Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 195, NWS Twin Cities, MN
NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Sep 11, 2026, 7:41 PM CDT for Stevens County, Minnesota. It was in force for 38 min. 7 reports 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
- Sep 11, 2026, 7:41 PM CDT (00:41 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 11, 2026, 8:19 PM CDT
- In force
- 38 min
- Issued by
- NWS Twin Cities, MN
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 1.25 in
- Wind
- 50.0 mph
County Stevens County, MN
The radar
The Aberdeen radar (KABR), 179 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:44 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 7:44 PM CDT | TORNADO | 4 Ne Artichoke, MN | Initial touchdown, corrects location from previous report. Trained spotter confirmed brief tornado touchdown in an open field, with sporadic damage to crops along a patch that was slightly more than 1 mile off to the northeast. Preliminary rating of EF-0 based |
| Sep 11, 7:50 PM CDT | NON-TSTM WND DMG | 8 S Alberta, MN | 8 power poles blocking county highway 9 near Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, likely caused by severe winds from the rear flank downdraft. |
| Sep 11, 7:50 PM CDT | TORNADO | 8 S Alberta, MN | 8 power poles blocking county highway 9 near Trinity Lutheran Cemetery. |
| Sep 11, 7:51 PM CDT | TORNADO | 7 Ne Artichoke, MN | Tornado touchdown reported 7 miles northeast of Artichoke. Location estimated. |
| Sep 11, 7:53 PM CDT | HAIL 1.75 | 5 E Artichoke, MN | Report from mPING: Golf Ball (1.75 in.). |
| Sep 11, 7:54 PM CDT | HAIL 1.75 | 7 S Alberta, MN | Golf ball sized hail 8 miles northeast of Artichoke MN reported by Trained Spotter. |
| Sep 11, 8:28 PM CDT | HAIL 1.5 | 7 S Alberta, MN |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
Did it verify
Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 2 storm reports to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 12 minutes after it went out.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 6:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 3 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Aberdeen, SD (KABR), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 190 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
- 1015 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -122 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1133 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 35 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -85 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -56 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.1
- Supercell composite
- 1.1
The text
As transmitted.
593 WUUS53 KMPX 120041 SVRMPX MNC149-120130- /O.NEW.KMPX.SV.W.0195.260912T0041Z-260912T0130Z/ BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Severe Thunderstorm Warning National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 741 PM CDT Fri Sep 11 2026 The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southwestern Stevens County in west central Minnesota... * Until 830 PM CDT. * At 741 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 6 miles south of Chokio, or 15 miles southwest of Morris, moving southeast at 10 mph. HAZARD...Half dollar size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected. * Locations impacted include... Lake Hattie. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from windows. This storm is capable of producing 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 4551 9624 4558 9600 4541 9587 4541 9624 TIME...MOT...LOC 0041Z 327DEG 9KT 4549 9619 HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED MAX HAIL SIZE...1.25 IN WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED MAX WIND GUST...<50 MPH $$ ETA
3 follow-up statements
105
WWUS53 KMPX 120051
SVSMPX
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
751 PM CDT Fri Sep 11 2026
MNC149-120130-
/O.CON.KMPX.SV.W.0195.000000T0000Z-260912T0130Z/
Stevens MN-
751 PM CDT Fri Sep 11 2026
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN STEVENS COUNTY...
At 751 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 7 miles south of
Chokio, or 15 miles southwest of Morris, moving southeast at 10 mph.
HAZARD...Tennis ball size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect damage
to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles.
Locations impacted include...
Lake Hattie.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Anyone outdoors should move to shelter inside a well-built structure
and stay away from windows. This storm is capable of producing
dangerous hail.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.
