As many parts of Minnesota are now either in active severe weather warnings or tornado watches, a number of schools in Minnesota have already announced early closures and pulled the plug on after-school activities.

After one round of thunderstorms moved across Minnesota on Monday morning, a second, stronger round of storms brought hail, high winds, heavy rain, funnel clouds and reports of at least one tornado during the afternoon and evening.

Monday had most of the ingredients needed for severe weather in southern Minnesota, but the absence of certain conditions kept it from becoming the worst-case scenario. Heavy rain, small hail and