The Late-October 1996 tornado outbreak was an unusual tornadic

Tornado

A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...

 event that affected Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

, South Dakota

South Dakota

South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...

 and Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

 on October 26, 1996. Twenty-six tornadoes touched down on what turned out to be a record breaking late-season tornado outbreak

Tornado outbreak

While there is no single agreed upon definition, generally at least 6-10 tornadoes produced by the same synoptic scale weather system is considered a tornado outbreak. The tornadoes usually occur within the same day, or continue into the early morning hours of the succeeding day, and within the...

.

Outbreak description

The outbreak started in Nebraska as three tornadoes touched down from 7:23 am - 9:00 am. The favorable dynamics

Tornadogenesis

Tornadogenesis is the process by which a tornado forms. There are many types of tornadoes, and each type of tornado can have several different methods of formation. Scientific study is ongoing, as some aspects of tornado formation remain a mystery....

 then shifted northward to South Dakota where nine tornadoes touched down from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm. Finally, 14 more tornadoes touched down in Minnesota during the middle and late afternoon hours. Of the 26 tornadoes that touched down that day, five of them were rated as F2

Fujita scale

The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...

, with the rest being F0 and F1. Because these tornadoes formed from low-topped supercell

Supercell

A supercell is a thunderstorm that is characterized by the presence of a mesocyclone: a deep, continuously-rotating updraft. For this reason, these storms are sometimes referred to as rotating thunderstorms...

s, the tornadoes that formed were relatively weak. There were no fatalities, fifteen were injured and there was $1.4 million in damage; most of which occurred in rural areas of west-central Minnesota

What makes this outbreak notable is the time of year that it took place. Typically early fall

Autumn

Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....

 is a very quiet time of the year for tornadoes in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, and the ones that do form usually touch down in the Southern United States

Southern United States

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...

. In Minnesota, prior to this outbreak there had been only ten tornadoes ever recorded during the month of October, so the fourteen tornadoes on this day easily eclipsed most late season outbreak records.

