Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 178, NWS Twin Cities, MN
NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 17, 2026, 7:11 PM CDT for Morrison County, Minnesota. It was in force for 34 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 17, 2026, 7:11 PM CDT (00:11 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 17, 2026, 7:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 34 min
- Issued by
- NWS Twin Cities, MN
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 1.0 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
County Morrison County, MN
The radar
The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 158 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:11 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 watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 6:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 4 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 156 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
- 3 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -139 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1889 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 48 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 93 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 128 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.8
The text
As transmitted.
987
WUUS53 KMPX 180011
SVRMPX
MNC097-180045-
/O.NEW.KMPX.SV.W.0178.260818T0011Z-260818T0045Z/
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
711 PM CDT Mon Aug 17 2026
The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Western Morrison County in central Minnesota...
* Until 745 PM CDT.
* At 711 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Randall, or
14 miles northwest of Little Falls, moving southeast at 40 mph.
HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and small hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
* This severe thunderstorm will be near...
Randall around 715 PM CDT.
Camp Ripley around 725 PM CDT.
Little Falls around 730 PM CDT.
Other locations impacted by the severe thunderstorm include Camp
Ripley Junction and Little Falls Airport.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from
windows. This storm is capable of producing damaging winds.
&&
LAT...LON 4609 9465 4625 9446 4622 9439 4621 9440
4621 9439 4620 9439 4618 9437 4616 9437
4616 9425 4609 9409 4587 9429 4604 9465
TIME...MOT...LOC 0011Z 302DEG 36KT 4613 9457
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH
$$
Borghoff2 follow-up statements
363 WWUS53 KMPX 180026 SVSMPX Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 726 PM CDT Mon Aug 17 2026 MNC097-180045- /O.CON.KMPX.SV.W.0178.000000T0000Z-260818T0045Z/ Morrison MN- 726 PM CDT Mon Aug 17 2026 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CDT FOR SOUTHWESTERN MORRISON COUNTY... At 726 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Randall, or 5 miles northwest of Little Falls, moving southeast at 40 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and small hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. This severe thunderstorm will be near... Little Falls around 735 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by the severe thunderstorm include Little Falls Airport and Charles A. Lindbergh State Park. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from windows. This storm is capable of producing damaging winds. && LAT...LON 4602 9461 4616 9439 4606 9412 4587 9429 TIME...MOT...LOC 0011Z 310DEG 33KT 4612 9459 HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED MAX HAIL SIZE...<1.00 IN WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH $$ Borghoff
881 WWUS53 KMPX 180044 SVSMPX Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 744 PM CDT Mon Aug 17 2026 MNC097-180054- /O.EXP.KMPX.SV.W.0178.000000T0000Z-260818T0045Z/ Morrison MN- 744 PM CDT Mon Aug 17 2026 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 745 PM CDT FOR SOUTHWESTERN MORRISON COUNTY... 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. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1200 AM CDT for a portion of central Minnesota. && LAT...LON 4602 9461 4616 9439 4606 9412 4587 9429 TIME...MOT...LOC 0026Z 310DEG 33KT 4603 9444 $$ Borghoff
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 17, 6:11 PM CDT, 1 hour earlier. Its key messages:
- Scattered thunderstorms this evening through Tuesday night. Best chance for a few strong to severe thunderstorms is this evening, focused across western Minnesota.
