EF1 Tornado — Swift, Minnesota

2022-05-30 · near Appleton Arpt, Swift, Minnesota

Event narrative

The tornado hit several farms. It broke some windows, knocked down or broke dozens of trees, tore tin off several sheds, and caused major damage to barns. Maximum winds were estimated at 90 mph.

Wider weather episode

A strong synoptic cyclone swinging into the Northern Plains set the stage for a late Spring severe weather outbreak on May 30th. Discrete and semi-discrete supercells developed during the afternoon ahead of an arcing cold front and a nearby surface low. These storms quickly traveled northeast while gradually growing upscale into bowing line segments as storms merged together and new cells formed. During this time, hail and tornadoes occurred; the strongest being an EF2 through Forada, MN. The bowing line segments became dominant and a wind event unfolded.

Strong and broad synoptic lift, little capping, and questionable mid-level shear likely allowed for upscale growth. This caused storm interactions and competing updrafts which may have limited mesocyclone longevity and strength. While property was damaged, no lives were lost on the last day of a holiday weekend when many people were outdoors camping or doing other recreational activities.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (45.2994, -95.9205)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1019735. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.