Severe weather sirens will sound twice in Minnesota, Wisconsin for annual tornado drills

If you heard tornado sirens blaring across Minnesota and Wisconsin on Thursday, don’t be alarmed — but don’t completely ignore them, either.

Thursday, April 10, was the annual tornado drill day in both states, part of Severe Weather Awareness Week.

There were two drills on Thursday — the first at 1:45 p.m. That’s aimed at reaching people in schools, offices, stores and other businesses.

The second drill was at 6:45 p.m., aimed at people while they’re at home, along with second-shift workers.

While there was no actual severe weather in the forecast for Minnesota on Thursday, the goal of the drills is to get people thinking about where they can find shelter when there are severe thunderstorms — and possibly tornadoes — throughout the rest of the year.

State public safety officials said Minnesota averages nearly four dozen tornadoes each year — with a record of 113, set in 2010.

Most tornadoes in Minnesota occur between May and August, but they’ve been reported as early as March 6 and as late as Dec. 15.

• Cooler and windy Friday with lingering showers
• Thursday thunder gives way to a quieter Easter weekend
• Severe thunderstorm watch until 10 p.m. includes the Twin Cities area
• Severe weather potential includes Twin Cities