Confirmed tornadoes

F# Fujita scale The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...	Location	County	Time (UTC)	Path length	Damage
Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
F1	SE of Bassett Bassett, Nebraska Bassett is a city in Rock County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 743 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Rock County.-Geography:Bassett is located at ....	Holt Holt County, Nebraska -History:The county was created by an act of the Nebraska Legislature in 1862. It is named for Joseph Holt of Kentucky, who was Postmaster General and Secretary of War under President James Buchanan...	1323	0.8 miles (1.3 km)
F1	N of Midway	Holt Holt County, Nebraska -History:The county was created by an act of the Nebraska Legislature in 1862. It is named for Joseph Holt of Kentucky, who was Postmaster General and Secretary of War under President James Buchanan...	1350	1 miles (1.6 km)
F0	SE of Verdigre Verdigre, Nebraska Verdigre is a village in Knox County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 519 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Verdigre is located at ....	Knox Knox County, Nebraska -History:The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through the area on 4 September 1804.The US Treaty with the Ponca tribe was signed at White Paint Creek on 9 June 1825.Knox County was formed in 1854. It was named after Major General Henry Knox.-Demographics:...	1500	0.2 miles (0.32 km)
South Dakota South Dakota South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
F1	E of Castlewood Castlewood, South Dakota Castlewood is a city in Hamlin County, South Dakota, United States. It is part of the Watertown, South Dakota Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 627 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...	Hamlin Hamlin County, South Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 5,540 people, 2,048 households, and 1,452 families residing in the county. The population density was 11 people per square mile . There were 2,626 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile...	1830	1 miles (1.6 km)
F0	E of Dempster	Deuel Deuel County, South Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 4,498 people, 1,843 households, and 1,258 families residing in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile . There were 2,172 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...	1835	1 miles (1.6 km)
F1	NE of Altamont Altamont, South Dakota Altamont is a town in Deuel County, South Dakota. The population was 34 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Altamont is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....	Deuel Deuel County, South Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 4,498 people, 1,843 households, and 1,258 families residing in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile . There were 2,172 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...	1845	1 miles (1.6 km)
F1	N of Altamont Altamont, South Dakota Altamont is a town in Deuel County, South Dakota. The population was 34 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Altamont is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....	Deuel Deuel County, South Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 4,498 people, 1,843 households, and 1,258 families residing in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile . There were 2,172 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...	1850	0.5 miles (0.8 km)
F1	E of La Bolt	Grant Grant County, South Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 7,847 people, 3,116 households, and 2,156 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile . There were 3,456 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile...	1905	1 miles (1.6 km)
F0	SE of Milbank Milbank, South Dakota Milbank is a city in Grant County, South Dakota, along the South Fork of the Whetstone River. The population was 3,353 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Grant County. In 1925 The American Legion Department of South Dakota established a new program for high school aged youth that grew...	Grant Grant County, South Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 7,847 people, 3,116 households, and 2,156 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile . There were 3,456 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile...	1920	0.5 miles (0.8 km)
F0	NE of Milbank Milbank, South Dakota Milbank is a city in Grant County, South Dakota, along the South Fork of the Whetstone River. The population was 3,353 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Grant County. In 1925 The American Legion Department of South Dakota established a new program for high school aged youth that grew...	Grant Grant County, South Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 7,847 people, 3,116 households, and 2,156 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile . There were 3,456 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile...	1924	0.5 miles (0.8 km)
F0	NW of Milbank Milbank, South Dakota Milbank is a city in Grant County, South Dakota, along the South Fork of the Whetstone River. The population was 3,353 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Grant County. In 1925 The American Legion Department of South Dakota established a new program for high school aged youth that grew...	Grant Grant County, South Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 7,847 people, 3,116 households, and 2,156 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile . There were 3,456 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile...	1924	0.5 miles (0.8 km)
F0	E of Wilmot Wilmot, South Dakota Wilmot is a city in Roberts County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 492 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Wilmot is located at ....	Roberts Roberts County, South Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 10,016 people, 3,683 households, and 2,618 families residing in the county. The population density was 9 people per square mile . There were 4,734 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...	1934	0.5 miles (0.8 km)
Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
F0	NW of Barry Barry, Minnesota Barry is a city in Big Stone County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 16 at the 2010 census.Minnesota State Highway 28 serves as a main route in the community.-Geography:...	Big Stone Big Stone County, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 5,820 people, 2,377 households, and 1,611 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile . There were 3,171 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile...	2001	1 miles (1.6 km)
F1	S of Wheaton Wheaton, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 1,619 people, 747 households, and 434 families residing in the city. The population density was 909.2 people per square mile . There were 907 housing units at an average density of 509.4 per square mile...	Traverse Traverse County, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 4,134 people, 1,717 households, and 1,129 families residing in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile . There were 2,199 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...	2023	1 miles (1.6 km)
F1	SW of Benson Benson, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 3,376 people, 1,451 households, and 880 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,360.5 people per square mile . There were 1,566 housing units at an average density of 631.1 per square mile...	Swift Swift County, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 11,956 people, 4,353 households, and 2,881 families residing in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile . There were 4,821 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile...	2059	4 miles (6.4 km)
F1	SE of Cyrus Cyrus, Minnesota Cyrus is a city in Pope County in the U.S. State of Minnesota, United States, along the Chippewa River. The population was 288 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....	Pope Pope County, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 11,236 people, 4,513 households, and 3,064 families residing in the county. The population density was 17 people per square mile . There were 5,827 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile...	2115	2 miles (3.2 km)
F1	NE of Sunburg Sunburg, Minnesota Sunburg is a city in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 100 at the 2010 census. The community is famous for its celebration of its Norwegian-American heritage. The local Sunburg Creamery Cafe serves Norwegian dishes including Klub and Lutefisk. The community is home to...	Kandiyohi Kandiyohi County, Minnesota Kandiyohi County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, its population was 42,239. Its county seat is Willmar.- History :...	2115	7 miles (11.2 km)
F2	S of Garfield Garfield, Minnesota Garfield is a city in Douglas County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 354 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and 1.28% is water.-Demographics:...	Douglas Douglas County, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 32,821 people, 13,276 households, and 9,027 families residing in the county. The population density was 52 people per square mile . There were 16,694 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...	2115	9 miles (14.4 km)
F1	NE of Garfield Garfield, Minnesota Garfield is a city in Douglas County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 354 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and 1.28% is water.-Demographics:...	Douglas Douglas County, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 32,821 people, 13,276 households, and 9,027 families residing in the county. The population density was 52 people per square mile . There were 16,694 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...	2125	8 miles (12.8 km)
F2	NE of Henning Henning, Minnesota Henning is a city in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 802 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....	Otter Tail Otter Tail County, Minnesota Otter Tail County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 57,303. Its county seat is Fergus Falls.-History:...	2210	17 miles (27.2 km)
F1	NW of Clearwater Clearwater, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 858 people, 327 households, and 223 families residing in the city. The population density was 740.9 people per square mile . There were 355 housing units at an average density of 306.5 per square mile...	Stearns Stearns County, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 133,166 people, 47,604 households, and 32,132 families residing in the county. The population density was 99 people per square mile . There were 50,291 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile...	2214	1 miles (1.6 km)
F2	SW of Albany Albany, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 1,796 people, 708 households, and 436 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,287.6 people per square mile . There were 732 housing units at an average density of 524.8 per square mile...	Stearns Stearns County, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 133,166 people, 47,604 households, and 32,132 families residing in the county. The population density was 99 people per square mile . There were 50,291 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile...	2217	5 miles (8 km)
F2	SW of Sebeka Sebeka, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 710 people, 332 households, and 188 families residing in the city. The population density was 289.1 people per square mile . There were 378 housing units at an average density of 153.9 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 99.01% White, 0.14%...	Wadena Wadena County, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 13,713 people, 5,426 households, and 3,608 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile . There were 6,334 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...	2230	4 miles (6.4 km)
F1	Stanchfield Stanchfield, Minnesota Stanchfield is an unincorporated community in Stanchfield Township, Isanti County, Minnesota, United States.Isanti County Roads 3 and 36; and State Highway 65 are three of the main routes in the community.The community is located between Cambridge and Braham...  area	Isanti Isanti County, Minnesota As of the census of 2010, there were 37,816 people, 14,331 households, and 8,415 families residing in the county. The population density was 71 people per square mile . There were 12,062 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...	2312	12 miles (18.4 km)
F0	N of Dorset Dorset, Minnesota Dorset is an unincorporated community in Henrietta Township, Hubbard County, Minnesota, United States.The community is located six miles northeast of Park Rapids and six miles west of Nevis....	Hubbard Hubbard County, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 18,376 people, 7,435 households, and 5,345 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile . There were 12,229 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...	2314	0.5 miles (0.8 km)
F2	NE of Wolford	Crow Wing Crow Wing County, Minnesota Crow Wing County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 62,500. Its county seat is Brainerd.-Geography:...	0000	0.7 miles (1.1 km)
Source: Tornado History Project - October 26, 1996 Storm Data