MINNEAPOLIS – For the third time in a week, severe weather hit parts of Minnesota on Thursday, causing flight delays at Minneapolis Airport, a football game to be postponed and thousands of people to seek shelter at the Minnesota State Fair.

Thursday’s severe thunderstorms hit the upper Mississippi Valley as a cold front moved through the eastern half of the country, the FOX Forecast Center reported.

Due to the threat, a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for much of Minnesota in the early evening.

The biggest threats were damaging winds and hail as a line of storms formed along the front during the afternoon, but there was also a chance for a tornado or two along the line.

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The autumn season with extreme weather begins

The first round came Monday afternoon, leaving more than 100,000 customers in Minnesota without power. The storm’s fury even forced people visiting the Minnesota State Fair to seek shelter. The next round came early Tuesday morning, when the Twin Cities recorded wind gusts of up to 64 mph.

Tens of thousands of festival-goers were still expected Thursday at “The Great Minnesota Get-Together,” the second-largest state fair in the U.S. based on average daily attendance. They were hit hard again Thursday after severe storms earlier in the week wreaked havoc in St. Paul.

Xcel Energy reported that more than 90% of the more than 250,000 customers who lost power during the first two storms earlier this week had power restored.

More than 4,000 customers remained without power Thursday. Xcel said crews were still working to repair widespread damage, including downed trees and power lines, to restore power.

Xcel Energy crews have made significant progress restoring power following recent storms in Minnesota this week.

(Xcel Energy)