Alert archive / Minnesota / Blowing Dust Advisories in 2026

Blowing Dust Advisory 1, NWS Twin Cities, MN

April 23, 20269 counties in Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this blowing dust advisory at Apr 23, 2026, 6:48 PM CDT for 9 counties in Minnesota. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 23, 2026, 6:48 PM CDT (23:48 UTC)
Expired
Apr 23, 2026, 9:16 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN

Counties Chippewa County, MN, Kandiyohi County, MN, Lac qui Parle County, MN, Pope County, MN, Redwood County, MN, Renville County, MN, Stevens County, MN, Swift County, MN, Yellow Medicine County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 158 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:52 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

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 155 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 2026-04-23Temperature 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, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2026-04-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 222 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
830 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
222 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
96 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 blowing dust advisory went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Twin Cities, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before this blowing dust advisory went out at Apr 23, 6:35 PM CDT, 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 23, 6:35 PM CDT, 13 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 23, 2:02 PM CDT, 4 hours 46 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
202 PM CDT Thu Apr 23 2026

MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-
241915-
Douglas-Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Stevens-Pope-Stearns-
Benton-Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa-
Kandiyohi-Meeker-Wright-Hennepin-Anoka-Ramsey-Washington-
Yellow Medicine-Renville-McLeod-Sibley-Carver-Scott-Dakota-
Redwood-Brown-Nicollet-Le Sueur-Rice-Goodhue-Watonwan-Blue Earth-
Waseca-Steele-Martin-Faribault-Freeborn-Polk-Barron-Rusk-
St. Croix-Pierce-Dunn-Pepin-Eau Claire-
202 PM CDT Thu Apr 23 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central and
southern Minnesota, and west central Wisconsin.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and
evening, favoring southern and eastern Minnesota and western
Wisconsin. The primary threat is wind, with secondary threats
being hail/tornado.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Near critical fire weather conditions are possible Friday
afternoon over west central through southwest Minnesota.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN spotter activation will likely be needed.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 23, 4:23 PM CDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
423 PM CDT Thu Apr 23 2026

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

0407 PM     Hail             2 W Becker              45.39N 93.92W
04/23/2026  M0.75 Inch       Sherburne          MN   Trained Spotter

&&

RMD
Special weather statement, Apr 23, 4:32 PM CDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
432 PM CDT Thu Apr 23 2026

MNZ044-050>052-059-232215-
Isanti MN-Benton MN-Wright MN-Sherburne MN-Mille Lacs MN-
432 PM CDT Thu Apr 23 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT WEST CENTRAL ISANTI...
SOUTHWESTERN MILLE LACS...SOUTHEASTERN BENTON...SHERBURNE AND NORTH
CENTRAL WRIGHT COUNTIES UNTIL 515 PM CDT...

At 432 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Becker, or 11 miles north of Buffalo, moving northeast at 40 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and nickel size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
  Lake Maria State Park, Silver Creek, Hasty, Enfield, Monticello,
  Becker, Big Lake, Orrock, Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge,
  Santiago, Zimmerman, Glendorado, Princeton Airport, Ronneby, Oak
  Park, Princeton, Spencer Brook, Pease and Foreston.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Monitor the weather situation closely and be alert for threatening
weather conditions.

&&

LAT...LON 4540 9399 4578 9383 4563 9330 4521 9383
      4536 9401
TIME...MOT...LOC 2132Z 215DEG 36KT 4535 9388

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

CTG
Special weather statement, Apr 23, 5:03 PM CDT, 1 hour 45 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
503 PM CDT Thu Apr 23 2026

MNZ045-052-053-232300-
Isanti MN-Kanabec MN-Chisago MN-
503 PM CDT Thu Apr 23 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT ISANTI...KANABEC AND
NORTHWESTERN CHISAGO COUNTIES UNTIL 6 PM CDT...

At 503 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7
miles southwest of Brunswick, or 12 miles northwest of Cambridge,
moving northeast at 50 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and half inch size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
  Cambridge Airport, Cambridge, Dalbo, Grandy, Lewis Lake,
  Stanchfield, Ogilvie, Harris, Brunswick, Mora, Rush City, Grasston,
  Rush City Airport, Mora Airport, Quamba, Knife Lake, Snake River
  State Forest and Chengwatana State Forest.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Monitor the weather situation closely and be alert for threatening
weather conditions.

&&

LAT...LON 4616 9321 4616 9305 4598 9306 4598 9314
      4573 9314 4573 9285 4572 9285 4572 9287
      4564 9289 4547 9334 4559 9351 4572 9351
TIME...MOT...LOC 2203Z 214DEG 42KT 4570 9334

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

CTG
Special weather statement, Apr 23, 6:00 PM CDT, 48 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Apr 23, 6:15 PM CDT, 33 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Apr 23, 6:43 PM CDT, 5 minutes before
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The office that day

Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 23, 1:54 AM CDTRed Flag WarningMPXChippewa, Douglas, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Pope, Redwood and 4 more17 hr
Apr 23, 2:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMcLeod, Meeker, Wright28 min
Apr 23, 3:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMeeker, Stearns, Wright33 min
Apr 23, 3:41 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXSherburne49 min
Apr 23, 4:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBenton, Mille Lacs, Sherburne28 min
Apr 23, 4:32 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXSherburne43 min
Apr 23, 5:03 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXIsanti, Kanabec57 min
Apr 23, 5:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBlue Earth, Brown, Watonwan24 min
Apr 23, 5:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBlue Earth, Brown, Nicollet, Watonwan30 min
Apr 23, 6:00 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXFaribault, Freeborn60 min
Apr 23, 6:15 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXLe Sueur60 min
Apr 23, 6:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXFreeborn, Steele44 min
Apr 23, 6:43 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXRusk17 min
Apr 23, 6:53 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXEau Claire37 min

Nearby

Blowing Dust Advisories in Minnesota, 2026Every blowing dust advisory 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.