Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, July 21, 2004

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, July 21, 2004
Start: 2004-07-21T16:30
End: 2004-07-21T23:15
Location: Minnesota

July 21, 2004 · NWS MPX · 11 events in 7 counties and zones

10 thunderstorm wind, 1 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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 Jul 21, 2:15 PM CST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 2:15 PM CST, 2 hours 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
315 PM CDT WED JUL 21 2004

.DISCUSSION...
CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN ND APPEARS TO BE
ASSOCIATED WITH ZONE OF LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE. NOT REALLY CONFIDENT
OF LATEST RUC SOLUTION...BUT CAN VISUALIZE THE CLUSTER EXPANDING
SOUTHEAST ON INFLOW SIDE OF COMPLEX AS CIN WEAKENS RAPIDLY THIS
AFTERNOON.  OVER REST OF CWA HAVE GONE WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS
THIS EVENING AS LOW CIN HIGH SFC BASED CAPE ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE
FOR CONVECTION...BUT LACK OF DECENT BOUNDARIES SUGGEST LACK OF
ORGANIZED CONVECTION...AND THE CONVECTION MAY BE VERY DIURNAL IN
NATURE.

AFTER TONIGHT FORECAST SIMPLIFIES AS BOTH 12Z ETA AND 12Z GFS
SIMILAR IN USHERING IN COOLER DRIER AIR WHICH LAST THROUGH THE BULK
OF THE SHORT TERM (THROUGH SATURDAY). NO MAJOR CHANGES FROM
PREVIOUS GRIDS IN THE THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

LONGER TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
ENSEMBLE 850 MB TEMP ANOMS STILL SUGGEST SLIGHTLY COOLER THAN NORMAL
TEMPS INTO MONDAY..THEN SURFACE RIDGE STARTS TO SLIP EAST. 12Z UKMET
CONSISTENT WITH 00Z GFS FORMING AN UPPER LOW OVER THE HIGH PLAINS
AND MIGRATING IT EAST TOWARD MN BY TUESDAY. ENSEMBLE PRECIP PROBS
INCREASE A BIT BY WED OVER AREA BUT WILL HOLD OFF FOR NOW AND WAIT
FOR LATER RUNS.

&&

MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...NONE.
WI...NONE.

&&

RJN/JPR

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 21, 1:17 PM CST, 3 hours 13 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
217 PM CDT WED JUL 21 2004

MNZ041-042-047>049-054>058-064-065-073-221100-
CHIPPEWA-DOUGLAS-KANDIYOHI-LAC QUI PARLE-MEEKER-POPE-REDWOOD-
RENVILLE-STEARNS-STEVENS-SWIFT-TODD-YELLOW MEDICINE-
217 PM CDT WED JUL 21 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WEST
CENTRAL MINNESOTA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA FROM SOUTH DAKOTA
THIS AFTERNOON...AHEAD OF A COOL FRONT. A FEW OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL BEFORE
DIMINISHING OR ENDING BY SUNSET.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND
EARLY EVENING.

MNZ078-WIZ015-016-023>028-221100-
BARRON-CHIPPEWA-DUNN-EAU CLAIRE-GOODHUE-PEPIN-PIERCE-RUSK-ST CROIX-
217 PM CDT WED JUL 21 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL
WISCONSIN AND A SMALL PART OF EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS INDICATED A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP ALONG A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH MOVING
THROUGH THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL
WOULD BE THE MAIN THREAT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON.

MNZ043>045-050>053-059>063-066>070-074>077-082>085-091>093-WIZ014-
221100-
ANOKA-BENTON-BLUE EARTH-BROWN-CARVER-CHISAGO-DAKOTA-FARIBAULT-
FREEBORN-HENNEPIN-ISANTI-KANABEC-LE SUEUR-MARTIN-MCLEOD-MILLE LACS-
MORRISON-NICOLLET-POLK-RAMSEY-RICE-SCOTT-SHERBURNE-SIBLEY-STEELE-
WASECA-WASHINGTON-WATONWAN-WRIGHT-
217 PM CDT WED JUL 21 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL
AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND A SMALL PART OF WEST CENTRAL
WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON
OR TONIGHT.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 21, 11:40 AM CST, 4 hours 50 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1240 PM CDT WED JUL 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1040 PM     HAIL             BOYD                    44.85N 95.90W
07/20/2004  0.75 INCH        LAC QUI PARLE      MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

1215 AM     TSTM WND DMG     NEW SWEDEN              44.47N 94.21W
07/21/2004                   SIBLEY             MN   PUBLIC

            MEDIUM SIZED TREES DOWN

1245 AM     HAIL             3 W LAMBERTON           44.23N 95.32W
07/21/2004  0.75 INCH        REDWOOD            MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0230 AM     TSTM WND DMG     MAIDEN ROCK             44.57N 92.31W
07/21/2004                   PIERCE             WI   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            LARGE BRANCHES DOWN, SOME ON TELEPHONE LINES.

&&

BVS

Local storm report, Jul 21, 12:13 PM CST, 4 hours 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
113 PM CDT WED JUL 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0220 AM     TSTM WND DMG     ZUMBROTA                44.29N 92.67W
07/21/2004                   GOODHUE            MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            LARGE TREE DOWN ACROSS 5TH STREET. 12 INCHES IN DIAMETER

&&

BVS

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 141 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:28 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Morrison

When: July 21, 4:30 PM CST
Where: Morrison County, Little Falls
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 45.983, -94.367

A tree was downed between two homes on 7th Street SE.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kandiyohi

When: July 21, 5:51 PM CST
Where: Kandiyohi County, Willmar
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 45.133, -95.050

A measured wind gust of 64 MPH was reported by the media. Branches were downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Renville

When: July 21, 5:55 PM CST
Where: Renville County, 3 mi NE of Sacred Heart
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 44.817, -95.300

Six inch diameter branches were downed in Ericson Township.

Thunderstorm Wind, Yellow Medicine

When: July 21, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Yellow Medicine County, Granite Falls
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.817, -95.550

Large trees were downed onto Highway 212.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sherburne

When: July 21, 6:20 PM CST
Where: Sherburne County, Clear Lake
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 45.450, -94.000

A shed was blown 150 feet away from its foundation.

Thunderstorm Wind, Renville

When: July 21, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Renville County, Franklin
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 44.533, -94.883

Branches were blown off trees in the rural Franklin area.

Thunderstorm Wind, Renville

When: July 21, 6:50 PM CST
Where: Renville County, 5 mi N of Fairfax
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 44.600, -94.717

Large branches were downed onto a highway and corn was flattened.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sherburne

When: July 21, 6:55 PM CST
Where: Sherburne County, 5 mi N of Elk River
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.367, -93.583

Four 2 foot diameter oak trees were downed.

Hail, Sibley

When: July 21, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Sibley County, Gibbon
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 44.533, -94.517

Corn was stripped by hail.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sibley

When: July 21, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Sibley County, Gibbon
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 44.533, -94.517

Tree tops and branches were downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Nicollet

When: July 21, 11:15 PM CST
Where: Nicollet County, New Sweden
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 44.400, -94.200

Trees were downed.

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Minnesota in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, July 2004

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: 5414501, 5414502, 5414503, 5414579, 5414580, 5414581, 5414582, 5414583, 5414584, 5414585, 5414586.