Date: 202108
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZMP.ARTCC, MN
Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight plan: IFR
Flight phase: Cruise
Airspace: Class A ZMP; Class E ZMP
ATC / advisory: Center ZMP
Reporter function: Enroute
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Distraction; Workload
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic; Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance
Contributing factors: Procedure; Weather
Primary problem: Weather

Narrative: I was the R-side at Sector 38 during this event. Weather had been impacting Area 6 for the majority of the night; with a solid line from the LNK area up to the FOD area in Area 5. There was a hole that aircraft routed over OVR and LNK points west that aircraft had been deviating through; with some deviating all the way north into Area 5's airspace and then points west. The weather closed in and caused all west bound aircraft to deviate north of Area 6 into Area 5.Shortly after a few of my aircraft entered Sector 30; I was told by the Area 5 supervisor at the time that Sector 30 was overloaded and to try and keep aircraft in my area as long as possible. I had to delay giving aircraft deviations in order to keep them out of 30 as long as I could; and even had to hold 2 aircraft at their present position. Multiple other aircraft were given vectors or were descending several thousand feet to avoid conflicts with other aircraft. Then Area 5 came up with a plan to route all aircraft coming from sector 38 and 43 up over MCW direct FSD and points west. For many aircraft MCW was backtracking and turning them wrong for direction. This was happening near the boundary with 38/30 because information was not passed as to what they wanted from us fast enough. I called for a D-side early on in the stint and it was 100% necessary. Not only was the whole situation very unsafe; it was un-efficient as well. It seemed like TMU wasn't giving us any help with sending re routes out to Chicago and Kansas; so sector 38 and 43 had to re route every single aircraft we talked to during that 1-2 hour period. A plan should have been developed for the weather in case it did close in; which ended up happening; to route all OVR and LNK west bound traffic to the north around the weather. This would have at least pinned them all down to a route instead of having every aircraft asking for deviations at the last minute. Also; I felt unsafe working this stint not only because of deviations; but because we haven't been allowed to work an even remotely busy sector for the last year plus during normal operations. But when events like this happen there is no choice but to work it; so we should be able to work busier stints on a daily basis to prepare for the worst case scenarios as described above.




Synopsis: Center Controller reported issues with weather were further complicated by the TMU's reluctance to help with reroutes or flow.