Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Sioux Falls, SD

May 17, 2026Cottonwood County, Jackson County, Minnesota

NWS Sioux Falls, SD issued this tornado warning at May 17, 2026, 6:57 PM CDT for Cottonwood County, Jackson County, Minnesota. It was in force for 48 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 17, 2026, 6:57 PM CDT (23:57 UTC)
Expired: May 17, 2026, 7:45 PM CDT
In force: 48 min
Issued by: NWS Sioux Falls, SD
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

Counties Cottonwood County, MN, Jackson County, MN

The radar

The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 126 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:56 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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 17, 1:42 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 12.0 hours before the alert went out and 178 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1780 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 238 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 284 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

855 
WFUS53 KFSD 172357
TORFSD
MNC033-063-180045-
/O.NEW.KFSD.TO.W.0009.260517T2357Z-260518T0045Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
657 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026

The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northern Jackson County in southwestern Minnesota...
  Southern Cottonwood County in southwestern Minnesota...

* Until 745 PM CDT.

* At 656 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Heron Lake, or 13 miles southwest of Windom,
  moving northeast at 30 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.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Lakefield, Heron Lake, and Kilen Woods State Park around 700 PM 
  CDT.
  Bergen around 710 PM CDT.

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 4360 9533 4379 9537 4388 9493 4369 9488
TIME...MOT...LOC 2356Z 245DEG 27KT 4372 9529 

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

$$

Weisser

2 follow-up statements

393 
WWUS53 KFSD 180011
SVSFSD

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
711 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026

MNC033-063-180045-
/O.CON.KFSD.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-260518T0045Z/
Jackson MN-Cottonwood MN-
711 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN JACKSON AND SOUTHERN COTTONWOOD COUNTIES...

At 711 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Kilen Woods State Park, or 7 miles northwest of
Jackson In Jackson County, moving east at 30 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.

This dangerous storm will be near...
  Bergen and Kilen Woods State Park around 715 PM CDT.

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 4362 9523 4380 9530 4388 9493 4369 9488
TIME...MOT...LOC 0011Z 258DEG 27KT 4370 9511 

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

$$

Weisser

598 
WWUS53 KFSD 180024
SVSFSD

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
724 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026

MNC033-063-180045-
/O.CON.KFSD.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-260518T0045Z/
Jackson MN-Cottonwood MN-
724 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN JACKSON AND SOUTHERN COTTONWOOD COUNTIES...

At 723 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Kilen Woods State Park, or near Jackson In Jackson
County, moving east at 30 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.

This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
northeastern Jackson and southern Cottonwood Counties.

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 4362 9523 4380 9530 4388 9493 4369 9488
TIME...MOT...LOC 0023Z 258DEG 27KT 4372 9499 

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

$$

Weisser

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 17, 4:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	FSD	Rock	42 min
May 17, 4:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	FSD	Nobles, Rock	49 min
May 17, 5:33 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FSD	Nobles, Rock	42 min
May 17, 5:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	FSD	Murray, Nobles, Rock	62 min
May 17, 6:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FSD	Jackson, Nobles	48 min
May 17, 6:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	FSD	Cottonwood, Jackson, Murray, Nobles	75 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Minnesota, 2026 Every tornado warning in 2026 Tornadoes 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.