Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, April 16, 2002

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, April 16, 2002
Start: 2002-04-16T17:40
End: 2002-04-16T21:10
Location: Minnesota

April 16, 2002 · NWS MPX · 29 events in 17 counties and zones

15 thunderstorm wind, 14 hail, 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: 0
Property damage: $47,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 29

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.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Twin Cities, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 16, 2:00 PM CST, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 16, 2:00 PM CST, 3 hours 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
300 PM CDT TUE APR 16 2002

FORECAST CONCERN STILL CONVECTION INITIATION. AREA 18Z SOUNDINGS
STILL QUITE CAPPED AND LOTS OF CLOUDS STILL MOVING IN. WATER VAPOR
LOOP SHOWING QUITE A MASS OF MOISTURE STILL HEADING THIS WAY.
HOWEVER..FAIRLY WELL DEFINED VORT HEADING OUT OF EASTERN
COLORADO..AND THIS SHOULD BE ENOUGH FORCING ALONG WITH JET TO GET
THINGS GOING AT LEAST OUT WEST THIS EVENING...AND THEN POSSIBLY
LATER EAST. STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY IN SVR CHANCES DUE TO CAP AND
BEST THETA E ADVECTION PUSHED OFF TO NORTHEAST. ALSO DONT LIKE
THICKNESS PATTERN FOR ORGANIZED SEVERE..WITH ANY HINT OF DIFLUENT
PATTERN FAR NORTH MN AND POSSIBLY EASTERN NEB INTO EASTERN KANSAS
THIS EVENING.  WILL KEEP MENTION OF SEVERE GOING DUE TO DECENT
DYNAMICS AND JET MOVING IN.

FRONT SHOULD PICK UP SPEED AND SURGE THROUGH AFTER MIDNIGHT IN
EASTERN AREAS. ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO WED NIGHT AND THURSDAY WITH
NEW LOW FORMING AND THETA-E ADVECTION RETURNING. WILL KEEP WITH
FAIRLY HIGH POPS WED NIGHT..BUT SEEMS LIKE SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH
FAIRLY QUICKLY....AND CHANCY POPS LEFT AS FRONT MOVES THROUGH.

COOLING TREND BACK TO NEAR NORMAL FOR WEEKEND INTO EARY NEXT WEEK
WITH NEG 500 MB HEIGHT ANAMOLY SETTLING IN OVER PLAINS.

.MSP...WIND ADVISORY THIS EVENING MN CWA.
JPR

The radar

The Aberdeen radar (KABR), 174 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:42 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 thunderstorm wind, 14 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Stevens

When: April 16, 5:40 PM CST
Where: Stevens County, Chokio
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 45.583, -96.183

Hail, Yellow Medicine

When: April 16, 5:45 PM CST
Where: Yellow Medicine County, Canby
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.700, -96.267

Hail, Lac Qui Parle

When: April 16, 6:20 PM CST
Where: Lac Qui Parle County, Dawson
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 44.933, -96.067

Hail, Yellow Medicine

When: April 16, 6:55 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Yellow Medicine County, 9 mi NW of Granite Falls
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 44.917, -95.683

Hail, Chippewa

When: April 16, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Chippewa County, 1 mi N of Wegdahl
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 44.900, -95.650

Ground white.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pope

When: April 16, 7:10 PM CST
Where: Pope County, 3 mi W of Gilchrist
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 45.467, -95.417

Shingles torn off residential roof. Two trees down.

Hail, Swift

When: April 16, 7:10 PM CST
Where: Swift County, Clontarf
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 45.383, -96.683

Thunderstorm Wind, Swift

When: April 16, 7:15 PM CST
Where: Swift County, 1 mi NW of Swift Falls
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 45.417, -95.450

Roof off barn.

Hail, Chippewa

When: April 16, 7:20 PM CST
Where: Chippewa County, Clara City
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 44.950, -95.367

Thunderstorm Wind, Redwood

When: April 16, 7:40 PM CST
Where: Redwood County, 6 mi SE of Clements
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 44.317, -94.967

Shingles off roof.

Thunderstorm Wind, Brown

When: April 16, 7:40 PM CST
Where: Brown County, 2 mi N of Springfield
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 44.283, -94.967

Shingles off roof.

Thunderstorm Wind, Martin

When: April 16, 7:45 PM CST
Where: Martin County, Dunnell
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 43.567, -94.783

Shingles off roof. Large tree limbs down.

Hail, Todd

When: April 16, 7:55 PM CST to 8:05 PM CST
Where: Todd County, 7 mi SSW of Staples
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 46.250, -94.833

Hail, Kandiyohi

When: April 16, 7:55 PM CST
Where: Kandiyohi County, Willmar
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 45.133, -95.050

Thunderstorm Wind, Stearns

When: April 16, 7:55 PM CST
Where: Stearns County, Sauk Centre
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 45.733, -94.967

Numerous trees down in Sinclair Lewis Park.

Hail, Morrison

When: April 16, 8:00 PM CST
Where: Morrison County, 2 mi N of Camp Ripley
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.183, -94.350

Hail, Renville

When: April 16, 8:05 PM CST
Where: Renville County, 2 mi W of Hector
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.750, -94.750

Thunderstorm Wind, Faribault

When: April 16, 8:05 PM CST
Where: Faribault County, Blue Earth
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 43.633, -94.100

Tree down on car.

Hail, Stearns

When: April 16, 8:15 PM CST
Where: Stearns County, 2 mi E of Paynesville
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.383, -94.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Stearns

When: April 16, 8:30 PM CST
Where: Stearns County, Brooten
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 45.500, -95.117

Trees down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Stearns

When: April 16, 8:38 PM CST
Where: Stearns County, St Cloud
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates: 45.567, -94.167

Wind measured at St. Cloud State University.

Thunderstorm Wind, Morrison

When: April 16, 8:40 PM CST
Where: Morrison County, 5 mi NNW of Camp Ripley Jct
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.150, -94.367

Two trees down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: April 16, 8:45 PM CST
Where: Benton County, Sartell
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 45.617, -94.200

Roof of paper mill blown 100 feet away.

Thunderstorm Wind, Stearns

When: April 16, 8:45 PM CST
Where: Stearns County, St Martin
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 45.500, -94.683

Trees down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: April 16, 8:46 PM CST
Where: Benton County, 3 mi E of Sauk Rapids
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage: $17,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 45.600, -94.100

Roof partially ripped off and blown 100 feet away.

Thunderstorm Wind, Morrison

When: April 16, 8:48 PM CST
Where: Morrison County, 3 mi SW of Randall
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 46.067, -94.550

Roof partially off pole barn.

Hail, Stearns

When: April 16, 8:50 PM CST
Where: Stearns County, 4 mi N of Fairhaven
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.367, -94.217

Hail, Wright

When: April 16, 8:58 PM CST
Where: Wright County, 5 mi S of Clearwater
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 45.350, -94.050

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: April 16, 9:10 PM CST
Where: Benton County, 1 mi N of Duelm
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 45.600, -93.950

Tree down.

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 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, April 2002

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: 5287591, 5287593, 5287594, 5287595, 5287596, 5287592, 5287597, 5287598, 5287599, 5287600, 5292838, 5292839, 5292840, 5292841, 5292842, 5292843, 5292844, 5292845, 5292846, 5292847, 5292848, 5292849, 5292850, 5292851, 5292852, 5292853, 5292854, 5292855, 5292856.