Minnesota's Severe Weather Luck About to Change

UPDATE: AccuWeather.com Facebook Fan Paul Rustad points out: "The latest on record for a tornado in the state was June 23, 1952."

Severe weather spreads north as Spring turns to Summer, and indeed Minnesota and northern Wisconsin have been one of the least active areas east of the Plains so far this year. That is about to change. We are forecasting a widespread severe weather outbreak including tornadoes, there and in surrounding states (maybe into Michigan tomorrow too). The government's Storm Prediction Center is predicting the same. Here's a look at severe weather reports so far in 2010:

In the last 10 years, 2009 (due to the unusual amount of cool air in the northern tier states last summer) was the only year where the northern half of these states didn't get filled up with severe weather reports by years end (SPC). However that brings up an important point: These areas have not seen a severe weather outbreak since July 2008 and residents may not be prepared for what's coming.

The SPC 4-KM WRF computer forecast model says the radar might look like this, later this afternoon: