MARSHALL — Weather in southwest Minnesota can be unpredictable, and Marshall residents saw that firsthand over the weekend.

There had been no tornado warnings issued for the storm that passed through Marshall Saturday afternoon, but emergency sirens were activated after spotters saw the possible beginnings of a tornado on the north side of town.

“It came up pretty quickly,” said Jim Marshall, director of public safety for the city of Marshall. On Saturday, Cpl. Adam Baumann of the Marshall Police Department was on patrol when he observed a wall cloud in Marshall in the area near North Seventh Street, Marshall said. Baumann saw two small funnels and some slight rotation on a low-lying cloud, Marshall said.

Baumann contacted Marshall.

“I said to call the National Weather Service immediately,” Marshall said. The decision was made to activate the tornado sirens. The sirens went off around 1:15 p.m.

Fortunately, the funnels dissipated and the storm passed without reported damage. Later, there were reports of hail and 60 mph winds from the same storm system near Lucan.

While the NWS was monitoring the storm system, “The unique thing is that there were no (tornado) warnings or watches” for Marshall, Jim Marshall said. One of the dangerous things about severe weather is how quickly conditions can change, he said.

In southwest Minnesota, we tend to think of severe weather as being more of a risk in spring and early summer, Marshall said. “But it’s still obviously a concern as we work our way through summer.”

Marshall said there are two main reasons that tornado sirens are activated in the city of Marshall. One is if the city receives a severe weather warning from the NWS. Another is if spotters confirm tornado activity in the area.

The sirens haven’t been activated very often in recent years, Marshall said. But that doesn’t mean the city of Marshall doesn’t face risks from tornadoes. In the past there have been devastating storms in communities in the surrounding area, from Tracy to Granite Falls, he said.

The tornado sirens in Marshall are designed to alert people who are outdoors to seek shelter, he said. Other weather alerts, like phone notifications or warnings issued by the NWS, can also give people advance warning of severe weather even if they aren’t outside. However, it’s still important to stay weather aware, Marshall said. In case of severe weather, people should seek shelter in a secure area, like a basement or an interior room away from windows.