Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 166, NWS Twin Cities, MN

July 20, 2026Freeborn County, Steele County, Waseca County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 20, 2026, 7:00 AM CDT for Freeborn County, Steele County, Waseca County, Minnesota. It was in force for 45 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Jul 20, 2026, 7:00 AM CDT (12:00 UTC)
Expired: Jul 20, 2026, 7:45 AM CDT
In force: 45 min
Issued by: NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.0 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

Counties Freeborn County, MN, Steele County, MN, Waseca County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 115 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:02 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jul 20, 7:00 AM CDT	TSTM WND GST 52	3 S Hope, MN	Mesonet station MN096 I-35 - Hope - Mp 30.

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, 0.0 hours before the alert went out and 116 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 982 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -242 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1013 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 50 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 299 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 288 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: -0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

824 
WUUS53 KMPX 201200
SVRMPX
MNC047-147-161-201245-
/O.NEW.KMPX.SV.W.0166.260720T1200Z-260720T1245Z/

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

The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
  Freeborn County in south central Minnesota...
  Southern Steele County in south central Minnesota...
  Southeastern Waseca County in south central Minnesota...

* Until 745 AM CDT.

* At 700 AM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line from
  13 miles north of Blooming Prairie to near New Richland, or along a
  line from 12 miles east of Owatonna to 16 miles southwest of
  Owatonna, moving southeast at 40 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...
  Otisco, Lemond, Hope, Rice Lake State Park, New Richland, Steele
  Center, Ellendale, Bixby, Hartland, Blooming Prairie, Geneva,
  Clarks Grove, Hollandale, Albert Lea Airport, Myre Big Island State
  Park, Albert Lea, Hayward, Glenville, Myrtle and London.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from
windows. These storms are capable of producing damaging winds and
large hail.

&&

LAT...LON 4385 9352 4397 9359 4401 9323 4413 9305
      4350 9305 4350 9331
TIME...MOT...LOC 1200Z 333DEG 36KT 4405 9298 4392 9317 4390 9341

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

$$

NDC

3 follow-up statements

104 
WWUS53 KMPX 201218
SVSMPX

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

MNC161-201228-
/O.CAN.KMPX.SV.W.0166.000000T0000Z-260720T1245Z/
Waseca MN-
718 AM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR SOUTHEASTERN WASECA
COUNTY...

The storms which prompted the warning have moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

&&

LAT...LON 4383 9351 4385 9346 4385 9341 4386 9341
      4386 9340 4401 9327 4401 9323 4413 9305
      4350 9305 4350 9331
TIME...MOT...LOC 1200Z 333DEG 36KT 4405 9298 4392 9317 4389 9340

$$


MNC047-147-201245-
/O.CON.KMPX.SV.W.0166.000000T0000Z-260720T1245Z/
Freeborn MN-Steele MN-
718 AM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 AM CDT FOR
FREEBORN AND SOUTHERN STEELE COUNTIES...

At 718 AM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line from 10
miles east of Blooming Prairie to over Clarks Grove, or along a line
from 23 miles southeast of Owatonna to 7 miles northeast of Albert
Lea, moving southeast at 40 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...
  Rice Lake State Park, Steele Center, Ellendale, Bixby, Hartland,
  Blooming Prairie, Geneva, Clarks Grove, Hollandale, Albert Lea
  Airport, Myre Big Island State Park, Albert Lea, Hayward,
  Glenville, Myrtle and London.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from
windows. These storms are capable of producing damaging winds and
large hail.

&&

LAT...LON 4383 9351 4385 9346 4385 9341 4386 9341
      4386 9340 4401 9327 4401 9323 4413 9305
      4350 9305 4350 9331
TIME...MOT...LOC 1200Z 333DEG 36KT 4405 9298 4392 9317 4389 9340

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

$$

NDC

161 
WWUS53 KMPX 201224
SVSMPX

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

MNC147-201234-
/O.CAN.KMPX.SV.W.0166.000000T0000Z-260720T1245Z/
Steele MN-
724 AM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR SOUTHERN STEELE
COUNTY...

The storms which prompted the warning have moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

&&

LAT...LON 4383 9351 4385 9346 4385 9305 4350 9305
      4350 9331
TIME...MOT...LOC 1218Z 333DEG 36KT 4389 9287 4376 9306 4373 9329

$$


MNC047-201245-
/O.CON.KMPX.SV.W.0166.000000T0000Z-260720T1245Z/
Freeborn MN-
724 AM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 AM CDT FOR
FREEBORN COUNTY...

At 724 AM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line from 11
miles east of Blooming Prairie to over Hayward, or along a line from
26 miles southeast of Owatonna to 6 miles east of Albert Lea, moving
southeast at 40 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...
  Hartland, Geneva, Clarks Grove, Hollandale, Albert Lea Airport,
  Myre Big Island State Park, Albert Lea, Hayward, Glenville, Myrtle
  and London.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from
windows. These storms are capable of producing damaging winds and
large hail.

&&

LAT...LON 4383 9351 4385 9346 4385 9305 4350 9305
      4350 9331
TIME...MOT...LOC 1218Z 333DEG 36KT 4389 9287 4376 9306 4373 9329

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

$$

NDC

730 
WWUS53 KMPX 201244
SVSMPX

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

MNC047-201254-
/O.EXP.KMPX.SV.W.0166.000000T0000Z-260720T1245Z/
Freeborn MN-
744 AM CDT Mon Jul 20 2026

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 745 AM CDT FOR FREEBORN
COUNTY...

The storms which prompted the warning have moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire. However, gusty
winds and heavy rain are still possible with these thunderstorms.

&&

LAT...LON 4383 9351 4385 9346 4385 9305 4350 9305
      4350 9331
TIME...MOT...LOC 1224Z 333DEG 36KT 4384 9283 4371 9302 4368 9325

$$

Strus

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 20, 1:17 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Swift	28 min
Jul 20, 1:27 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Swift	48 min
Jul 20, 2:15 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Kandiyohi, Renville	30 min
Jul 20, 2:45 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Stevens	30 min
Jul 20, 3:14 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Carver, McLeod	31 min
Jul 20, 3:56 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Kandiyohi	34 min
Jul 20, 5:44 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Le Sueur, Rice, Scott, Sibley	46 min
Jul 20, 6:39 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Steele, Waseca	36 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 2026 Every 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.