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Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) - It was a very warm and windy Memorial Day in Minnesota.

And a very stormy one in many areas.

Thunderstorms raced across the state during the afternoon and evening hours, resulting in numerous reports of property damage and downed trees as winds were clocked at over 70 mph.

A few tornadoes were also reported in the southwest and west-central parts of the state. A wind gust of 90 mph was recorded in the Appleton area that may have been associated with a tornado.

 

NWS
NWS
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It was a close call for a woman who was caught in a storm while driving in Grant County in western Minnesota Monday evening. The State Patrol says 25-year-old Summer Johnson of Coon Rapids was driving on I-94 and decided to pull over onto the shoulder to wait out the storm. While she was parked, a semi-truck that was passing by was hit by a gust of wind and tipped over onto her car. The State Patrol report says Johnson was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The New Jersey man driving the truck and a passenger were also treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

MN State Patrol
MN State Patrol
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Temperatures soared into the upper 80s in many areas

Rochester’s official high temperature was 88 degrees and the top wind gust measured at the city airport was 67 mph.

Another line of storms moved through southeast Minnesota early Tuesday.

The remainder of the week should be dry across southeast Minnesota with cooler temperatures.

Most Visited State Parks In Minnesota: Is Your Favorite in the List?

Minnesota has 75 beautiful state parks. The parks have an average of 9,700,000 visitors each year. Interestingly enough, nearly 19% of park visitors come from other states and countries, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Now, my favorite State Park is Jay Cooke in Carlton, MN, but it did not break into the top 5.

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