Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2026
Tornado Warning 11, NWS Twin Cities, MN
NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this tornado warning at May 17, 2026, 7:40 PM CDT for Martin County, Watonwan County, Minnesota. It was in force for 24 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
- May 17, 2026, 7:40 PM CDT (00:40 UTC)
- Expired
- May 17, 2026, 8:04 PM CDT
- In force
- 24 min
- Issued by
- NWS Twin Cities, MN
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Tornado
- Radar indicated
- Hail
- 0.0 in
Counties Martin County, MN, Watonwan County, MN
The radar
The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 144 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:42 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 6:12 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 142 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1101 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 154 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 237 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
101
WFUS53 KMPX 180040 RRA
TORMPX
MNC091-165-180130-
/O.NEW.KMPX.TO.W.0011.260518T0040Z-260518T0130Z/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
740 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026
The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities has issued a
* Tornado Warning for...
Northwestern Martin County in south central Minnesota...
Southwestern Watonwan County in south central Minnesota...
* Until 830 PM CDT.
* At 740 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 10 miles west of Trimont, or 24 miles west of Fairmont,
moving northeast at 25 mph.
HAZARD...Tornado.
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...
St. James around 825 PM CDT.
Other locations impacted by the tornado include Odin, Ormsby and
Echols.
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 4389 9486 4405 9464 4390 9448 4373 9485
4385 9485 4385 9486
TIME...MOT...LOC 0040Z 231DEG 23KT 4376 9492
TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
$$
MPG1 follow-up statement
748
WWUS53 KMPX 180104
SVSMPX
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
804 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026
MNC091-165-180114-
/O.CAN.KMPX.TO.W.0011.000000T0000Z-260518T0130Z/
Martin MN-Watonwan MN-
804 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026
...TORNADO WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR NORTHWESTERN MARTIN AND
SOUTHWESTERN WATONWAN COUNTIES...
The tornado threat has diminished and the Tornado Warning has been
cancelled. However, large hail and damaging winds remain likely and a
Severe Thunderstorm Warning remains in effect for the area. In
addition, a Tornado Warning remains in effect for the southeast
corner of Watonwan county until 830pm.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 100 AM CDT Monday for a
portion of south central Minnesota.
&&
LAT...LON 4389 9486 4405 9464 4390 9448 4373 9485
4385 9485 4385 9486
TIME...MOT...LOC 0040Z 231DEG 23KT 4377 9492
$$
MPGThe office that day
Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 7:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Brown, Watonwan | 49 min |
| May 17, 7:12 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MPX | Blue Earth, Martin, Watonwan | 33 min |
| May 17, 7:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Martin, Watonwan | 58 min |
| May 17, 7:40 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MPX | Faribault, Martin | 35 min |
| May 17, 7:48 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MPX | Blue Earth, Martin, Watonwan | 42 min |
| May 17, 8:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Blue Earth, Faribault, Martin | 50 min |
| May 17, 8:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Blue Earth, Faribault, Freeborn, Waseca | 43 min |
| May 17, 9:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Blue Earth, Faribault, Martin, Watonwan | 56 min |
| May 17, 9:36 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MPX | Faribault, Martin | 39 min |
| May 17, 9:52 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MPX | Faribault, Freeborn | 53 min |
| May 17, 10:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Freeborn | 27 min |
| May 17, 11:26 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | MPX | Goodhue | 34 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.