Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 165, NWS Twin Cities, MN

July 20, 2026Chippewa County, Kandiyohi County, Swift County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 20, 2026, 1:27 AM CDT for Chippewa County, Kandiyohi County, Swift 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
Jul 20, 2026, 1:27 AM CDT (06:27 UTC)
Expired
Jul 20, 2026, 2:15 AM CDT
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Chippewa County, MN, Kandiyohi County, MN, Swift County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 180 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:28 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 6.5 hours before the alert went out and 177 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 00:00Z on 2026-07-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 18 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 2026-07-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 5 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
18 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-165 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1421 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
5 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
129 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

978 
WUUS53 KMPX 200627
SVRMPX
MNC023-067-151-200715-
/O.NEW.KMPX.SV.W.0165.260720T0627Z-260720T0715Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
127 AM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
  Northwestern Kandiyohi County in central Minnesota...
  Chippewa County in west central Minnesota...
  Swift County in west central Minnesota...

* Until 215 AM CDT.

* At 127 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 6 miles northeast
  of Appleton, or 23 miles south of Morris, moving southeast at 45
  mph.

  HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to
           roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...
  Lake Oliver, Appleton, Holloway, Milan, Clontarf, Danvers, Hagen,
  Big Bend City, Benson Airport, Lake Hassel, Benson, Watson,
  Montevideo Airport, De Graff, Murdock, Sunburg, Kerkhoven, Maynard
  and Clara City.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from
windows. This storm is capable of producing damaging winds and large
hail.

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

&&

LAT...LON 4524 9612 4541 9605 4538 9514 4489 9534
      4489 9548 4485 9548 4510 9599 4516 9604
      4518 9610 4524 9610
TIME...MOT...LOC 0626Z 296DEG 37KT 4526 9595

HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

NDC
2 follow-up statements
286 
WWUS53 KMPX 200648
SVSMPX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
148 AM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

MNC023-067-151-200715-
/O.CON.KMPX.SV.W.0165.000000T0000Z-260720T0715Z/
Chippewa MN-Kandiyohi MN-Swift MN-
148 AM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 215 AM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN KANDIYOHI, CHIPPEWA AND EASTERN SWIFT COUNTIES...

At 148 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 11 miles south of
Benson, or 15 miles north of Montevideo, moving southeast at 45 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to
         roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...
  Clontarf, Danvers, Hagen, Big Bend City, Benson Airport, Lake
  Hassel, Benson, Watson, Montevideo Airport, De Graff, Murdock,
  Asbury, Monson Lake State Park, Sunburg, Gluek, Kerkhoven, Maynard
  and Clara City.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from
windows. This storm is capable of producing damaging winds and large
hail.

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

&&

LAT...LON 4505 9588 4540 9577 4538 9514 4489 9534
      4489 9548 4485 9548
TIME...MOT...LOC 0627Z 296DEG 37KT 4526 9594

HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

NDC
176 
WWUS53 KMPX 200706
SVSMPX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
206 AM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

MNC023-067-151-200716-
/O.EXP.KMPX.SV.W.0165.000000T0000Z-260720T0715Z/
Chippewa MN-Kandiyohi MN-Swift MN-
206 AM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 215 AM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN KANDIYOHI, CHIPPEWA AND EASTERN SWIFT COUNTIES...

The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer poses an immediate threat to life or property.
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire. However, gusty
winds and heavy rain are still possible with this thunderstorm.

&&

LAT...LON 4505 9588 4540 9577 4538 9514 4489 9534
      4489 9548 4485 9548
TIME...MOT...LOC 0648Z 296DEG 37KT 4516 9566

$$

NDC

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 20, 12:49 AM CDT, 38 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Smoke continues to linger across far eastern Minnesota and Wisconsin into Monday. See Air Quality Alert for more information.
  • Thunderstorms likely tonight and early Monday. A few storms may be strong or severe.
  • A short period of hazardous heat and humidity Monday afternoon before turning cooler for midweek.
  • Hot temperatures return next weekend.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 20, 12:49 AM CDT, 38 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
1249 AM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Smoke continues to linger across far eastern Minnesota and
  Wisconsin into Monday. See Air Quality Alert for more
  information.

