The Inland Hurricane

We've managed to get through the Atlantic hurricane season with a landfalling hurricane on U.S. soil, but today there's the equivalent of a hurricane forming over the upper Midwest:

Low pressure continues to deepen as it moves slowly northward through Minnesota today.

By early this evening the pressure of the storm is forecast to be almost as low as Hurricane Karl at its peak intensity. Fortunately the winds, while strong, are not forecast to reach hurricane force, however, they should cover a very large area in the Midwest today.

Sustained winds of 20 to 40 mph and gusts of 40 to 60 mph are forecast in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, northern Kansas, northern Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, northern Indiana and northern Illinois. Winds may gust close to 70 mph along the shores of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and northern Lake Huron.

A squall line of severe thunderstorms is expected along the cold front extending from the storm. The thunderstorms should be in eastern Wisconsin, western Michigan, western Indiana, eastern Illinois, southeastern Missouri and western Kentucky this morning.

By early this evening the squall line should race to eastern Ohio and eastern Kentucky. Damaging wind gusts and isolated tornadoes are possible with the storms.

Minnesota is expected to set new all-time low pressure records today, with pressures lower than this year's Hurricanes Otto, Paula, Richard and Lisa.

I wouldn't want to be flying anywhere today, and especially not into Minneapolis.