Tornadoes and Hail in Minnesota, August 3, 2002

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Minnesota, August 3, 2002
Start: 2002-08-03T14:20
End: 2002-08-03T20:40
Location: Minnesota

August 3, 2002 · NWS MPX · 30 events in 16 counties and zones

17 thunderstorm wind, 11 hail, 2 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: 0
Property damage: $40,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 30

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 3, 2:05 PM CST, 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 3, 2:05 PM CST, 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
305 PM CDT SAT AUG 3 2002

FORECAST CONCERN CONTINUES TO BE FLOODING AND SEVERE WX. CURRENT MCS
STILL PRODUCING SOME HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL NORTH OF THE METRO
AREA AND HINTS OF NEW CELLS DEVELOPING OVER WEST CENTRAL MN.
POTENTIAL SVR CELLS DEVELOPING OVER EASTERN SD IN HOT PROD AND THETA
E AXIS NEAR SFC LOW. THINK POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING DOWN A LITTLE BIT
IN CENTRAL MN BUT FAVORABLE THICKNESS AND CURRENT ACTIVITY FAVORS
EVENING WORDING. AXIS OF POTENTIAL HEAVY RAIN AXIS MAY THEN SHIFT
SOUTH LATER THIS EVENING WITH RENEWED THETA E ADVECTION. PRECIP
WATER VALUES STILL FORECAST OVER 2 INCHES WITH STRONG SUBTROPICAL
FEED. ETA A LITTLE FASTER PUSHING RAIN THROUGH BY SUNDAY MORNING BUT
WILL KEEP CHANCES GOING IN FAR SOUTHERN MN. SVR THREAT MOST LIKELY
IN SW OR WEST CENTRAL BUT WDL PROFILER NOT SHOWING MUCH SPEED SHEAR.
BEST CHANCE FOR A FEW HOURS THIS EVENING AND THEN MORE INTO A HEAVY
RAIN SITUATION.
NO MUCH

.MSP...FLOOD WATCH THIS EVENING CENTRAL AND EC MN
       INCLUDING ILL/STC/CBG/JMR
       MNZ044-045-049>052-057>059

       FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT SW MN INTO WC WISC
       INCLUDING RWF/JYG/MKT/HCD/MSP/RGK/RPD/EAU
       MNZ053-060>063-065>070-073>078-082-083-WIZ014>016-023>028
JPR

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 59 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:18 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 thunderstorm wind, 11 hail, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Anoka

When: August 3, 2:20 PM CST
Where: Anoka County, Oak Grove
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 45.350, -93.333

Trees down, minor structural damage.

Hail, Anoka

When: August 3, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Anoka County, Linwood
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.350, -93.133

Hail, Chisago

When: August 3, 3:02 PM CST
Where: Chisago County, 1 mi S of Wyoming
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.317, -93.000

Hail, Chippewa

When: August 3, 4:23 PM CST
Where: Chippewa County, 2 mi NW of Montevideo
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.967, -95.750

Hail, Chippewa

When: August 3, 4:24 PM CST
Where: Chippewa County, 1 mi S of Montevideo
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.933, -95.717

Hail, Swift

When: August 3, 4:45 PM CST
Where: Swift County, De Graff
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 45.267, -95.483

Thunderstorm Wind, McLeod

When: August 3, 5:00 PM CST
Where: McLeod County, Glencoe
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.767, -94.150

Thirty trees down, including a few on houses and cars.

Hail, McLeod

When: August 3, 5:05 PM CST to 5:10 PM CST
Where: McLeod County, 4 mi N of Brownton
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.783, -94.350

Hail, McLeod

When: August 3, 5:06 PM CST
Where: McLeod County, 1 mi S of Hutchinson
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.867, -94.367

Hail, McLeod

When: August 3, 5:13 PM CST
Where: McLeod County, 5 mi S of Hutchinson
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.817, -94.367

Thunderstorm Wind, McLeod

When: August 3, 5:20 PM CST
Where: McLeod County, 1 mi W of Plato
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: STORM CHASER
Coordinates: 44.767, -94.067

Tractor trailer blown over.

