KinwarnMinnesota tornado warnings
The National Weather Service issued 716 tornado warnings, 4,973 severe thunderstorm warnings and 339 flash flood warnings for Minnesota from 2016 to 2025, about 72, 497 and 34 a year. That ranks 18th of 52 states and territories for tornado warnings. Polk County had the most of any county: 45 tornado warnings.
Minnesota warnings and radar right now
Checking the National Weather Service for Minnesota…
Minnesota counties ranked by tornado warnings
Warnings that listed each county, 2016 to 2025, and tornadoes recorded in the county since 1950. A warning can list several counties, so the county numbers add up to more than the state total.
| County | Tornado warnings | Severe thunderstorm | Flash flood | Tornadoes since 1950 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 45 | 332 | 19 | 83 |
| Stearns County | 41 | 148 | 3 | 57 |
| Norman County | 34 | 184 | 6 | 31 |
| Saint Louis County | 32 | 379 | 23 | 41 |
| Blue Earth County | 30 | 134 | 17 | 44 |
| Morrison County | 29 | 103 | 7 | 29 |
| Waseca County | 28 | 109 | 11 | 28 |
| Otter Tail County | 27 | 249 | 11 | 89 |
| Aitkin County | 24 | 248 | 14 | 22 |
| Itasca County | 24 | 226 | 15 | 13 |
| Rice County | 24 | 111 | 10 | 43 |
| Steele County | 24 | 95 | 9 | 28 |
| Kandiyohi County | 23 | 133 | 2 | 56 |
| Freeborn County | 23 | 88 | 8 | 72 |
| Marshall County | 22 | 224 | 7 | 38 |
| Goodhue County | 22 | 108 | 8 | 35 |
| Benton County | 22 | 71 | 5 | 7 |
| Meeker County | 20 | 107 | 3 | 26 |
| Swift County | 20 | 92 | 1 | 51 |
| Beltrami County | 19 | 250 | 5 | 45 |
| Becker County | 18 | 207 | 2 | 35 |
| Mahnomen County | 18 | 148 | 4 | 26 |
| Cass County | 17 | 244 | 10 | 31 |
| Faribault County | 17 | 91 | 7 | 42 |
| Le Sueur County | 17 | 87 | 12 | 26 |
| Crow Wing County | 16 | 176 | 13 | 27 |
| Sibley County | 16 | 129 | 6 | 37 |
| Cottonwood County | 16 | 125 | 13 | 26 |
| Todd County | 16 | 103 | 1 | 27 |
| Mille Lacs County | 16 | 88 | 4 | 16 |
| Nobles County | 15 | 166 | 14 | 46 |
| Murray County | 15 | 153 | 16 | 34 |
| Dakota County | 15 | 151 | 10 | 41 |
| Fillmore County | 15 | 120 | 13 | 28 |
| Nicollet County | 15 | 105 | 15 | 30 |
| Scott County | 15 | 99 | 9 | 21 |
| Roseau County | 14 | 132 | 3 | 42 |
| Sherburne County | 14 | 92 | 5 | 13 |
| Jackson County | 13 | 152 | 9 | 22 |
| Rock County | 13 | 141 | 13 | 16 |
| Koochiching County | 13 | 136 | 3 | 8 |
| Big Stone County | 13 | 111 | 1 | 14 |
| Wadena County | 13 | 103 | 2 | 23 |
| Carver County | 13 | 98 | 7 | 27 |
| Pope County | 13 | 92 | 3 | 31 |
| Clay County | 12 | 207 | 6 | 44 |
| Clearwater County | 12 | 191 | 5 | 24 |
| Wilkin County | 12 | 167 | 4 | 35 |
| Hubbard County | 12 | 151 | 1 | 24 |
| Lake of the Woods County | 12 | 114 | 0 | 18 |
| Chippewa County | 12 | 102 | 2 | 25 |
| Renville County | 11 | 168 | 10 | 30 |
| Lac qui Parle County | 11 | 85 | 4 | 16 |
| Dodge County | 11 | 82 | 7 | 21 |
| Hennepin County | 10 | 154 | 24 | 33 |
| Wright County | 10 | 144 | 6 | 28 |
| Olmsted County | 10 | 128 | 12 | 42 |
| Watonwan County | 10 | 76 | 5 | 25 |
| Pine County | 9 | 152 | 24 | 14 |
| Pennington County | 9 | 140 | 3 | 11 |
| Red Lake County | 9 | 134 | 4 | 20 |
| Pipestone County | 9 | 123 | 12 | 15 |
| Kittson County | 9 | 116 | 6 | 34 |
| McLeod County | 9 | 109 | 3 | 26 |
| Mower County | 9 | 87 | 12 | 37 |
| Douglas County | 9 | 78 | 3 | 26 |
| Martin County | 9 | 78 | 4 | 23 |
| Carlton County | 8 | 156 | 17 | 9 |
| Winona County | 8 | 140 | 15 | 25 |
| Traverse County | 8 | 106 | 0 | 18 |
| Brown County | 8 | 105 | 7 | 33 |
| Grant County | 8 | 93 | 1 | 33 |
| Isanti County | 8 | 69 | 2 | 14 |
| Kanabec County | 8 | 62 | 4 | 10 |
| Lyon County | 7 | 131 | 12 | 29 |
| Lincoln County | 7 | 115 | 12 | 18 |
| Redwood County | 7 | 107 | 12 | 28 |
| Anoka County | 7 | 82 | 11 | 28 |
| Chisago County | 7 | 66 | 2 | 20 |
| Stevens County | 7 | 59 | 3 | 18 |
| Houston County | 6 | 72 | 12 | 14 |
| Lake County | 5 | 131 | 11 | 8 |
| Wabasha County | 5 | 103 | 12 | 17 |
| Yellow Medicine County | 5 | 94 | 7 | 25 |
| Washington County | 4 | 107 | 10 | 27 |
| Ramsey County | 3 | 74 | 15 | 10 |
| Cook County | 2 | 64 | 3 | 4 |
Minnesota warnings by year
Each warning counts once for the state, however many counties it covered. 2008 is the first full year the National Weather Service drew an outline around every warning.
