Scattered storms developed late Sunday afternoon near the Yellow Medicine - Chippewa County line and strengthened as they moved east towards Sibley and McLeod Counties. There were a few isolated reports of severe wind and hail during this time.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS MPX wrote it up.
Scattered storms developed late Sunday afternoon near the Yellow Medicine - Chippewa County line and strengthened as they moved east towards Sibley and McLeod Counties. There were a few isolated reports of severe wind and hail during this time. The storms reached peak intensity as they turned south and moved through southern Sibley, Nicollet, and eastern Brown Counties.
The largest hail reports of the evening were half dollar size in Sibley County, and the strongest wind was observed in Nicollet County (estimated 60 mph) where large amounts of dirt and dust were lofted just ahead of the storm along the gust front. It is rare to see this phenomenon occur in Minnesota, but several weeks of below normal precipitation meant many fields were dry and primed for dirt to be blown.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Twin Cities, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 24, 1:01 PM CST, 3 hours 54 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 201 PM CDT Sun May 24 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Scattered thunderstorms develop this evening across southwest to central MN, spreading into southeast MN western WI overnight into Monday AM. - Summer-like warm through Thursday. Tuesday is forecast to be the warmest day with highs in the low 90s possible. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 157 PM CDT Sun May 24 2026 A pleasant afternoon is underway across much of the Upper Midwest. Temperatures have warmed into the 70s and 80s with mostly sunny skies & relatively light wind. One cannot draw up a much nicer late May day. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and today's nice weather is not different. There will be scattered thunderstorms that develop this evening across portions of west and southwest Minnesota. A few of these storms could become strong to severe capable of producing large hail and damaging winds. SPC expanded their level 1 (Marginal) and added a level 2 (Slight) risk areas across SW/WC MN for this evening's severe threat. Forecast soundings reveal 1000-1500 J/kg MLCAPE, sufficient wind shear, and modest forcing that will arrive prior to sunset. Low level lapse rates will be steep given with an inverted V sounding present. This will cause some updrafts to strengthen and produce large hail and possibly gusty winds. Low level moisture is modest - dew points struggle to get into the upper 50s but better mid-level moisture will be enough to get over the hump. The most favorable corridor appears to be along the MN river valley south to the I-90 corridor. A few storms will hold on to clip E MN and W WI overnight, but severe potential wanes by midnight. For Memorial Day, dry conditions are expected behind the lingering overnight convection. Skies should clear up nicely by mid-late morning. Temperatures will climb further as southerly winds ramp up. High temperatures push into the upper 80s with dew points in the lower 60s. Latest guidance supports a broad area of 2000+ J/kg MLCAPE overhead by Monday afternoon. If we take a few forecast soundings across MN and W WI, they all reveal a mostly capped environment under rising heights. The missing ingredient is any meaningful forcing aloft - something key to overcoming that low level capping. If a storm could form, hail would be the primary concern. For Tuesday/Wednesday, models show surface dewpoints climbing into the 60s, with PWATs increasing to around 150% of normal. Temperatures will warm further, into the upper 80s to lower 90s, it looks like diurnal destabilization may be enough to break through capping in the afternoon hours. This should lead to isolated pulse thunderstorms capable of producing isolated damaging wind gusts. Forecast soundings support a limited threat of severe weather. Looking ahead into next weekend, we'll be under the heart of an omega block. Surface wise, we'll be west of high pressure over the Great Lakes that drops down from Hudson Bay. This will result in a prolonged period of cooler, dry easterly winds. This will help push highs back down to more normal values, into the 70s, but also dry our the surface low level moisture. Needless to say, with an airmass this dry moving in, it will be difficult to see any precipitation. Long range guidance would hint that a warmer than normal & drier than normal pattern sets up for the first half of Summer. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY/... Issued at 114 PM CDT Sun May 24 2026 VFR for all TAF sites to start with clouds very few and quite far between at initialization time. SKC conditions likely to persist through the daylight hours, potentially aside from some high clouds filtering in from W or SW as a warm front moves into the region. Mid-to-high ceilings are likely from late evening through much of the overnight hours, along with scattered -SHRA for mainly far southern MN into western WI during the overnight hours. A few select hours of TSRA potential is there for most TAF sites, mainly after midnight but prior to sunrise. Visibilities may well drop into MVFR range should any decent rainfall move across any given site but ceilings are expected to remain within VFR range. Skies will then gradually clear out from around sunrise onward on Memorial Day. Winds will remain generally southerly throughout with speeds in the 6-10kt range, potentially a bit higher and gusty during the day tomorrow. KMSP...Went a little later in the timing of the overnight TAF compared to the 12z TAF, now looking for the window of -SHRA to be in the 05z-10z range, with TSRA roughly 07z-10z. CAMs are still relatively all over the place with the location/timing of overnight convection so this timing may shift a bit yet in upcoming TAF issuances. Otherwise, the idea of VFR ceilings with possibly MVFR visibility during convection still holds for MSP. