Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 169, NWS Twin Cities, MN
NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 7, 2026, 10:46 AM CDT for McLeod County, Meeker County, Minnesota. It was in force for 28 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
- Aug 7, 2026, 10:46 AM CDT (15:46 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 7, 2026, 11:14 AM CDT
- In force
- 28 min
- Issued by
- NWS Twin Cities, MN
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 1.25 in
- Wind
- 50.0 mph
Counties McLeod County, MN, Meeker County, MN
The radar
The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 77 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:45 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 12:00Z, 3.8 hours before the alert went out and 74 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
- 506 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -343 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1332 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 33 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 211 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 250 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.3
The text
As transmitted.
559 WUUS53 KMPX 071546 SVRMPX MNC085-093-071630- /O.NEW.KMPX.SV.W.0169.260807T1546Z-260807T1630Z/ BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Severe Thunderstorm Warning National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 1046 AM CDT Fri Aug 7 2026 The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northwestern McLeod County in central Minnesota... Central Meeker County in central Minnesota... * Until 1130 AM CDT. * At 1046 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Litchfield, or 18 miles northwest of Hutchinson, moving east at 30 mph. HAZARD...Half dollar size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected. * Locations impacted include... Strout, Litchfield, Litchfield Airport, Greenleaf, Darwin and Dassel. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from windows. This storm is capable of producing large hail. && LAT...LON 4500 9467 4520 9461 4517 9426 4491 9426 TIME...MOT...LOC 1546Z 286DEG 27KT 4511 9459 HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED MAX HAIL SIZE...1.25 IN WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED MAX WIND GUST...<50 MPH $$ ETA
1 follow-up statement
316 WWUS53 KMPX 071614 SVSMPX Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 1114 AM CDT Fri Aug 7 2026 MNC085-093-071624- /O.CAN.KMPX.SV.W.0169.000000T0000Z-260807T1630Z/ McLeod MN-Meeker MN- 1114 AM CDT Fri Aug 7 2026 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR NORTHWESTERN MCLEOD AND CENTRAL MEEKER COUNTIES... The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe limits, and has exited the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement agency. They will send your report to the National Weather Service office. && LAT...LON 4500 9467 4520 9461 4517 9426 4491 9426 TIME...MOT...LOC 1546Z 286DEG 27KT 4511 9459 $$ ETA
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 Aug 7, 6:58 AM CDT, 3 hours 48 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- An arriving cold front will produce isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms for mainly southern-eastern MN into western WI this afternoon.
- A few strong to severe storms are possible this afternoon, with the main hazards being large hail and damaging winds.
- The next best chances for rain come Saturday night and Monday morning, then mostly dry conditions are expected for next week.
- Temperatures to remain very close to normal values into the middle of next week, then drop below normal late next week.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 7, 6:58 AM CDT, 3 hours 48 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 658 AM CDT Fri Aug 7 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - An arriving cold front will produce isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms for mainly southern-eastern MN into western WI this afternoon. - A few strong to severe storms are possible this afternoon, with the main hazards being large hail and damaging winds. - The next best chances for rain come Saturday night and Monday morning, then mostly dry conditions are expected for next week. - Temperatures to remain very close to normal values into the middle of next week, then drop below normal late next week. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 331 AM CDT Fri Aug 7 2026 Other than passing high clouds and elevated wildfire smoke, mainly clear skies are displayed on satellite imagery this morning. Patchy fog is showing up just south of the IA/MN border and into far SE MN, but fog is not expected to be an issue for the WFO MPX coverage area this morning. What is of concern is the approaching cold front currently draped over NW MN, emanating from a 999mb surface low south of Hudson Bay. This system is underneath a broad central NOAM trough, which is forecast to shove a digging axis around the base of the broad trough, sweeping through the Dakotas and Upper Midwest later today. Not a whole lot of moisture is associated with the anticipated frontal passage later today, thus limiting overall instability to potentially 1000-1500 j/kg of MUCAPE. That said, bulk shear of around 35kt pushing through the area in conjunction with the frontal dynamics, along with favorable early-mid afternoon diurnal timing, will allow for isolated to scattered thunderstorm development this afternoon. The focus areas look to be far southern and eastern MN into western WI. Should lapse rates be realized in the 7-8 deg C/km rates, as has been advertised the past 24-48hrs for today, then along with the mid-level stronger winds, a few storms could produce large hail and