- Thunderstorms likely tonight and early Monday. A few storms
  may be strong or severe.

- A short period of hazardous heat and humidity Monday afternoon
  before turning cooler for midweek.

- Hot temperatures return next weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 331 PM CDT Sun Jul 19 2026

Visibilities are improving slowly this afternoon as surface smoke
density decreases. The worst visibility remaining is Eau Claire
with less than 3 miles. The smokey haze will continue through
tonight as the reservoir of smoke continues to drift to the
north and east around high pressure centered on the Great Lakes.
The smoke will primarily impact far eastern MN and WI where an
Air Quality Alert is in effect through Monday morning.

The atmosphere is stable this afternoon, but low level moisture
is increasing across the eastern Dakotas. An upper trough will
approach tonight and moisture advection will spread east.
Clusters of thunderstorms are expected to develop across the
Dakotas this evening. As the base of the trough begins to
arrive, the mid level jet will strengthen to 50+ kts resulting
in more than enough bulk shear. Steep lapse rates will work east
across the Plains overnight. An increasing LLJ will feed the
clusters/MCS as it continues southeast. CAMs remain supportive
of this activity tracking across central and eastern Minnesota
into western Wisconsin late tonight and early Monday morning.
The main severe risk is damaging wind. The degree of this threat
will depend on the strength of capping and whether any organized
cold pools can develop. There is a level 1 of 5 risk for the
entire CWA.

The morning activity should clear to the southeast early enough
to allow recovery to occur throughout the day. The surface cold
front will be located from northwest WI to southwest MN around
midday. Dew point pooling with the front and quick heating
following the morning storms as a thermal ridge overspreads the
region will bring a short period of hazardous heat during the
afternoon. Dew points may rise into the upper 70s across
southern MN, bringing heat indices to the 100-105 degree range.
Farther north with the earlier passage of the cold front, dew
points will peak early afternoon before drier air follows.
Thermal ridging will remain in place through the afternoon, and
given better boundary layer mixing behind the front, temperatures
will rise more easily. Therefore, heat indices in the metro
area may peak early afternoon, then hold steady or slowly fall
for the rest of the afternoon while air temperatures rise into
the low to mid 90s. As for thunderstorm redevelopment later in
the day, the front should clear most of the CWA before
initiation occurs. There is a small chance a few storms fire in
a corridor from Albert Lea to Rice Lake and Eau Claire late
afternoon, but the better bet is across IA into central WI.

Cooler and less humid air returns by midweek. Highs in the
upper 70s to low 80s and lows in the 50s or 60s will bring much
needed relief from the recent heat. Ridging will return to the
central U.S. next weekend. The Upper Midwest will be on the
northern periphery this time instead of directly beneath it, so
this may begin a more active convective pattern heading into
next week. There will be some very hot air over the Plains that
should occasionally move in. Highs by Sunday may be solidly in
the 90s.

&&

.AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY/...
Issued at 1219 AM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

Confidence has decreased for overall storm coverage early this
morning. We have had just one cluster of storms that's now
moving into west-central MN with little additional development
elsewhere. This means our chances for any TSRA activity over the
next few hours is mainly just tied to this one cell. There is
still a capable environment for more development this morning,
with the most likely area for this now shifting closer to the
MN/WI state line. With these latest trends, we have adjusted all
of the MN TAFs down to prob30s with all of the WI sites at
tempos for TSRA. The less storms we have during the early
morning hours, the better chance we will have for more
additional development during the mid-late morning in MN. It's a
scenario where until the environment is tapped into, there will
be a lingering chance for storms.

Winds increase out of the northwest tomorrow afternoon behind
the passing front, with gusts up to 30 kts in some spots. There
may be impacts from wildfire smoke behind the front as well, but
confidence is low on how dense the smoke will be.

KMSP...Adjusted our tempo group to a prob30 to show the
decreasing confidence for storms during the morning rush hour.
It is looking more likely that we will not have an incoming line
of storms tonight, and our primary chance for TSRA will be tied
to any additional development during the early morning. There is
a scenario where KMSP does not see any storms during the early
morning, which would increase the risk for storms during the
late morning and early afternoon.

