Minnesota Counties Where Tornadoes Are More Common

We are just getting into tornado season in Minnesota, which runs May through October, according to the Minnesota DNR.

While we Minnesotans are pretty used to a tornado or two (or at least tornadic activity), there are some areas of the state that seem much more prone to tornadoes than others.

ALSO READ: Where You Can See Wild Moose in Minnesota

Tornado Siren Testing Every First Wednesday During Tornado Season

For anyone who may be new to Minnesota or to an area that gets hit by tornadoes, we have these tornado sirens that get tested on the first Wednesday of the month during tornado season to make sure they work.

It's always a bit funny, though, when someone who's new to the whole thing hears it for the first time.

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Just the other day, when the tornado sirens were being tested, I got a notification from my Ring camera app. Someone had posted in the 'Neighbors' section, where you can chat with people in your community, asking what was going on with the sirens. Ahhh, that made me giggle.

Minnesota Counties That Have the Most Tornadoes

I found a map from the Minnesota DNR depicting how many tornadoes have hit each county in the state between the years of 1950 and 2021.

Based on this data, I have the top 5 counties where tornadoes are, on average, much more common. For reference, the average number of tornadoes for a county between 1950 and 2021 is 33 tornadoes.

5. Kandiyohi County - 53 tornadoes

4. Stearns County - 54 tornadoes

3. Freeborn County - 61 tornadoes

2. Polk County - 75 tornadoes

1. Otter Tail County - 83 tornadoes

83 tornadoes! Yes, that's over the course of 71 years, but that's, on average, more than one tornado per year. No thank you!