Alert archive / Wisconsin / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 8, NWS Twin Cities, MN

April 17, 2026Eau Claire County, Wisconsin

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this tornado warning at Apr 17, 2026, 4:13 PM CDT for Eau Claire County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 32 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 17, 2026, 4:13 PM CDT (21:13 UTC)
Expired: Apr 17, 2026, 4:45 PM CDT
In force: 32 min
Issued by: NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 1.0 in

County Eau Claire County, WI

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 92 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:12 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
Apr 17, 9:23 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	11 hr
Apr 17, 12:40 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 198 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 2301 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 188 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.

693 
WFUS53 KMPX 172113
TORMPX
WIC035-172145-
/O.NEW.KMPX.TO.W.0008.260417T2113Z-260417T2145Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
413 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026

The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southeastern Eau Claire County in west central Wisconsin...

* Until 445 PM CDT.

* At 413 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located 11 miles southwest of Augusta, or 23 miles southeast of
  Eau Claire, moving northeast at 40 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...
  Augusta and Fairchild.

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.

This storm has a history of producing tornadoes.

&&

LAT...LON 4460 9128 4469 9114 4475 9092 4460 9092
TIME...MOT...LOC 2113Z 243DEG 34KT 4454 9123

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<1.00 IN

$$

BED

3 follow-up statements

260 
WWUS53 KMPX 172126
SVSMPX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
426 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026

WIC035-172145-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0008.000000T0000Z-260417T2145Z/
Eau Claire WI-
426 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026

...TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN EAU CLAIRE COUNTY...

At 426 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 6 miles south of Augusta, or 25 miles southeast of Eau
Claire, moving northeast at 40 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...
  Fairchild.

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.

This storm has a history of producing tornadoes.

&&

LAT...LON 4462 9117 4468 9106 4472 9092 4460 9092
      4460 9117
TIME...MOT...LOC 2113Z 246DEG 34KT 4455 9124

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<1.00 IN

$$

BED

258 
WWUS53 KMPX 172132
SVSMPX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
432 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026

WIC035-172145-
/O.CON.KMPX.TO.W.0008.000000T0000Z-260417T2145Z/
Eau Claire WI-
432 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026

...TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN EAU CLAIRE COUNTY...

At 432 PM CDT, a confirmed tornado was located near Fairchild, or 27
miles southeast of Eau Claire, moving northeast at 40 mph.

HAZARD...Damaging tornado.

SOURCE...Law enforcement confirmed tornado. At 4:30PM, law
         enforcement confirmed a tornado on the ground north of Hwy
         10, west of Price.

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...
  Fairchild.

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.

This storm has a history of producing tornadoes.

&&

LAT...LON 4464 9113 4471 9095 4472 9092 4460 9092
      4460 9113
TIME...MOT...LOC 2126Z 245DEG 34KT 4460 9109

TORNADO...OBSERVED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<1.00 IN

$$

BED

541 
WWUS53 KMPX 172144
SVSMPX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
444 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026

WIC035-172154-
/O.EXP.KMPX.TO.W.0008.000000T0000Z-260417T2145Z/
Eau Claire WI-
444 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026

...TORNADO WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 445 PM CDT FOR SOUTHEASTERN EAU
CLAIRE 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 800 PM CDT for a portion of
west central Wisconsin.

&&

LAT...LON 4464 9113 4471 9095 4472 9092 4460 9092
      4460 9113
TIME...MOT...LOC 2132Z 245DEG 34KT 4462 9101

$$

BED

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 17, 10:10 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Pierce	50 min
Apr 17, 10:57 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Saint Croix	48 min
Apr 17, 2:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Pierce, Saint Croix	33 min
Apr 17, 2:27 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MPX	Barron, Chippewa, Dunn, Polk, Rusk, Saint Croix	93 min
Apr 17, 2:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Barron, Polk	41 min
Apr 17, 2:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Chippewa	10 min
Apr 17, 2:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Pierce	33 min
Apr 17, 3:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Barron, Dunn, Polk, Saint Croix	35 min
Apr 17, 3:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Barron	36 min
Apr 17, 3:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Dunn	26 min

Nearby

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