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General Category => Weather => Topic started by: skeezix on December 17, 2021, 0000 UTC

Title: Mid-December Thunderstorm in Minnesota
Post by: skeezix on December 17, 2021, 0000 UTC
Thunderstorm rolled through last night (Dec 15). Afterwards, had very strong winds overnight.

https://www.weather.gov/mpx/HistoricStormDecember2021
Quote
Overview

A low pressure system of historic strength led to a variety of high-end weather impacts from the central plains to the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes December 15-16. An unprecedented December severe weather unfolded over portions of Minnesota and Wisconsin Wednesday evening, with the Storm Prediction Center issuing their farthest-north Moderate Risk for the Month of December. A serial derecho moving at 60-70 mph tracked from Kansas to Wisconsin, resulting in over 400 reports of damaging wind and several tornadoes. Most of the damage across our area occured from south-central Minnesota through west-central Wisconsin. Particularly widespread damage occured in Hartland, Minnesota and Stanley Wisconsin, where damage is being investigated as a possible tornado.

Before the thunderstorms, strong southerly winds led to record high temperature at many sites across the Upper Midwest. Temperatures warmed into the mid to upper 50s across much of central Minnesota and western Wisconsin, and even exceeded 60 degrees across southern Minnesota. The warm temperatures melted what was left of the snowpack from the December 10 winter storm, which led to widespread dense fog through much of the morning and afternoon.

After the thunderstorms, strong gradient winds and widespread wind gusts in excess of 50 mph developed for several hours late Wednesday night and into the overnight hours. The Redwood Falls airport measured a gust of 78 mph at 11:30 PM.

Temperatures quickly fell below freezing across western and central Minnesota Wednesday night, causing rain to change over to a wintry mix of freezing drizzle and snow. Snowfall accumulations of 1-4" inches, along with the strong gusty winds, led to low visibility and travel hazards late Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

Title: Re: Mid-December Thunderstorm in Minnesota
Post by: Ct Yankee on December 17, 2021, 1951 UTC

Pretty strange stuff for December.  We hit a record high 63 yesterday, 58 today, and probably snow tomorrow.
Title: Re: Mid-December Thunderstorm in Minnesota
Post by: Traveling Wave on December 18, 2021, 0039 UTC
Same here in Western New York, hit a record of 67 on Dec. 11 and 63 on Dec.16. The accompanying winds were brutal as the cold front moved in.
Dec. 11, 2021 Peak gusts
NIAGARA FALLS AIRPORT        74 MPH   
Dec. 16, 2021 Peak gusts     
NIAGARA FALLS AIRPORT        51 MPH           
 
Title: Re: Mid-December Thunderstorm in Minnesota
Post by: pinto vortando on December 18, 2021, 0124 UTC
Mild here in MI yesterday (12-16) with high temp of 61F along with wind gusts in the 40-50 mph range...
second such event here in less than a week.