damaging winds. SPC maintains the Marginal (Level 1 of 5) risk for eastern portions of our coverage area so the bottom line is that there is a non-zero risk for severe thunderstorms this afternoon, even despite the overall smaller PoPs and meager expected coverage of storms today. The cold front will slide into WI by this evening then into the central Great Lakes tonight, allowing for any and all precip to be out of our coverage area by sunset. High pressure will then prevail tonight through all day Saturday. A developing front over northern MN and the Dakotas looks to slide southward through our area Saturday night, linking up with a low pressure system shifting eastward from the Plains into the Mid- Mississippi River Valley Saturday night. Additional showers/thunderstorms look likely near the I-90 corridor portion of MN Saturday night into early Sunday morning. A few thunderstorms are possible but the better storm coverage and strength will be in IA and points south. Similarly, another round of showers/thunderstorms looks likely for far southern portions of our coverage area Sunday night into Monday morning along the same stalled frontal boundary. Again, better storm coverage/strength will be south and southeast of the WFO MPX coverage area, and both these systems will also have very little potential for heavy rain since the dynamics and frontal forcing will be better to the south of our area. Once past these weekend chances of rain, a mainly dry period is expected for much of next week as systems develop over the Rockies but will have little impetus to reach our portion of the lower 48, and systems look to phase over the Ohio Valley and bring precipitation to the Appalachians and points east. Thus, this scenario will leave us primarily high and dry for most of next week. Little in the way or airmass change from now until the middle of next week will mean that elevated wildfire smoke will still be possible, but this will have little effect to the surface other than keeping temperatures from getting far away from normal values. Highs will remain in the upper 70s to mid 80s from the end of this week into the middle of next week. Finally by the end of next week, a more pronounced eastern NOAM trough with a Four Corners ridge pattern looks to develop, which will make for solid NW flow aloft for the Upper Midwest. This will make a pathway for cooler central Canadian air to spread southward into our area, thus dropping highs back to the 70s area-wide and lows to the 50s area-wide for the latter portion of next week. && .AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 647 AM CDT Fri Aug 7 2026 Mainly VFR conditions for all sites to start the 07/12z TAF set, although some IFR low ceilings are impacting AXN while RA/TSRA are encroaching upon RWF. A cold front continues to make progress eastward from NW MN this morning and will sweep southeastward across MN/WI through the next 24 hrs. A few clusters of TSRA are moving into Western MN this morning, potentially impacting RWF. Overall, the morning activity is expected to run into more stable air, allowing diurnal impacts later this afternoon to blend with the frontal dynamics to spark isolated-scattered SHRA/TSRA for mainly southern-eastern MN into western WI. Still some timing/placement disagreements among the CAMs but sufficient agreement exists to allow for a TEMPOs at AXN-RWF with PROB30 groups at MKT-MSP-RNH-EAU this afternoon. The frontal passage will also result in a wind shift from SW to NW, possibly a little breezy/gusty behind the front for a few hours before winds settle down later this evening. KMSP...Only wrinkle in this forecast cycle is the continued possibility for early-mid afternoon TSRA with the frontal passage. Not a great chance, but not one that can go unmentioned either, so have maintained the PROB30. Otherwise, a wind shift is expected from this morning into this evening with the frontal passage, but speeds are expected to remain only around 10kts or less throughout this duration. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ SUN...VFR. Wind SE 5-10 kts becoming N. MON...Chc A.M. MVFR/-TSRA. Wind NE 5-10 kts. TUE...VFR. Wind variable 5 kts or less. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...None. WI...None. && DISCUSSION...JPC AVIATION...JPC
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 7, 4:02 AM CDT, 6 hours 44 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 402 AM CDT Fri Aug 7 2026 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 080900- 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- 402 AM CDT Fri Aug 7 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central and southern Minnesota, and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast to develop ahead of a cold front Friday afternoon, mainly over southern and eastern Minnesota into western Wisconsin. A few storms may be severe, with the main hazards being damaging wind gusts and large hail. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast to develop over far southern Minnesota Saturday night and again early Monday morning. While no severe storms are expected Saturday night, a few storms may be severe early Monday morning, with the main hazards being damaging wind gusts and large hail. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN spotter activation may be needed this afternoon and again possibly early Monday morning.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 7, 7:22 AM CDT, 3 hours 24 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
722 AM CDT Fri Aug 7 2026
MNZ056>058-065-071315-
Kandiyohi MN-Renville MN-Chippewa MN-Meeker MN-
722 AM CDT Fri Aug 7 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHERN KANDIYOHI...
SOUTHWESTERN MEEKER...EAST CENTRAL CHIPPEWA AND NORTHERN RENVILLE
COUNTIES UNTIL 815 AM CDT...
