Hail, Martin
- When
- May 21, 1:30 AM CST
- Where
- Martin County, Countywide
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.667, -94.567
Dime to quarter sized hail was reported in scattered locations. The time was estimated.
Hail in Minnesota, May 21, 2004
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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 May 20, 2:10 PM CST, 11 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 20, 2:10 PM CST, 11 hours 20 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 310 PM CDT THU MAY 20 2004 .DISCUSSION... NO MATTER WHICH MODEL YOU VIEW...THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF MOISTURE INFLUX OVER THE NEXT 18 HOURS...AND WITH THIS...STRONG LIFT. A PARTICULARLY DRAMATIC DISPLAY IS VIEWED ON THE ETA (305K) THETA SURFACE. IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...THE MIXING RATIO INCREASED FROM 2 GM/KG TO 8 GM/KG. ALL THIS SUGGESTS AN ALL DAY RAIN WITH SOME THUNDER MIXED IN AS K INDICES SURGE INTO THE 30S ON FRIDAY. THE MAIN FEATURE THAT APPEARS TO BE DRIVING ALL THIS IS DRAMATIC RIGHT REAR QUAD DIVERGENCE ASSOCIATED WITH A STRENGTHENING JET STREAK THAT ENDS UP WITH PEAK WINDS OF 130 KTS BY 12Z FRIDAY WITH ALONG STREAM SHEAR OF 60 KTS INTO THE MPX CWA. THE DIVERGENCE DIFFERENCE (30H-70H FROM ETA) UNDERSCORES ALL THIS LIFT. WITH SURFACE LOW PRESSURE REMAINING SOUTHWEST OF OUR AREA...TOGETHER WITH SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT...MORE PRECIPITATION CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND...HOWEVER...IT IS NOT LIKELY TO BE AS DRAMATIC AS THE PRECIPITATION EVENT ON FRIDAY. LONGER TERM...GFS HAS REASONABLE CONTINUITY THRU ABT 120 HOURS AND THEN HUGE SWINGS IN HEIGHT FIELDS AND THUS CORRESPONDING SURFACE FEATURES AND PRECIP OUTPUT. SUCCESSIVE RUNS OF GFS 500 MB HEIGHTS HAS VARIATIONS OF 300 TO 400 METERS THUS NOT MUCH CONFIDENCE IN WHEN FLOW ALOFT WILL BEGIN TO TRANSITION FROM THE WET SWLY FLOW TO A DRIER W OR NW FLOW. SO NOT MUCH CHANGE MADE TO GRIDS BEYOND 5 DAYS. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...NONE. WI...NONE. && /BAP NOTE...EFFECTIVE 1200 UTC JUNE 8TH THE AWIPS PRODUCT IDENTIFIER /PID/ FOR THE AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION ISSUED BY WFO TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN WILL CHANGE FROM AFDMSP TO AFDMPX. THE WMO CODE WILL REMAIN FXUS63 KMPX.
Hazardous weather outlook, May 20, 4:50 AM CST, 20 hours 40 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 550 AM CDT THU MAY 20 2004 MNZ076>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ024>028-211044- BLUE EARTH-CHIPPEWA-DUNN-EAU CLAIRE-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-GOODHUE- LE SUEUR-MARTIN-PEPIN-PIERCE-RICE-STEELE-WASECA-WATONWAN- 550 AM CDT THU MAY 20 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST THROUGH THE AREA THIS MORNING. THE FRONT WILL STALL OVER IOWA AND SOUTHERN WISCONSIN THIS EVENING...AND BEGIN TO LIFT BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES TOWARD THE AREA OUT OF THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP IN THE EVENING OVER NEBRASKA AND SOUTHERN SOUTH DAKOTA. THIS PRECIPITATION WILL MOVE INTO SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA AFTER MIDNIGHT. A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...AND TORRENTIAL RAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ACTIVE WEATHER FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY AS THE PRECIPITATION CONTINUES TO DEVELOP AND INTENSIFY OVER SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN THROUGH THE DAY. WITH DEEP MOISTURE IN PLACE...MECHANISMS WILL BE PLACE FOR HEAVY RAIN PRODUCTION FROM SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA INTO WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...WITH TOTAL AMOUNTS UP TO 2.5 INCHES POSSIBLE BY THE TIME THE RAIN ENDS FRIDAY EVENING. THIS COULD LEAD TO FLOODING PROBLEMS GIVEN RECENT HEAVY RAINS. IN ADDITION...STORMS ON FRIDAY COULD POSE A DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL THREAT. ANOTHER EPISODE OF HEAVY RAIN SEEMS PROBABLE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING...AS ANOTHER DISTURBANCE INTERACTS WITH THE NEARBY STALLED FRONT...AND VERY AMPLE MOISTURE. ANOTHER INCH OR TWO OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE...WHICH WOULD ONLY EXACERBATE ANY WATER