Tornado and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, May 17, 1979

Name: Tornado and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, May 17, 1979
Start: 1979-05-17T15:30
End: 1979-05-17T17:30
Location: Minnesota

May 17, 1979 · NWS S · 6 events in 4 counties and zones

5 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

5 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hennepin

When: May 17, 3:30 PM CST
Where: Hennepin County
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Coordinates: 44.930, -93.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Scott

When: May 17, 4:10 PM CST
Where: Scott County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 44.800, -93.520

Thunderstorm Wind, Hennepin

When: May 17, 4:30 PM CST
Where: Hennepin County
Coordinates: 44.850, -93.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Carver

When: May 17, 4:30 PM CST
Where: Carver County
Coordinates: 44.780, -93.600

Thunderstorm Wind, Scott

When: May 17, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Scott County
Coordinates: 44.670, -93.630

Tornado, Nobles

When: May 17, 5:30 PM CST
Where: Nobles County
Rating: F0
Path length: 2 mi
Path width: 90 yd
Coordinates: 43.670, -95.470

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Minnesota in 1979 Every state in 1979 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Minnesota, 1979

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10054851, 10054852, 10054853, 10055701, 10055702, 10055703.