Polk County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Polk County, NE right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 906 alerts that included Polk County, roughly 91 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (171 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on May 17, 2026. 38 tornadoes have touched down in the county since 1950.
Updated from the National Weather Service · lists refresh hourly; the live map loads current alerts directly from the NWS
No warnings, watches or advisories include Polk County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring York County, Hamilton County, Merrick County, Butler County.
Polk County alert history
Alert events that included Polk County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 171 | 19 | August 19, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 109 | 13 | September 30, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 98 | 14 | September 14, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 94 | 3 | March 15, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 59 | 11 | April 23, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 39 | 5 | September 2, 2026 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 34 | 1 | January 23, 2026 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 33 | 6 | April 16, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 30 | 1 | November 3, 2026 |
| Flood Advisory | 29 | 1 | November 3, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 28 | 3 | October 17, 2026 |
| High Wind Warning | 27 | 1 | March 15, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 21 | 2 | May 1, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 19 | 2 | June 9, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 18 | 0 | March 19, 2025 |
| Flood Watch | 14 | 3 | September 30, 2026 |
| High Wind Watch | 12 | 2 | March 15, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 10 | 1 | February 19, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 9 | 2 | October 17, 2026 |
| Blizzard Warning | 8 | 0 | March 19, 2025 |
| Extreme Heat Watch | 8 | 0 | July 28, 2025 |
| Tornado Warning | 8 | 1 | May 17, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 6 | 1 | July 25, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 6 | 0 | June 26, 2025 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 6 | 0 | February 18, 2025 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 6 | 0 | February 18, 2025 |
| Ice Storm Warning | 3 | 0 | January 2, 2023 |
| Snow Squall Warning | 1 | 0 | March 4, 2025 |
Tornado history in Polk County
38 tornadoes have been recorded in Polk County since 1950, injuring 4 people. That ranks 33 of 93 counties in Nebraska. The most recent was on August 14, 2024 (rated unknown).
Strongest tornadoes in Polk County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 7, 1978 | F4 | Hamilton County | 31.2 mi | 77 yd | 0 | 1 |
| April 7, 1978 | F4 | Polk County | 8 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
| July 21, 1962 | F3 | Polk County | 25.2 mi | 880 yd | 0 | 1 |
| October 9, 2001 | F3 | Hamilton County | 18 mi | 1,500 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 20, 2011 | EF3 | Polk County | 9.5 mi | 880 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 14, 2024 | ? | Polk County | 0 mi | 15 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 21, 2024 | EF0 | Polk County | 4.1 mi | 75 yd | 0 | 0 |
| December 15, 2021 | EF1 | Polk County | 7.5 mi | 350 yd | 0 | 0 |
| December 15, 2021 | EF1 | Hamilton County | 12 mi | 400 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 2, 2021 | EF0 | Polk County | 1.3 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Polk County
- Population: 5,269 (2024 estimate)
- State: Nebraska
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 031143 (how to use it)