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 75 hail storms within 25 miles of Duluth, MN. Of those, 49 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 egg-sized, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2026 was the most active year on record locally, with 25 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Duluth| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Destructive | 5 events | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 7 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 37 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 22 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Minor | 4 events | Pea-size, unlikely to damage modern shingles |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 25 events |
| 2025 | 9 events |
| 2024 | 5 events |
| 2023 | 21 events |
| 2022 | 15 events |
2026 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Duluth, with 25 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Duluth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-27 | Knife River, MN | Moderate | 0.50" | — |
| 2026-06-29 | Wrenshall, MN | Significant | 1.00" | Photo sent in via social media showing the largest hailstone next to a quarter. Also two other smaller hailstones in the picture. |
| 2026-06-29 | 5 NW French River, MN | Moderate | 0.50" | Report from mPING Half-inch. |
| 2026-05-24 | 3 E Rice Lake, MN | Moderate | 0.70" | Started with a light rain and thunder. Then it hailed for about 5 minutes. No wind. Hail was dime sized. |
| 2026-05-19 | 3 NNW Rice Lake, MN | Minor | 0.25" | — |
| 2026-04-17 | 2 NE Munger, MN | Moderate | 0.50" | Report from mPING. |
| 2026-04-17 | 2 NE Munger, MN | Significant | 1.25" | Mostly pea size but a few one inch to one and a quarter inch found about 45 minutes after the storm passed. |
| 2026-04-17 | NWS Duluth, MN | Moderate | 0.50" | Hail was clear. A couple measured at half-inch diameter with several smaller. |
| 2026-04-17 | SIMAR, MN | Significant | 1.25" | Hail was mostly pea size but a few stones one inch to one and a quarter inches were found about 45 minutes after the storm passed. |
| 2026-04-17 | FOUR CORNERS, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-04-17 | 1 E Esko, MN | Moderate | 0.50" | — |
| 2026-04-17 | 3 W South Range, WI | Moderate | 0.50" | Largest hail measured was 0.6 inches in size. Hail was falling for 5 minutes. |
| 2026-04-17 | 4 NNW Hermantown, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-04-17 | ITASCA, WI | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-04-14 | 1 N Knife River, MN | Minor | 0.25" | — |
| 2026-04-12 | 5 E Shaw, MN | Significant | 1.00" | Reported via SpotterNetwork. |
| 2026-04-12 | 9 NNE Island Lake, MN | Moderate | 0.50" | Time estimated from radar. |
| 2026-04-12 | SHAW, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-03-11 | 7 E Superior, WI | Severe | 1.70" | — |
| 2026-03-10 | NWS Duluth, MN | Destructive | 2.20" | — |
NOAA has recorded 51 high-wind events within 25 miles of Duluth, MN in the past five years. Of those, 50 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 70 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 5 events |
| Significant | 45 events |
| Moderate | 1 event |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-25 | 1 ESE Duluth, MN | 45 | Moderate | Buoy station DULM5 Duluth Harbor. |
| 2026-07-17 | 2 SW Twig, MN | 58 | Significant | Personal Weather Station on eastern shore of Grand Lake. |
| 2026-06-30 | ISLAND LAKE, MN | 58 | Significant | A photo was received of aspen trees on a road. |
| 2026-04-17 | DULUTH HGTS, MN | 58 | Significant | A photo was received via social media showing three 5 inch diameter softwood trees broken a few feet up the trunks. |
| 2025-06-21 | (DLH)DULUTH INTL ARP, MN | 58 | Significant | A tree fell on a powerline and briefly started a grass fire that was put out by rain. |
| 2025-06-21 | ELDES CORNER, MN | 58 | Significant | A 30 foot section of a white pine tree fell and caused damage to a duck enclosure. No duck injuries were reported. |
| 2025-06-21 | CLOVERLAND, WI | 58 | Significant | A couple of trees were downed in the storm. |
| 2024-07-31 | IVERSON, MN | 58 | Significant | A tree fell onto a parked car just west of the Black Bear Casino. |
| 2024-07-31 | SUPERIOR, WI | 58 | Significant | An 18 to 24 inch diameter silver maple tree was snapped about 8 feet up in front of the old library. |
| 2024-07-31 | HUNTERS PARK, MN | 63 | Significant | A roof was blown off of an addition to a home near Northwoods County Club. |
| 2024-07-31 | WRENSHALL, MN | 58 | Significant | A tree was reported down near the Wrenshall city hall. |
| 2024-06-05 | SOUTH SUPERIOR, WI | 58 | Significant | A photo was received showing an uprooted tree about 2 feet in diameter on the ground in the Village of Superior near highways 105 and 35. |
| 2024-06-05 | CLOQUET, MN | 58 | Significant | A large, healthy tee was down on the north side of Cloquet onto a fence causing damage to the fence. |
| 2024-05-10 | TWIG, MN | 58 | Significant | A large red pine tree was downed onto a house. |
| 2024-05-10 | ADOLPH, MN | 58 | Significant | A tree was reported down at Gypsy Creek Farm. |
| 2024-05-10 | EAST END, WI | 58 | Significant | Thunderstorm winds blew over a 40 pound deck chair with a steel base and downed branches around 1.5 inches in diameter. |
| 2024-05-10 | BARTLETT, MN | 58 | Significant | A tree was downed across Munger Shaw Road. |
| 2023-08-25 | ESKO, MN | 69 | Severe | Tree debris was partially blocking the Esko exit off Interstate 35. Additionally, two larger trees about 12 inches in diameter were down nearby. |
| 2023-08-16 | SOUTH SUPERIOR, WI | 58 | Significant | Trees and fence panels were blown down. |
| 2023-08-16 | SUNNYSIDE, WI | 69 | Severe | A 12 to 13 inch tree was snapped at the base by the storm. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Duluth was on June 29, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Duluth averages roughly 15 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 49 of the 75 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Duluth in the last five years was egg-sized. Most Duluth-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 Duluth. 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 Duluth 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 ValidationDuluth 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.