Tornado, Sibley

When: August 3, 5:21 PM CST to 5:23 PM CST
Where: Sibley County, 3 mi NE of Arlington
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Reported by: FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates: 44.633, -94.033

Touched down in open field.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ramsey

When: August 3, 5:30 PM CST
Where: Ramsey County, Mounds View
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 45.117, -93.233

Numerous six to eight inch branches down near Interstate 35W and County Road 10.

Thunderstorm Wind, Anoka

When: August 3, 5:30 PM CST to 5:40 PM CST
Where: Anoka County, Countywide
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 45.283, -93.250

Numerous trees down from Ramsey and Oak Grove to Fridley and Circle Pines.

Thunderstorm Wind, Carver

When: August 3, 5:37 PM CST
Where: Carver County, 2 mi W of Chaska
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.783, -93.633

Hail, Carver

When: August 3, 5:37 PM CST
Where: Carver County, 2 mi W of Young America
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.783, -93.933

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: August 3, 5:45 PM CST
Where: Washington County, 1 mi SW of Forest Lake
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: STORM CHASER
Coordinates: 45.267, -93.000

Tornado, Scott

When: August 3, 5:54 PM CST to 5:56 PM CST
Where: Scott County, 2 mi ESE of Belle Plaine
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.2 mi
Path width: 25 yd
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.617, -93.733

Brief touchdown in open field.

Hail, Scott

When: August 3, 6:14 PM CST
Where: Scott County, 2 mi SW of Prior Lake
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 44.700, -93.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Brown

When: August 3, 6:41 PM CST to 6:45 PM CST
Where: Brown County, Sleepy Eye
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.300, -94.733

Several trees down, including one on roof. Fence knocked down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Scott

When: August 3, 6:50 PM CST
Where: Scott County, 5 mi SW of Lydia
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.600, -93.567

Few trees and power lines down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Nicollet

When: August 3, 6:58 PM CST
Where: Nicollet County, 2 mi E of Lafayette
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 44.450, -94.367

Outbuildings damaged, windows blown in at a house and in a van.

Thunderstorm Wind, Brown

When: August 3, 7:17 PM CST
Where: Brown County, 3 mi SW of Hanska
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.117, -94.550

Several trees down, including one on car. Garage door blown in.

Thunderstorm Wind, Blue Earth

When: August 3, 7:20 PM CST
Where: Blue Earth County, 4 mi N of Mankato
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.217, -94.017

Scattered trees felled.

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Sueur

When: August 3, 7:32 PM CST
Where: Le Sueur County, 4 mi S of Cleveland
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.283, -93.833

Few trees knocked over.

Thunderstorm Wind, Blue Earth

When: August 3, 7:35 PM CST
Where: Blue Earth County, Mankato
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.167, -94.017

Several trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Scott

When: August 3, 7:40 PM CST to 7:45 PM CST
Where: Scott County, 4 mi W of New Prague
Measured: 62 kt (71 mph)
Property damage: $40,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.550, -93.650

Three roofs off houses. Numerous trees down.

Hail, Rice

When: August 3, 8:03 PM CST
Where: Rice County, Lonsdale
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.467, -93.433

Thunderstorm Wind, Rice

When: August 3, 8:24 PM CST
Where: Rice County, 5 mi NE of Faribault
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.350, -93.200

Scattered trees toppled.

Thunderstorm Wind, Steele

When: August 3, 8:40 PM CST
Where: Steele County, Owatonna
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.083, -93.217

Several trees down.

What these are

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.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Minnesota, 2002 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: 5314251, 5314252, 5314253, 5314254, 5314255, 5314256, 5314257, 5314258, 5314259, 5314260, 5314261, 5314262, 5314351, 5314352, 5314353, 5314354, 5314355, 5314368, 5314356, 5314357, 5314358, 5314359, 5314360, 5314361, 5314362, 5314363, 5314364, 5314365, 5314366, 5314367.