50 mph winds damage light poles, uproot trees

It wasn't quite the strength of a hurricane, but the winds sure packed a powerful punch. Nearly 50 mile-per-hour winds Tuesday and Wednesday left behind damage across the northwest metro.
High gusts took down a light pole near Plymouth City Hall. Plymouth Public Works crews also reported seven downed trees that impeded roads and trails.
In Brooklyn Park, the powerful blast had its way with a Burger King sign, toppling it to the ground. And in Robbinsdale, blustery conditions are to blame for yanking a huge evergreen tree right out of the ground.
Hennepin County Emergency Management officials say these types of gusts usually occur only once or twice a year.
"What we call these types of storms is non-convective winds, so it's not associated with thunderstorms. It's associated with an extremely deep low pressure system," said Sarah Karel, meteorology coordinator with Hennepin County.
On Tuesday, strong winds deflated the Maple Grove Sports Dome and hampered repairs on Wednesday. Contractors aren't able to inflate the dome until the winds die down.
Sonya Goins, reporting
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