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 100 hail storms within 25 miles of Owatonna, MN. Of those, 90 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 46 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Owatonna| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | 7 events | Baseball+ size, structural roof damage likely |
| Destructive | 11 events | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 22 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 50 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 8 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Minor | 2 events | Pea-size, unlikely to damage modern shingles |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 46 events |
| 2025 | 12 events |
| 2024 | 13 events |
| 2023 | 19 events |
| 2022 | 10 events |
2026 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Owatonna, with 46 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Owatonna 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 | 1 W Hayfield, MN | Severe | 1.75" | — |
| 2026-04-17 | HAYFIELD, MN | Significant | 1.00" | Emergency management reported quarter sized hail 1 mile northeast of Hayfield. |
| 2026-04-17 | HAYFIELD, MN | Severe | 1.75" | Emergency management reported golf ball sized hail 1 mile west of Hayfield. |
| 2026-04-17 | Hayfield, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-04-17 | Hayfield, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-04-17 | Hayfield, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 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 | Kasson, MN | Moderate | 0.88" | — |
| 2026-04-17 | Mantorville, MN | Minor | 0.25" | — |
| 2026-04-17 | KASSON, MN | Significant | 1.00" | Emergency management reported quarter sized hail 1 mile south of Kasson. |
| 2026-04-17 | Kasson, MN | Minor | 0.25" | — |
| 2026-04-17 | 1 S Kasson, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 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" | — |
| 2026-04-14 | 1 W Claremont, MN | Moderate | 0.50" | — |
| 2026-04-14 | 4 E Owatonna, MN | Destructive | 2.00" | Time estimated from radar. |
NOAA has recorded 59 high-wind events within 25 miles of Owatonna, MN in the past five years. Of those, 59 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 85 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 25 events |
| Significant | 34 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-20 | 3 S Hope, MN | 52 | Significant | Mesonet station MN096 I-35 - Hope - Mp 30. |
| 2026-07-20 | 3 NNW Owatonna, MN | 51 | Significant | AWOS station KOWA Owatonna AP. |
| 2026-04-14 | Dodge Center, MN | 55 | Significant | — |
| 2025-07-28 | HAYFIELD, MN | 69 | Severe | The public reported numerous soft and hardwood trees down near Blooming Prairie. |
| 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. |
| 2025-07-02 | KASSON, MN | 69 | Severe | Dodge County emergency management reported numerous large tree branches snapped and large trees uprooted in Kasson. Some minor structure damage to homes along with downed power lines was also reported from resulting tree damage. |
| 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. |
| 2024-08-05 | WASECA MUNI ARPT, MN | 85 | Severe | Photos submitted of damage of a destroyed grain bin and crop damage. |
| 2024-08-05 | MANTORVILLE, MN | 69 | Severe | The public reported a powerline blown down in Mantorville. |
| 2024-08-05 | DODGE CENTER, MN | 58 | Significant | The public reported a 58 mph wind gust south of Dodge Center. |
| 2024-07-13 | WASECA, MN | 64 | Severe | About two dozen trees were downed on the west side of Watkins Lake. They were all knocked down toward the west-northwest. Trained spotters never reported a tornado with this highly visible storm. Discussion with local residents also took place and led to the conclusion that this was microburst damage. |
| 2024-07-13 | WASECA, MN | 60 | Significant | Six to eight trees down in the southeast bay of Watkins Lake. They were downed toward the west-northwest, which along with another report from the west side of Watkins Lake, is consistent with this having been due to a microburst. |
| 2024-07-13 | DODGE CENTER, MN | 69 | Severe | Local officials reported power poles down near Dodge Center. |
| 2024-06-22 | NEW RICHLAND, MN | 60 | Significant | There were photos of large tree branches down across town and several trees snapped near their base. Some branches were down on homes and power lines were down. Time was estimated via radar. |
| 2024-06-17 | NEW RICHLAND, MN | 60 | Significant | Several trees were downed, including one across a railroad track. |
| 2024-06-17 | DODGE CENTER ARPT, MN | 61 | Significant | The AWOS at Dodge Center Airport (KTOB) reported a 61 mph wind gust. |
| 2024-06-02 | KENYON, MN | 64 | Severe | Several 14 to 24 inch diameter trees were downed. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Owatonna was on April 17, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Owatonna averages roughly 20 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 90 of the 100 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Owatonna in the last five years was baseball-sized or larger. Most Owatonna-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 Owatonna. 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 Owatonna 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 ValidationOwatonna 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.