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Expert Gives Severe Weather Outlook

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Weather experts say Minnesota is overdue for a severe tornado.

It has been eight years since an F4 tornado touched ground, the strongest tornado rated by the National Weather Service.

Forty-eight tornadoes touched down in Minnesota on June 17, 2010. It was a state record for the most in one day.

Wadena was hit as hard as any city, caught in the path of a high-octane storm.

"Without sounding like too much of a weather geek, everything came together just right that day," said Jacob Beitlich, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

And it wasn't just that day. There were 113 tornadoes total in 2010.

Tornado Damage
(credit: CBS)

The last one that was an EF3 or greater, happened on Aug. 7 of that year -- and we haven't seen a super cell that powerful since.

"Even though we've had a quiet start to the year, that doesn't mean the rest of the year will go that way," Beitlich said. "It's been 2,827 days since we've had a tornado of EF3 or greater. That's a long time."

Beitlich said we generally see an EF3 or EF 4 tornado every seven years -- but that doesn't mean we're due.

Despite the tale of two Aprils that saw snowstorms and freezing temps early -- and then 80s by the end of the month -- wacky spring weather doesn't mean severe weather is a certainty.

"You can't really use that to forecast what this summer will be like or next year for that matter," Beitlich said.

In fact, the spring of 2010 was a little more even keel that what we've seen so far this year.

It was a mild April that year, without a lot of snow.

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