Tornadoes since 1950
2,234 tornadoes have been recorded in Minnesota since 1950, 27 of them rated 4 or 5 on the F or EF scale. They killed 100 people and injured 1,990. June had the most (721).
| Year | Tornado | Severe thunderstorm | Flash flood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 to Oct 19 | 77 | 506 | 30 |
| 2025 | 135 | 497 | 46 |
| 2024 | 79 | 415 | 33 |
| 2023 | 24 | 369 | 10 |
| 2022 | 100 | 692 | 30 |
| 2021 | 45 | 329 | 10 |
| 2020 | 81 | 551 | 35 |
| 2019 | 87 | 531 | 48 |
| 2018 | 31 | 492 | 44 |
| 2017 | 57 | 528 | 18 |
| 2016 | 77 | 569 | 65 |
| 2015 | 57 | 340 | 16 |
| 2014 | 45 | 329 | 54 |
| 2013 | 30 | 397 | 46 |
| 2012 | 63 | 606 | 31 |
| 2011 | 69 | 559 | 53 |
| 2010 | 202 | 564 | 68 |
| 2009 | 58 | 182 | 18 |
| 2008 | 123 | 679 | 22 |
What stands out in Minnesota
2010 was the busiest year for tornado warnings in Minnesota since 2008, with 202 tornado warnings, and it was also the busiest year for flash flood warnings (68).
Since 2008, 5 tornado warnings and 7 flash flood warnings for Minnesota were raised to a tornado emergency or a flash flood emergency for at least part of the warned area: the Weather Service’s rarest warning, used when a severe threat to life is happening or about to happen.
72 severe thunderstorm warnings for Minnesota carried the “destructive” tag (winds of 80 mph or more, or hail 2.75 inches or larger) since the tag started in August 2021. Only those severe thunderstorm warnings set off Wireless Emergency Alerts on phones.
3 tornadoes in Minnesota since 1950 were rated F5 or EF5, the strongest recorded there. The most recent was on June 16, 1992.
National Weather Service warnings from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive through October 19, 2026; tornado ratings from the Storm Prediction Center and NOAA Storm Events.
States next to Minnesota
Tornado warnings for each neighboring state, 2016 to 2025.
- Iowa 932 tornado warnings
- Wisconsin 449 tornado warnings
- South Dakota 379 tornado warnings
- North Dakota 361 tornado warnings
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Minnesota tornado warnings: questions people ask
How many tornado warnings does Minnesota get a year?
About 72 a year: the National Weather Service issued 716 tornado warnings for Minnesota from 2016 to 2025, 18th of 52 states and territories.
Which Minnesota county gets the most tornado warnings?
Polk County has the most: 45 tornado warnings listed it from 2016 to 2025, ahead of Stearns County with 41. A warning can list several counties, so county counts add up to more than the state total.
Which Minnesota city gets the most tornado warnings?
Red Wing has the most among cities and towns with 10,000 people or more: the outlines of 9 tornado warnings covered its center from 2016 to 2025.
When is tornado season in Minnesota?
June and July: 56% of the 2,234 tornadoes recorded in Minnesota since 1950 came in those two months.
About these numbers
Counts are National Weather Service warnings that listed a Minnesota county, through October 19, 2026. How Kinwarn counts · Minnesota data (CSV)
Cite: Kinwarn. “Minnesota tornado warnings.” kinwarn.com/minnesota. National Weather Service data through October 19, 2026.
Sources: IEM warning archive · NWS 2007 outlines · SPC tornado database · Census places · Census population estimates · NWS tornado alerts