Two different weather systems tracking from Kansas into the Upper-Midwest in close succession produced a few tornadoes along with damaging wind gusts in far southern Minnesota. Meanwhile, expanding areas of thunderstorms and rain affected virtually the whole state at some point between early Sunday and early Tuesday, May 17-19, 2026.
The tornadoes were associated with a complex of severe thunderstorms extending from Kansas into extreme southern Minnesota on Sunday May 17th. These storms produced short-lived tornadoes near Worthington, Fairmont, and Conger (all near the Iowa border) but they and other storms also produced strong and damaging winds through much of the evening over the southern two tiers of counties in Minnesota. As the storms rolled slowly across the area south of the Minnesota river, they also produced prolonged periods of heavy rain, with over three inches falling near Winnebago.
Other thunderstorms spread northeastward into the Twin Cities area, with rainfall amounts of over an inch common in a southwest-to-northeast stripe through the area, and areas of steady rain also covered parts of northwestern Minnesota.
On Monday, the tornadoes and damaging thunderstorms remained in Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, but additional thunderstorms and developed again in Minnesota. These storms moved faster than Sunday's and tended to have brighter lightning and louder thunder, but less-intense rainfall. This time thunderstorms or rain showers affected much of the state, but precipitation totals were generally less than one inch.
The rain was badly needed in northern Minnesota, where wildfires had started just 1-3 days earlier. The Two Harbors area received a half-inch of rain or more, which was enough to help firefighters contain the Stewart Trail Fire.
Posted May 20, 2026
KAB