PROBLEMS. BETWEEN THE TWO HEAVY RAIN EPISODES FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...A NARROW BAND OF 3 OR 4 INCHES OF RAIN WOULD NOT BE OUT OF THE QUESTION FROM MANKATO...TO RED WING...TO EAU CLAIRE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. MNZ051>070-073>075-WIZ014>016-023-211044- ANOKA-BARRON-BROWN-CARVER-CHIPPEWA-CHISAGO-DAKOTA-HENNEPIN-ISANTI- KANDIYOHI-LAC QUI PARLE-MCLEOD-MEEKER-NICOLLET-POLK-RAMSEY-REDWOOD- RENVILLE-RUSK-SCOTT-SHERBURNE-SIBLEY-ST CROIX-SWIFT-WASHINGTON- WRIGHT-YELLOW MEDICINE- 550 AM CDT THU MAY 20 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL... CENTRAL...AND EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP TOWARD SUNRISE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...AND MOVE NORTHEAST THROUGH THE DAY ACROSS THE AREA...AS A WARM FRONT OVER IOWA BEGINS TO LIFT NORTH. WITH DEEP MOISTURE IN PLACE ALONG THE FRONT...MECHANISMS WILL BE PLACE FOR HEAVY RAIN PRODUCTION FROM CENTRAL MINNESOTA INTO WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...WITH TOTAL AMOUNTS FROM 1 TO 2 INCHES POSSIBLE BY THE TIME THE RAIN ENDS FRIDAY EVENING. THIS COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING PROBLEMS GIVEN RECENT HEAVY RAINS. IN ADDITION... STORMS ON FRIDAY COULD POSE A DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL THREAT... ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON. ANOTHER EPISODE OF HEAVY RAIN SEEMS POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING...AS ANOTHER DISTURBANCE INTERACTS WITH THE NEARBY STALLED FRONT...AND VERY AMPLE MOISTURE. ANOTHER INCH OR TWO OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE...WHICH WOULD ONLY EXACERBATE ANY WATER PROBLEMS. BETWEEN THE TWO HEAVY RAIN EPISODES FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...AN AREA OF 2 TO 3 INCH RAIN ACCUMULATION WOULD NOT BE OUT OF THE QUESTION FROM MONTEVIDEO...TO THE TWIN CITIES...TO RICE LAKE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. MNZ041>045-047>050-211044- BENTON-DOUGLAS-KANABEC-MILLE LACS-MORRISON-POPE-STEARNS-STEVENS-TODD- 550 AM CDT THU MAY 20 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP TOWARD SUNRISE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...AND MOVE NORTHEAST THROUGH THE DAY ACROSS THE AREA...AS A WARM FRONT OVER IOWA BEGINS TO LIFT NORTH. WITH DEEP MOISTURE IN PLACE ALONG AND NORTH OF THE FRONT...MECHANISMS WILL BE PLACE FOR HEAVY RAIN PRODUCTION FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA. TOTAL AMOUNTS FROM 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE BY THE TIME THE RAIN ENDS FRIDAY EVENING. IN ADDITION...STORMS ON FRIDAY COULD POSE A DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL THREAT...ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON. ANOTHER EPISODE OF HEAVY RAIN SEEMS POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING...AS ANOTHER DISTURBANCE INTERACTS WITH THE NEARBY STALLED FRONT...AND VERY AMPLE MOISTURE. ANOTHER INCH OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE. BETWEEN THE TWO HEAVY RAIN EPISODES FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...AN AREA OF 1.5 TO 2.5 INCH RAIN ACCUMULATION WOULD NOT BE OUT OF THE QUESTION FROM GLENWOOD TO MORA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. BINAU
The radar
The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 154 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:29 UTC.
Event by event
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- 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
- Damaging Winds in Michigan, May 21, 2004
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, May 21 to 22, 2004
- Tornado in Iowa, May 21, 2004
- Flooding in Michigan, May 21 to 23, 2004
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Ohio, May 21, 2004
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Ohio, May 21 to 22, 2004
- Tornado and Hail in Ohio, May 21, 2004
- Flash Flooding in Ohio, May 21, 2004
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Ohio, May 21, 2004
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, May 21, 2004
- Flooding in Ohio, May 21 to 24, 2004
- Flood and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, May 21, 2004
More
Every storm in Minnesota in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, May 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: 5395563.