[1][4] Three of the six tornadoes occurred on the ground simultaneously, and two of them hit the section of Minnesota State Highway 100 (now Interstate 694) and University Avenue in the city of Fridley.

One of the F4s struck the small village of Primrose, almost totally destroying the settlement, causing probable F5 damage, and killing four people.

Many of the individual tornadoes on May 8 moved north and northwest, an unusual trajectory for supercells in this part of the Great Plains.

Temperatures on May 6 were in the upper 70s °F with high dew points, which was considered to be unusual for early May in Minnesota.

[1] A strong low pressure area associated with an upper-level system moving in from the southwest and a nearby slow-moving cold front helped spark the storms.

Over 450 homes were destroyed in Fridley, and neighboring Mounds View also sustained heavy damage.

This was also the first time in Minnesota state history where civil defense sirens were used for severe weather purposes.