MN weather: Severe threat prompts schools to cancel afternoon activities

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Twin Cities and much of central and southern Minnesota are under a Moderate Risk (Level 4) of severe weather Monday afternoon and evening.

It’s enough of a threat that several school districts in Minnesota have already canceled afternoon extracurriculars and activities.

The latest

Schools cancel activities:

Here’s the current list of schools that have canceled afternoon activities. It currently includes The Blake School, Breck High School, Parnassus Preparatory School and St. Paul Public Schools.

Refresh this page for the latest school closings. Click here if the school closings table below is not loading. 

It’s currently spring sports season for Minnesota high schools, which means a majority of sports and activities (golf, baseball, softball, track and field) are happening outside as weather permits. Monday’s threat alone, the biggest since 2011, is enough to start canceling afternoon and evening activities.

Canceling events is not uncommon when Minnesota gets extreme weather in the winter, but doing so before potential severe weather in the spring is rare.

Moderate risk of severe storms

What we know:

Monday’s weather is a two-part event. We had heavy rain and strong winds from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. across the Twin Cities metro.  The bigger threat is Monday afternoon and evening. 

Clouds are expected to clear and if the sun comes out, it will provide fuel for potential severe weather. All forms of severe weather are possible, including large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes.

Tornado watch issued

What we know:

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch covering parts of southwestern Minnesota, including Marshall, Willmar, and Hutchinson. The watch also includes parts of northwestern Iowa.

Officials say they anticipate issuing another watch as the storms move east.

The current watch is in effect until 8 p.m.

How to prepare for severe storms

What you can do:

This is a rare severe storm set up for Minnesota. Please take the time to ensure you can receive storm warnings on your person no matter where you are on Monday.

READ MORE: City of Minneapolis urges residents to be prepared for severe storms

Develop a severe weather safety plan. Make sure you have ways to receive warnings and updates. Review your safe places for shelter – whether you’re at home, at school, or in a public place. Have a communication plan with family and friends.

You can get real-time weather alerts about where you live and forecast updates on the FOX 9 Weather app. Click here to download it.