Severe Thunderstorm Warning 50, NWS Twin Cities, MN

202 
WWUS53 KMPX 160017
SVSMPX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
717 PM CDT Fri May 15 2026

MNC013-161-160027-
/O.CAN.KMPX.SV.W.0050.000000T0000Z-260516T0045Z/
Blue Earth MN-Waseca MN-
717 PM CDT Fri May 15 2026

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR SOUTHEASTERN BLUE
EARTH AND WASECA COUNTIES...

The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and has exited the warned area. Therefore, the warning has
been cancelled.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 100 AM CDT
Saturday for a portion of south central Minnesota.

&&

LAT...LON 4388 9387 4420 9369 4420 9360 4415 9341
      4407 9341 4385 9371 4385 9378
TIME...MOT...LOC 0003Z 249DEG 35KT 4389 9376

$$

Dye

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
607 PM CDT Fri May 15 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Today will be the last day of critical fire weather
  conditions, possibly of the Spring. We will have very low RHs
  again on Saturday, but without the wind, with a considerably
  more moist airmass expected Sunday through next week.

- Scattered thunderstorms are expected across southern
  Minnesota and western Wisconsin this evening. The strongest
  storms could contain large hail.

- Multiple rounds of storms expected Sunday through Monday.
  Severe storms look likely Sunday evening and again Monday
  afternoon and evening.

- Quieter weather expected the rest of next week, with below
  normal temperatures Tuesday and Wednesday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 257 PM CDT Fri May 15 2026

We'll start with today. There's a sub-990mb surface low currently in
northwest Ontario. The pressure gradient associated with it extends
south into northern MN, but down here in central/southern MN, we're
in a bubble high between that Ontario low and lee-side low near the
OK Panhandle. This bubble high is giving us a weak pressure gradient
and considerably lower winds than what they're seeing in northern MN
today. The other impact of this pressure pattern is the cold front
moving across MN is starting to put on the brakes, which sets the
stage for our first convective potential of the next several days.
It's not exactly cold behind the front, but dewpoints have crashed
into the 30s behind the front, with 40s and some low 50 dewpoints
ahead of it. As we move out into the 6pm to 9pm timeframe, the HREF
shows this cold front stalling out, with moisture even surging a bit
back northwest in this time range. We will see dewpoints creep back
up into the mid/upper 50s south and southeast of Mankato. Aloft, the
MN/IA border region will find itself within the right entrance
region of an upper jet across northern MN into Lake Superior. The
combination of the surface front and upper divergence in the jet
entrance region will provide the forcing for convection this
evening. Current expectations is we'll see storms develop down
around Faribault county between 5pm and 7pm, with storms developing
northeast along the front from there. We'll have enough shear and
instability to support rotating updrafts, with a hail and wind risk
existing with any storms that develop. Where the SPC bumped their
Slight risk in the Day 1 outlook up toward Albert Lea and Rochester
looks good for where the highest severe risk will be locally. Though
t The bigger severe risk for today will be down in central IA where
instability will be significantly higher.

The best day of the weekend will definitely be Saturday. The front
from today will sag south down into Nebraska and Iowa. We'll again see
deep mixing and a crashing of dewpoints, with afternoon humidities
down in the teens again looking likely for Saturday, but this time
around, we'll be missing the winds for the fire weather threat. By
Saturday evening, storms will have developed along the boundary to
our south as it begins heading north as a warm front. Most guidance
shows this convection creating and MCV in Nebraska that will track
northeast across MN Sunday morning. The net result is we should see
a large area of showers and storms lifting northeast through the
night, with a wet Sunday morning expected as the MCV pushes across
the area. As this happens, the main upper trough to the west will
help strengthen a surface trough/front across Nebraska into
southeast SD. At the northern edge of this surface trough, muCAPE
values are expected to build to at least 2000-3000 j/kg, which will
provide the fuel for aggressive convective initiation late Sunday
afternoon in southeast SD. This convection should grow upscale
pretty quick, with a forward propagating MCS expected to race across
southern MN Sunday evening/overnight. RRFS reflectivity forecasts
show bowing line segments developing Sunday evening, so we'll have
to watch how things evolve, but we are certainly seeing potential
for a damaging wind/QLCS tornado threat with this MCS potential
Sunday evening.

