Power Outage in Rochester, MN

Numerous trees were blown down across Rochester. Power poles were snapped, creating several power outages across the city that affected more than 3,500 customers. One tree fell on a church, causing roof damage that allowed water to leak into the building.

Trees were blown down on the southwest side of Rochester that also brought down some power lines. Over 1,200 customers lost power. The frame of a house was broken by the impact of a tree falling on it.

Trees were blown down on the northeast side of Rochester that also brought down some power lines. Over 1,800 customers lost power.

Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph were common across Olmsted County during the late evening of December 15th into the early morning of the 16th. The automated weather observing equipment at the Rochester airport measured a 77 mph gust. This was the second highest gust on record for this site. A garage was heavily damaged by a fire when the winds caused the flames from a burning transformer to spread to the garage. Power outages in and around Stewartville lasted into December 18th. The lack of power and heat on December 17th prompted classes to be canceled in the Stewartville school district and at one Rochester elementary school.

An estimated 60 mph wind gust occurred in the Apache Mall area in Rochester. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the southwest part of the city. At one point, up to 2,000 customers were without power.

COOP and volunteer snow observers reported that between 5 to 11 inches of snow fell across Olmsted County. In addition to the snow, a period of sleet and freezing rain occurred that coated exposed surfaces with a glaze of ice. With the coating of ice, power poles and lines were brought down by the strong winds across the southern and eastern sections of the county. The highest reported snowfall total was 11 inches in the northeast part of Rochester. The highest recorded wind gust was 56 mph by the automated weather observing equipment at the Rochester airport. Lightning struck a tree on the northeast side of Rochester, ruptured a gas line that started the tree on fire with the remains of the tree falling on a house, breaking a window.

A power pole was snapped off south of Rochester.

Eleven power poles were blown down along St. Bridgets Road in the southern sections of Rochester. A total of 2700 customers throughout the city of Rochester were without power.

A peak wind gust of 75 mph was measured northwest of Genoa. Several power lines and lots of trees were blown down.

The automated weather observing equipment at the Rochester airport recorded wind gust of 45 to 55 mph on March 16th. The highest recorded wind gust was 52 mph. The strong winds blew down trees onto a house and power lines in Rochester.

COOP and volunteer snow observers reported 7 to 10 inches of snow across Olmsted County. The highest reported total was 10.6 inches near Pine Island. A power outage, caused by the moisture in the snow, affected around 220 customers in Rochester.

Northwest winds of 20 to 35 mph with gusts of 40 to 50 mph produced a period of blizzard conditions across Olmsted County. Whiteout conditions occurred during the blizzard and the blowing snow caused severe drifting to occur that closed several roads. Power outages occurred as the heavy, wet snow and the high winds combined to bring down power lines and tree branches. Numerous accidents occurred across the county and in the city of Rochester, but only a few minor injuries were reported. Almost all the schools in the county were either closed or delayed the start of classes on both the 20th and 21st. The highest reported snowfall amount was 9.8 inches in Oronoco and the highest recorded wind speed was 51 mph at the Rochester airport.

At least two large trees were blown down on roads and a shed was blown off its foundation on the northwest side of Rochester. On the southwest side of the city, widespread power outages occurred.

The automated weather observing equipment at the Rochester International Airport measured a wind gust of 60 mph. There were also reports from the northwest side of Rochester of power outages and debris blown onto area streets. Some trees were blown down with at least one landing on a car breaking the back window. Around 5,000 customers in Rochester lost power because of the storm.

Over 175 trees were blown down across Rochester. Numerous homes and cars were damaged when the trees landed on them. Power lines were also blown down or came down with the fallen trees, knocking out the power to 4,800 customers across the city.

Over 175 trees were blown down across Rochester. Numerous homes and cars were damaged when the trees landed on them. Power lines were also blown down or came down with the fallen trees, knocking out the power to 4,800 customers across the city.

Lightning hit a power substation in Rochester causing power outages and damage to the substation. About 1,800 residences and businesses in the Eyota, Marion, Pleasant Grove, Stewartville and south Rochesters areas lost power.

