Strong thunderstorms continue after record June rainfall in St. Cloud
ST. CLOUD, Minnesota (Friday, June 28, 2025, 7:45 AM local time) — St. Cloud is heading into a stormy final weekend of June after a week of repeated downpours and severe weather that have pushed monthly rainfall totals well above average.
On Thursday, St. Cloud Regional Airport recorded an additional 0.66 inches (1.68 cm) of rain, raising the city’s weekly rainfall to 2.71 inches (6.88 cm). This pushes June’s total to 5.70 inches (14.48 cm) — already 2.46 inches (6.25 cm) above normal for the month. For comparison, June 2024 saw 5.83 inches (14.80 cm), while the wettest June on record remains 1920, with a staggering 10.56 inches (26.82 cm).
Thunderstorms returned Thursday afternoon to southern Minnesota, hitting Freeborn County hard. Around 1:30 PM, a trained spotter confirmed a tornado on the ground west of Hayward. Downed trees and damaged power lines were reported in the Albert Lea area. In Owatonna, a funnel cloud or possible tornado was caught on video, but it remains unclear whether it touched down.
These latest storms follow Wednesday’s outbreak, which brought at least six tornado reports across southern Minnesota. One tornado near Hartland was rated EF-1, with winds up to 105 mph (169 km/h), causing significant damage to a local farm.
The National Weather Service warns of additional rounds of strong or severe thunderstorms on Friday, with more storm systems likely from Saturday into Sunday. While exact storm timing remains uncertain, the potential for damaging winds, heavy rain, and hail remains high throughout the weekend.
Despite this wet week, Minnesota’s drought conditions are not entirely gone. As of Thursday’s update from the U.S. Drought Monitor, 53% of the state remains Abnormally Dry, and 11% is in Moderate Drought, particularly in northern Minnesota. However, this data only includes rainfall through Tuesday morning, and does not account for this week’s storms.
As June ends on a stormy note, residents in Central and Southern Minnesota, especially in the St. Cloud area, should stay alert as another volatile weather weekend looms.
