NWS: EF-0 tornado in Crystal among several reports across Minnesota

Kyle Brown
Funnel cloud near Gaylord[Rebecca Kolstad]

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center received at least 10 reports of tornadoes Friday evening across Minnesota, although more reports are still coming in.

Storms producing tornadoes developed in western Minnesota and moved eastward across the state starting around 3:38 p.m., according to preliminary reports. The highest concentration of reports occurred in a line from northwest of Alexandria to south of Hutchinson, with other reports coming from southeast and northwest Minnesota.

The NWS also confirmed an EF-0 tornado touched down near Crystal around 7:55 p.m. Maximum winds were estimated to be around 75 mph, causing "significant" tree damage in Crystal, New Hope and Robbinsdale.

Damage, funnel clouds reported as storms roll through Minnesota

According to the earliest reports, three tornadoes formed before 4 p.m. between near Elbow Lake in west-central Minnesota. Sheriff’s deputies reported tornado sightings just after 4 p.m. in Nobles County in the southeast and around 5 p.m. in Todd County in central Minnesota.

Another cluster occurred in south-central Minnesota in Kandiyohi, McLeod and Meeker counties.

Multiple reports of a tornado and damage to trees and power lines came in around Green Lake, just north of Willmar. A tornado reportedly touched down west of Glencoe at 5:45 p.m., and a tornado was still lingering near Paynesville at 6:03 p.m.

A delayed report from Aitkin County in northwestern Minnesota indicates a tornado damaged several trees and buildings near the town of Lawler.