Sporadic power outages were reported along with trees and power lines blown down across the county and the roof to an apartment building was damaged in Rochester. Winds gusted to 58 mph at the Rochester International Airport at 12:19 a.m. CST (1:19 a.m. CDT) and 63 mph in the Eyota area at 3:21 a.m. CST (4:21 a.m. CDT) on October 27th.

Thunderstorm winds knocked down nine trees in the city of Rochester with some of these landing on vehicles. Power outages occurred from tree branches landing on power lines. Approximately 200 homes were affected.

Power lines and trees were blown down.

A line of fast moving storms moved across portions of southeast Minnesota during the evening of May 30th. A 67 mph gust occurred just east of Whalan (Fillmore County) and at the Rochester (Olmsted County) airport. Trees and power lines were down in Preston (Fillmore County).

Two rounds of severe storms moved across southeast Minnesota on April 12th. The first round occurred in the afternoon as storms producing large hail moved across the area. Quarter sized hail fell from north of Racine (Mower County) east to near Winona (Winona County). A second round of severe storms occurred in the evening. An EF2 tornado moved through Taopi (Mower County), where homes were destroyed or severely damaged, grain bins were destroyed, cars were tossed or rolled, and trees and power lines were downed. Two people sustained injuries while sheltering from the storm when they became trapped under debris. An EF1 tornado occurred just southwest of Spring Valley (Fillmore County), damaging several farm outbuildings and trees. Two EF0 tornadoes occurred southwest of Lewiston (Winona County), where the damage was mainly to trees and one farm. The Mower County Board of Commissioners ratified an emergency declaration for Taopi and a state of emergency was declared for Fillmore County.

An intense storm system moved across the Upper Midwest on December 15th and produced a rare severe weather outbreak across southeast Minnesota. One person was killed near Rochester (Olmsted County) when a large tree fell on the victim. Twelve tornadoes occurred across parts of Mower, Fillmore, Houston, Dodge, Winona and Wabasha Counties. Eight of these tornadoes were rated EF1 with the others rated EF0. The tornadoes largely moved through rural areas damaging trees, power lines and farm buildings with the exception of an EF0 tornado that moved through the eastern sections of Preston (Fillmore County) and and EF1 tornado that tracked across Homer (Winona County). In addition to the tornadoes, damaging winds occurred with several reports of wind speeds over 70 mph. The highest recorded wind gusts were 85 mph in Plainview (Wabasha County), 84 mph in Harmony (Fillmore County) and Mabel (Fillmore County) and 83 mph south of Grand Meadow (Mower County). A state of emergency was declared in Fillmore County. The Governor of Minnesota authorized emergency assistance for the following counties: Dodge, Fillmore, Houston, Mower, Olmsted and Wabasha.

Following behind the rare December severe weather outbreak, very strong winds buffeted southeast Minnesota from the late evening of December 15th into the morning of the 16th. Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph were common with a few gusts over 70 mph. The automated weather observing equipment at the Rochester (Olmsted County) airport recorded a wind gust of 77 mph, which was the second highest wind gust on record for this site. In Rochester, the wind caused a fire from a burning transformer to spread to a garage. The high winds caused numerous power outages to occur across the area. The power outages in and around Stewartville (Olmsted County) were so extensive that some outages lasted into December 18th. The Stewartville school district canceled all classes on the 17th because of the lack of power. An elementary school in Rochester also closed on the 17th because of a power outage. A state of emergency was declared in Fillmore County.

A couple rounds of severe storms rolled across southeast Minnesota during the evening of September 24th. These storms produced a tornado that moved through Lake City (Wabasha County). Trees and building roofs were damaged along with dry docked boats at the marina. Wind gusts were estimated to be in the 70 to 80 mph range in Zumbro Falls (Wabasha County). Trees were blown down in and near Rochester (Olmsted County), in Lewiston (Winona County) and in Winona (Winona County) where the roof of a restaurant was also damaged. Damage from the storms caused numerous power outages with 1,200 losing power in Winona, 1,400 across western Wabasha County, between 800 and 900 in Rochester and around 300 across Dodge County. A local disaster declaration was made in Lake City.

