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Brief, weak tornado touched down Tuesday north of Cotton

KAXE
Published July 2, 2026 at 3:06 PM CDT
A map shows the estimated path of the Murphy Lake Tornado in the early morning hours of June 30, 2026, north of Cotton.
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National Weather Service
A map shows the estimated path of the Murphy Lake Tornado in the early morning hours of June 30, 2026, north of Cotton.

The National Weather Service confirmed the Murphy Lake Tornado on July 2, 2026, based on drone imagery and local resident reports of damage.

COTTON — A tornado touched down just after midnight Tuesday, June 30, between Eveleth and Cotton.

The National Weather Service in Duluth confirmed the twister Thursday.

Its preliminary investigation found a line of storms over Murphy Lake, about 9 miles north of Cotton, produced an EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 105 miles per hour.

The weak tornado damaged hundreds of trees in two minutes, with dozens uprooted or snapped at the base.

Officials estimate the tornado was on the ground for 1.6 miles.

The weather service initially said it did not suspect any tornadoes from the two rounds of severe storms earlier this week, but meteorologists were in close contact with emergency management teams that were surveying damage.

The preliminary assessment was based in part on drone imagery from St. Louis County Emergency Management and local resident reports.

The weather service confirmed Thursday that there are no other surveys in process. While there was other sporadic storm damage, it lacks distinct lines of damage associated with tornadoes.

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