Tornadoes and Hail in Minnesota, April 21, 1985

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Minnesota, April 21, 1985
Start: 1985-04-21T11:44
End: 1985-04-21T22:00
Location: Minnesota

April 21, 1985 · NWS AT · 45 events in 26 counties and zones

22 thunderstorm wind, 13 hail, 10 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: $4.0 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 45

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

22 thunderstorm wind, 13 hail, 10 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Hubbard

When: April 21, 11:44 AM CST
Where: Hubbard County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.920, -95.070

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilkin

When: April 21, 2:31 PM CST
Where: Wilkin County
Coordinates: 46.430, -96.580

Hail, Norman

When: April 21, 2:32 PM CST
Where: Norman County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 47.300, -96.520

Hail, Becker

When: April 21, 4:20 PM CST
Where: Becker County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 46.820, -95.830

Hail, Meeker

When: April 21, 4:55 PM CST
Where: Meeker County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 44.930, -94.620

Hail, Wright

When: April 21, 5:50 PM CST
Where: Wright County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 45.270, -94.130

Hail, Otter Tail

When: April 21, 5:50 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.600, -95.570

Hail, Beltrami

When: April 21, 6:14 PM CST
Where: Beltrami County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 47.680, -94.630

Thunderstorm Wind, Beltrami

When: April 21, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Beltrami County
Coordinates: 47.870, -94.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Koochiching

When: April 21, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Koochiching County
Coordinates: 48.270, -93.830

Tornado, Murray

When: April 21, 6:37 PM CST
Where: Murray County
Rating: F0
Path length: 6 mi
Path width: 80 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 43.970, -95.770

Tornado, Murray

When: April 21, 6:45 PM CST
Where: Murray County
Rating: F1
Path length: 5 mi
Path width: 80 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 44.050, -95.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Koochiching

When: April 21, 6:50 PM CST
Where: Koochiching County
Coordinates: 47.870, -94.280

Thunderstorm Wind, Nobles

When: April 21, 6:51 PM CST
Where: Nobles County
Coordinates: 43.620, -95.600

Tornado, Murray

When: April 21, 6:53 PM CST
Where: Murray County
Rating: F1
Path length: 2 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 44.180, -95.820

Tornado, Lyon

When: April 21, 6:57 PM CST
Where: Lyon County
Rating: F1
Path length: 5 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 44.200, -95.770

Tornado, Murray

When: April 21, 6:58 PM CST
Where: Murray County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 3 yd
Coordinates: 44.150, -95.570

Tornado, Redwood

When: April 21, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Redwood County
Rating: F1
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 44.480, -95.030

Tornado, Lyon

When: April 21, 7:08 PM CST
Where: Lyon County
Rating: F1
Path length: 3.5 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 44.230, -95.630

Tornado, Redwood

When: April 21, 7:15 PM CST
Where: Redwood County
Rating: F1
Path length: 4 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 44.270, -95.600

Hail, Wadena

When: April 21, 7:17 PM CST
Where: Wadena County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.450, -95.130

Hail, Itasca

When: April 21, 7:30 PM CST
Where: Itasca County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 47.750, -94.280

Hail, Itasca

When: April 21, 7:30 PM CST
Where: Itasca County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 47.500, -93.700

Hail, Koochiching

When: April 21, 7:35 PM CST
Where: Koochiching County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 48.400, -93.550

Tornado, Renville

When: April 21, 7:40 PM CST
Where: Renville County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 3 yd
Coordinates: 44.530, -94.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Renville

When: April 21, 7:45 PM CST
Where: Renville County
Coordinates: 44.770, -94.880

Thunderstorm Wind, Redwood

When: April 21, 7:48 PM CST
Where: Redwood County
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 44.550, -95.080

Tornado, Kandiyohi

When: April 21, 8:00 PM CST
Where: Kandiyohi County
Rating: F1
Path length: 3 mi
Path width: 70 yd
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 45.100, -95.050

Thunderstorm Wind, Kandiyohi

When: April 21, 8:12 PM CST
Where: Kandiyohi County
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 45.350, -94.850

Hail, Koochiching

When: April 21, 8:15 PM CST
Where: Koochiching County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 48.420, -93.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Itasca

When: April 21, 8:30 PM CST
Where: Itasca County
Coordinates: 47.620, -93.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Meeker

When: April 21, 8:38 PM CST
Where: Meeker County
Coordinates: 45.130, -94.520

Thunderstorm Wind, Crow Wing

When: April 21, 8:45 PM CST
Where: Crow Wing County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 46.170, -94.200

Thunderstorm Wind, Sherburne

When: April 21, 8:45 PM CST
Where: Sherburne County
Coordinates: 45.530, -94.050

Thunderstorm Wind, Carver

When: April 21, 8:50 PM CST
Where: Carver County
Coordinates: 44.880, -93.870

Thunderstorm Wind, Sherburne

When: April 21, 8:50 PM CST
Where: Sherburne County
Coordinates: 45.300, -93.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Stearns

When: April 21, 8:50 PM CST
Where: Stearns County
Measured: 68 kt (78 mph)
Coordinates: 45.550, -94.070

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: April 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Benton County
Coordinates: 45.630, -93.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Koochiching

When: April 21, 9:30 PM CST
Where: Koochiching County
Coordinates: 47.870, -94.280

Hail, Morrison

When: April 21, 9:35 PM CST
Where: Morrison County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.000, -93.880

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: April 21, 9:40 PM CST
Where: Benton County
Coordinates: 45.750, -94.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Kanabec

When: April 21, 9:40 PM CST
Where: Kanabec County
Coordinates: 45.830, -93.420

Thunderstorm Wind, Pine

When: April 21, 9:50 PM CST
Where: Pine County
Coordinates: 45.830, -92.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Chisago

When: April 21, 9:50 PM CST
Where: Chisago County
Coordinates: 45.550, -92.950

Thunderstorm Wind, Kanabec

When: April 21, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Kanabec County
Coordinates: 45.830, -93.420

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Minnesota in 1985 Every state in 1985 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Minnesota, 1985

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10051077, 10051078, 10051079, 10051080, 10051081, 10051082, 10051083, 10051084, 10051085, 10051086, 10051087, 10051088, 10051089, 10051090, 10051091, 10051092, 10047770, 10047771, 10047983, 10047984, 10047985, 10047986, 10047987, 10047988, 10047989, 10047990, 10047991, 10047992, 10047993, 10047994, 10047995, 10047996, 10047997, 10047998, 10047999, 10048000, 10048001, 10048002, 10048003, 10048004, and more.