Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 178, NWS Grand Forks, ND

September 3, 20266 counties in Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Sep 3, 2026, 3:14 PM CDT for 6 counties in Minnesota. It was in force for 61 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 3, 2026, 3:14 PM CDT (20:14 UTC)
Expired
Sep 3, 2026, 4:15 PM CDT
In force
61 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Becker County, MN, Clay County, MN, Clearwater County, MN, Mahnomen County, MN, Norman County, MN, Polk County, MN

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 100 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:16 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
Sep 3, 12:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC11 hr

The nearest sounding before it

International Fa, MN (KINL), launched 12:00Z, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 248 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, International Fa, MN at 12:00Z on 2026-09-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, International Fa, MN at 12:00Z on 2026-09-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -11 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
813 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-11 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
55 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Grand Forks, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Sep 3, 2:41 PM CDT, 33 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Level 2 out of 5 risk for severe storms continues through early evening.
  • Additional chances for strong to severe thunderstorms exist Saturday and Sunday.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 3, 2:41 PM CDT, 33 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
241 PM CDT Thu Sep 3 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Level 2 out of 5 risk for severe storms continues through
  early evening.

- Additional chances for strong to severe thunderstorms exist
  Saturday and Sunday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 241 PM CDT Thu Sep 3 2026

...Synopsis...

Southwesterly flow aloft with a lead shortwave lifting from near
the MT border through the Northern Plains. Storms have been
ongoing in northeastern ND into far northwestern MN, and will
continue to push eastward along the warm front/theta-e gradient
that is between the Highway 2 and Highway 200 corridors. The
shortwave will move northeast overnight, and upper ridging will
begin to amplify over the Plains tomorrow. Upper ridging
continues to build over the region into the weekend, with
several weak embedded shortwaves possible. By early next week,
the upper ridge starts to flatten and move east, with continued
active weather under southwesterly flow aloft. A trough moving
through Manitoba and Ontario on Wednesday will push east
Thursday and leave the region in northwesterly flow.

...Convective trends and severe threat this evening...

Complex of thunderstorms in northeastern ND is currently
crossing into northwestern MN. Most of the instability seems to
be elevated, with SPC mesoanalysis still showing a good amount
of CIN on surface based and mixed layer CAPE, but there has been
enough mixing to get a few 60 and even 70 mph reports to the
surface. The shear at 0-3km is favorable for brief tornado spin
ups along some kinks in the line, but would need to get some
better low level CAPE developing before that could happen. Think
that this will be the case eventually with sunshine over the
southern forecast area. Even if we don't get a fully mixed
boundary layer, with continued lift, good deep layer shear
around 50 kts, and dew points in the upper 60s to near 70
feeding into the complex, expect some re-intensification of
storms and a continued threat of large hail and winds up to 70
mph.

...Storm chances Saturday and Sunday...

After a break tomorrow, additional weak embedded shortwaves
under the building ridge will bring some rounds of showers and
thunderstorms. Temperatures will be well above average for early
September and there should be good instability to work with. The
deep layer shear is not as strong this weekend as today, but at
30 kts could still be adequate for strong to severe storms.
Machine learning has some low probabilities for severe impacts
for the weekend time period, mainly in the 5 to 15 percent
range. Still some uncertainty, but will have to watch for some
active convective days this holiday weekend.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY/...
Issued at 1247 PM CDT Thu Sep 3 2026

Thunderstorms moving through the KDVL and KGFK areas, with the
strongest convection currently between those two airports. These
storms will continue to push east through the afternoon,
affecting KTVF in the next few hours. A little more uncertainty
at KBJI and KFAR, so kept mention of thunderstorms as prob30 for
now. Most of the convective activity should move east of our TAF
sites by late evening. MVFR to IFR ceilings will move in behind
the convection, starting just before 06Z at KDVL and pushing eastward
to KGFK and the MN airports later in the early morning hours.
Kept KFAR at VFR for now, but will keep an eye on how far south
the stratus goes. Winds will be all over the place due to
thunderstorms, with mostly east to southeast at 10 to 20 kts
outside of that activity. Winds will eventually become more
northeasterly or light and variable towards tomorrow morning as
the surface low moves through.

&&

.FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ND...None.
MN...None.

&&

DISCUSSION...JR
AVIATION...JR
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 3, 5:45 AM CDT, 9 hours 29 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
545 AM CDT Thu Sep 3 2026

MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-041045-
West Polk-Norman-Clay-Kittson-Roseau-Lake Of The Woods-
West Marshall-East Marshall-North Beltrami-Pennington-Red Lake-
East Polk-North Clearwater-South Beltrami-Mahnomen-
South Clearwater-Hubbard-West Becker-East Becker-Wilkin-
West Otter Tail-East Otter Tail-Wadena-Grant-Towner-Cavalier-
Pembina-Benson-Ramsey-Eastern Walsh-Eddy-Nelson-Grand Forks-
Griggs-Steele-Traill-Barnes-Cass-Ransom-Sargent-Richland-
Western Walsh-
545 AM CDT Thu Sep 3 2026

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of eastern North
Dakota, west central and northwest Minnesota.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

There is a level 2 out of 5 risk for severe thunderstorms this
afternoon and evening for much of eastern North Dakota and
northwest and west central Minnesota. The main hazards will be
large hail to golf balls, 60 mph wind gusts. There is a chance for
a isolated tornado.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday

The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation may be required today.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 3, 1:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
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Local storm report, Sep 3, 2:09 PM CDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before
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Local storm report, Sep 3, 2:58 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
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Local storm report, Sep 3, 3:06 PM CDT, 8 minutes before
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Local storm report, Sep 3, 3:09 PM CDT, 5 minutes before
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Local storm report, Sep 3, 3:11 PM CDT, 3 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
311 PM CDT Thu Sep 3 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0302 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     4 WSW Felton            47.05N 96.58W
09/03/2026  M59 MPH          Clay               MN   Public

            Personal weather station.

&&

JK

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 3, 12:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatFGFNorman, Polk67 min
Sep 3, 1:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFMarshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake56 min
Sep 3, 2:26 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryFGFPolk3 hr
Sep 3, 2:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFMahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake66 min
Sep 3, 3:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFClay, Norman44 min
Sep 3, 3:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBeltrami, Clearwater, Marshall, Pennington, Roseau67 min
Sep 3, 3:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatFGFBeltrami, Lake of the Woods, Roseau67 min
Sep 3, 4:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBecker, Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Mahnomen, Otter Tail and 2 more59 min
Sep 3, 4:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBeltrami, Clearwater54 min
Sep 3, 4:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBecker, Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard55 min
Sep 3, 6:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFOtter Tail, Wilkin55 min
Sep 3, 11:06 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBenson, Eddy, Ramsey54 min
Sep 3, 11:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFBenson, Eddy, Nelson, Ramsey, Walsh59 min
Sep 3, 12:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatFGFGrand Forks, Griggs, Nelson, Steele, Traill62 min
Sep 3, 12:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFGriggs, Steele65 min
Sep 3, 2:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFCass, Steele, Traill53 min
Sep 3, 6:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGFGrand Forks, Walsh35 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 2026Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2026

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.