Alert archive / Minnesota / Frost Advisories in 2026
Frost Advisory 6, NWS Twin Cities, MN
NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this frost advisory at May 9, 2026, 12:59 PM CDT for 27 counties in Minnesota; 7 counties in Wisconsin. It took effect at May 10, 2026, 3:00 AM CDT. It was in force for 3 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 9, 2026, 12:59 PM CDT (17:59 UTC)
- In effect from
- May 10, 2026, 3:00 AM CDT
- Expired
- May 10, 2026, 6:26 AM CDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Twin Cities, MN
All 34 counties
Benton County, MN, Blue Earth County, MN, Brown County, MN, Chippewa County, MN, Chisago County, MN, Douglas County, MN, Isanti County, MN, Kanabec County, MN, Kandiyohi County, MN, Lac qui Parle County, MN, McLeod County, MN, Meeker County, MN, Mille Lacs County, MN, Morrison County, MN, Nicollet County, MN, Pope County, MN, Redwood County, MN, Renville County, MN, Sherburne County, MN, Sibley County, MN, Stearns County, MN, Stevens County, MN, Swift County, MN, Todd 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, Polk County, WI, Rusk County, WI, Saint Croix County, WI
The radar
The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 51 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:03 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, 6.0 hours before the alert went out and 49 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 21 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -57 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 955 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 79 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 77 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 204 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
897 WWUS73 KMPX 091759 NPWMPX URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 1259 PM CDT Sat May 9 2026 MNZ041>045-047>059-064>067-073>075-082-083-WIZ014>016-023-025-027- 028-101300- /O.NEW.KMPX.FR.Y.0006.260510T0800Z-260510T1300Z/ Douglas-Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Stevens-Pope-Stearns- Benton-Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa- Kandiyohi-Meeker-Wright-Yellow Medicine-Renville-McLeod-Sibley- Redwood-Brown-Nicollet-Watonwan-Blue Earth-Polk-Barron-Rusk-St. Croix-Dunn-Chippewa-Eau Claire- Including the cities of St Cloud, Madison, Princeton, Alexandria, Benson, Litchfield, Little Falls, Hutchinson, Menomonie, Cambridge, Rice Lake, Mankato, Olivia, Redwood Falls, Glenwood, Sauk Rapids, Granite Falls, Elk River, Monticello, Center City, Hudson, Osceola, St James, Ladysmith, Willmar, Montevideo, Eau Claire, Long Prairie, St Peter, Chippewa Falls, New Ulm, Gaylord, Mora, and Morris 1259 PM CDT Sat May 9 2026 ...FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 8 AM CDT SUNDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures as low as 35 will result in frost formation. * WHERE...Portions of central, east central, south central, southwest, and west central Minnesota and northwest and west central Wisconsin. * WHEN...From 3 AM to 8 AM CDT Sunday. * IMPACTS...Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. && $$ Dunleavy
2 follow-up statements
024 WWUS73 KMPX 100316 NPWMPX URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 1016 PM CDT Sat May 9 2026 MNZ041>045-047>059-064>067-073>075-082-083-WIZ014>016-023-025-027- 028-101300- /O.CON.KMPX.FR.Y.0006.260510T0800Z-260510T1300Z/ Douglas-Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Stevens-Pope-Stearns- Benton-Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa- Kandiyohi-Meeker-Wright-Yellow Medicine-Renville-McLeod-Sibley- Redwood-Brown-Nicollet-Watonwan-Blue Earth-Polk-Barron-Rusk-St. Croix-Dunn-Chippewa-Eau Claire- Including the cities of Hudson, Madison, Granite Falls, Litchfield, Olivia, St James, Sauk Rapids, Elk River, Monticello, Eau Claire, Little Falls, Chippewa Falls, Cambridge, Mankato, Center City, Montevideo, St Peter, Long Prairie, Redwood Falls, Princeton, Morris, Rice Lake, Willmar, Ladysmith, Mora, Alexandria, Gaylord, New Ulm, St Cloud, Hutchinson, Glenwood, Menomonie, Osceola, and Benson 1016 PM CDT Sat May 9 2026 ...FROST ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 8 AM CDT SUNDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures as low as 35 will result in frost formation. * WHERE...Portions of central, east central, south central, southwest, and west central Minnesota and northwest and west central Wisconsin. * WHEN...From 3 AM to 8 AM CDT Sunday. * IMPACTS...Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. && $$ NDC
188 WWUS73 KMPX 101126 NPWMPX URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 626 AM CDT Sun May 10 2026 MNZ041>045-047>059-064>067-073>075-082-083-WIZ014>016-023-025-027- 028-101230- /O.CAN.KMPX.FR.Y.0006.000000T0000Z-260510T1300Z/ Douglas-Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Stevens-Pope-Stearns- Benton-Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa- Kandiyohi-Meeker-Wright-Yellow Medicine-Renville-McLeod-Sibley- Redwood-Brown-Nicollet-Watonwan-Blue Earth-Polk-Barron-Rusk-St. Croix-Dunn-Chippewa-Eau Claire- Including the cities of Cambridge, Redwood Falls, Ladysmith, Hutchinson, Rice Lake, Hudson, Gaylord, Elk River, Menomonie, Little Falls, Willmar, Alexandria, Madison, Benson, New Ulm, Mora, Osceola, St Peter, St James, Princeton, Granite Falls, Sauk Rapids, Glenwood, St Cloud, Montevideo, Long Prairie, Litchfield, Monticello, Mankato, Eau Claire, Olivia, Center City, Morris, and Chippewa Falls 626 AM CDT Sun May 10 2026 ...FROST ADVISORY IS CANCELLED... Morning cloud cover has kept temperatures in the upper 30s to low 40s for the majority of the area. With the sun rising, temperatures will not fall any further this morning, thus the advisory is cancelled. $$ TDH
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this frost 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 frost advisory went out at May 9, 12:25 PM CDT, 34 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Cooler this weekend with frost/freeze chances Sunday and Monday mornings before warming next week.
