Duluth hail storm history
St. Louis County·NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database·~75-day publication lag
Duluth, located in St. Louis County in northeast Minnesota, has experienced 1 hail event of 1 inch or larger over the past 10 years. The city sits along Lake Superior's shore, where the lake's influence moderates temperatures but occasionally interacts with passing storm systems to produce hail.
Hail in Duluth peaks during June and July, when atmospheric instability reaches its seasonal maximum despite the lake's cooling effect. Secondary hail risk exists in May and August. The 1-inch hail event recorded on June 23, 2025, fell within this peak window and produced marginal damage—primarily granule loss on aging roof shingles.
Annual frequency — last 10 years
When hail hits — monthly pattern
Avg events per month · all years · NOAA data
All recorded hail events
Of 115 recorded events, 23 (20%) reached 1.5" or larger — the threshold for likely functional damage on standard asphalt shingles.
Dimes to quarter sized hail with over an inch of accumulation on the ground.
Cars were damaged on Interstate 35 near the Mahtowa exit.
A few trees were down in the area as well.
The large hail punched holes in canvas tents, dented multiple vehicles and completely stripped the l…
The hail damaged some vehicles.
There was dime sized hail.
The low count of documented hail events in Duluth reflects the rarity of large hail in this region, not inadequate weather monitoring. NOAA's Storm Events Database prioritizes events of significant impact or unusual meteorological interest, so routine small-hail reports may go unrecorded. St. Louis County has 2 documented hail events ≥1 inch in the NOAA record, with 0 significant events ≥1.5 inches capable of functional roof damage. 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