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 49 hail storms within 25 miles of Willmar, MN. Of those, 45 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. 2022 was the most active year on record locally, with 15 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Willmar| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | 4 events | Baseball+ size, structural roof damage likely |
| Destructive | 8 events | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 12 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 21 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 4 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 13 events |
| 2025 | 3 events |
| 2024 | 12 events |
| 2023 | 6 events |
| 2022 | 15 events |
2022 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Willmar, with 15 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Willmar 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-21 | 5 SE Paynesville, MN | Severe | 1.75" | Photo of measured hail on social media. Time estimated based on radar. |
| 2026-08-07 | 4 E New London, MN | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 2026-08-07 | 3 SW Paynesville, MN | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-06-23 | CORVUSO, MN | Destructive | 2.00" | Photo measurement of spikey 2-inch diameter hail 2 miles east of Cosmos. |
| 2026-06-23 | 2 E Cosmos, MN | Destructive | 2.00" | Report relayed via social media with a picture. |
| 2026-06-23 | Willmar, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-06-23 | WILLMAR, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-06-23 | 6 NNW Cosmos, MN | Destructive | 2.50" | — |
| 2026-06-23 | ROSENDALE, MN | Destructive | 2.50" | — |
| 2026-06-23 | 7 NNW Cosmos, MN | Severe | 1.75" | Spotter reported everything from half dollar to golf ball sized hail along the county line. |
| 2026-06-23 | ROSENDALE, MN | Severe | 1.75" | A storm spotter located on the Kandiyohi/Meeker County line measured half-dollar (1.25 inches) to golf ball size (1.75 inches) hail 2 miles SW of Rosendale. |
| 2026-05-26 | PRINSBURG, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-05-26 | 1 W Prinsburg, MN | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 2025-06-20 | CLARA CITY, MN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2025-06-02 | OLIVIA, MN | Significant | 1.25" | Half dollar sized hail near CR11 north of Olivia. |
| 2025-06-02 | OLIVIA, MN | Significant | 1.25" | — |
| 2024-09-21 | DANUBE, MN | Severe | 1.75" | Lots of different sized hail was reported, up to golf ball. |
| 2024-09-21 | RENVILLE, MN | Significant | 1.00" | Report from Mping. |
| 2024-08-03 | CORVUSO, MN | Significant | 1.00" | Report provided via spotter network of quarter size hail. |
| 2024-08-03 | COSMOS, MN | Severe | 1.75" | — |
NOAA has recorded 70 high-wind events within 25 miles of Willmar, MN in the past five years. Of those, 69 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 90 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 40 events |
| Significant | 29 events |
| Moderate | 1 event |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-10 | 2 WNW Olivia, MN | 44 | Moderate | AWOS station KOVL Olivia AP. |
| 2026-06-10 | ATWATER, MN | 58 | Significant | Roof partially blown off an apartment building in Atwater. |
| 2025-08-16 | WILLMAR, MN | 60 | Significant | There were multiple reports of tree damage in the city of Willmar. |
| 2025-07-28 | COSMOS, MN | 62 | Significant | Tree down in Cosmos. |
| 2025-07-28 | LAKE LILLIAN, MN | 64 | Severe | Trees down in Lake Lillian and Prinsburg. |
| 2025-07-28 | NEW LONDON, MN | 59 | Significant | Thunderstorm wind gusts downed a tree in New London. |
| 2025-07-28 | PAYNESVILLE ARPT, MN | 64 | Severe | Photos provided via social media of multiple trees down with trunks split at base. |
| 2025-07-27 | SUNBURG, MN | 74 | Severe | Strong thunderstorm wind gusts caused grain bins to buckle near Sunburg. |
| 2025-07-27 | SWIFT FALLS, MN | 71 | Severe | Measured by a MNDOT road weather station. It mainly recorded gusts near 59 mph between 15:25 and 15:55, but measured a 71 mph gust between 15:30 and 15:35. |
| 2025-06-28 | RENVILLE, MN | 70 | Severe | Storm chaser reported numerous trees down in Renville. |
| 2025-06-28 | MURDOCK, MN | 60 | Significant | Sherriff Dispatch reported tree damage 1 mile S of Murdock. |
| 2025-06-28 | SPICER, MN | 60 | Significant | A thunderstorm wind gust estimated at 60 mph downed two trees in Dovre Township. |
| 2025-06-28 | LAKE LILLIAN, MN | 60 | Significant | Downed tree reported in Big Kandiyohi Lake County Park East. |
| 2025-06-02 | PRINSBURG, MN | 64 | Severe | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 65 mph damaged a metal outbuilding near Prinsburg. |
| 2025-06-02 | ROSELAND, MN | 58 | Significant | Thunderstorm winds downed power lines near Roseland. |
| 2025-06-02 | OLIVIA MUNI ARPT, MN | 64 | Severe | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 65 mph downed a few trees and flipped over a semi on HWY 71 just north of Olivia, MN. |
| 2025-06-02 | COSMOS, MN | 60 | Significant | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 mph downed powerlines 4 miles north of Cosmos. |
| 2025-06-02 | SWIFT FALLS, MN | 78 | Severe | Thunderstorm wind gust of 78 mph measured by MNDOT RWIS along Hwy 9. |
| 2025-06-02 | ATWATER, MN | 60 | Significant | Multiple downed trees on a property west of Lake Elizabeth. |
| 2024-08-29 | WILLMAR, MN | 60 | Significant | Large branches were down on the southwest side of Willmar. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Willmar was on August 21, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Willmar averages roughly 10 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 45 of the 49 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Willmar in the last five years was baseball-sized or larger. Most Willmar-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 Willmar. 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 Willmar 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 ValidationWillmar 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.