Alert archive / Minnesota / Freeze Warnings in 2026

Freeze Warning 3, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 1, 202632 counties in Minnesota; 9 counties in Wisconsin

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this freeze warning at May 1, 2026, 1:03 PM CDT for 32 counties in Minnesota; 9 counties in Wisconsin. It took effect at May 2, 2026, 1:00 AM CDT. It was in force for 7 hr. 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 1, 2026, 1:03 PM CDT (18:03 UTC)
In effect from
May 2, 2026, 1:00 AM CDT
Expired
May 2, 2026, 8:00 AM CDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
All 41 counties

Anoka County, MN, Blue Earth County, MN, Brown County, MN, Carver County, MN, Chippewa County, MN, Chisago County, MN, Dakota County, MN, Faribault County, MN, Freeborn County, MN, Goodhue County, MN, Hennepin County, MN, Isanti County, MN, Kandiyohi County, MN, Lac qui Parle County, MN, Le Sueur County, MN, Martin County, MN, McLeod County, MN, Meeker County, MN, Nicollet County, MN, Ramsey County, MN, Redwood County, MN, Renville County, MN, Rice County, MN, Scott County, MN, Sherburne County, MN, Sibley County, MN, Steele County, MN, Waseca County, MN, Washington County, MN, Watonwan County, MN, Wright County, MN, Yellow Medicine County, MN, Barron County, WI, Chippewa County, WI, Dunn County, WI, Eau Claire County, WI, Pepin County, WI, Pierce County, WI, Polk County, WI, Rusk County, WI, Saint Croix County, WI

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 13 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:02 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, 6.1 hours before the alert went out and 14 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 2026-05-01Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2026-05-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -46 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1695 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
43 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

142 
WWUS73 KMPX 011803
NPWMPX

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
103 PM CDT Fri May 1 2026

MNZ051>054-056>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-020615-
/O.NEW.KMPX.FZ.W.0003.260502T0600Z-260502T1300Z/
Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-Lac Qui Parle-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-Chippewa-
Eau Claire-
Including the cities of Menomonie, Faribault, Cambridge, Blue Earth,
Chippewa Falls, Ladysmith, St Peter, Mankato, Red Wing, Victoria,
Shakopee, Granite Falls, New Ulm, Rice Lake, Montevideo, Hutchinson,
St Paul, Center City, Gaylord, Albert Lea, Willmar, Minneapolis,
Waseca, Chaska, River Falls, Madison, Osceola, Fairmont, Hudson, St
James, Stillwater, Redwood Falls, Le Sueur, Blaine, Litchfield,
Olivia, Hastings, Chanhassen, Monticello, Eau Claire, Elk River,
Durand, and Owatonna
103 PM CDT Fri May 1 2026

...FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 8 AM CDT SATURDAY...

* WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures of 26 to 32 degrees expected.
  Areas in the core of the Twin Cities metro may remain slightly
  above 32 degrees.

* WHERE...Portions of central, east central, south central,
  southeast, southwest, and west central Minnesota and northwest and
  west central Wisconsin.

* WHEN...From 1 AM to 8 AM CDT Saturday.

* IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other
  sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor
  plumbing.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.

&&

$$

BED
2 follow-up statements
229 
WWUS73 KMPX 020245
NPWMPX

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
945 PM CDT Fri May 1 2026

MNZ051>054-056>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-021300-
/O.CON.KMPX.FZ.W.0003.260502T0600Z-260502T1300Z/
Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-Lac Qui Parle-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-Chippewa-
Eau Claire-
Including the cities of Chippewa Falls, Olivia, Litchfield, Red Wing,
Fairmont, Faribault, Owatonna, Mankato, Madison, Le Sueur, St James,
Chanhassen, Hudson, Granite Falls, Hutchinson, Waseca, Blue Earth,
Rice Lake, Eau Claire, Elk River, Montevideo, New Ulm, Cambridge, St
Peter, Ladysmith, Willmar, Durand, Redwood Falls, Victoria, Hastings,
Blaine, Chaska, Menomonie, River Falls, Shakopee, Monticello,
Osceola, Minneapolis, Center City, Gaylord, Albert Lea, St Paul, and
Stillwater
945 PM CDT Fri May 1 2026

...FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 8 AM CDT SATURDAY...

* WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures of 27 to 32 degrees expected. The
  core of the Twin Cities metro may remain in the mid 30s.

* WHERE...Portions of central, east central, south central,
  southeast, southwest, and west central Minnesota and northwest and
  west central Wisconsin.

* WHEN...From 1 AM to 8 AM CDT Saturday.

* IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other
  sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor
  plumbing.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.

&&

$$

Borghoff
280 
WWUS73 KMPX 021252
NPWMPX

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
752 AM CDT Sat May 2 2026

MNZ051>054-056>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-021400-
/O.EXP.KMPX.FZ.W.0003.000000T0000Z-260502T1300Z/
Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-Lac Qui Parle-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-Chippewa-
Eau Claire-
Including the cities of Faribault, Shakopee, Rice Lake, New Ulm,
Olivia, Gaylord, Albert Lea, Willmar, Cambridge, Center City,
Owatonna, St James, Hudson, Fairmont, Blaine, Chaska, Madison, St
Peter, Waseca, River Falls, Chippewa Falls, Chanhassen, Mankato,
Osceola, Elk River, Ladysmith, Litchfield, Red Wing, Redwood Falls,
Blue Earth, Menomonie, St Paul, Durand, Victoria, Stillwater, Granite
Falls, Eau Claire, Le Sueur, Minneapolis, Montevideo, Hastings,
Hutchinson, and Monticello
752 AM CDT Sat May 2 2026

...FREEZE WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 8 AM CDT THIS MORNING...

Temperatures have risen into the mid 30s this morning and the warning
will be allowed to expire at the top of the hour.

$$

TDH

Nearby

Freeze Warnings in Minnesota, 2026Freeze Warnings in Wisconsin, 2026Every freeze 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.