A very humid air mass with weak winds led to multiple areas of slow-moving thunderstorms and heavy rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday, June 25-26. Small tornadoes produced spotty damage in southeastern Minnesota on both days as well.
The rains came in multiple waves, with the first area moving into southwestern Minnesota early in the morning on Wednesday. An area of strong thunderstorms and very heavy rain developed and barely moved near Granite Falls during the morning. Automated gauges near the Upper Sioux Community and at Hawk Creek both reported six inches of rain in about six hours with this batch of rain.
Other areas of moderate, heavy, and very heavy rain developed over central, southern, and eastern Minnesota during the late morning and afternoon. During this period, some of the heaviest rains extended southwest to northeast through the center of the Twin Cities area. Later in the day small but intense thunderstorms developed over south-central and southeastern Minnesota, with multiple brief tornadoes reported in Freeborn, Steele, Wabasha, and Houston counties. The National Weather Service confirmed five tornadoes on this day, each rated EF 0 or EF 1, near the communities of Hartland, Yucatan, Nodine, Zumbro Falls, and Hokah.
On Thursday June 26th, the scenario nearly replayed itself. Another area of moderate to heavy rain spread northeastward into central and eastern Minnesota during the day, generally producing an additional half-inch to inch of rain in the Twin Cities. Areas to the south received even more, as additional heavy thunderstorms in Iowa and far southern Minnesota. Once again, some of these thunderstorms produced funnel clouds and brief tornadoes.
Rainfall totals of 2-4 inches were found across many parts of central, southern and southeastern Minnesota, with the highest totals near Granite falls, where some CoCoRaHS observers measured 5.5 to over 6 inches of rain. The National Weather Service Cooperative observer at Hokah recorded 6 inches for the event. The first-order climate stations at Rochester, St. Cloud, and the Twin Cities all recorded just over 2.5 inches of rain for the event.
Despite the widespread heavy rain and the occasionally intense to excessive rainfall rates, no major flooding was reported in Minnesota in the immediate aftermath of this event. Minor to moderate flooding was ongoing or expected along parts of the Minnesota River and along other smaller rivers and streams in southern Minnesota.
Posted June 27, 2025
KAB