A line of thunderstorms swept across southeast Minnesota during the late evening of September 2nd into the early morning hours of the 3rd. These storms dropped some large hail and also produced damaging winds. The largest hail size reported was nickel sized in Kasson (Dodge County). The automated weather observing equipment at the Rochester airport (Olmsted County) measured a 59 mph wind gust and a tree limb was blown down onto a house in Dodge Center (Dodge County) causing a power outage.

Two rounds of thunderstorms moved across southeast Minnesota during the morning of July 20th. The first round produced at 74 mph wind gust at the Rochester International Airport (Olmsted County). The second round of storms blew down trees from near Austin (Mower County) to the northwest side of Rochester. Around 5,000 customers were without power after the storms passed through Rochester. Another 1,000 customers lost power in Mower County. Several streets were blocked in Rochester by downed trees. A fire started by a lightning strike destroyed a house and garage north of Genoa (Olmsted County).

Two rounds of severe thunderstorms moved across southeast Minnesota during the late afternoon and early evening of June 4th. The first round of storms produced large hail across Dodge County, with hail ranging from 1 inch up to 2.75 inches. These storms merged with other storms that moved in from south-central Minnesota and went on to produce a tornado in Rochester (Olmsted County) with wind damage across portions of Wabasha, Olmsted, Fillmore and Houston Counties. A 70 mph wind gust was estimated by spotters near Chatfield (Fillmore County) and trees were blown down in Kellogg (Wabasha County) and near Mound Prairie (Houston County). Around 2,000 customers lost power in Rochester following the passage of the storms.

A strong early spring storm system produced snow, sleet and freezing rain across southeast Minnesota from April 10th into the 11th. Snowfall amounts generally ranged from 3 to 7 inches. Strong east winds brought down power poles and lines where enough freezing rain occurred to coat exposed surfaces. Around 100 power poles were downed across Mower County and the entire town of Rushford (Fillmore County) lost power. The highest reported snowfall total was 11 inches on the northeast side of Rochester (Olmsted County). The highest recorded wind gust was 56 mph by the automated weather observing equipment at the Rochester airport. The Governor of Minnesota declared a state of emergency and ordered the National Guard to assist as needed.

Two lines of severe thunderstorms moved across southeast Minnesota during the afternoon and evening of June 30th. These storms dropped some hail and also produced damaging winds. Quarter sized hail fell near Preston (Fillmore County) and Winona (Winona County). A 69 mph wind gust occurred at the Rochester airport (Olmsted County) and trees and power lines were blown down in Austin (Mower County) and Lanesboro (Fillmore County). A lightning strike started a house fire in Goodview (Winona County).

A couple rounds of thunderstorms swept across southeast Minnesota during the afternoon and evening of May 25th. These storms primarily produced large hail with some occasional damaging winds. The largest reported hail size was quarter sized in the Whitewater State Park (Winona County) and Lewiston (Winona County). Trees and power lines were blown down between Houston and Brownsville (Houston County) and across the northern part of Dodge County.

Rain spread across southeast Minnesota on January 16th. Some of this fell as freezing rain with ice accumulations up to 0.1 inches. This ice accumulated on some trees and power lines. A greater impact developed as temperatures quickly dropped below freezing causing the standing water to rapidly turn into a sheet of ice on roads, parking lots and sidewalks. Numerous accidents occurred on the icy roads with some schools closed for 2 or 3 days.

A tornado hit a small part of southeast Minnesota when it touched down southwest of Lake City (Wabasha County). Damage from the tornado was limited to some snapped off trees. Other parts of southeast Minnesota were hit with high winds that blew down trees and power lines. A grain bin and farm outbuildings were damaged north of Mazeppa (Wabasha County), a steel framed building was destroyed northeast of Mantorville (Dodge County), several buildings were damaged near Preston (Fillmore County) and headstones in a cemetery were damaged by downed trees near Mabel (Fillmore County). The highest measured wind gust was 75 mph north of Genoa (Olmsted County). In Wabasha County, about 1500 customers lost power because of the storms and another 2700 lost power in Rochester (Olmsted County).

Winds of 45 to 55 mph battered portions of southeast Minnesota on March 16th. A strong area of low pressure moved across the region with the strong winds occurring in the tight pressure gradient on the front and back sides of the low. The highest reported wind gust was 52 mph from the automated weather observing equipment at the Rochester airport (Olmsted County). These winds blew down some trees that landed on a house and power lines in Rochester. A police cruiser was heavily damaged when it struck a fallen tree at highway speeds on U.S. Highway 14 near Stockton (Winona County).

