Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, May 23, 1994

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, May 23, 1994
Start: 1994-05-23T10:08
End: 1994-05-23T23:55
Location: Minnesota

May 23, 1994 · 21 events in 17 counties and zones

11 hail, 10 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 21 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $100
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 21

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

11 hail, 10 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Freeborn

When: May 23, 10:08 AM CST
Where: Freeborn County, Albert Lea
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $50
Coordinates: 43.674, -93.349 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A severe thunderstorm dumped dime-size hail across much of southern Freeborn County.

Hail, Freeborn

When: May 23, 10:14 AM CST
Where: Freeborn County, Albert Lea
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $50
Coordinates: 43.674, -93.349 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A severe thunderstorm dumped dime-size hail across much of southern Freeborn County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Norman

When: May 23, 4:15 PM CST
Where: Norman County, Ada and Gary
Coordinates: 47.327, -96.455 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong thunderstorm winds blew down several trees and power lines and damaged a number of grain bins on a number of local farmsteads.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mahnomen

When: May 23, 4:30 PM CST
Where: Mahnomen County, Mahnomen
Coordinates: 47.325, -95.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong thunderstorm winds downed several large trees and power lines and tore shingles from many roofs of buildings in the Mahnomen area.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clearwater

When: May 23, 5:25 PM CST to 6:15 PM CST
Where: Clearwater County, Minerva Lakes to And Alida
Coordinates: 47.578, -95.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Otter Tail

When: May 23, 5:35 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, Pelican Rapids
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Hubbard

When: May 23, 5:55 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where: Hubbard County, Laporte
Coordinates: 47.109, -94.917 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several hundred trees were blown down by strong thunderstorm downburst winds as the storms traveled across southern Clearwater, southern Beltrami and northern Hubbard County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Beltrami

When: May 23, 5:55 PM CST to 6:15 PM CST
Where: Beltrami County, Bemidji
Coordinates: 47.974, -94.938 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Otter Tail

When: May 23, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County, Phelps to to Phelps
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Traverse

When: May 23, 6:45 PM CST
Where: Traverse County, Browns Valley
Coordinates: 45.772, -96.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

,,,,,,,,Hail (0.75)

Thunderstorm Wind, Big Stone

When: May 23, 7:25 PM CST to 7:35 PM CST
Where: Big Stone County, Ortonville
Coordinates: 45.426, -96.411 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong thunderstorm winds and large damaged cars and buildings in and around the Ortonville and Odessa areas.

Hail, Big Stone

When: May 23, 7:35 PM CST
Where: Big Stone County, Odessa
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 45.426, -96.411 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong thunderstorm winds and large damaged cars and buildings in and around the Ortonville and Odessa areas.

Hail, Lac Qui Parle

When: May 23, 8:10 PM CST
Where: Lac Qui Parle County, Madison to Bellingham
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 44.996, -96.173 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Swift

When: May 23, 8:14 PM CST
Where: Swift County, Benson
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 45.283, -95.681 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Yellow Medicine

When: May 23, 8:50 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Yellow Medicine County, Clarksfield to To Clarksfield
Coordinates: 44.716, -95.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong thunderstorm winds blew down a few trees and power lines.

Thunderstorm Wind, Renville

When: May 23, 9:25 PM CST
Where: Renville County, Danube to Sacred Heart
Coordinates: 44.727, -94.947 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong thunderstorm winds blew down two barns and several trees and power lines near Sacred Heart and Danube.

Hail, Redwood

When: May 23, 9:40 PM CST
Where: Redwood County to Vesta
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 44.404, -95.254 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Brown

When: May 23, 10:45 PM CST
Where: Brown County, Springfield
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 44.242, -94.727 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm winds blew down several large trees in the city of New Ulm. Hail and strong winds damaged several hundred acres of crops in the Springfield area.

Thunderstorm Wind, Brown

When: May 23, 10:45 PM CST
Where: Brown County, New Ulm
Coordinates: 44.242, -94.727 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm winds blew down several large trees in the city of New Ulm. Hail and strong winds damaged several hundred acres of crops in the Springfield area.

Hail, Watonwan

When: May 23, 10:50 PM CST
Where: Watonwan County, Madelia
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 43.978, -94.614 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Faribault

When: May 23, 11:55 PM CST
Where: Faribault County, Kiester
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 43.674, -93.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Minnesota in 1994 Every state in 1994 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, May 1994

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: 10331236, 10331237, 10330741, 10331382, 10329277, 10330836, 10331272, 10331652, 10330837, 10330775, 10331659, 10331660, 10331347, 10330763, 10331043, 10331114, 10331027, 10331699, 10331700, 10330945, 10331222.