BLUSTERY DAY

‘Never Before Seen’ Wind Storm Whips Up Tornadoes and Fires in Midwest

Minnesota and Iowa saw their first December tornadoes ever.

Severe winds are causing weather patterns across the Midwest that the National Weather Service is calling unprecedented for the month of December. With gusts of 80 to 100 miles per hour sweeping much of the middle of the country, the NWS tweeted, “Another historical weather day is forecast today with 2 never-before-seen outlooks issued.” The two outlooks were moderate fire risk in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin as well as “extremely critical” fire danger in Kansas, Oklahoma, and parts of the surrounding states—something never recorded before in the history of the NWS. Minnesota and Iowa saw their first December tornadoes ever. The wind comes just days after tornadoes devastated several states, in particular Kentucky, where 74 people died.