A storm system moved southeast from the Dakotas into the central Mississippi River Valley from March 22nd into the 23rd. Heavy snow fell north of this system, with southeast Minnesota receiving between 6 and 10 inches. The snow fell at rates of 2 inches an hour at times, resulting in quick accumulations. Several accidents occurred as the roads quickly became snow covered. Numerous schools were either closed or had delayed starts on the 23rd. Moisture from the snow was responsible for a power pole catching file on the northwest side of Rochester (Olmsted County). The resulting power outage affected about 220 customers. The highest reported snowfall total was 10.6 inches south of Pine Island (Olmsted County).

Thunderstorms developed along a stationary front during the late afternoon hours of August 18th across southeast Minnesota. These storms blew down some power lines and trees in the city of Winona (Winona County) and dropped golf ball sized hail north of Genoa (Olmsted County) that damaged vehicles.

Southeast Minnesota was hit by the second blizzard of the winter on February 20th and 21st as an area of low pressure tracked from southern Kansas to Lake Superior. This storm system produced almost a foot of heavy, wet snow that was then blown around by winds gusting as high as 50 mph. Before the heavy snow began falling, a period of sleet occurred during the morning and afternoon of the 20th. One person was killed in an accident on State Highway 42 just northeast of Plainview (Wabasha County) on the icy roads created by the sleet. The blowing snow created by the winds, caused whiteout conditions, produced severe drifting that closed numerous roads, knocked out the power to thousands of customers from downed power lines and blew down tree branches. At least one home in Austin (Mower County) sustained damage when part of a tree covered in the wet, heavy snow fell on it. The extremely poor visibility in the blowing snow prompted Olmsted and Mower Counties to pull their snowplows off the roads by late evening on the 20th. Road conditions deteriorated rapidly after the winds increased with almost 30 cars reported off the roads and several rollovers in the first two hours after the winds picked up. Five rescues had to be made by snowmobile in Olmsted County. In Rochester (Olmsted County), the city bus service was suspended for the first time in 32 years and all flights in and out of the Rochester airport were canceled. Several accidents occurred across Rochester, but only a few minor injuries were reported. The Governor of Minnesota issued an emergency order that allowed the National Guard to help with recovery and sheltering of stranded motorists. Almost all the schools across southeast Minnesota were either closed or utilized a delayed start both ahead of the storm on the 20th and after the storm on the 21st. The highest reported snowfall amount was 10.7 inches east of Spring Valley (Fillmore County) and the highest recorded wind speed during the blizzard was 51 mph by the automated weather observing equipment at the Rochester airport (Olmsted County).

A narrow but intense band of snow set up across portions of southeast Minnesota during the evening hours of May 1st and continued into the 2nd. While all of southeast Minnesota ended up receiving some snow from this system, snow was heaviest in a band between Mason City, Iowa and Menomonie, WI where over 10 inches fell. Amounts exceeded 15 inches over portions of Olmsted and Dodge Counties. New Minnesota state snowfall records for the month of May were established with a one day total of 15.4 inches on May 2nd and two day total of 17.2 on May 2nd and 3rd in Dodge Center (Dodge County). Other notable snowfall totals were 16.6 inches just west of Rochester (Olmsted County) and 14 inches in Grand Meadow (Mower County). The heavy wet snow caused several power outages to occur, as 10,000 customers in Rochester lost power while over 1,700 customers were without power across parts of Mower, Dodge, Fillmore, Wabasha, Winona and rural Olmsted Counties. The weight of the snow caused some buildings and barns to collapse and hundreds of trees across the region were damaged. Numerous schools across southeast Minnesota canceled classes and the Minnesota DOT did not recommend travel on Interstate 90 east of Albert Lea and on state highways.

