It was a busy day at the National Weather Service offices in Chanhassen, where meteorologist Nick Carletta had his eyes on six screens, watching for storms that threatened to bring violent weather to the Twin Cities in the form of high winds, large hail and even tornadoes.

Minnesota residents from St. Cloud south to the Iowa border were put on alert Monday as severe weather was expected to develop Monday afternoon through early evening. Earlier in the afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for a large portion of eastern and southern Minnesota that covered the Twin Cities area.

"Keep an eye on the sky and have a trusted source to get weather information," Carletta said.

Although the watch was meant to last until 11 p.m., it was canceled before 7 p.m. In parts of Minneapolis and St. Paul, grey skies gave way to sunshine and chirping birds.

The late afternoon and early evening included at least five tornado warnings across Minnesota, although it is unclear how many tornados actually touched down. Funnel clouds were also reported in Wilkin, Faribault and Mille Lacs counties, according to the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service said a tornado was observed in Martin County, near Ceylon, along the Iowa border. Sgt. Mike Anderson of the Martin County Sheriff's Office said a touchdown had not been confirmed, and he was not aware of any notable damage.

Hail dropped across a wide swath of southeastern Minnesota and the St. Cloud area, falling in at least 21 communities, according to the National Weather Service. The largest recorded hail, 1.75 inches, fell in Steele County. Gusts as high as 60 miles an hour were reported in Jackson County. In Kenyon, a small town in Goodhue County, wind damaged the roof of a commercial warehouse, destroyed a barn and silos, and tipped over a semi, according to the National Weather Service.

Earlier in the day, it appeared all the ingredients needed for dangerous and destructive weather were coming together across eastern South Dakota and expected to cross into Minnesota by the afternoon, Carletta said.

A tornado watch had been in effect until 8 p.m. for western Minnesota, including cities such as Morris, St. Cloud, Willmar, Worthington and Marshall, the National Weather Service said.

The first severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Rock, Nobles and Murray counties in southwestern Minnesota, but expired at 2:15 p.m.

A warm front colliding with a cold front had "a lot of windshear" in the environment, setting the stage for an outbreak of twisters.

In anticipation of inclement weather, St. Paul Public Schools called off after-school programs and activities. Minneapolis Public Schools also canceled all after-school activities including extended learning, youth enrichment programming and athletics, the district said in an email to families.

In Minneapolis, many city facilities and services closed at 2 p.m. Monday. The city has activated its emergency operations center and will keep 311 operators on duty until 9 p.m. to take storm-related calls. Public works crews were dispatched to clean storm drains to help mitigate any flooding, the city said in a release.

All Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board public buildings also closed at 2 p.m. and all programs and activities were canceled, officials said.

The National Weather Service advised Twin Cities residents and those in Albert Lea, Rochester, Red Wing, Fairmont and Mankato to have plans in place in case they needed to take shelter on Monday. Western Wisconsin and northern Iowa were also in the bull's-eye, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

The moderate risk, or level 4 out of 5 on the severity scale, came as AccuWeather said Monday could be one of the most active days of the severe weather season so far.

Carletta said it was unusual, but not unprecedented, to have a risk this high across Minnesota in April. Typically this elevated risk would occur in late May and into June, the peak of severe weather season locally.

Carletta said watches and warnings may come out and described them as a taco to help people know the difference.

A watch is when you have the soft shell, the meat, the lettuce and other fixings on the table and that conditions are favorable for bad weather.

A warning, he said, is when the taco is fully assembled. A warning means severe weather or a tornado is "imminent or occurring," Carletta said.

With conditions favorable for bad storms, Minneapolis city officials urged residents earlier in the day to prepare:

  • If alerts are issued, be ready to take immediate shelter in a basement or interior room on the lowest level.
  • Check with family and friends to encourage them to have plans and know where to shelter.
  • Secure outdoor furniture and décor in preparation for strong winds.
  • Clear leaves and debris from in front of catch basins to ensure water can get to the drain.
  • Prepare for power outages by charging devices and having a flashlight on hand.