UNDATED -- During this annual Severe Weather Awareness Week, the outdoor warning sirens will be tested Thursday.

The first test will happen at 1:45 p.m. and the second test is at 6:45 p.m.

The National Weather Service reminds you that counties and cities own the sirens and therefore decide how and when to activate them. Some will active sirens across an entire county for tornado warnings only. Others will activate sirens countywide for tornado warnings and all severe thunderstorm warnings.

Sirens normally sound for about three minutes, it is very rare to keep the sirens sounding for the entire warning.

Get our free mobile app

The 25 Best Places to Live in Minnesota

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Minnesota using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

More From 96.7 The River