Grand Forks, ND

Weather Forecast Office

Review of the May 30, 2022 Wind and Tornado event over West Central Minnesota

Overview

All severe components came together on Memorial Day (Monday, May 30th) to be a dangerous severe weather day. Damaging winds and significant tornadoes looked to be the main threats, as a bowing line of severe thunderstorms lifted northeast through the lakes country of west central Minnesota during the afternoon and early evening. As it turned out, numerous reports of wind damage were received, with possible embedded tornadoes.

Tornado
Wind & Hail
SPC WPC Graphics
Photos & Video
Radar
Storm Reports
Rainfall
Environment

Tornadoes:

Overview: During the afternoon into early evening of May 30, 2022, a well organized, fast moving mesoscale convective system (MCS) tracked north-northeast through west-central and northwest Minnesota. This MCS developed broad areas of extreme downburst winds along with a number of embedded tornadic circulations, characteristic of a Quasi-Linear Convective System (QLCS). Evidence of six distinct tornadoes were found within the NWS Grant, Otter Tail, and Wadena counties within Minnesota. The progression of the line ranged from 70 to 90 mph, with commensurate downburst wind speeds across a several county area.

A text summary of the tornado survey can be found here.

Tornado - South Elbow Lake Tornado
Grant County, Minnesota

Date	May 30 2022
Time (Local)	4:14 pm - 4:19 pm CDT
EF Rating	EF - 2
Est. Peak Winds	120 mph
Path Length	6 miles
Max Width	350 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0
Summary: This tornado was likely wrapped in damaging downburst winds and heavy rain. Numerous wooden power poles were snapped along the tornado path, including single poles and high voltage, double pole, x-braced, structures. This includes a nearly 2 mile long stretch of the double pole structures snapped along the East- West running 240th Street, as the tornado devolved into a much broader downburst wind pattern, similar to the nearly concurrent West Elbow Lake Tornado. Numerous ash, spruce, cottonwood, and willow trees were snapped or uprooted. Several steel grain bins were caved in, or popped off their foundations and crumpled in a downstream path. Multiple small wooden and/or metal storage sheds were peeled open with portions of roofs and walls carried downwind. The broader downburst wind pattern continued to propagate to the northeast, still generating 70 to 90 mph winds as it moved across Pomme de Terre Lake and into northeastern Grant County.

Track Map

Downloadable KMZ File

Tornado - West Elbow Lake Tornado
Grant County, Minnesota

Date	May 30 2022
Time (Local)	4:15 pm - 4:24 pm CDT
EF Rating	EF - 2
Est. Peak Winds	115 mph
Path Length	11 miles
Max Width	400 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0
Summary: The tornado was wrapped in damaging downburst winds and rain. Several wooden power poles were snapped along the tornado path, while numerous ash, spruce, cottonwood, and willow trees were snapped or uprooted at farmsteads. At one location, 6 of 8 steel grain bins were popped off their slabs, tumbled and crushed over a mile long trajectory. Multiple wooden and/or metal storage sheds were peeled open with portions of roofs and walls carried downwind. Towards the end of the tornado cycle the storm devolved into a broader downburst wind pattern that continued to propagate to the northeast, still generating 70 to 90 mph winds.

Track Map

Downloadable KMZ File

Tornado - Urbank Area Tornado
Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Date	May 30 2022
Time (Local)	4:34 pm - 4:38 pm CDT
EF Rating	EF - 1
Est. Peak Winds	90 mph
Path Length	5 miles
Max Width	200 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0
Summary: This tornado was likely wrapped in damaging downburst winds and heavy rain. Numerous poplar, ash, and spruce trees were snapped or uprooted along the path. At least one house lost numerous shingles, while metal panels were torn off one farm building and spread downwind.

