Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Twin Cities, MN

April 13, 2026Rice County, Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this tornado warning at Apr 13, 2026, 3:55 PM CDT for Rice County, Minnesota. It was in force for 35 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
Apr 13, 2026, 3:55 PM CDT (20:55 UTC)
Expired
Apr 13, 2026, 4:30 PM CDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
2.75 in

County Rice County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 66 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:59 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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Apr 13, 3:11 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 67 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2026-04-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 8 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2026-04-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 124 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
8 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-259 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1506 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
124 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
229 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

479 
WFUS53 KMPX 132055
TORMPX
MNC131-132130-
/O.NEW.KMPX.TO.W.0001.260413T2055Z-260413T2130Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
355 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026

The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southeastern Rice County in south central Minnesota...

* Until 430 PM CDT.

* At 355 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Faribault, moving east at 15 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and baseball size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage
           to roofs, windows and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is
           likely.

* This tornado will be near...
  Faribault around 400 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by the tornado include Ruskin and Nerstrand
Big Woods State Park.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building
away from windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a
vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself
from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 4436 9327 4441 9304 4425 9304 4425 9325
TIME...MOT...LOC 2055Z 262DEG 12KT 4431 9320

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.75 IN

$$

Dunleavy
2 follow-up statements
209 
WWUS53 KMPX 132117
SVSMPX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
417 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026

MNC131-132130-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-260413T2130Z/
Rice MN-
417 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026

...TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 430 PM CDT FOR EAST
CENTRAL RICE COUNTY...

At 417 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Nerstrand, or 10 miles southeast of Northfield,
moving east at 15 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and baseball size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage
         to roofs, windows and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is
         likely.

This tornado will be near...
  Nerstrand around 420 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by the tornado include Nerstrand Big Woods
State Park.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building
away from windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a
vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself
from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 4438 9316 4441 9304 4428 9304 4430 9313
TIME...MOT...LOC 2055Z 260DEG 13KT 4433 9316

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.75 IN

$$

JRB
837 
WWUS53 KMPX 132126
SVSMPX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
426 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026

MNC131-132136-
/O.EXP.KMPX.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-260413T2130Z/
Rice MN-
426 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026

...TORNADO WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 430 PM CDT FOR EAST CENTRAL RICE
COUNTY...

The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM CDT Monday for a
portion of south central Minnesota.

&&

LAT...LON 4438 9316 4441 9304 4428 9304 4430 9313
TIME...MOT...LOC 2117Z 260DEG 13KT 4434 9304

$$

JRB

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 13, 3:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXDakota, Goodhue, Rice41 min
Apr 13, 3:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatMPXGoodhue43 min
Apr 13, 3:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threatMPXRice35 min
Apr 13, 4:09 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXGoodhue58 min
Apr 13, 4:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatMPXGoodhue61 min
Apr 13, 5:01 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMPXGoodhue5 hr
Apr 13, 5:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXGoodhue53 min
Apr 13, 5:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXMartin, Watonwan48 min
Apr 13, 5:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXLe Sueur, Nicollet50 min
Apr 13, 5:58 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXBlue Earth, Martin, Watonwan47 min
Apr 13, 5:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXDakota, Le Sueur, Rice61 min
Apr 13, 6:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBlue Earth, Brown, Nicollet56 min
Apr 13, 6:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatMPXLe Sueur, Rice65 min
Apr 13, 6:28 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedMPXBlue Earth, Faribault, Martin47 min
Apr 13, 6:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXFaribault, Martin65 min
Apr 13, 6:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBlue Earth, Watonwan58 min
Apr 13, 6:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXWatonwan67 min
Apr 13, 6:48 PM CDTTornado WarningMPXRice, Steele, Waseca42 min
Apr 13, 6:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXGoodhue53 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Minnesota, 2026Every tornado warning in 2026Tornadoes 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.