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National Weather ServiceSevere Thunderstorm WarningVTEC SV.WArchive to October 1, 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning: what it means and how often it is issued

The National Weather Service issued 23,433 severe thunderstorm warnings in 2025 and 20,005 a year on average in 2008-2025; Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas got the most in 2021-2025. 2026 through September: 24,476, 28% above the average of 19,102 for those months in 2008-2025.

What is a severe thunderstorm warning?

A severe thunderstorm warning means a storm is producing, or is about to produce, hail one inch across or larger and/or winds of 58 mph or more. A warning means the hazard is happening, about to happen, or very likely: act now to protect people and property.

Warning, watch or advisory: the three levels compared

Source: National Weather Service directives and glossary.

How many severe thunderstorm warnings a year?

23,433 severe thunderstorm warnings in 2025
10k20k30k2008: 26,56120082009: 20,86820092010: 19,31720102011: 25,47020112012: 20,15020122013: 16,75220132014: 16,42720142015: 18,25020152016: 18,37720162017: 18,61320172018: 17,69020182019: 21,10120192020: 17,43120202021: 16,16120212022: 18,10220222023: 24,29520232024: 21,10020242025: 23,43320252026: 24,49620262008-2025 average 20,0052026 through September: 24,49610k20k30k2008: 26,56120082009: 20,8682010: 19,31720102011: 25,4702012: 20,15020122013: 16,7522014: 16,42720142015: 18,2502016: 18,37720162017: 18,6132018: 17,69020182019: 21,1012020: 17,43120202021: 16,1612022: 18,10220222023: 24,2952024: 21,10020242025: 23,4332026: 24,49620262008-2025 average 20,0052026 through September: 24,49610k20k30k2008: 26,56120082009: 20,8682010: 19,31720102011: 25,4702012: 20,15020122013: 16,7522014: 16,42720142015: 18,2502016: 18,37720162017: 18,6132018: 17,69020182019: 21,1012020: 17,43120202021: 16,1612022: 18,10220222023: 24,2952024: 21,10020242025: 23,4332026: 24,49620262008-2025 average 20,0052026 through September: 24,49610k20k30k2008: 26,56120082009: 20,8682010: 19,3172011: 25,4702012: 20,1502013: 16,7522014: 16,4272015: 18,25020152016: 18,3772017: 18,6132018: 17,6902019: 21,1012020: 17,43120202021: 16,1612022: 18,1022023: 24,2952024: 21,1002025: 23,4332026: 24,49620262008-2025 average 20,0052026 through September: 24,496

National count: each severe thunderstorm warning counted once, whatever the number of states it covers. 2026 is an outline: the year is not over.

The numbers
YearCount
2026 (through September)24,496
202523,433
202421,100
202324,295
202218,102
202116,161
202017,431
201921,101
201817,690
201718,613
201618,377
201518,250
201416,427
201316,752
201220,150
201125,470
201019,317
200920,868
200826,561

Source: Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive of National Weather Service watches, warnings and advisories (VTEC); National Weather Service. Data as of October 1, 2026.

When in the year?

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings by month, 2008-2025
50k100kJan: 4,616JanFeb: 6,132FebMar: 18,454MarApr: 36,799AprMay: 64,216MayJun: 81,286JunJul: 68,861JulAug: 46,011AugSep: 17,453SepOct: 8,483OctNov: 3,771NovDec: 4,016Dec81,28650k100kJan: 4,616JanFeb: 6,132FebMar: 18,454MarApr: 36,799AprMay: 64,216MayJun: 81,286JunJul: 68,861JulAug: 46,011AugSep: 17,453SepOct: 8,483OctNov: 3,771NovDec: 4,016Dec81,28650k100kJan: 4,616JanFeb: 6,132FebMar: 18,454MarApr: 36,799AprMay: 64,216MayJun: 81,286JunJul: 68,861JulAug: 46,011AugSep: 17,453SepOct: 8,483OctNov: 3,771NovDec: 4,016Dec81,28650k100kJan: 4,616JFeb: 6,132FMar: 18,454MApr: 36,799AMay: 64,216MJun: 81,286JJul: 68,861JAug: 46,011ASep: 17,453SOct: 8,483ONov: 3,771NDec: 4,016D81,286

Sum of 2008-2025; the busiest month is labelled.

