Courtesy: MNDNR State Climatology Office
Warm air surged northward out ahead of a low pressure system in the Dakotas. A strong warm front associated with this area of low pressure moved northward across Minnesota. Out ahead of this warm front, thunderstorms broke out over northeast Minnesota with penny to quarter size hail reported at daybreak, March 8 in central Lake and St. Louis County.
High temperatures rose into the upper 60s to 70s across a good part of eastern Minnesota. The highest temperature found was 74 degrees at Winona Dam. The Twin Cities saw a record high of 70 degrees on March 8, which broke the old record of 69 degrees set in 2000. This was only the sixth time on record that the mercury cracked the 70-degree mark during the first half of March.
By the afternoon and evening of March 8th, a cold front swept across the state and cooler, but still above normal air moved into Minnesota.
Below are Public Information Statements from the National Weather Service.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
234 PM CST TUE MAR 8 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0627 AM HAIL 2 NW MARKHAM 47.32N 92.24W
03/08/2016 E0.75 INCH ST. LOUIS MN PUBLIC
DELAYED REPORT. DIME SIZE HAIL IN MAKINEN.
TIME ESTIMATED WITH RADAR.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
1251 PM CST TUE MAR 8 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1051 AM HAIL 1 ESE INTERNATIONAL FAL 48.58N 93.39W
03/08/2016 E0.75 INCH KOOCHICHING MN CO-OP OBSERVER
DELAYED REPORT. TIME ESTIMATED WITH RADAR.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
1031 AM CST TUE MAR 8 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0737 AM HAIL 11 NNW WHYTE 47.59N 91.65W
03/08/2016 E1.25 INCH LAKE MN CO-OP OBSERVER
DELAYED REPORT RECEIVED AT 1025 AM. HAIL WAS
STILL ON GROUND AND RANGED FROM PEA SIZE TO
1 1/8 INCH. TIME OF EVENT ESTIMATED WITH
RADAR.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
1002 AM CST TUE MAR 8 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0515 AM HAIL 5 SSE MCKINLEY 47.45N 92.36W
03/08/2016 E0.25 INCH ST. LOUIS MN PUBLIC
PHOTO OF PEA SIZE HAIL. SPOTTER REPORTED
HAIL FELL AROUND 515 AM IN LAKELAND AREA OF
BIWABIK. TIME AND LOCATION ESTIMATED WITH
RADAR.
0639 AM HAIL 1 SW LA PRAIRIE 47.22N 93.50W
03/08/2016 E0.25 INCH ITASCA MN PUBLIC
MPING REPORT
0641 AM HAIL 1 NE LA PRAIRIE 47.24N 93.47W
03/08/2016 E0.88 INCH ITASCA MN PUBLIC
SPOTTER REPORTED HAIL FELL BETWEEN 635 AM
AND 645 AM IN GRAND RAPIDS. TIME AND
LOCATION ESTIMATED BY RADAR.
0650 AM HAIL 1 SSW COLERAINE 47.29N 93.43W
03/08/2016 E0.25 INCH ITASCA MN PUBLIC
MPING REPORT
0834 AM HAIL 1 E BUHL 47.50N 92.74W
03/08/2016 E0.25 INCH ST. LOUIS MN PUBLIC
MPING REPORT
0857 AM HAIL 2 N MOUNTAIN IRON 47.56N 92.63W
03/08/2016 E0.25 INCH ST. LOUIS MN PUBLIC
MPING REPORT