Stormy week: Severe risk returns Thursday

This is turning out to be one of the more active severe weather weeks of the summer.

More details, and NWS storm survey reports are rolling in from Tuesday evening's storms. Damage scenes like this one from Minnetonka continue to ping my twitter feed @MPRweather.

Talk about a weather bull's eye, take a look at the swath of storm and damage reports from western Minnesota right through the heart of the Twin Cities metro into southeast Minnesota.

As of post time Xcel Energy reports more then 44,000 customers are still without power across southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

Utility crews have done amazing job restoring power to over 100k customers in the past 16 hours. We're pulling for those of you still without power.

Significant damage in southeast Minnesota

As bad as the damage was int he highly populated Twin Cities metro, it could have been much worse. Tuesday night's storms 'matured' just south and east of the metro, and delivered the highest wind gusts up to 100 mph and at least two tornadoes south of the metro.

Check out this La Crosse NWS Doppler radar loop. This is how a damaging bow echo evolves, and that happened just south of the Twin Cities as the severe storms arc raced toward Wabasha, Rochester and La Crosse.

Numerous severe reports poured into the La Crosse NWS. Wind gusts reached 90 to 100 mph dmagaing trees and farm buildings and flattening crops.

NWS La Crosse survey teams confirm at least four tornadoes so far, one near Lake City, and three more in Wisconsin near Cream, Waumandee and Retreat.

A line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved across the area on the evening of July 5th, 2016, producing a swath of damaging winds from 45 to 95 mph, along with embedded small tornadoes. Numerous trees were downed, and there were sporadic power outages and damage to some buildings.

Severe risk returns Thursday

Thursday brings two more waves of thunder to much of southern Minnesota. I'm not quite as impressed with the severe potential for the Twin Cities Thursday, but a few storms could still reach severe limits. Stay tuned for updates to SPC's potential risk areas Thursday. Right now a big chunk of southern Minnesota including the Twin Cities is in the "enhanced" risk zone, indicating a pretty good chance of severe storms.

The first wave, and another potential bow echo rolls through southern Minnesota centered on the I-90 corridor overnight. The Twin Cities may again awaken to thunder Thursday morning with this sunrise surprise. The severity of storms should ease overnight, and hopefully the storms will be sub-severe as they approach the metro around sunrise Thursday morning.

A second wave of storms likely develops Thursday afternoon in western Minnesota and races toward the Twin Cities Thursday evening. This wave has a better chance of approaching severe limits for the greater Twin Cities metro.

Here's NOAA's NAM 4 km model simulated radar through Thursday.

Nicer weekend

We're winning the weekend weather lottery lately. Skies dry out by Friday afternoon as high pressure builds south from Canada.

The inbound high pressure cell sets us up for another glorious weekend. It appears storms may hold off until Sunday evening.

Stay tuned as the severe risk evolves Thursday.