Forecast First Alert: Tornado Watch in effect Tuesday afternoon, evening

A Tornado Watch is in effect for most of southern Minnesota, including the south Twin Cities metro, until 9:00 PM Tuesday evening. This is a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” watch, meaning an increased chance of tornadoes, and potentially stronger, long-lived tornadoes.

Storms are developing in northern Iowa Tuesday afternoon. As these lift north into Minnesota, they will likely become severe after about 3:00 PM. Any storm will be capable of producing big hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. The highest chances of seeing tornadoes are from Fairmont to Mankato to Woodbury and south. This is also where some of the tornadoes could be stronger and stay on the ground for a longer time.

These storms will be moving very fast, so there could be less time than normal to move to a tornado shelter. Make sure you have a way to receive weather warnings this afternoon and evening. Take some time to think about where you and your family need to go in case there is a Tornado Warning issued. Minnesota’s Weather Authority will continue to post updates online, on social media, and will break into programming on Channel 5 and 45 when needed.

In addition to severe weather, these storms could produce some very heavy rainfall. A Flood Watch is in effect across most of southern, central, and eastern Minnesota, into northwest Wisconsin, through Tuesday night. An additional 2 to 4 inches of rain is likely in many areas, and that could lead to flash flooding, as well as river rises. If you live near a river, be ready to take action later tonight.