Source: Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive of National Weather Service watches, warnings and advisories (VTEC); National Weather Service. Data as of October 1, 2026.

Which states get the most severe thunderstorm warnings?

Texas gets the most: 2,532 a year in 2021-2025
TexasTexas: 2,5322,532OklahomaOklahoma: 1,1991,199KansasKansas: 1,1741,174NebraskaNebraska: 990990MissouriMissouri: 867867ColoradoColorado: 789789ArkansasArkansas: 747747GeorgiaGeorgia: 711711IllinoisIllinois: 696696MississippiMississippi: 661661TexasTexas: 2,5322,532OklahomaOklahoma: 1,1991,199KansasKansas: 1,1741,174NebraskaNebraska: 990990MissouriMissouri: 867867ColoradoColorado: 789789ArkansasArkansas: 747747GeorgiaGeorgia: 711711IllinoisIllinois: 696696MississippiMississippi: 661661TexasTexas: 2,5322,532OklahomaOklahoma: 1,1991,199KansasKansas: 1,1741,174NebraskaNebraska: 990990MissouriMissouri: 867867ColoradoColorado: 789789ArkansasArkansas: 747747GeorgiaGeorgia: 711711IllinoisIllinois: 696696MississippiMississippi: 661661TexasTexas: 2,5322,532OklahomaOklahoma: 1,1991,199KansasKansas: 1,1741,174NebraskaNebraska: 990990MissouriMissouri: 867867ColoradoColorado: 789789ArkansasArkansas: 747747GeorgiaGeorgia: 711711IllinoisIllinois: 696696MississippiMississippi: 661661

Yearly average per state, 2021-2025. A severe thunderstorm warning covering two states counts in both.

StateA year, 2021-2025A year, 2008-20252025
Texas2,5322,1443,172
Oklahoma1,1991,0741,621
Kansas1,1741,2251,253
Nebraska9909751,081
Missouri867857864
Colorado7896281,007
Arkansas747788922
Georgia711774718
Illinois696614704
Mississippi661714789
Virginia657638732
North Carolina652734682
Alabama649621650
Florida638590560
Kentucky613608823
South Dakota606629785
Pennsylvania591523545
Iowa573563592
Tennessee565603741
Louisiana537467693
New Mexico510417746
Arizona499336314
Ohio478507572
Minnesota460480497
New York453442316
Indiana430448552
South Carolina371501349
Montana362343549
Wisconsin353343388
West Virginia332296420
Michigan312301278
North Dakota291333421
Maryland286265287
Wyoming283281413
New Jersey170149131
California120112217
Utah11781100
Massachusetts10112280
Maine9112371
Idaho879272
Connecticut748165
Nevada697675
Vermont666649
Delaware575663
New Hampshire537235
Oregon505369
District of Columbia201813
Rhode Island202011
Washington19268
Alaska12710
Hawaii338
Puerto Rico233

Source: Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive of National Weather Service watches, warnings and advisories (VTEC); National Weather Service. Data as of October 1, 2026.

The latest severe thunderstorm warnings in AreaZine's record

This list is AreaZine's record of the NWS alert feed, kept since April 6, 2026; the counts above come from the complete IEM archive.

Source: National Weather Service alerts (api.weather.gov).

Severe Thunderstorm Warning or severe thunderstorm watch?

A severe thunderstorm watch (from the Storm Prediction Center, for a large area over several hours) means the conditions are possible: be ready; a severe thunderstorm warning (from the local NWS office, for the area at risk) means the hazard is happening or imminent: act now. Severe thunderstorm watches come from the NWS Storm Prediction Center when storms with large hail or damaging winds are possible over a large area for several hours. A watch means the conditions for the hazard are possible or favourable, but it is not yet happening: be ready to act if a warning follows. The NWS issued 448 severe thunderstorm watches in 2025, against 23,433 severe thunderstorm warnings. The severe thunderstorm watch record.