Alert archive / Minnesota / Red Flag Warnings in 2026
Red Flag Warning 7, NWS Twin Cities, MN
NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this red flag warning at May 11, 2026, 2:59 PM CDT for 18 counties in Minnesota. It took effect at May 12, 2026, 11:00 AM CDT. It was in force for 10 hr. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- May 11, 2026, 2:59 PM CDT (19:59 UTC)
- In effect from
- May 12, 2026, 11:00 AM CDT
- Expired
- May 12, 2026, 9:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 10 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Twin Cities, MN
Counties Blue Earth County, MN, Brown County, MN, Chippewa County, MN, Faribault County, MN, Kandiyohi County, MN, Lac qui Parle County, MN, Martin County, MN, McLeod County, MN, Meeker County, MN, Nicollet County, MN, Pope County, MN, Redwood County, MN, Renville County, MN, Sibley County, MN, Stevens County, MN, Swift County, MN, Watonwan County, MN, Yellow Medicine County, MN
The radar
The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 111 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:00 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.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 12, 4:40 PM CDT | BLOWING DUST | Nicollet, MN | Trained spotter reports significant reductions to visibility due to dust streaming across the area which is creating difficult travel conditions. Spotter estimates visibility below 1.0 mile. |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
The nearest sounding before it
Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 109 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1702 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 55 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 88 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 191 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
411 WWUS83 KMPX 111959 RFWMPX URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 259 PM CDT Mon May 11 2026 ...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED LATE TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY EVENING OVER WESTERN THROUGH SOUTHERN MINNESOTA... .Temperatures rising into the 70s on Tuesday along with relative humidity values dropping under 30 percent, strong northwest winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 40 mph and dry fuels will produce hazardous fire weather conditions. Humidity values will be lowest in the middle to late afternoon hours, which will also coincide with the peak wind speeds. Burning is discouraged on Tuesday as any fires that develop can spread rapidly. MNZ047-048-054>058-064>067-073>075-082-083-091-092-120800- /O.NEW.KMPX.FW.W.0007.260512T1500Z-260513T0100Z/ Stevens-Pope-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa-Kandiyohi-Meeker-Yellow Medicine-Renville-McLeod-Sibley-Redwood-Brown-Nicollet-Watonwan- Blue Earth-Martin-Faribault- 259 PM CDT Mon May 11 2026 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 8 PM CDT TUESDAY... The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities has issued a Red Flag Warning. * AFFECTED AREA...Portions of central, south central, southwest, and west central Minnesota. * TIMING...From 10 AM to 8 PM CDT Tuesday. * WINDS...Northwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 23 percent. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Please advise the appropriate officials or fire crews in the field of this Red Flag Warning. Follow all fire restrictions. && $$ JPC
3 follow-up statements
493 WWUS83 KMPX 120438 RFWMPX URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 1138 PM CDT Mon May 11 2026 ...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED LATE TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING OVER WESTERN AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA... .Temperatures rising into the 70s on Tuesday along with relative humidity values dropping under 30 percent, strong northwest winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 40 mph and dry fuels will produce hazardous fire weather conditions. Humidity values will be lowest in the middle to late afternoon hours, which will also coincide with the peak wind speeds. Burning is discouraged on Tuesday as any fires that develop could spread rapidly. MNZ047-048-054>058-064>067-073>075-082-083-091-092-121645- /O.EXT.KMPX.FW.W.0007.260512T1600Z-260513T0200Z/ Stevens-Pope-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa-Kandiyohi-Meeker-Yellow Medicine-Renville-McLeod-Sibley-Redwood-Brown-Nicollet-Watonwan- Blue Earth-Martin-Faribault- 1138 PM CDT Mon May 11 2026 ...RED FLAG WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 9 PM CDT TUESDAY... * AFFECTED AREA...Portions of central, south central, southwest, and west central Minnesota. * TIMING...From 11 AM to 9 PM CDT Tuesday. * WINDS...Northwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 23 percent. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Please advise the appropriate officials or fire crews in the field of this Red Flag Warning. Follow all fire restrictions. For information on burning restrictions for Minnesota, see www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/fire/firerating_restrictions.html. && $$ NDC
189 WWUS83 KMPX 121610 RFWMPX URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 1110 AM CDT Tue May 12 2026 ...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING FOR WESTERN AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA... .The combination of temperatures rising into the 70s, relative humidity values falling below 30 percent, strong northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph, and dry fuels will create hazardous fire weather conditions. Humidity values will be lowest in the middle to late afternoon, which will also coincide with the peak wind speeds. Burning is discouraged today as any fires that develop could spread rapidly. MNZ047-048-054>058-064>067-073>075-082-083-091-092-130200- /O.CON.KMPX.FW.W.0007.000000T0000Z-260513T0200Z/ Stevens-Pope-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa-Kandiyohi-Meeker-Yellow Medicine-Renville-McLeod-Sibley-Redwood-Brown-Nicollet-Watonwan- Blue Earth-Martin-Faribault- 1110 AM CDT Tue May 12 2026 ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * AFFECTED AREA...Portions of central, south central, southwest, and west central Minnesota. * TIMING...Until 9 PM CDT this evening. * WINDS...Northwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 22 percent. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Please advise the appropriate officials or fire crews in the field of this Red Flag Warning. Follow all fire restrictions. For information on burning restrictions for Minnesota, see www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/fire/firerating_restrictions.html. && $$ BED
544 WWUS83 KMPX 130153 RFWMPX URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 853 PM CDT Tue May 12 2026 MNZ047-048-054>058-064>067-073>075-082-083-091-092-130300- /O.EXP.KMPX.FW.W.0007.000000T0000Z-260513T0200Z/ Stevens-Pope-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa-Kandiyohi-Meeker-Yellow Medicine-Renville-McLeod-Sibley-Redwood-Brown-Nicollet-Watonwan- Blue Earth-Martin-Faribault- 853 PM CDT Tue May 12 2026 ...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING... The strong winds have decreased and the relative humidity has increased above critical levels. Hence, the Red Flag Warning will be allowed to expire. $$ NDC
Nearby
Red Flag Warnings in Minnesota, 2026Every red flag 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.