This week (April 17-21) is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Minnesota and each day will highlight a different severe weather topic. The need for severe weather preparedness is due to the unpredictability of dangerous storms. On average, Minnesota has 29 tornadoes, but in 2010 there were a record 110 tornadoes and, in 2021, there 64 tornadoes – including 22 on Dec. 15, the latest reported tornadoes on record.
Severe Weather Awareness Week will include a pair of statewide tornado drills on Thursday April 20 – one at 1:45 p.m. and one at 6:45 p.m. Businesses are being encouraged to conduct tornado drills with their employees during these times. Here is the full schedule for Severe Weather Awareness Week:
Monday, April 17 – Alerts and Warnings
Tuesday, April 18 – Severe Weather, Lightning and Hail
Wednesday, April 19 – Floods
Thursday, April 20 – Tornadoes (with statewide drills)
Friday, April 21 – Extreme Heat
To learn more about Severe Weather Awareness Week and to access numerous links about each of the daily topics, click here: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/hsem/weather-awareness-preparedness/Pages/severe-weather-awareness-week-program.aspx