Clay County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Clay County, SD right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 890 alerts that included Clay County, roughly 89 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (138 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on September 2, 2026. 31 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 Clay County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Turner County, Union County, Yankton County, Lincoln County.
Clay County alert history
Alert events that included Clay County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 138 | 20 | October 9, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 97 | 3 | June 17, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 96 | 8 | September 30, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 89 | 5 | March 16, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 71 | 13 | September 8, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 58 | 7 | September 4, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 51 | 10 | May 14, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 39 | 0 | June 24, 2024 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 36 | 3 | March 16, 2026 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 33 | 5 | April 16, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 32 | 1 | March 15, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 19 | 0 | November 28, 2025 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 17 | 1 | July 3, 2026 |
| High Wind Warning | 16 | 3 | March 15, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 13 | 2 | July 25, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 13 | 0 | July 2, 2024 |
| Freeze Warning | 12 | 2 | October 17, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 12 | 2 | June 10, 2026 |
| Blizzard Warning | 11 | 1 | March 15, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 11 | 3 | May 20, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Watch | 8 | 0 | July 27, 2025 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 7 | 1 | January 23, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 4 | 1 | January 23, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 3 | 1 | October 17, 2026 |
| High Wind Watch | 3 | 1 | March 13, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 1 | 2 | September 2, 2026 |
Tornado history in Clay County
31 tornadoes have been recorded in Clay County since 1950. That ranks 25 of 66 counties in South Dakota. The most recent was on May 15, 2021 (rated unknown).
Strongest tornadoes in Clay County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 7, 1965 | F2 | Clay County | 8.6 mi | 210 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 8, 1965 | F2 | Clay County | 4.5 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 7, 1965 | F2 | Clay County | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
| August 16, 1967 | F2 | Clay County | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
| September 26, 1981 | F2 | Clay County | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2021 | ? | Clay County | 1.3 mi | 25 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 29, 2008 | EF1 | Clay County | 1.9 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 29, 2008 | EF1 | Clay County | 2 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 29, 2004 | F0 | Clay County | 0.1 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 24, 2003 | F0 | Clay County | 0.5 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Clay County
- Population: 15,245 (2024 estimate)
- State: South Dakota
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 046027 (how to use it)