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 114 hail storms within 25 miles of Northfield, MN. Of those, 103 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. 2026 was the most active year on record locally, with 43 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Northfield| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | 7 events | Baseball+ size, structural roof damage likely |
| Destructive | 8 events | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 27 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 61 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 11 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 43 events |
| 2025 | 9 events |
| 2024 | 13 events |
| 2023 | 28 events |
| 2022 | 21 events |
2026 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Northfield, with 43 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Northfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-17 | KILKENNY, MN | Significant | 1.00" | Report received via NWS Chat. |
| 2026-04-17 | Kilkenny, MN | Significant | 1.00" | Delayed report. Confirmed by Emergency Management. |
| 2026-04-17 | CANNON CITY, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-04-17 | 4 NE Faribault, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-04-17 | CANNON FALLS, MN | Significant | 1.00" | Hail measurement provided via NWS Chat. |
| 2026-04-17 | 1 S Cannon Falls, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-04-17 | 2 SSW Cannon Falls, MN | Significant | 1.00" | Hail measurement photo provided via NWSChat. Time estimated via radar. |
| 2026-04-17 | CANNON FALLS, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-04-17 | HASTINGS, MN | Moderate | 0.88" | Photo measurement provided via Facebook. |
| 2026-04-17 | Hastings, MN | Moderate | 0.88" | Measurement provided via Facebook. Time estimated via radar. |
| 2026-04-14 | 1 N Owatonna, MN | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 2026-04-14 | 6 SE Morristown, MN | Catastrophic | 3.00" | Photo with measured hail. |
| 2026-04-14 | 5 W West Concord, MN | Severe | 1.50" | — |
| 2026-04-13 | 2 W Dennison, MN | Severe | 1.75" | Reported relayed via Slack. |
| 2026-04-13 | FARIBAULT, MN | Destructive | 2.00" | — |
| 2026-04-13 | MERIDEN, MN | Catastrophic | 3.00" | — |
| 2026-04-13 | 2 NE Dennison, MN | Severe | 1.50" | — |
| 2026-04-13 | OWATONNA, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-04-13 | DENNISON, MN | Catastrophic | 3.30" | — |
| 2026-04-13 | CANNON CITY, MN | Catastrophic | 3.00" | — |
NOAA has recorded 51 high-wind events within 25 miles of Northfield, MN in the past five years. Of those, 51 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 79 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 16 events |
| Significant | 35 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-20 | 3 NNW Owatonna, MN | 51 | Significant | AWOS station KOWA Owatonna AP. |
| 2025-07-28 | MONTGOMERY, MN | 69 | Severe | Large healthy pine tree snapped about 15 feet above ground, with its top resting on a house. This was near the intersection of 3rd Street NE and Linden Avenue. Large limbs snapped nearby. |
| 2025-07-28 | OWATONNA ARPT, MN | 70 | Severe | — |
| 2025-07-28 | FARIBAULT ARPT, MN | 58 | Significant | A three inch diameter tree was reported down near the airport. |
| 2025-07-28 | ST BENEDICT, MN | 61 | Significant | Measured by Scott County mesonet near St. Benedict. |
| 2025-07-28 | PRIOR LAKE, MN | 63 | Significant | Large tree down 2 miles west of Prior Lake in the Spring Lake Estates neighborhood. |
| 2025-07-28 | PRIOR LAKE, MN | 61 | Significant | Tree down across Cassandra St in Prior Lake. |
| 2025-07-28 | CREDIT RIVER, MN | 64 | Severe | Measured at CR27 and Longview two miles southwest of Credit River. |
| 2025-07-28 | SAVAGE, MN | 62 | Significant | — |
| 2025-07-28 | ROSEMOUNT, MN | 62 | Significant | Report of downed power lines near Highway 3 in Rosemount. |
| 2025-07-28 | CANNON FALLS, MN | 58 | Significant | Trees down across Goodhue County, including the town of Cannon Falls. A MNDOT RWIS station located seven miles SSE of Cannon Falls measured a 58-mph wind gust. |
| 2025-04-28 | KENYON, MN | 75 | Severe | Photos of roof damage to large commercial warehouse in Kenyon. |
| 2025-04-17 | FARIBAULT, MN | 58 | Significant | Large tree branch snapped on the southern side of the Faribault Golf Course. |
| 2024-08-29 | FARIBAULT, MN | 60 | Significant | Multiple large trees down with some landing on power lines and resulting in power outages across north Faribault. |
| 2024-08-29 | EAGAN, MN | 60 | Significant | Photo provided via social media of snapped maple tree. |
| 2024-08-29 | EAGAN, MN | 64 | Severe | Photo provided via social media of significant tree damage near Jefferson Trail NW and South Robert Trail in Eagan. |
| 2024-08-27 | EAGAN, MN | 58 | Significant | Large uprooted oak tree reported on social media. |
| 2024-08-27 | EAGAN, MN | 58 | Significant | Time estimated from radar. Delayed report of several large tree branches down, power lines also down. |
| 2024-08-27 | PRIOR LAKE, MN | 58 | Significant | Large tree branches were down. |
| 2024-08-27 | ROSEMOUNT, MN | 58 | Significant | Numerous trees down, including one on a house and one on a truck. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Northfield was on April 17, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Northfield averages roughly 23 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 103 of the 114 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Northfield in the last five years was baseball-sized or larger. Most Northfield-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 Northfield. 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 Northfield 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 ValidationNorthfield 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.