Alert archive / South Dakota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 54, NWS Sioux Falls, SD

May 18, 2026Clay County, Union County, South Dakota; Plymouth County, Sioux County, Iowa

NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 18, 2026, 6:08 PM CDT for Clay County, Union County, South Dakota; Plymouth County, Sioux County, Iowa. It was in force for 37 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
May 18, 2026, 6:08 PM CDT (23:08 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 2026, 6:45 PM CDT
In force
37 min
Issued by
NWS Sioux Falls, SD
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Plymouth County, IA, Sioux County, IA, Clay County, SD, Union County, SD

The radar

The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 79 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:07 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 nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 175 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 2026-05-18Temperature 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 2026-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 271 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
871 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
271 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
220 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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 18, 1:01 PM CDT, 5 hours 7 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Showers and isolated thunderstorms return to the area this afternoon this evening into tonight.
  • A few storms along and southeast of a Wayne to Sheldon to Windom line may be strong to severe late this afternoon into this evening. The main threat would be hail to half dollar size but storms this strong should remain very isolated and likely closer to near and east of Highway 60.
  • Areas of frost or freeze will be possible on Wednesday morning, with the better chances north of I-90.
  • Cool conditions prevail this week. Dry weather expected mid week. Another round of storms is possible Thursday through Friday.
Area forecast discussion, May 18, 1:01 PM CDT, 5 hours 7 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
101 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Showers and isolated thunderstorms return to the area this
  afternoon this evening into tonight.

- A few storms along and southeast of a Wayne to Sheldon to
  Windom line may be strong to severe late this afternoon into
  this evening. The main threat would be hail to half dollar
  size but storms this strong should remain very isolated and
  likely closer to near and east of Highway 60.

- Areas of frost or freeze will be possible on Wednesday
  morning, with the better chances north of I-90.

- Cool conditions prevail this week. Dry weather expected mid
  week. Another round of storms is possible Thursday through
  Friday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 1258 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026

Early this afternoon the surface to 925 mb front was across southern
NE into southern IA. Given the marginal strength of the incoming
wave, this boundary should not lift far enough north and west
by late afternoon to get into the area. This should limit any
wind and tornado threats and keep them off to the southeast.
However, some elevated hailers will remain possible across
mainly northwest IA as elevated CAPE values ramp up to about
1000-1500 J/KG and deep layer shear is a fairly strong,
unidirectional 40-50 knots. This would be lifting a parcel from
above the stratus layer, which would likely be in about the
800-750mb layer. The better chances will be from about 5 pm to 9
pm.

After this wave pushes the remaining instability out of the area
this evening, dry and cool conditions are expected for Tuesday and
Wednesday. The only concerns on these two days will be the potential
for frost and freeze conditions, mostly north of I-90, as surface
high pressure is in place. Another weaker wave moves through the
area on Wednesday but for now this appears to bring mainly mid level
cloud cover.

The next better chance for showers and thunderstorms will come
Thursday night into Friday night. At this time severe weather looks
to remain isolated as model instability fields are hinting at 1000
J/kg CAPE or less for the most part.

Once this wave passes a warming trend should move in as flat ridging
aloft develops ahead of a deepening low pressure in the Northern
Rockies. Saturday should be mild, likely in the 70s, while Sunday
sees the better chance to warm into the 80s.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY/...
Issued at 1243 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026

Widespread stratus, mai.nly IFR but occasionally MVFR, will
persist through much of the night, but gradually improve later
tonight into Tuesday morning. Scattered showers and isolated
thunderstorms will increase in coverage through the afternoon
into the early evening, then gradually diminish through the
early overnight hours. The strongest thunderstorms will be in
parts of northwest IA, with the better chance from 5 pm through
9 pm. A few of these storms could contain hail.

&&

.FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SD...None.
MN...None.
IA...None.
NE...None.

&&

DISCUSSION...08
AVIATION...08
Hazardous weather outlook, May 18, 3:31 AM CDT, 14 hours 37 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
331 AM CDT Mon May 18 2026

IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097-
098-NEZ013-014-SDZ038>040-050-052>071-190845-
Lyon-Osceola-Dickinson-Sioux-O'Brien-Clay-Plymouth-Cherokee-
Buena Vista-Woodbury-Ida-Lincoln-Murray-Cottonwood-Nobles-Jackson-
Pipestone-Rock-Dixon-Dakota-Beadle-Kingsbury-Brookings-Gregory-
Jerauld-Sanborn-Miner-Lake-Moody-Brule-Aurora-Davison-Hanson-McCook-
Minnehaha-Charles Mix-Douglas-Hutchinson-Turner-Bon Homme-Yankton-
Union-
331 AM CDT Mon May 18 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Iowa, west central
Iowa, southwest Minnesota, northeast Nebraska, central South
Dakota, east central South Dakota, south central South Dakota and
southeast South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms return to the area this
afternoon through tonight. A few strong to severe storms are possible
along and southeast of a line from Wayne to Sheldon to Windom. If
strong storms develop, ping pong ball sized hail and 60 mph wind
gusts are the main threats. However, locally heavy rainfall and a
tornado are possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

Chances for showers and thunderstorms return Thursday through
Friday.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 18, 5:21 PM CDT, 47 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
521 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026

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

0513 PM     Hail             7 SSE Moville           42.39N 96.03W
05/18/2026  E0.70 Inch       Woodbury           IA   Trained Spotter

&&

TRM
Local storm report, May 18, 5:42 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
542 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026

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

0523 PM     Hail             3 WSW Correctionville   42.46N 95.84W
05/18/2026  M1.75 Inch       Woodbury           IA   Public

            Social media picture.

&&

ak
Local storm report, May 18, 5:48 PM CDT, 20 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
548 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026

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

0539 PM     Hail             2 N Washta              42.60N 95.71W
05/18/2026  E0.88 Inch       Cherokee           IA   Trained Spotter

&&

TRM
Local storm report, May 18, 5:49 PM CDT, 19 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 18, 5:54 PM CDT, 14 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 18, 6:00 PM CDT, 8 minutes before
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The office that day

Everything else NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 7:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatFSDUnion58 min
May 17, 7:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDPlymouth, Sioux28 min
May 17, 7:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDO'Brien, Osceola26 min
May 17, 7:26 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDWoodbury49 min
May 17, 7:47 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDCherokee, Plymouth, Woodbury43 min
May 17, 8:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDO'Brien, Osceola, Plymouth, Sioux45 min
May 17, 8:03 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFSDPlymouth, Sioux3 hr
May 17, 8:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threatFSDBuena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Ida, O'Brien and 3 more54 min
May 17, 8:26 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDBuena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, O'Brien28 min
May 17, 8:48 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDClay, Dickinson27 min
May 17, 8:54 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDClay, Dickinson51 min
May 18, 5:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFSDCherokee, Ida, Plymouth, Woodbury49 min
May 18, 5:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatFSDBuena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, O'Brien42 min
May 17, 7:31 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDJackson14 min
May 17, 7:45 PM CDTTornado WarningFSDCottonwood, Jackson15 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South Dakota, 2026Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Iowa, 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.