Up to a foot of heavy wet snow was dumped on much of southeast Minnesota from a winter storm on March 10th and 11th. The storm responsible for this snow moved northeast from the Kansas City region to Lake Michigan. Along with the snow, the system also produced northwest winds of 15 to 20 mph that created some drifting of the snow. Numerous schools were either closed or utilized a two hour delay on the 11th. Snowfall amounts of 7 to 12 inches were common and the highest reported total was 12.5 inches east of Spring Valley (Fillmore County). Around 1,900 customers across southeast Wabasha, Winona and Fillmore Counties lost power in the early morning hours of March 11th. Ahead of the snowfall, the storm produced up to 1.5 inches of rain with temperatures in the upper 30s. This produced abundant run off from the rain and melting snow that was not able to penetrate into the ground due to frost depths up to 3 feet. The run off flooded numerous basements and caused roads to have minor washouts or be covered with standing water.

Ice accumulations up to a quarter of an inch from freezing rain were reported across southeast Minnesota from a winter storm that impacted the region on January 27th. The winter storm originated over South Dakota and then moved almost due east into Wisconsin. As it did, it pulled a warm front north through the region. The warm air that came north with the warm front was responsible for the freezing rain. In addition to the freezing rain, sleet and some snow also fell. The freezing rain and sleet produced a coating of ice on most exposed surfaces leading to very slick roads with several accidents occurring. The highest reported ice accumulation was a quarter of an inch in Harmony (Fillmore County). The Minnesota State Patrol reported hundreds of accidents and spinouts across the southern part of the state. Ice buildup from the storm downed some power lines in Austin (Mower County) and brought down tree limbs in other parts of Mower County. Power outages also occurred in Rochester (Olmsted County) and more than 8 flights were canceled or delayed at the Rochester International airport. Nearly all schools across southeast Minnesota were either closed or delayed after the storm on Monday the 28th. Some roads remained ice covered into Tuesday the 29th when at least 3 school buses slid off the road but no injuries resulted.

Two rounds of severe thunderstorms hit portions of southeast Minnesota during the evening hours of September 4th and the early morning hours of the 5th. The first event, produced large hail up to tennis ball size near Canton (Fillmore County) and the second event produced damaging winds, which mainly impacted the city of Rochester (Olmsted County). Over 175 trees were blown down in Rochester along with power lines causing 4,800 customers to loose power. Lightning struck a Rochester house causing a fire that resulted in over $40,000 of damage.

Lightning hit a power substation in Rochester (Olmsted County) and caused power outages to residences and damage to the substation in the late evening hours on May 1st.

A warm front was lifting north across the Upper Midwest and thunderstorms developed along this boundary during the evening of March 16th across southeast Minnesota. Some of these storms produce strong winds which blew down grain bins in Byron (Olmsted County). Power poles were blown down and a barn was lifted off its foundation in and near Eitzen (Houston County).

A cold front over central Minnesota pushed into central Wisconsin during the evening hours of July 1st. Severe thunderstorms developed along the cold front and moved into southeast Minnesota producing wind gusts above 70 mph, damage to roofs, and knocking down trees and power lines across much of the region.

A powerful low pressure system tracked across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region during the evening hours of December 10th into the morning hours of December 12th. This brought heavy snow and blizzard conditions across southeast Minnesota. Volunteer cooperative observers measured snowfall amounts of 23 inches at Winona Lock and Dam 5A (Winona County), 21 inches three miles south of Winona (Winona County), 17 inches one mile west of Reads Landing (Wabasha County), 16 inches near the Rochester airport (Olmsted County) and 12 inches at Mantorville (Dodge County). In addition to the heavy snow, sustained wind speeds of 25 to 30 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 miles per hour caused whiteout conditions, widespread road closures and stranded motorists.

A low pressure system deepened over northern Minnesota and set the Minnesota state record for the lowest recorded barometric pressure. This system was responsible for high winds across portions of southeast Minnesota in the morning hours of October 26th and the daytime hours of the 27th. Sustained wind speeds of 30 to 40 miles per hour were measured at the airports in Rochester (Olmsted), Austin (Mower) and Dodge Center (Dodge). A peak wind gust of 63 miles per hour was measured two miles southeast of Eyota (Olmsted) from the Minnesota Department of Transportation automated weather observing equipment. The high winds knocked down several trees, some onto power lines, and damaged building roofs.