/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/
TUE...VFR. Wind NW 10-15G25 kts.
WED...VFR. Wind N/NW 5 kts.
THU...VFR. Wind SW 5-10 kts.

&&

.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...Heat Advisory from noon today to 6 PM CDT this evening for
     Anoka-Carver-Dakota-Goodhue-Hennepin-Ramsey-Rice-Scott-
     Washington.
     Heat Advisory from noon today to 7 PM CDT this evening for
     Blue Earth-Brown-Faribault-Freeborn-Le Sueur-Martin-
     Nicollet-Sibley-Steele-Waseca-Watonwan.
WI...None.

&&

DISCUSSION...Borghoff
AVIATION...BED
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 19, 3:36 PM CDT, 9 hours 51 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
336 PM CDT Sun Jul 19 2026

MNZ041>045-047>051-054>059-064>067-073>075-082-091-202045-
Douglas-Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Stevens-Pope-Stearns-
Benton-Sherburne-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa-Kandiyohi-Meeker-
Wright-Yellow Medicine-Renville-McLeod-Sibley-Redwood-Brown-
Nicollet-Watonwan-Martin-
336 PM CDT Sun Jul 19 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central
Minnesota...east central Minnesota...south central Minnesota...
southwest Minnesota and west central Minnesota.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Thunderstorms are likely late tonight. There is a level 1 out of
5 threat for severe storms capable of wind damage.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday.

Hot and humid air will be in place Monday. A Heat Advisory is in
effect for parts of south central and east central Minnesota
Monday afternoon.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN spotter activation may be needed late tonight.

MNZ052-053-060>063-068>070-076>078-083>085-092-093-WIZ014>016-
023>028-202045-
Isanti-Chisago-Hennepin-Anoka-Ramsey-Washington-Carver-Scott-
Dakota-Le Sueur-Rice-Goodhue-Blue Earth-Waseca-Steele-Faribault-
Freeborn-Polk-Barron-Rusk-St. Croix-Pierce-Dunn-Pepin-Chippewa-
Eau Claire-
336 PM CDT Sun Jul 19 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of east central
Minnesota...south central Minnesota...southeast Minnesota...
northwest Wisconsin and west central Wisconsin.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Thunderstorms are likely late tonight. There is a level 1 out of
5 threat for severe storms capable of wind damage.

An Air Quality Alert is in effect due to wildfire smoke.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday.

Hot and humid air will be in place Monday. A Heat Advisory is in
effect for parts of south central and east central Minnesota
Monday afternoon.

A few thunderstorms may redevelop late Monday afternoon across far
southern Minnesota into parts of west central Wisconsin.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN spotter activation may be needed late tonight.

Borghoff

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 20, 1:17 AM CDT, 10 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
117 AM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

MNZ055-056-200645-
Swift MN-Chippewa MN-
117 AM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHWESTERN CHIPPEWA AND
WESTERN SWIFT COUNTIES UNTIL 145 AM CDT...

At 117 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Lake Oliver, or 22 miles south of Morris, moving southeast at 45 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny 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 Oliver, Appleton Airport, Appleton, Holloway, Milan, Danvers,
  Clontarf, Hagen, Big Bend City, Benson Airport, Benson and Lake
  Hassel.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 4515 9604 4516 9605 4516 9606 4517 9609
      4518 9610 4524 9610 4524 9612 4541 9612
      4541 9580 4539 9554 4501 9577 4513 9602
TIME...MOT...LOC 0617Z 296DEG 37KT 4530 9607

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

NDC

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 20, 1:17 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXSwift28 min
Jul 20, 2:15 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXKandiyohi, Renville30 min
Jul 20, 2:45 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXStevens30 min
Jul 20, 3:14 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXCarver, McLeod31 min
Jul 20, 3:56 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXKandiyohi34 min
Jul 20, 5:44 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXLe Sueur, Rice, Scott, Sibley46 min
Jul 20, 6:39 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMPXSteele, Waseca36 min
Jul 20, 7:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXFreeborn, Steele, Waseca45 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 2026Every severe thunderstorm 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.