- After this morning's rain the next chance for rain arrives late Monday into Tuesday.
Area forecast discussion, May 9, 12:25 PM CDT, 34 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 1225 PM CDT Sat May 9 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Cooler this weekend with frost/freeze chances Sunday and Monday mornings before warming next week. - After this morning's rain the next chance for rain arrives late Monday into Tuesday. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 229 AM CDT Sat May 9 2026 Rain will continue to slowly advance across the Upper Midwest this morning driven by broad ascent along a jet streak and frontal passage. The regions with rainfall have been seeing a notable increase in dew points into the 40s. This is significant versus the values down near 30 in southern Minnesota. This gap in dew point is part of why QPF values drop off quickly to the south as this drier air will limit rain chances. The other impact of these dew points will be for fire weather this afternoon and evening. Higher dew points and rainfall will help to reduce fire weather risk, keeping the risk lower than it was yesterday. However clearing skies behind the frontal passage will allow for ample mixing again today and the sun will also allow for dropping dew points. This mean another gusty and dry day is expected today. Therefore yet another bad day for burning. The other side of the frontal passage will be a period of cold air advection. This will bring temperatures down Saturday night through Monday morning. Both mornings will see frost and freeze potential with most ensemble guidance and therefore the NBM favoring Monday morning for the more widespread freeze chance. With the main area of high pressure moving overhead on Sunday night into Monday morning the clear skies will favor radiational cooling. Morning temperatures will be more typical of early March than early May. Early in the week a shortwave trough will move from the Canadian Prairies into the Great Lakes. This will provide a broad source of lift for our next, more widespread, rain chance late Monday into Tuesday. There is a high chance for rain with this system with >98% of global ensemble members having measurable QPF north of I-94 and east of I-35. To the west of this region starts to drop but stays >75% of membership with QPF. Where there remains spread though is in the amount of QPF, as probs drop by roughly half for 0.1" of QPF. There could be some instability for thunderstorms, therefore locally higher QPF, but forecast soundings do not show much and it is rather elevated. After Tuesday, the next chance for rain arrives Thursday along a push of WAA. Not as strong of synoptic forcing as Tuesday's rain chance, so much lower probabilities in the ensembles. In additional to the rain chances this looks to be the start of a period of continued hotter air days with multiple days into the 80s possible late next week into the following weekend. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/... Issued at 1225 PM CDT Sat May 9 2026 Streaks of lower-mid level cumulus have appeared over mainly eastern MN/western WI, affecting MSP/RNH/EAU early in the period but are expected to largely dissipate as we head into the afternoon as the top of the mixed layer becomes drier. Winds will continue to remain breezy today, directionally at 310-340 with speeds increasing to 10- 15kts with gusts from 20-25kts at most locations. Gusts will diminish as mixing weakens by 00z, with speeds dropping further to below 05kts overnight. Some lower level strato-cumulus clouds are possible after 06-08z, lifting gradually after 12z as mixing and winds increase towards the end of the period. KMSP...Tapered the end of the ongoing cumulus quickly within the first couple hours of the period as the mixed layer dries out, with another round of VFR 070 level clouds arriving around 08z. Winds will gust up to 25kts, falling back after 00z, with 20kt gusts possible again after 17z tomorrow. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ MON...VFR. Wind SE 5-10 kts. TUE...VFR, chc -TSRA/MVFR early. Wind NW 15-20G30 kts. WED...VFR. Wind NW 10kts. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...None. WI...None. && DISCUSSION...NDC AVIATION...TDH
Hazardous weather outlook, May 9, 2:56 AM CDT, 10 hours 3 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 256 AM CDT Sat May 9 2026 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 100800- 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- 256 AM CDT Sat May 9 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central and southern Minnesota, and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Elevated fire weather this afternoon and evening due to dry conditions and gusty winds. Avoid burning and check current burn restrictions. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Areas of frost and a freeze are possible Sunday and Monday morning. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN spotter activation will not be needed.
Nearby
Frost Advisories in Minnesota, 2026Frost Advisories in Wisconsin, 2026Every frost 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.