What To Expect From Midweek Severe Storms Across Minnesota + Wisconsin

Ready or not, the first widespread severe storm threat is popping up across Minnesota and Wisconsin this week.

Some summertime heat and humidity will be fueling a few days of severe storm threats across the region. While there are some scattered storm chances off and on throughout the week, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week bring the biggest chances of severe weather to the region.

Here's a look at the timing and threats possible with this week's severe storm risks across Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Tuesday Severe Weather Targets Western and Central Minnesota

NOAA

On the map above, you see numbered areas of risk. The orange area over Western Minnesota and into the Dakotas is a 3 on the 5-point scale, an "enhanced" area of risk. The yellow is a 2, or "slight" area of risk, and the dark green that extends to the Wisconsin border is a 1 or "marginal" risk.

While words like "slight" and "marginal" don't seem like a big deal, this refers to the expected number, size, and duration of storms, and not the level of severity. The higher the risk category, the larger the number and/or scale of long-lived severe storms are expected in that area.

Cities like Baudette, Thief River Falls, Moorhead, and Detroit Lakes are in the "enhanced" area, with Bemidji on the border of the "slight" category area that also includes Walker, Grand Rapids, Brainerd, Alexandria, and portions of the Iron Range.

The "marginal" area extends across most of the remainder of Eastern Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.

While isolated tornadoes are possible anywhere across most of Minnesota and Western Wisconsin on Tuesday, the greatest tornado risk is in the far western parts of Minnesota and the Dakotas.

NOAA

The threat of damaging winds from Tuesday's storms is possible across nearly all of Minnesota and the western half of Wisconsin, with the highest level of risk in Western Minnesota and the Dakotas.

NOAA

The threat of large hail is also present across most of Minnesota and Western Wisconsin on Tuesday, with the greatest risk also falling in the same area as that of the other threats.

NOAA

Timing for these storms looks to be late in the day on Tuesday in the western portions of the storm area, moving eastward through the overnight hours as these storms move across Minnesota and into Wisconsin.

Wednesday's Severe Weather Risks Center On Minnesota-Wisconsin Border

NOAA

Wednesday, the "enhanced" bullseye moves over Southeastern Minnesota and Western Wisconsin (and areas south), with the rest of Minnesota and Wisconsin in the "slight" risk area.

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In the "Enhanced" bullseye are the Twin Cities, Rochester, Madison, Eau Claire, La Crosse, and Wausau.

The timing of Wednesday's storms is expected to fire up in the mid to late afternoon hours, sweeping eastward through the evening.

Since these storms are a little further out (and will also depend on what happens with the first round of storms), there are fewer specific map details for individual threats, but there is definitely a risk of damaging winds, large hail, heavy rain, and some tornadoes as these storms sweep through the region on Wednesday afternoon and evening.