- Quiet weather returns for the second half of the week with near-normal temperatures and only low rain chances Thursday into Friday.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 17, 6:11 PM CDT, 1 hour before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 611 PM CDT Mon Aug 17 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Scattered thunderstorms this evening through Tuesday night. Best chance for a few strong to severe thunderstorms is this evening, focused across western Minnesota. - Quiet weather returns for the second half of the week with near-normal temperatures and only low rain chances Thursday into Friday. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 218 PM CDT Mon Aug 17 2026 Satellite imagery depicts clear skies across most of southern MN this afternoon with a growing CU field across WI and central MN. An ACCAS field has been present much of the day across west central MN and a few showers have recently developed between Morris and Alexandria. The low levels are quite dry with dew points in the 50s and low 60s, but some increase is expected this evening as richer moisture over the Dakotas slides east. Scattered thunderstorms should develop this evening along a cold front across western MN. Sufficient instability (2000-3000 J/kg) from the increased low level moisture and 45-50 kts of speed shear will bring the potential for splitting supercells capable of large hail and damaging wind gusts. Storms should weaken late this evening and overnight as storms progress east. Another round of showers and storms is possible late tonight and early Tuesday, especially south of I-94, as a second short wave passes through. Depending on early day convection, a third round is possible late Tuesday afternoon primarily across southern/eastern MN into WI. This round is of low confidence, but a weak front in the presence of sufficient instability and shear will bring a low risk of severe storms during peak diurnal heating. West northwest flow aloft will prevail into early next week thanks to the ridge parked over the southern Rockies. Multiple disturbances embedded within the flow will bring periodic low chances for showers and storms but confidence in specifics beyond early Tuesday is low. In the absence of any precipitation, conditions will continue to be pleasant with temperatures near normal. Unfortunately, the prospects of widespread soaking rainfall is very low for at least the rest of the month. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 611 PM CDT Mon Aug 17 2026 Overall VFR conditions over this period. There will be some periods of isolated to scattered thunderstorms with category reductions to mainly MVFR and maybe IFR as they pass through. These will be temporary and for less than an hour. The PROB30 groups are for the time range when this reduction could occur. Storms are currently in west central Minnesota and will spread south and east this evening. Another round will be possible in the morning and a third is possible tomorrow evening (this last round is mostly not in this set of TAFs). Overall winds, outside of thunderstorms, will be light and under 10 knots. KMSP...The first chance early this evening has weakened considerably and is unlikely to cause impacts. The next chance, and main chance, comes later this evening and is related to the storms across western Minnesota. Later rounds are less confident, but kept some mention in the TAFs for timing of possible impacts. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ WED...VFR. Wind NW 5-10 kts. THU...VFR, chc PM MVFR/-SHRA. Wind SW 10-15 kts. FRI...VFR, chc -TSRA/MVFR. Wind W 10-15kts. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...None. WI...None. && DISCUSSION...Borghoff AVIATION...NDC
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 17, 3:12 PM CDT, 3 hours 59 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 312 PM CDT Mon Aug 17 2026 MNZ041>045-047>052-054>061-064>069-073>076-082>084-091-092-182015- Douglas-Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Stevens-Pope-Stearns- Benton-Sherburne-Isanti-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa-Kandiyohi- Meeker-Wright-Hennepin-Anoka-Yellow Medicine-Renville-McLeod- Sibley-Carver-Scott-Redwood-Brown-Nicollet-Le Sueur-Watonwan- Blue Earth-Waseca-Martin-Faribault- 312 PM CDT Mon Aug 17 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. A few strong or severe thunderstorms are possible. Large hail and damaging winds are the primary hazards. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Chances of showers and thunderstorms will return periodically through the weekend. A few severe thunderstorms are possible across southern Minnesota Tuesday afternoon. Otherwise, the probability of severe weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN spotter activation may be needed through Tuesday. MNZ053-062-063-070-077-078-085-093-WIZ014>016-023>028-182015- Chisago-Ramsey-Washington-Dakota-Rice-Goodhue-Steele-Freeborn- Polk-Barron-Rusk-St. Croix-Pierce-Dunn-Pepin-Chippewa-Eau Claire- 312 PM CDT Mon Aug 17 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. There is a chance of thunderstorms late. Severe weather is not anticipated. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Chances of showers and thunderstorms will return periodically through the weekend. The probability of severe weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN spotter activation will not be needed. Borghoff
In the hours before
Local storm report, Aug 17, 7:05 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
705 PM CDT Mon Aug 17 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0635 PM Hail 3 N Bertha 46.30N 95.05W
08/17/2026 M1.00 in Todd MN Trained Spotter
Piles of hail still in the yard 30 minutes
later.
&&
TDKThe office that day
Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 8:46 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | MPX | Stearns | 29 min |
| Aug 17, 8:54 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | MPX | Renville | 36 min |
| Aug 17, 10:04 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | MPX | Stearns | 26 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.