Derecho Storm Could Clip Minnesota Monday Night: AccuWeather

MINNEAPOLIS — Parts of Minnesota are at risk of a derecho storm on Monday night, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.

The storm has the potential to produce high winds and torrential rain in southeastern Minnesota and southern Wisconsin.

"There is too much heat for there not to be severe thunderstorms over parts of the Midwest through Monday night and in parts of the mid-Atlantic early Tuesday," notes AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno.

"It is possible that instead of one intense complex of severe thunderstorms that multiple, less extreme complexes form," he added.

According to the National Weather Service, a derecho "is a widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms."

A derecho causes destruction "similar to the strength of tornadoes," the damage is directed along a "straight swath" because of the "straight-line winds.

A storm can be classified as a derecho if the resulting wind damage swath extends:

• More than 240 miles
• Includes wind gusts of at least 58 mph or greater along most of its length

Many in the Midwest will remember the powerful derecho that blew across Iowa and southern Wisconsin on Aug. 10, 2020, causing widespread damage and power outages. Wind gusts of over 100 mph were reported during the storm.