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HailIndex

Bloomington hail storm history

Hennepin County·NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database·~75-day publication lag

Bloomington, located in Hennepin County, has experienced 20 documented hail events of at least 1 inch diameter over the past 10 years, with 7 classified as significant storms capable of functional roof damage. The city's position in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and proximity to major river systems creates favorable conditions for hail-producing thunderstorms during the regional convective season.

Events ≥1" (10yr)
168
Significant ≥1.5"
61
Avg per year
16.8
Largest recorded
4"
Most recent
Sep 22, 2025
Total records
219
NOAA storm history
events (10 yr)158
≥1.5" significant58
peak year (25)2020

Hail risk in Bloomington peaks during June and July, when the jet stream retreats northward and Gulf moisture extends into Minnesota. Secondary activity occurs in May and August. The urban heat island effect of the Twin Cities metro can locally enhance storm intensity, increasing the likelihood of larger hail sizes during peak season months.

Annual frequency — last 10 years

2025
26
2024
7
2023
22
2022
30
2021
24
2020
30
2019
24
2018
14
2017
21
≥2.0" severe≥1.5" significant≥1.0" marginal

When hail hits — monthly pattern

Avg events per month · all years · NOAA data

Jan0
Feb0
Mar2
Apr11
May32
Jun54
Jul42
Aug48
Sep26
Oct4
Nov0
Dec0

All recorded hail events

Of 219 recorded events, 61 (28%) reached 1.5" or larger — the threshold for likely functional damage on standard asphalt shingles.

Hail measurement provided via X.

Hail was photographed near County Roads 42 and 5. It hailed for roughly five minutes.

Jul 28, 20251"quarter
Jun 29, 20251.25"half dollar

Hail ranging from half inch to penny sized in Lakeville.

NWS Employee reported half dollar sized hail in Waconia.

Sep 19, 20241"quarter
Aug 4, 20241"quarter
Jun 13, 20240.88"penny

Photo relayed through social media.

Hail of 1.5 to almost 2.0 iches fell from 855 PM TO 905 PM CDT.

Mar 31, 20230.88"penny

Nickel size hail was reported in Eden Prairie, with a photo via social media.

There were multiple reports of dime to quarter size hail across much of Bloomington.

May 11, 20221.75"golf ball

There was a Facebook picture of golf ball size hail in New Prague.

There was a swath of large hail, up to ping pong size, that fell from near Dundas, northeast across …

Hailstone was measured and emailed to the weather service. The hail stone was 3 inches in diameter a…

Social media had a picture of golf ball size hail near new Prague.

Mar 11, 20211"quarter
Aug 15, 20201"quarter

There was a picture of a 1.5-inch hailstone in Northfield.

A swath of large hail, up to quarter size, fell on the south side of Hennepin County around Blooming…

Sep 3, 20191"quarter

Most of the hail that fell in Scott County between Belle Plaine, Jordan and New Prague was half inch…

The four inch diameter hailstone was measured with a ruler, and posted on social media.

This is the continued path of very large hail that moved from Scott County, into Dakota County. Up t…

Jul 16, 20191"quarter

A swath of large hail, up to golf ball size fell north of Lonsdale, near Veseli. The hail damaged se…

Aug 27, 20181"quarter
May 29, 20181"quarter

The observer reported hail for approximately 13 minutes, with the largest hail stone of quarter size…

Most of the observed hail was nickel size and was reported at 150th, and Marystown Road, south of Sh…

Sep 20, 20170.88"penny
Aug 1, 20171.75"golf ball
Jul 26, 20171.75"golf ball

The city of Lonsdale had hail, up to nickel size, fall for 5 minutes.

Oct 17, 20160.75"penny
Jul 6, 20161"quarter

There were numerous reports of large hail from north to east of Lonsdale, with the largest measured …

Jun 22, 20162"egg

There was a photo of 2 inch diameter hail near Montrose.

A photo of a 1.25 diameter hail stone was shared via twitter in Chaska. There was an article in the …

About this data

Hennepin County's hail record includes 26 documented events of at least 1 inch, with the largest recorded hail measuring 3.25 inches on June 17, 2025—a size capable of functional damage to all shingle types. Reporting density varies by proximity to population centers and National Weather Service office locations; rural areas adjacent to Bloomington may experience undercounted events. Current-year data is excluded from the annual frequency table until October, when NOAA's Storm Events Database has processed the full hail season accounting for the standard 75-day reporting lag.

NOAA Storm Events Database source