The Sunday evening cooldown that ended the day's excessive-heat warning in the Twin Cities metro area came with a good chance of overnight thunderstorms, some of which were expected to carry heavy rain, and the possibility of flash flooding.
A tornado watch for the metro expired at 9 p.m. Sunday, but a flash-flood watch was to remain through 7 a.m. Monday, according to the National Weather Service in Chanhassen.
Father's Day brought extreme weather to much of Minnesota and parts of western Wisconsin.
In the Twin Cites, temperatures in the low 90s and dew points in the mid-70s combined to create peak heat indexes in the 98-to-103 degree range Sunday afternoon.
A Sunday afternoon tornado warning in southeastern Kanabec County passed with no funnel clouds reported. But tornado watches remained in effect for a large swath of east-central Minnesota and western Wisconsin, including the Twin Cities.
A flash-flood warning was in effect for parts of Aitkin, Pine and Carlton counties in Minnesota and parts of Bayfield, Douglas, Washburn, Burnett and Sawyer counties in Wisconsin. A flood warning was also in effect for the South Fork of the Crow River below Mayer, in Carver County.
Just southwest of Duluth in Carlton County, the Sheriff's Office warned drivers of washouts and poor road conditions, fallout from flash floods that hit Saturday night and early Sunday.
The county's southeastern reaches got the worst damage. Hwy. 23 was closed for repairs where it washed out at the Nemidji River bridge, about 14 miles southwest of Duluth. Officials reported another complete washout at Hwy. 8 and Hwy. 23 in Clear Creek Township and in the 600 block of Hwy. 8 in Holyoke Township. Impassable roads have been reported at several points in Barnum Township and in Moose Lake Township.
Naturally, nicer weather will hold off until the workweek begins. Monday's metro area weather will feature a high of 79 under mostly cloudy skies.
Isolated showers are possible Monday night and Tuesday in the metro area. But by Wednesday, mostly sunny skies will return, with a high of 81.
Staff writers Erin Adler and Richard Chin contributed to this report.
