Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Warnings in 2026
Tornado Warning 22, NWS Twin Cities, MN
NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this tornado warning at Aug 20, 2026, 8:39 PM CDT for Meeker County, Minnesota. It was in force for 36 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 20, 2026, 8:39 PM CDT (01:39 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 20, 2026, 9:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 36 min
- Issued by
- NWS Twin Cities, MN
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Tornado
- Radar indicated
- Hail
- 0.0 in
County Meeker County, MN
The radar
The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 76 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 20, 6:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 74 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
- 1101 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -20 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1018 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 39 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 162 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 258 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.6
- Supercell composite
- 5.2
The text
As transmitted.
231
WFUS53 KMPX 210139
TORMPX
MNC093-210215-
/O.NEW.KMPX.TO.W.0022.260821T0139Z-260821T0215Z/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
839 PM CDT Thu Aug 20 2026
The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities has issued a
* Tornado Warning for...
Central Meeker County in central Minnesota...
* Until 915 PM CDT.
* At 839 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 5 miles north of Litchfield, or 22 miles north of
Hutchinson, moving southeast 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.
* Locations impacted include...
Forest City, Litchfield, Litchfield Airport, Darwin, Greenleaf and
Dassel.
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 4519 9470 4529 9444 4518 9426 4502 9426
4498 9436 4498 9449
TIME...MOT...LOC 0139Z 308DEG 21KT 4520 9450
TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
$$
Dye2 follow-up statements
206
WWUS53 KMPX 210152
SVSMPX
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
852 PM CDT Thu Aug 20 2026
MNC093-210215-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0022.000000T0000Z-260821T0215Z/
Meeker MN-
852 PM CDT Thu Aug 20 2026
...TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN MEEKER COUNTY...
At 852 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Litchfield, or 19 miles north of Hutchinson, moving
southeast at 20 mph.
HAZARD...Tornado.
SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.
IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage
to roofs, windows and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is
likely.
Locations impacted include...
Forest City, Litchfield Airport, Litchfield, Darwin and Dassel.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building
away from windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a
vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself
from flying debris.
&&
LAT...LON 4516 9463 4526 9450 4514 9426 4505 9426
4500 9442
TIME...MOT...LOC 0139Z 321DEG 16KT 4520 9456
TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
$$
Dye835
WWUS53 KMPX 210216
SVSMPX
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
916 PM CDT Thu Aug 20 2026
MNC093-210226-
/O.EXP.KMPX.TO.W.0022.000000T0000Z-260821T0215Z/
Meeker MN-
916 PM CDT Thu Aug 20 2026
...TORNADO WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR NORTHEASTERN MEEKER COUNTY...
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.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1200 AM CDT for a
portion of central Minnesota.
&&
LAT...LON 4516 9463 4526 9450 4514 9426 4505 9426
4500 9442
TIME...MOT...LOC 0152Z 321DEG 16KT 4516 9451
$$
DyeThe office that day
Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 20, 7:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Brown, Redwood | 39 min |
| Aug 20, 7:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Pope, Stearns | 50 min |
| Aug 20, 7:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Meeker, Stearns | 49 min |
| Aug 20, 8:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Brown, Redwood | 54 min |
| Aug 20, 9:12 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Morrison | 48 min |
| Aug 20, 9:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | McLeod, Meeker, Wright | 17 min |
| Aug 20, 10:48 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | MPX | Mille Lacs | 42 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.