HailEvidence → hail history by county → Minnesota → Watonwan County
Hail dates in Watonwan County, Minnesota
The National Weather Service has recorded hail in Watonwan County on 12 days since 2016 (23 separate reports, 20 of them quarter-size or larger). The largest stone on record was 2.50" (tennis ball) on April 13, 2026; the most recent hail was May 17, 2026. Every row below is an official NWS record. Check hail at your exact address, free →
Every hail day in Watonwan County since 2016
One row per day the NWS logged hail somewhere in the county. The narrative names the town; the free check below narrows it to your address.
| Date | Largest hail | Reports | NWS narrative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-17 | 1.25" (half dollar) | 1 | Photo report of half dollar sized hail shared by broadcast media. |
| 2026-04-13 | 2.50" (tennis ball) | 8 | — |
| 2025-06-12 | 1.25" (half dollar) | 1 | — |
| 2025-04-28 | 0.75" (penny) | 1 | — |
| 2024-08-05 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) | 1 | — |
| 2023-08-11 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | There was also a report of power out in Odin. |
| 2023-05-08 | 0.88" (nickel) | 1 | Nickel size hail just east of Madelia. |
| 2020-06-21 | 1.25" (half dollar) | 3 | A swath of large hail, up to half dollar size, fell around the Odin/Ormsby area where vehicles were damaged. |
| 2020-06-02 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | — |
| 2019-06-20 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 1 | — |
| 2018-07-25 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) | 1 | A swath of large hail, up to 1.5 inches in diameter, was observed from near Darfur, southeast to west of St. James. |
| 2016-07-13 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) | 3 | Some minor crop damage also occurred with wind driven hail. |
Hail days by year
| Year | Hail days | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 9 | 2.50" (tennis ball) |
| 2025 | 2 | 2 | 1.25" (half dollar) |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) |
| 2023 | 2 | 2 | 1.00" (quarter) |
| 2020 | 2 | 4 | 1.25" (half dollar) |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 1.75" (golf ball) |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) |
| 2016 | 1 | 3 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) |
Damaging wind in Watonwan County
Thunderstorm wind of 58 mph or more (the NWS severe threshold), 21 reports since 2016, strongest 78 mph. 4 tornadoes recorded in the county in the same period. Wind and tornado records are included in the extended report.
| Date | Peak gust | Reports | NWS narrative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-06-20 | 78 mph | 1 | St. James regional airport measured a wind gust of 78 mph. A storm survey team from the NWS determined the damage from surrounding areas… |
| 2022-05-30 | 64 mph | 1 | Several trees were blown down in St. James, including some that landed on homes and damaged them. |
| 2022-05-11 | 64 mph | 1 | Numerous large branches were blown down, a few structures were damaged, including a building under construction that had its roof blown o… |
| 2021-08-28 | 64 mph | 2 | There were several trees blown down around the Sveadahl community. |
| 2019-08-17 | 64 mph | 3 | Several power lines were blown down in Madelia, and between St. James and Madelia. |
| 2016-07-13 | 64 mph | 1 | Several large trees and power lines were blown down in the town of St. James. A mobile home was knocked off its foundation near St. James… |
| 2016-06-14 | 64 mph | 3 | A few large trees were blown down in the town of Darfur. |
| 2026-06-30 | 60 mph | 2 | A trained spotter reported multiple 8���10-inch diameter trees blown down or snapped in half in St. James, MN, along with the roof partia… |
Was hail recorded at your Watonwan County address? Check free
Type a street address — or just a ZIP code. We measure it
against every hail event the National Weather Service recorded in the last 10 years and show you
how many fall within 1, 3 and 10 miles — free, instantly, nothing stored. Rural property with no street
address? Enter coordinates as 44.05, -107.31.
Address lookup by the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder. Records: NOAA NCEI Storm Events (final) plus SPC preliminary reports for storms newer than the latest compile — see methodology.
Need it in writing for a claim?
The verification report lists every NWS hail (and, in the extended version, wind and tornado) record within 1, 3 and 10 miles of one address, each linked to its official source, with the disputed date called out in plain English. Adjusters can verify every line.
10-year hail history for one address + the disputed-date finding.
15-year window, wind & tornado records, plus a drafted claim-appeal letter.
Questions
What date did hail last hit Watonwan County?
May 17, 2026, per the NWS Storm Events record. The largest since 2016 was 2.50" (tennis ball) on April 13, 2026.
Does a county record prove hail at my house?
No. NWS records are point and path observations. The absence of a nearby report does NOT prove that no hail fell at this address — it means no observation was logged nearby. A report of nearby hail documents the event; it does not by itself prove damage to a specific structure. The free check above shows what was recorded near your specific address, with distances.
Nearby counties
Martin County, MN (16 mi) · Brown County, MN (22 mi) · Cottonwood County, MN (27 mi) · Blue Earth County, MN (29 mi) · Nicollet County, MN (34 mi) · Jackson County, MN (35 mi) · Redwood County, MN (44 mi) · Sibley County, MN (48 mi)
See also: Minnesota hail history by city · all counties