&&
LAT...LON 4551 9624 4558 9600 4541 9587 4541 9624
TIME...MOT...LOC 0041Z 327DEG 9KT 4549 9619
THUNDERSTORM DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.50 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...<50 MPH
$$
ETA785 WWUS53 KMPX 120111 SVSMPX Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 811 PM CDT Fri Sep 11 2026 MNC149-120130- /O.CON.KMPX.SV.W.0195.000000T0000Z-260912T0130Z/ Stevens MN- 811 PM CDT Fri Sep 11 2026 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 PM CDT FOR SOUTHWESTERN STEVENS COUNTY... At 811 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 11 miles south of Chokio, or 20 miles southwest of Morris, moving southwest at 15 mph. HAZARD...Quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected. Locations impacted include... Mainly rural areas of Southwestern Stevens County. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from windows. This storm is capable of producing 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 4549 9621 4549 9598 4541 9595 4541 9624 TIME...MOT...LOC 0051Z 39DEG 12KT 4547 9617 HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED MAX WIND GUST...<50 MPH $$ ETA
534 WWUS53 KMPX 120119 SVSMPX Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 819 PM CDT Fri Sep 11 2026 MNC149-120129- /O.CAN.KMPX.SV.W.0195.000000T0000Z-260912T0130Z/ Stevens MN- 819 PM CDT Fri Sep 11 2026 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR SOUTHWESTERN STEVENS COUNTY... The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe limits, and no longer poses an immediate threat to life or property. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM CDT for a portion of west central Minnesota. && LAT...LON 4549 9621 4549 9598 4541 9595 4541 9624 TIME...MOT...LOC 0111Z 39DEG 12KT 4541 9623 $$ 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 Sep 11, 6:29 PM CDT, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- A few thunderstorms will develop late this afternoon and tonight, primarily north of I-94. A few storms could produce large hail, damaging winds, and potentially a tornado.
- Widespread rain arrives Monday, but forecast rain amounts have trended lower.
- Turning much cooler this weekend and next week with highs in the 60s to low 70s.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 11, 6:29 PM CDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 629 PM CDT Fri Sep 11 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - A few thunderstorms will develop late this afternoon and tonight, primarily north of I-94. A few storms could produce large hail, damaging winds, and potentially a tornado. - Widespread rain arrives Monday, but forecast rain amounts have trended lower. - Turning much cooler this weekend and next week with highs in the 60s to low 70s. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 126 PM CDT Fri Sep 11 2026 Despite being a tad on the breezy side, its turning out to be a nice albeit warm September afternoon. Current temps range in the 80s and are forecast to reach the upper 80s across western MN this afternoon where warm advection is currently strongest. Wind gusts continue to peak between 30-40 mph along the Buffalo Ridge whereas most other sites report gusts between 20-30 mph this afternoon. Winds are expected to decrease late tonight into early tomorrow once a cold front tracks through the northern plains later this evening. Latest water vapor imagery shows a deepening ridge extending north and east of the Great Lakes region while an elongated troughing pattern stretches from the northern plains over the PacNorthwest. Embedded within this troughing pattern is a low-level wave which will serve as our next feature of interest over the next 12-24 hours. Skies this afternoon our ahead of the wave will gradually increase from west for the remainder of the evening. Current mesoanalysis features an h85 low located over central South Dakota. Ahead of this low, a strong 40-50kt LLJ is transporting warmer and moist air up into the northern plains. Additionally, a SW to NW oriented swath of mixed layer instability of ~1000 J/kg exists which has allowed for continued isolated convective pulses on radar. Luckily, enough inhibition is in place to keep any precip development isolated and brief. However, that will not be the case as head into later this afternoon and evening. The aforementioned h85 low will continue to track east into MN through the rest of today. As this occurs, low-level forcing becomes maximized while CINH erodes, and lapse rates deepen to 7.0 to 7.5 deg C/km. This environment will allow for better organized convection to initiate over west- central and northern MN. Since early this morning, the SPC has reduced the Slight Risk (level 2 of 5) spatially to be confined more to central and northern Minnesota this evening. Forecast guidance continues to advertise much of the strongest convection mainly north of a line that extends from Morris to St. Cloud. Early in the event, forecast hodographs advertise sufficient effective- layer shear combined with low LCLs nearing 1km. Thus any supercells that manage to get their act together could be conducive enough to support a tornado or two and large hail. As the line continues east into central and eastern MN this evening, the line transitions into more a of