Track Map

Downloadable KMZ File

Tornado - Big Pine Lake Tornado
Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Date	May 30 2022
Time (Local)	4:59 pm - 5:04 pm CDT
EF Rating	EF - 1
Est. Peak Winds	100 mph
Path Length	5 miles
Max Width	300 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0
Summary: This tornado was likely wrapped in damaging downburst winds and heavy rain. Numerous poplar, ash, spruce, and pine trees were snapped across the eastern edge of Perham and along the western and northern shores of Big Pine Lake. One garage had the front doors blown in and the back wall blown out by the storm, though the roof remained intact. The storm that produced the tornado continued to produce damaging downburst winds of from 60 to 80 mph over a broad area across Big Pine Lake and further downstream across Corliss Township.

Track Map

Downloadable KMZ File

Tornado - Old Wadena Tornado
Wadena County, Minnesota

Date	May 30 2022
Time (Local)	5:21 pm - 5:30 pm CDT
EF Rating	EF - 2
Est. Peak Winds	130 mph
Path Length	9.4 miles
Max Width	450 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0
Summary: The tornado was likely wrapped in damaging downburst winds and heavy rain as it crossed from Todd County and proceeded in a north-northeast direction until it crossed into Cass County. numerous wooden power poles were snapped along the tornado path, including single poles and a couple of high voltage, double pole, structures. At least 3 center pivot irrigation system were tumbled and several farmsteads had roofing materials torn off of out buildings. Extensive pine tree damage was noted at the Old Wadena Campground, where swaths of trees from 300 to 400 yards wide were completed laid down in a curvilinear fashion by the storm, both there and at the downstream Bullard Bluff Campground. One park shelter at the OLd Wadena Campsite was completely destroyed. In an open area, roughly a mile downstream of the Bullard Bluff Campsite, one cabin was ripped opened, with the roof completely gone and the exterior walls caved in. Damage continued across the Crow Wing River and across CR30 /the Cass County Line Road/ into Cass County.

Track Map

Downloadable KMZ File

Tornado - Northwest Staples Airport Tornado
Wadena County, Minnesota

Date	May 30 2022
Time (Local)	5:27 pm - 5:30 pm CDT
EF Rating	EF - 1
Est. Peak Winds	90 mph
Path Length	2.5 miles
Max Width	150 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0
Summary: The tornado was wrapped in damaging downburst winds and heavy rain as it rapidly tracked to the northeast. It appears to have developed roughly a half mike to the east of an earlier tornado based on divergent tree damage tracks and supported by radar depictions. The tornado snapped or uprooted several poplar, ash, and spruce trees along its path.

Track Map

Downloadable KMZ File

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

Wind & Hail:

Here are the peak measured wind reports from May 30th. It is worth mentioning additional and potentially higher wind gusts may not have been measured due to widespread power outages as a result of the strong wind gusts themselves.

Hail reports are shown in the Storm Reports section.

SPC - WPC Graphics

Here are various SPC and WPC products issued before and during the event.


Figure 1: 18z surface analysis	Figure 2: 21z surface analysis	Figure 3: 00z surface analysis


Figure 4: Morning Day 1 Convective Outlook	Figure 5: Morning Day 1 Tornado Prob	Figure 6: Morning Day 1 Wind Prob


Figure 7: Morning Day 1 Hail Prob	Figure 8: MCD before watch	Figure 9: Tornado Watch

Written Day 1 Convective Outlook:

Written MCD before Watch:

Photos & Video


Ashby MN (Ashby MN)	Ashby MN (Heidi Johnson)	Ashby MN (Heidi Johnson)	Ashby MN (Heidi Johnson)


Ashby MN (Heidi Johnson)	Elbow Lake MN (Stacy Kerwin)	Elbow Lake MN (Stacy Kerwin)	Elbow Lake MN (Stacy Kerwin)

Radar

Storm Reports

Rain Reports

This map shows an estimate of rainfall totals from 7 am on May 30th through 7 am on May 31st.

Environment


Figure 1: 21z 0-3km Shear	Figure 2: 21z 0-6km Shear	Figure 3: 21z 700-500 mb lapse rates


Figure 4: 21z 850 & 500mb winds	Figure 5: 21z DCAPE	Figure 6: 21z MLCAPE


Figure 7: 21z Precipitable Water	Figure 8: 21z VGP	Figure 9: 21z Violent Tornado Parameter

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Review of the May 30, 2022 Wind and Tornado event over West Central Minnesota