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ TUE...VFR. Wind SSW 5-10kts. WED...VFR with P.M. MVFR/-TSRA possible. Wind SE 5-10 kts. THU...VFR. Wind SE 5-10 kts. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...None. WI...None. && DISCUSSION...BPH AVIATION...JPC
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 521 PM CDT Sun May 24 2026 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 252000- Douglas-Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Stevens-Pope-Stearns- Benton-Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa- Kandiyohi-Meeker-Wright-Hennepin-Anoka-Ramsey-Washington- Yellow Medicine-Renville-McLeod-Sibley-Carver-Scott-Dakota- Redwood-Brown-Nicollet-Le Sueur-Rice-Goodhue-Watonwan-Blue Earth- Waseca-Steele-Martin-Faribault-Freeborn-Polk-Barron-Rusk- St. Croix-Pierce-Dunn-Pepin-Eau Claire- 521 PM CDT Sun May 24 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central and southern Minnesota, and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Scattered thunderstorms are expected this evening and overnight across southern Minnesota. A few storms may be severe, particularly over southwest Minnesota through this evening. The main hazard is large hail, and damaging wind gusts cannot be ruled out. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms will be possible Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. The threat for severe weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN spotter activation will likely be needed through this evening over southern Minnesota.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
457 PM CDT Sun May 24 2026
MNZ065-242245-
Renville MN-
457 PM CDT Sun May 24 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT CENTRAL RENVILLE COUNTY UNTIL
545 PM CDT...
At 457 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7
miles southeast of Renville, or 12 miles north of Redwood Falls,
moving east at 20 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and penny size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Bechyn, Olivia, Morton and Bird Island.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Monitor the weather situation closely and be alert for threatening
weather conditions.
&&
LAT...LON 4465 9523 4478 9521 4478 9487 4452 9492
4453 9494 4459 9511 4460 9512 4460 9513
4461 9515 4462 9518
TIME...MOT...LOC 2156Z 278DEG 16KT 4471 9514
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
BEDSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
512 PM CDT Sun May 24 2026
MNZ067-242245-
Sibley MN-
512 PM CDT Sun May 24 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT CENTRAL SIBLEY COUNTY UNTIL 545
PM CDT...
At 512 PM CDT, Trained spotters reported a strong thunderstorm over
Gaylord, or 22 miles northeast of New Ulm, moving east at 20 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and penny size hail.
SOURCE...Trained spotters reported.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Gaylord, New Rome and Arlington.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Monitor the weather situation closely and be alert for threatening
weather conditions.
&&
LAT...LON 4452 9427 4463 9425 4466 9394 4447 9397
TIME...MOT...LOC 2212Z 277DEG 18KT 4456 9419
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
BEDSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
543 PM CDT Sun May 24 2026
MNZ067-242330-
Sibley MN-
543 PM CDT Sun May 24 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN SIBLEY COUNTY UNTIL
630 PM CDT...
At 543 PM CDT, Trained spotters reported a strong thunderstorm over
Arlington, or 26 miles northeast of New Ulm, moving east at 15 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and penny size hail.
SOURCE...Trained spotters reported.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Arlington, Henderson and New Rome.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Monitor the weather situation closely and be alert for threatening
weather conditions.
&&
LAT...LON 4452 9414 4463 9413 4465 9380 4463 9380
4462 9384 4462 9386 4461 9386 4459 9390
4457 9389 4456 9390 4455 9389 4455 9390
4454 9391 4453 9389 4451 9389 4447 9391
4447 9393 4446 9392 4446 9396
TIME...MOT...LOC 2243Z 277DEG 13KT 4457 9407
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
BEDThe Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 77 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:54 UTC.
6 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Spotter noted strong winds that knocked down several branches, caused by estimated 58 mph thunderstorm wind gusts.
Dime to half dollar size.
Several trained spotters reported blowing dust as thunderstorms impacted the county. Spotter estimated 50-60 MPH winds during the peak gusts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, May 2026
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: 1328026, 1328027, 1328028, 1328029, 1328030, 1328479, 1328031, 1328032.