Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2025

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Grand Forks, ND

May 15, 2025Wadena County, Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this tornado warning at May 15, 2025, 2:49 PM CDT for Wadena County, Minnesota. It was in force for 41 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 15, 2025, 2:49 PM CDT (19:49 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 2025, 3:30 PM CDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

County Wadena County, MN

The radar

The Duluth radar (KDLH), 207 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:49 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 15, 12:46 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 7.8 hours before the alert went out and 215 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2025-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 515 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2025-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 148 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
515 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-91 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1098 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
148 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
141 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

555 
WFUS53 KFGF 151949
TORFGF
MNC159-152030-
/O.NEW.KFGF.TO.W.0002.250515T1949Z-250515T2030Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
Issued by National Weather Service Bismarck ND
249 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

The National Weather Service in Grand Forks has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Central Wadena County in central Minnesota...

* Until 330 PM CDT.

* At 247 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a 
  tornado was located near Oylen, moving north at 40 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* Locations impacted include...  
  Oylen, Nimrod.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

&&

LAT...LON 4640 9486 4680 9516 4680 9479 4642 9478
TIME...MOT...LOC 1947Z 161DEG 33KT 4655 9480 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$

Besson
2 follow-up statements
120 
WWUS53 KFGF 152003
SVSFGF

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
Issued by National Weather Service Bismarck ND
303 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

MNC159-152030-
/O.CON.KFGF.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-250515T2030Z/
Wadena MN-
303 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 330 PM CDT FOR NORTHERN
WADENA COUNTY...

At 303 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Nimrod, or 46 miles east of Detroit Lakes, moving
north at 40 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage 
         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is 
         likely.

Locations impacted include...
Menahga, Huntersville, and Nimrod.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 4680 9516 4680 9479 4658 9478 4657 9499
TIME...MOT...LOC 2003Z 161DEG 33KT 4669 9487 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$

Besson
396 
WWUS53 KFGF 152025
SVSFGF

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
Issued by National Weather Service Bismarck ND
325 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

MNC159-152034-
/O.EXP.KFGF.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-250515T2030Z/
Wadena MN-
325 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHERN WADENA COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 330
PM CDT...

The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for central
Minnesota.

&&

LAT...LON 4680 9516 4680 9479 4658 9478 4657 9499
TIME...MOT...LOC 2024Z 161DEG 33KT 4687 9496 

$$

Besson

The office that day

Everything else NWS Grand Forks, ND issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 15, 1:35 PM CDTWind AdvisoryFGFClay, Kittson, Marshall, Norman, Polk35 hr
May 15, 2:21 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFGrant, Otter Tail, Wilkin39 min
May 15, 3:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFPennington, Polk, Red Lake60 min
May 15, 3:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBecker, Clay, Clearwater, Mahnomen, Norman35 min
May 15, 4:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatFGFBeltrami, Kittson, Marshall, Pennington, Roseau41 min
May 15, 4:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBecker, Clay, Clearwater, Mahnomen, Norman, Polk50 min
May 15, 4:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFPolk42 min
May 15, 4:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFKittson, Marshall, Roseau62 min
May 15, 5:17 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedFGFPolk28 min
May 15, 5:43 PM CDTTornado WarningFGFMarshall, Roseau32 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Minnesota, 2025Every tornado warning in 2025Tornadoes in 2025

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.