EQUIPMENT DURING THE MORNING HOURS OF TUESDAY. ALL TIMES IN CDT. FOR ALL BUT SHEYENNE ND...THESE WIND GUSTS WERE NON-THUNDERSTORM ASSOCIATED AND DUE TO A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN A DEEPENING LOW IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA AND A HIGH OVER MONTANA. ...DEVILS LAKE REGION... DEVILS LAKE AIRPORT (FAA AWOS)....72 MPH AT 255 AM DEVILS LAKE (FIRE-RAWS STATION)...33 MPH 5E DEVILS LAKE (NDDOT-RWIS)..50 MPH AT 352 AM CANDO (PERSONAL WX STATION).......48 MPH AT 202 AM ...SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA... 5N MCLEOD (FIRE-RAWS STATION RANSOM CO)..68 MPH AT 149 AM (TSTM) ...CORRECTED THIS LOCATION AS SITE IS IN SHEYENNE NATIONAL GRASSLAND NOT IN SHEYENNE ND... FARGO HECTOR ASOS........................61 MPH AT 535 AM MOORHEAD AIRPORT (FAA AWOS)..............66 MPH AT 555 AM N MOORHEAD (COOP WEATHER STATION)........49 MPH AT 543 AM BUFFALO ND (NDDOT-RWIS CASS CO)..........55 MPH AT 509 AM WAHPETON AIRPORT (FAA AWOS)..............45 MPH AT 535 AM 5W WAHPETON (NDDOT RWIS).................30 MPH AT 515 AM DILWORTH (MNDOT RWIS ON I-94)............54 MPH AT 538 AM FARGO (NDDOT RWIS AT RED RIVER BRIDGE)...27 MPH AT 530 AM VALLEY CITY (PERSONAL WX STATION)........34 MPH DAZEY NDAWN SITE (BARNES CO).............41 MPH FINGAL NDAWN SITE (BARNES CO)............42 MPH PROSPER NDAWN SITE (CASS CO).............46 MPH GALESBURG NDAWN SITE (TRAILL CO).........46 MPH ...GRAND FORKS AREA AND NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA... GRAND FORKS AIRPORT ASOS...............44 MPH AT 439 AM GRAND FORKS (NDDOT RWIS MP 153 I-29)...51 MPH AT 516 AM GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE ASOS........45 MPH AT 448 AM NWS GRAND FORKS (WEST PART OF CITY)....42 MPH AT 520 AM BUXTON (NDDOT RWIS TRAILL CO.).........53 MPH AT 543 AM EMERADO (PERSONAL WX STATION)..........37 MPH FISHER MN (MNDOT RWIS POLK CO).........52 MPH AT 529 AM REST OF AREA FROM GRAFTON NORTH TO THE BORDER HAD GUSTS 25 TO 35 MPH. ...WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA... DETROIT LAKES AIRPORT (FAA AWOS).......55 MPH AT 655 AM DETROIT LAKES (FIRE-RAWS STATION)......51 MPH LAKE PARK (MNDOT RWIS BECKER CO).......61 MPH AT 648 AM ROTHSAY (MNDOT RWIS WILKIN CO).........45 MPH AT 658 AM FERGUS FALLS AIRPORT (FAA AWOS)........41 MPH AT 555 AM PRAIRIE WETLAND CENTER FERGUS FALLS....44 MPH OTTERTAIL (MNDOT RWIS).................45 MPH AT 747 AM PARK RAPIDS AIRPORT ASOS...............53 MPH AT 818 AM WADENA (FAA AWOS)......................46 MPH AT 955 AM VERNDALE (MNDOT RWIS WADENA CO)........52 MPH AT 748 AM STAPLES AIRPORT (WADENA/TODD CO).......49 MPH AT 955 AM ...NORTHWEST MINNESOTA... MAHNOMEN (MNDOT RWIS)..................58 MPH AT 706 AM CROOKSTON (FAA AWOS)...................41 MPH AT 555 AM FOSSTON (FAA AWOS).....................41 MPH AT 735 AM BROOKS (MNDOT RWIS POLK/RED LAKE CO)...52 MPH AT 709 AM THIEF RIVER FALLS (FAA AWOS)...........46 MPH AT 635 AM HALLOCK (FAA AWOS).....................36 MPH AT 355 AM DONALDSON (MNDOT RWIS KITTSON CO)......43 MPH AT 410 AM BEMIDJI (FAA AWOS).....................41 MPH AT 835 AM BAUDETTE ASOS..........................44 MPH AT 847 AM ROSEAU (FAA AWOS)......................37 MPH AT 815 AM GATZKE (MNDOT RWIS MARSHALL CO)........38 MPH AT 649 AM $$ RIDDLE PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS 245 PM CDT TUE JUL 10 2007 ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 0149 AM TSTM WND GST 5 N MCLEOD 46.47N 97.30W 07/10/2007 M68.00 MPH RANSOM ND MESONET RAWS SITE AT SHEYENNE NATIONAL GRASSLAND 0255 AM NON-TSTM WND GST DEVILS LAKE 48.11N 98.87W 07/10/2007 M72.00 MPH RAMSEY ND AWOS MEASURED AT AIRPORT 0535 AM NON-TSTM WND GST FARGO 46.88N 96.82W 07/10/2007 M61.00 MPH CASS ND ASOS PEAK WIND AT HECTOR FIELD AIRPORT 0555 AM NON-TSTM WND GST MOORHEAD 46.86N 96.76W 07/10/2007 M66.00 MPH CLAY MN AWOS MEASURED AT AIRPORT 0648 AM NON-TSTM WND GST LAKE PARK 46.88N 96.10W 07/10/2007 M61.00 MPH BECKER MN MESONET MNDOT RWIS 0706 AM NON-TSTM WND GST MAHNOMEN 47.31N 95.97W 07/10/2007 M58.00 MPH MAHNOMEN MN MESONET MNDOT RWIS