A cold front triggered scattered severe thunderstorms in the late afternoon and early evening of July 3. Wind gusts of 60 to 65 mph blew down trees and power lines, as well as flattened corn near Douglas (Olmsted County).

The second in a series of powerful winter storms that hit southeast Minnesota in late February continued through March 1 and 2. Total snow accumulations ranged between 6 and 12 inches. Specific reports included 11.5 inches at Claremont (Dodge County), 11.2 inches at Byron (Olmsted County) and 11.1 inches at Oronoco (Olmsted County). This snowfall combined with the previous storm produced snow depths of up to two and a half feet. Strong northwest winds caused considerable blowing and drifting snow, which resulted in the closure of several roads. In addition to the heavy snow, ice accumulations of 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch affected areas near the Mississippi River from Wabasha (Wabasha County) to Winona (Winona County).

Within a week of being hit by the powerful winter storm of February 23 to 25, another winter storm affected southeast Minnesota from February 28 to March 2. This storm produced snow accumulations between 6 and 12 inches. Specific reports included 11.5 inches at Claremont (Dodge County), 11.2 inches at Byron (Olmsted County) and 11.1 inches at Oronoco (Olmsted County). Strong northwest winds caused considerable blowing and drifting snow, which resulted in the closure of several roads. In addition, 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch of ice impacted areas near the Mississippi River from Wabasha (Wabasha County) to Winona (Winona County).

As the winter storm moved across Iowa toward the lower Great Lakes, blizzard conditions developed Saturday night, February 24, and lasted into Sunday morning, February 25. Winds gusting to around 40 mph created white-out conditions, along with considerable blowing and drifting snow. In fact, snow drifts in some locations were as much as 4 to 5 feet deep. The strong winds and heavy snow delayed the restoration of electricity to numerous homes without power, which had been affected by a heavy glazing of ice Saturday morning.

A powerful winter storm moved from Kansas to the lower Great Lakes. This storm produced a combination of significant heavy snow, sleet and ice accumulations, which virtually paralyzed southeast Minnesota. Near the Mississippi River, snow accumulations totaled 20 to 26 inches, with an isolated report of 29.5 inches near Winona (Winona County). Further west, ice accumulations of 3/4 inch to 1.5 inches affected areas mainly southwest of Rochester (Olmsted County), including Austin (Mower County) and Stewartville (Olmsted County). Adams in Mower County was especially hard hit with thick glaze ice, numerous power poles and trees downed. A heavy glaze of ice in these locations caused power outages. Travel was dangerous or impossible througout southeast Minnesota.

High winds of 60 to 65 mph, which were not associated with thunderstorms, knocked down power lines and trees across parts of southeast Minnesota. Shingles and siding were blown off an apartment building in Rochester (Olmsted County).

Freezing rain affected much of southeast Minnesota, with ice accumulations of 1/8 to 1/4 inch. In a few locations, such as Lake City and Zumbro Falls (Wabasha County), the ice was as much as 1/2 inch thick. Law enforcement officials reported numerous automobile accidents due to icy roads, while there were a few power outages.

A line of fast moving thunderstorms produced the first significant severe weather event of the season. Spotters and law enforcement officials reported wind gusts of 60 to 65 mph, which knocked down numerous trees and power lines, as well as damaged some crops.

Wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph knocked down numerous trees and power lines. A tree, which was three feet in diameter, fell on a car near Chatfield (Olmsted County).

Storm spotters and law enforcement officials reported a tornado entered Mower County about 3 miles west of Austin. The storm proceeded northeast, before lifting about 4 miles north of Austin. The tornado hit numerous farms, outbuildings, power poles and crossed fields that were still bare of crops. Several hog farms were destroyed. Hardest hit were several homes in the small community of Andyville, just north of Austin, along Highway 218. Roofs were torn off and trees sheared off. Two smaller tornadoes also touched down briefly between Rose Creek and Elkton (Mower County) and near Stewartville (Olmsted County), but no damage was reported. Spotters across southeast Minnesota also reported hail ranging in size from dimes to golf balls and thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 mph.

A strong pressure gradient associated with an intense low pressure system produced wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph across southeast Minnesota. The strong winds blew down limbs, power lines and caused minor damage to roofs and siding.