damaging wind gust threat. By tonight, the wave driving these storms reaches western WI. Although forcing will not be as strong as previous hours, rain showers and sub-severe storms are expected to develop along the axis of residual instability. Total QPF will vary depending on where the strongest rainfall occurs this evening but areas north and west of a line from Mora down to Appleton could see a couple hundredths to a quarter of an inch of rain with higher localized amounts. Areas across western Wisconsin could see a hundredth or tenth of an inch. Most of the weekend appears fairly tranquil. Winds will remain a tad breezy out of the NW on Saturday morning near 20kts but will decrease as surface high pressure becomes the dominant feature through the daylight hours. Skies during this time should remain mostly clear. By Saturday night, a narrow band of forcing will move across southern MN that is part of upper-level troughing over Hudson Bay area. Scattered rain showers could develop mostly across southern Minnesota during this time but the majority of Sunday features partly cloudy to mostly clear skies by the afternoon. Its isn't until Monday that we see the arrival of our next widespread rainfall chances. A stacked 998mb low will sweep across the International Border. Widespread rainfall will move from west to east throughout much of the day. Most precip looks in the form of rain and some embedded thunder however, areas along and south of the I-90 corridor could see a stronger storm or two Monday evening. QPF for this episode continue to trend downward. The NBM and EPS have favored widespread 1-2" rain totals but the more realistic solutions appear with the GEFS. Thus have shifted the 1-2" swath farther south and east in southern MN into western WI. Areas north of this region would more so observe a half inch to closer to an inch. If you're a lover of "sweater weather" or enjoy a cup of hot apple cider then the temperature forecast will make you happy. Saturday begins our downward temp trend. Forecast highs will only warm into the low to mid-70s and then even cooler on Sunday in the upper 60s, with lows in the mid to upper 40s. But wait there's more! This cooler airmass should hang around through much of next week with highs mainly in the upper 60s and lows near 50. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/... Issued at 623 PM CDT Fri Sep 11 2026 Satellite continues to favor development of -TSRA over western MN that will move eastwards over the first 6-8 hours of the period, with the best chances at AXN/STC with lower chances elsewhere. -TSRA in eastern South Dakota will need to hold together to reach RWF/MKT/MSP/RNH/EAU, which to this point has not been handled well in the CAMs to have enough confidence to include. Gusty 160-190 winds will slowly diminish through the period, dwindling below 20kts towards the end of the period after shifting towards 280-320 behind the cold front. CIGS will generally only occur within -TSRA, also containing the best chance for IFR/MVFR. KMSP...Omitted any mention of -TSRA for now, with the line of storms in eastern South Dakota the thing to watch. This has not been resolved well within CAMs and may need a short term AMD should it make it this far east. Our thinking right now is that we should be free of any -SHRA/-TSRA at MSP, with these storms dying off before reaching us. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ SUN...VFR, chc -SHRA early. Wind NW 5kts. MON...-SHRA/MVFR likely, chc IFR. Wind SE 10-15G30kts. TUE...VFR. Wind NW 5-10kts. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...None. WI...None. && DISCUSSION...Dunleavy AVIATION...TDH
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 11, 1:40 PM CDT, 6 hours 1 minute before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 140 PM CDT Fri Sep 11 2026 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014-015-023-024- 121845- 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-St. Croix- Pierce- 140 PM CDT Fri Sep 11 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central and southern Minnesota, and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Tonight. There is a chance of thunderstorms this evening across western and portions of central Minnesota, with a level 2 out of 5 risk for severe weather. The main hazards are large hail and damaging winds, although a tornado or two cannot be ruled out. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN spotter activation will likely be needed this evening across western and portions of central Minnesota. WIZ016-025>028-121845- Rusk-Dunn-Pepin-Chippewa-Eau Claire- 140 PM CDT Fri Sep 11 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northwest Wisconsin and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN spotter activation will not be needed. Dunleavy
The office that day
Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 7:46 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MPX | Stevens | 23 min |
| Sep 11, 8:04 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MPX | Stevens | 18 min |
| Sep 11, 8:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Stevens, Swift | 16 min |
| Sep 11, 9:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Kandiyohi, Pope, Swift | 18 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.