For Monday, how Sunday nights activity evolves will be key to what
our severe risk looks like for Monday. But on Monday, the synoptic
setup looks similar to Sunday, it's just the surface front will be
father east. So where Sunday sees storms develop in southeast SD,
Monday afternoon, storms will develop east of the front once again,
though this time likely in the vicinity of south central to east
central MN. Given that we look to be where storms initiate, all
modes of severe weather will be on the table, it's just a question
of exactly where the surface boundary is by the afternoon. Of course
there is some good with having these multiple rounds of
thunderstorms and that is we will finally see some much need
rainfall. Between Sunday and Monday, much of our area should see 1
to 2 inches of rain, with pockets of 2-3 inches possible. This rain
will help put a stop to the flash drought we've seen here in the
last 3 weeks or so. In addition, this rain combined with the greenup
being complete should finally bring an end to the Spring fire season
here in the MPX area.

Behind this system, we'll get northwest flow and cooler air. Highs
Tuesday and Wednesday will likely struggle to hit 60, with lows
Wednesday and Thursday morning falling into the 30s and 40s (with
some frost being possible in central MN Wednesday morning). By
Thursday, our surface winds will turn back out of the south, which
will allow for highs to get back up to near normal by the end of the
week. There's also some potential for a few showers to develop
Thursday and Friday within this broad warm advective pattern, though
the threat of any heavy rain or severe weather looks pretty low at
this point.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY/...
Issued at 551 PM CDT Fri May 15 2026

Maintained PROB30 for -TSRA from 00-04z at EAU as CAMs favor
scattered shower and thunderstorm development over west-central
WI this evening. If -TSRA does occur at EAU, brief reductions to
IFR visibilities are possible in heaviest rain before storm
quickly moves east. Elsewhere, VFR expected the entire period as mid-
level clouds clear out by early Saturday morning. Winds slow to
near 5 knots during tonight, generally keeping a west-
northwesterly direction. Though, RWF and MKT will see more
variability in wind direction with the stalled front nearby.
This front will move east Saturday morning, leaving area-wide
northwesterly winds, increasing to near 10 knots in the
afternoon.

KMSP...Winds become northeasterly at 5-10 knots during Saturday
evening.

/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/
SUN...-SHRA/-TSRA likely, IFR/MVFR. Wind ESE 10-15G30kts.
MON...-SHRA/-TSRA likely, IFR/MVFR. Wind SSW 10-15G20kts.
TUE...VFR. Wind WNW 10-15G30kts.

&&

.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...Red Flag Warning until 9 PM CDT this evening for Benton-
     Chippewa-Chisago-Douglas-Isanti-Kanabec-Kandiyohi-Lac Qui
     Parle-McLeod-Meeker-Mille Lacs-Morrison-Pope-Redwood-
     Renville-Sherburne-Stearns-Stevens-Swift-Todd-Wright-
     Yellow Medicine.
WI...Red Flag Warning until 9 PM CDT this evening for Barron-Polk-
     Rusk.

&&

DISCUSSION...MPG
AVIATION...CTG

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
305 PM CDT Fri May 15 2026

MNZ041>045-047>070-073>075-WIZ014-015-023-162015-
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-Polk-Barron-St. Croix-
305 PM CDT Fri May 15 2026

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

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Scattered thunderstorms will develop between 5pm and 7pm over
south central Minnesota and build northeast toward Eau Claire,
Wisconsin. Large hail and damaging wind gusts will be possible
with the strongest storms, with the greatest risk for severe
existing down around Albert Lea and Rochester.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday.

Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms are expected Saturday
night through Monday night. Scattered to numerous severe
thunderstorms will be possible Sunday evening across much of
central and southern Minnesota. Another round of strong to severe
storms is expected to develop Monday afternoon and evening, with
the greatest severe weather risk Monday shifting to south central
and east central Minnesota into western Wisconsin.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN spotter activation will not be needed though tonight.

MNZ076>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ016-024>028-162015-
Le Sueur-Rice-Goodhue-Watonwan-Blue Earth-Waseca-Steele-Martin-
Faribault-Freeborn-Rusk-Pierce-Dunn-Pepin-Chippewa-Eau Claire-
305 PM CDT Fri May 15 2026

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

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Dry, warm, and windy conditions will lead to critical fire
weather conditions through this evening over western Minnesota.
Please see Red Flag Warning for additional information. Farther
east fire weather will be elevated, but not critical.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday.

Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms are expected Saturday
night through Monday night. Scattered to numerous severe
thunderstorms will be possible Sunday evening across much of
central and southern Minnesota. Another round of strong to severe
storms is expected to develop Monday afternoon and evening, with
the greatest severe weather risk Monday shifting to south central
and east central Minnesota into western Wisconsin.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN spotter activation may be needed this evening.

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
644 PM CDT Fri May 15 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0642 PM     Hail             2 W Delavan             43.77N 94.06W
05/15/2026  M0.50 Inch       Faribault          MN   Trained Spotter

&&

CTG