The skies could grow dark Thursday afternoon in eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin as a cold front moves through and brings a threat for explosive severe storms.
“Scattered severe thunderstorms are expected to develop across east-central MN this afternoon and move into western WI this evening,” says the Twin Cities office of the National Weather Service. “Storms will primarily produce large hail with damaging winds and isolated tornadoes as secondary threats.”
The biggest question for the Twin Cities metro area is if the storms will develop to the west and be nasty as they approach, develop right over the metro and strengthen as they move into Wisconsin, or develop in Wisconsin and miss the area completely.
All three scenarios are possible and the latest HRRR model shows development around 4 p.m. just west of the metro and into south-central Minnesota.