Severe Weather Awareness Week Begins Monday in Minnesota

Saint Cloud, MN, USA / KNSI

Apr 13, 2026 | 4:00 AM

KNSI News

(KNSI) – As winter wraps up, Minnesotans are being reminded it’s time to start thinking about warm-weather dangers.

Severe Weather Awareness Week runs from April 13th through 17^th. Twin Cities National Weather Service Meteorologist Ryan Dunleavy told KNSI News the week is meant to prepare people before severe weather hits. “None of us are strangers to it happening every year, but it never hurts to do a little bit of review with proper safety procedures, maybe having that severe weather warning plan in place.”

Day one focuses on one of the most basic but critical topics: the difference between a watch and a warning.

A watch means conditions are favorable for severe weather like tornadoes, thunderstorms or flash floods. When a watch is issued, you can continue with normal activities, but you should know where you’ll go if conditions worsen.

A warning is more urgent. It means severe weather has been reported or is on the way, and you should seek shelter immediately.

Dunleavy said one common misconception is that a watch always comes before a warning. That’s not necessarily the case. “Just because severe weather is forecasted for the day, you might not always be under a watch. A warning might just be issued for something that develops rather quickly.”

Warnings are issued by county and city names, so the National Weather Service recommends knowing the county you’re in, especially if you’re traveling or attending an event away from home.

There are several ways to receive warnings, including TV, radio, cell phone alerts and NOAA Weather Radio. Meteorologists recommend having a NOAA Weather Radio at home since you can’t always depend on sirens, phone calls or catching a warning on television.

Thursday is tornado drill day, when statewide sirens will sound as part of a practice exercise.

For more information on the week, click here.

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