Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, August 11 to 12, 2002

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, August 11 to 12, 2002
Start: 2002-08-11T22:30
End: 2002-08-12T01:25
Location: Minnesota

August 11 to 12, 2002 · NWS MPX · 16 events in 10 counties and zones

10 thunderstorm wind, 6 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: $217,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 16

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 Aug 11, 8:05 PM CST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 11, 8:05 PM CST, 2 hours 25 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
905 PM CDT SUN AUG 11 2002

RADAR AND SATELLITE TRENDS INDICATED THAT THE CONVECTION OVER THE
EASTERN DAKOTAS AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA IS STAYING CLOSE TO THE 850
MB THETA E RIDGE. EXPECT THIS WILL REMAIN THE CASE OVERNIGHT BASED
ON THE FORECAST THICKNESS PATTERN. THE FORECAST THICKNESS SIGNATURE
CONTINUES TO FEATURE A FAIRLY SHARP RIDGE WITH DIFLUENCE RIGHT ALONG
THE AXIS. THE MESO ETA MODEL PROJECTS THIS AXIS FROM MILLE LACS
LAKE TO ST CLOUD TO LITCHFIELD TO MORTON AT 4 AM...THEN FROM NEW
RICHMOND...WI TO FARIBAULT TO BLUE EARTH AT 7 AM. CURRENT TRENDS
ALSO SUGGEST THE CONVECTION IS SEPARATING INTO TWO AREAS...ONE IN
SOUTH DAKOTA AND THE OTHER IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. THE AREA IN
EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA IS THE CONCERN FOR OUR COUNTY WARNING AREA
OVERNIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING. THIS AREA APPEARS CORRELATED WITH THE
RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF THE UPPER LEVEL JET. SUSTAINED LIFT WITH
THIS ENTRANCE REGION IS FORECAST WITH THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT.
THIS LIFT MAY EVEN BE ENHANCED WITH THE MODELS SUGGESTING AN
INCREASING 850 MB SOUTHERLY JET...AROUND 40 KNOTS...OVERNIGHT. THIS
SCENARIO SOMETIMES FAVORS ELEVATED NOCTURNAL LIFT AND VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL. AT THIS TIME...CONTINUING TO MONITOR THE SOUTH DAKOTA
CONVECTION FOR POSSIBLE SURGE IN THE LINE AND POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING
WINDS OR HAIL.

.MSP...NONE.
 WH

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 11, 5:50 PM CST, 4 hours 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
650 PM CDT SUN AUG 11 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0450 PM    1 E HAUGEN                WI   .75 INCH HAIL
08/11/02   BARRON                         REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

0525 PM    12 N BRUCE                WI   WIND DAMAGE
08/11/02   RUSK                           FEW TREES DOWN.
                                          REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

0545 PM    5 N HAWKINS               WI   WIND DAMAGE
08/11/02   RUSK                           FEW TREES DOWN.
                                          REPORTED BY FIRE AND
                                          RESCUE.

Local storm report, Aug 11, 6:47 PM CST, 3 hours 43 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
747 PM CDT SUN AUG 11 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0710 PM    3 N BRUCE                 WI   .75 INCH HAIL
08/11/02   RUSK                           REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

0715 PM    5 N STANLEY               WI   .75 INCH HAIL
08/11/02   CHIPPEWA                       REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

The radar

The Aberdeen radar (KABR), 188 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:28 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Stevens

When: August 11, 10:30 PM CST
Where: Stevens County, Donnelly
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates: 45.700, -96.017

Thunderstorm Wind, Stevens

When: August 11, 10:30 PM CST
Where: Stevens County, Donnelly
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates: 45.700, -96.017

About 25 trees downed.

Hail, Yellow Medicine

When: August 11, 10:55 PM CST
Where: Yellow Medicine County, Echo
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: MARINER
Coordinates: 44.617, -95.417

Hail, Douglas

When: August 11, 11:02 PM CST
Where: Douglas County, Brandon
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 45.967, -95.600

Thunderstorm Wind, Watonwan

When: August 11, 11:30 PM CST
Where: Watonwan County, St James
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage: $75,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 43.983, -94.633

Garage complex at apartment building partially collapsed; four cars damaged. Roof came off a home that was under construction. Numerous trees down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Martin

When: August 11, 11:47 PM CST
Where: Martin County, Truman
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.833, -94.433

Tree toppled.

Thunderstorm Wind, Martin

When: August 11, 11:55 PM CST
Where: Martin County, Fairmont Arpt
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.650, -94.433

Thunderstorm Wind, Stearns

When: August 12, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Stearns County, St Joseph
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Property damage: $60,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 45.567, -94.333

Steel barn blown apart; some metal found 1/2 mile away.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sherburne

When: August 12, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Sherburne County, Elk River
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 45.300, -93.583

Roof partially removed from apartment building.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sherburne

When: August 12, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Sherburne County, Becker
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage: $7,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 45.417, -93.900

Roof partially peeled off business.

Thunderstorm Wind, Isanti

When: August 12, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Isanti County, Stanchfield
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 45.683, -93.183

Roof blown off portion of church.

Thunderstorm Wind, Stearns

When: August 12, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Stearns County, 4 mi SW of Rockville
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph)
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 45.433, -94.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Stearns

When: August 12, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Stearns County, 4 mi N of Sartell
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 45.667, -94.200

Several trees felled.

Hail, Anoka

When: August 12, 1:09 AM CST
Where: Anoka County, Hilltop
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 45.083, -93.250

Hail, Ramsey

When: August 12, 1:15 AM CST
Where: Ramsey County, New Brighton
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 45.067, -93.200

Hail, Anoka

When: August 12, 1:25 AM CST
Where: Anoka County, Circle Pines
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.150, -93.167

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, August 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: 5313947, 5313948, 5313949, 5313950, 5313951, 5313952, 5313953, 5313954, 5313955, 5313956, 5314034, 5314035, 5314036, 5314037, 5314038, 5314039.