Severe Overnight Storms Batter Twin Cities, Afternoon Heat Index Near 98°F
Minnesota’s Saturday began with pounding rain, power outages, and lightning before shifting to oppressive summer heat.
Minneapolis, August 9 EST: Severe storms in the Twin Cities on August 9, 2025, left thousands without power early Saturday as heavy rain, lightning, and hail swept through Minnesota before a burst of extreme afternoon heat. Sometime after 2 a.m., the sky just cracked open. No easing in. No warning growl. One bolt of lightning, and then the rain was just there, hammering rooftops, pooling at the ends of driveways, bouncing off the hood of parked cars.
Folks in Sherburne and Wright counties got the brunt first. Gusts pushing water sideways. Streetlights flickering. By the time it hit Minneapolis, you could barely see across the block.
Power started going out almost immediately. Xcel Energy said roughly 2,000 customers lost service overnight. Some were back up within an hour; others woke up to dark kitchens and a dead coffee maker. Trucks were already on the streets before dawn, orange hazard lights cutting through the mist.
The Severe Thunderstorm Watch should’ve been done by 4 a.m. But no extended to 6, stretched over into Wisconsin, because the tail end just kept dragging. Radar didn’t look friendly.
Twin Cities severe storms Out, Heat Coming
By 8 or 9 a.m., it was mostly quiet puddles still on the roads, branches down, that damp smell hanging in the air. But forecasters weren’t giving the “all clear.” KSTP’s First Alert said Saturday afternoon will bring the kind of sticky, oppressive heat that’s hard to ignore. Low 90s actual temperature, closer to 98°F with the humidity.
Clouds are breaking already. You’ll see more blue sky by noon, which sounds nice until you step outside and realize it’s basically a wet blanket.
Saturated Ground
The overnight rain left lawns squishy, drains gurgling, and in some low spots, water lapping over curbs. Any rogue storm later could dump enough to cause flooding, fast. The National Weather Service isn’t ruling it out.
That watch overnight? Covered a huge swath Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, Washington, plus more south and east. It was wide for a reason.
The Timeline, If You Slept Through It
Just after midnight first cells form west of the metro.
2 a.m. hard rain over the city.
3 a.m. steady lightning, wind pushing branches down.
4 a.m. watch gets the two-hour extension.
6 a.m. skies start to clear, but streets are still wet, and crews are still out.
Sunday’s Not Off The Hook
Late tomorrow into Monday could bring another round. Forecasters say the setup’s similar hot, humid, unstable air which is storm fuel. Timing’s still a question mark.
For now, Saturday’s a weather flipbook: violent storm, then sauna heat. Minnesota’s August showing all its cards in less than a day.
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Trained in war zones, raised in Newark, and seasoned in city hall, Jordan blends grit reporting with deep integrity. From floods to finance bills, they’re always first on scene and last to leave.
