A busy Friday of severe weather, spanning from the upper Midwest to the central Plains, as a strong cold front pushes southeast through the region.
Strong wind shear, fast upper-level winds, significant instability, and warm, humid air have all combined to trigger an outbreak of severe thunderstorms this afternoon.
In the Northland today, there have been numerous hail reports, most of them below the severe threshold of 1 inch in diameter, or about quarter-sized, though a few did reach that size. Parts of northwest Wisconsin also saw wind damage this afternoon, with storms bringing gusts of 50 to nearly 70 mph.
Local Storm Reports for Friday, April 17, 2026
- 5:03 PM: 1.00″ Hail (quarter size). 6 N Winter, WI (Sawyer County)
- 5:01 PM: 1.25″ Hail (half dollar size). 4 NNE Stone Lake, WI (Sawyer County)
- 4:19 PM: 1.00″ Hail (quarter size). 10 SSW Clam Lake, WI (Sawyer County)
- 4:15 PM: Thunderstorm Wind Gust. 66 mph. 1 E La Pointe, WI (Ashland County)
- 3:58 PM: Thunderstorm Wind Damage. 2 SSE Moquah, WI (Bayfield County). Numerous trees down in the vicinity of Fish Creek Hill on Old US 2. Some trees were likely tall pine trees.
- 3:53 PM: Thunderstorm Wind Gust. 51 mph. Hayward, WI (Sawyer County)
- 3:53 PM: Thunderstorm Wind Gust. 54 mph. Ashland, WI (Ashland County)
- 3:51 PM: 1.25″ Hail (half dollar size). 2 NE Munger, MN (St. Louis County)
- 3:50 PM: Thunderstorm Wind Gust. 47 mph. 4 ESE Cornucopia, WI (Bayfield County)
- 3:35 PM: Thunderstorm Wind Damage. Hayward, WI (Sawyer County). Hayward Laundry on Dakota Ave. had its roof torn off by the wind. No injuries reported.
- 3:28 PM: Thunderstorm Wind Gust. 68 mph. 8 WNW Minong, WI (Washburn County)
- 3:20 PM: 1.50″ Hail (ping pong ball size). 4 WSW Castle Danger, MN (Lake County)
- 3:20 PM: Thunderstorm Wind Damage. 1 ENE Earl, WI (Washburn County). Trees snapped around six feet above the ground between Earl and Springbrook.
- 3:12 PM: 1.00″ Hail (quarter size). 2 ENE Two Harbors, MN (Lake County)
- 3:01 PM: 1.00″ Hail (quarter size). 4 NNW Hermantown, MN (St. Louis County)
- 2:57 PM: 0.50″ Hail. 2 NE Munger, MN (St. Louis County)
- 2:45 PM: 0.50″ Hail. 1 E Esko, MN (Carlton County)
- 2:35 PM: 0.50″ Hail. 3 W South Range, WI (Douglas County). Hail fell for about 5 minutes.
Amid today’s severe weather, some areas have even seen snow (blue) or mixed precipitation (pink).
Radar loop ends 5:52 PM CT Friday, April 17, 2026.
Take a look at all of the warnings today through about 3:30 PM, April 17, 2026.
Magenta – Observed/PDS tornado warning
Red – Tornado warning
Yellow – Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Note: Around 4:30 PM CT today, 23 active tornado warnings were in effect across parts of four states: Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri.
Northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin saw about one-tenth to one-quarter inch of rain today, with some areas getting localized amounts of a half inch or more.
By 4 PM today, Duluth Airport had recorded 0.24 inches of rain.
Temperatures have plunged by 30 to nearly 50 degrees from 4 PM Thursday to 4 PM today (Friday) due to a strong spring cold front sweeping southeast.
Widespread strong to severe thunderstorms this afternoon, stretching from northeast Minnesota to northern Wisconsin, down to southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma.
Goes-19 infrared satellite loop ending 3:51 PM CT Friday, April 17, 2026.
