Data current as of 2026-10-16 · Sourced from NOAA Storm Events
Over the past five years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recorded 110 hail storms within 25 miles of Buffalo, MN. Of those, 79 produced hail at least quarter-size — the threshold most insurance carriers consider potentially damaging to asphalt shingles. The largest reported hail in this window was baseball-sized or larger, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2025 was the most active year on record locally, with 31 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Buffalo| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | 4 events | Baseball+ size, structural roof damage likely |
| Destructive | 7 events | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 24 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 44 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 30 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Minor | 1 event | Pea-size, unlikely to damage modern shingles |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 15 events |
| 2025 | 31 events |
| 2024 | 11 events |
| 2023 | 30 events |
| 2022 | 23 events |
2025 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Buffalo, with 31 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Buffalo typically peaks in spring and early summer, when the jet stream pushes Gulf moisture into the area and supercell thunderstorms become more frequent.
| Date | Location | Severity | Size | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-23 | 1 WSW Victoria, MN | Minor | 0.25" | mPing report. |
| 2026-06-19 | CORCORAN, MN | Significant | 1.00" | Several reports of a lot of hail up to quarter sized in Corcoran. |
| 2026-06-19 | Hanover, MN | Moderate | 0.88" | — |
| 2026-06-19 | Corcoran, MN | Moderate | 0.88" | — |
| 2026-06-19 | CORCORAN, MN | Moderate | 0.88" | — |
| 2026-06-19 | HANOVER, MN | Moderate | 0.88" | — |
| 2026-06-19 | 1 SE Hanover, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-06-19 | 1 N Corcoran, MN | Significant | 1.00" | Several reports of a lot of hail up to quarter sized in Corcoran. |
| 2026-06-19 | GREENWOOD, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-06-19 | 2 W Maple Grove, MN | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-06-19 | 1 NNE Maple Grove, MN | Moderate | 0.70" | — |
| 2026-06-05 | 5 NNE Maple Lake, MN | Moderate | 0.75" | Report relayed via social media. |
| 2026-06-05 | SILVER CREEK, MN | Moderate | 0.75" | Report of penny size hail provided via social media. |
| 2026-04-23 | BECKER, MN | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2026-04-23 | 2 W Becker, MN | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2025-09-21 | DEEPHAVEN, MN | Destructive | 2.00" | Hail measurement provided via X. |
| 2025-09-21 | DELANO, MN | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2025-08-15 | WACONIA, MN | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2025-08-15 | VICTORIA, MN | Significant | 1.25" | — |
| 2025-08-15 | VICTORIA, MN | Significant | 1.25" | — |
NOAA has recorded 117 high-wind events within 25 miles of Buffalo, MN in the past five years. Of those, 117 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 85 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 41 events |
| Significant | 76 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-19 | SOUTH HAVEN, MN | 58 | Significant | Large tree downed in South Haven due to gust front. Time estimated from radar. |
| 2026-06-19 | LUXEMBURG, MN | 58 | Significant | Delayed photo report showing large ash tree snapped near base. Time estimated from radar. |
| 2026-06-19 | MONTROSE, MN | 58 | Significant | Tall pine tree snapped about halfway up its base due to gust front. |
| 2026-06-19 | CHAMPLIN, MN | 58 | Significant | Photo report of 2 trees downed in Champlin due to gust front. Time estimated from radar. |
| 2026-06-10 | 1 ESE Buffalo, MN | 49 | Significant | AWOS station KCFE Buffalo AP. |
| 2025-08-16 | COKATO, MN | 62 | Significant | — |
| 2025-08-09 | MEDINA, MN | 64 | Severe | Two trees were uprooted near City Hall in Medina. One was 18 inches in diameter and the other was 12 inches in diameter. |
| 2025-07-28 | WINSTED, MN | 69 | Severe | Report of a tree down on house. |
| 2025-07-28 | WACONIA, MN | 60 | Significant | Report of a large tree down at the Carver County Fairgrounds. |
| 2025-07-28 | MAYER, MN | 60 | Significant | Report of a 12-inch diameter tree snapped at the base. A MNDOT RWIS station located one mile to the NE of the storm report site recorded a 60-mph wind gust. |
| 2025-07-28 | HOWARD LAKE, MN | 69 | Severe | Trees down in both Cokato and Howard Lake. |
| 2025-07-28 | ANNANDALE, MN | 69 | Severe | Tree downed by thunderstorm winds. |
| 2025-07-28 | ELK RIVER, MN | 69 | Severe | Ten-inch tree broken by thunderstorm winds. |
| 2025-07-28 | ALBERTVILLE, MN | 69 | Severe | Reports of a tree down between St Michael and Albertville. |
| 2025-07-27 | BUFFALO MUNI ARPT, MN | 61 | Significant | — |
| 2025-07-15 | WACONIA, MN | 60 | Significant | A thunderstorm wind gust knocked a tree down just north of Hwy 5 on the east side of Waconia. |
| 2025-07-15 | MAINE PRAIRIE, MN | 58 | Significant | Multiple large tree branches snapped 4 miles south of Luxemburg. |
| 2025-07-15 | CLEAR LAKE, MN | 64 | Severe | Snapped trees deposited debris on County Rd 16 off Hwy 10. |
| 2025-07-15 | BECKER, MN | 64 | Severe | Report from Sheriffs dispatch of a tree down along a road in Becker Township. |
| 2025-06-28 | LESTER PRAIRIE, MN | 58 | Significant | Thunderstorm wind gust estimated at 58 mph snapped a tree branch that fell onto a house in Lester Prairie. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Buffalo was on June 19, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Buffalo averages roughly 22 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 79 of the 110 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Buffalo in the last five years was baseball-sized or larger. Most Buffalo-area hail falls in the marble-to-quarter range, with destructive storms (egg-size or larger) appearing roughly once every few years.
Most homeowners insurance policies in MN cover hail damage to roofs, siding, and gutters under the dwelling and other-structures coverage. Coverage typically requires the damage to be tied to a verifiable storm date — which is where the NOAA hail history above (and a HAAG-style test square validation) becomes important for the claim file.
Use the HailCheck address search to enter any street address in or near Buffalo. HailCheck returns every NOAA hail event within a configurable radius, along with severity bands, dates, and storm narratives for Pro members.
If your property in or near Buffalo took on hail during one of the storms above, the standard process for documenting damage is a 10×10 foot test square inspection. A HAAG-trained reviewer counts impact indicators — granule displacement, mat fractures, and bruising — within the marked square and produces a PASS or FAIL document for the claim file.
HailCheck offers a $99 photo-based HAAG-style test square validation. You submit photos from the field, our reviewer evaluates the impact indicators and cross-references the NOAA storm dates listed above, and a written PASS/FAIL determination is returned within one business day. We do not send anyone to the roof — the validation is built around the photos you submit.
Learn About $99 HAAG-Style ValidationBuffalo sits east of the traditional hail alley, where hail events are less frequent than the central plains but tend to be associated with strong squall lines and tropical systems. Local roof systems are less commonly hardened for hail, which can mean even moderate impacts produce claim-worthy damage.