At 722 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 6
miles northeast of Renville, or 20 miles south of Willmar, moving
east at 35 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and nickel 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...
Raymond, Prinsburg, Renville, Danube, Blomkest, Svea, Olivia, Bird
Island, Lake Lillian, Thorpe, Cosmos, Hector and Buffalo Lake.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Monitor the weather situation closely and be alert for threatening
weather conditions.
&&
LAT...LON 4474 9531 4504 9527 4505 9460 4472 9462
4472 9463 4464 9463
TIME...MOT...LOC 1222Z 272DEG 29KT 4485 9513
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
CTGSpecial weather statement, Aug 7, 9:57 AM CDT, 49 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
957 AM CDT Fri Aug 7 2026
MNZ057-071530-
Kandiyohi MN-
957 AM CDT Fri Aug 7 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT CENTRAL KANDIYOHI COUNTY UNTIL
1030 AM CDT...
At 957 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 6
miles west of Spicer, or 8 miles north of Willmar, moving east at 25
mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and nickel 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...
Willmar, New London, Spicer, Atwater, Green Lake, Kandiyohi, Sibley
State Park and Hawick.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Monitor the weather situation closely and be alert for threatening
weather conditions.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 4524 9525 4531 9526 4532 9476 4510 9476
4519 9525
TIME...MOT...LOC 1457Z 286DEG 22KT 4525 9505
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
ETASpecial weather statement, Aug 7, 10:31 AM CDT, 15 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
1031 AM CDT Fri Aug 7 2026
MNZ049-057-058-071600-
Kandiyohi MN-Stearns MN-Meeker MN-
1031 AM CDT Fri Aug 7 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHWESTERN MEEKER...
NORTHEASTERN KANDIYOHI AND SOUTH CENTRAL STEARNS COUNTIES UNTIL 11 AM
CDT...
At 1031 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 6
miles southwest of Paynesville, or 17 miles northeast of Willmar,
moving east at 25 mph.
HAZARD...Nickel size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible.
Locations impacted include...
Regal, Hawick, Atwater, Paynesville Airport, Lake Koronis Regional
Park, Paynesville, Grove City, Manannah, Roscoe, St Nicholas,
Forest City, Richmond, Cold Spring, Litchfield and Litchfield
Airport.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Monitor the weather situation closely and be alert for threatening
weather conditions.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 4541 9489 4548 9443 4505 9442 4505 9475
4518 9485 4541 9491
TIME...MOT...LOC 1531Z 266DEG 22KT 4530 9479
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH
ETALocal storm report, Aug 7, 10:45 AM CDT, 1 minute before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
1045 AM CDT Fri Aug 7 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1028 AM Hail 4 E New London 45.32N 94.87W
08/07/2026 M1.00 Inch Kandiyohi MN Public
Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).
&&The office that day
Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 6:51 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Renville, Yellow Medicine | 38 min |
| Aug 7, 7:22 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | MPX | Renville | 53 min |
| Aug 7, 9:57 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | MPX | Kandiyohi | 33 min |
| Aug 7, 10:18 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Martin | 42 min |
| Aug 7, 10:31 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | MPX | Meeker | 29 min |
| Aug 7, 10:55 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Faribault, Martin | 50 min |
| Aug 7, 11:01 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Benton, Stearns | 44 min |
| Aug 7, 11:12 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | MPX | Carver, McLeod | 33 min |
| Aug 7, 11:33 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Carver, McLeod, Sibley | 21 min |
| Aug 7, 11:36 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Benton, Mille Lacs | 28 min |
| Aug 7, 11:42 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Faribault | 48 min |
| Aug 7, 11:49 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | MPX | Carver, Scott | 41 min |
| Aug 7, 12:15 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | MPX | Faribault | 3 hr |
| Aug 7, 12:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Faribault, Freeborn | 47 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.