Angle Inlet, MN Hail Storm – July 2026

A hail-producing storm tracked through Angle Inlet, Minnesota on July 6, 2026, producing 2.63-inch stones and generating 34 NWS alerts from mid-afternoon into late evening.

What Happened

The event began in the early afternoon with an NWS warning-only alert at 2:19 PM CDT for 1.0-inch hail. Dual-polarization radar detections appeared by mid-afternoon and kept producing successive hail signatures across the Angle Inlet area through the evening. Notable radar-detected hail reports include an increase in echo intensity in the late afternoon and repeated detections around 5:08–5:11 PM CDT when radar indicated near-2.0-inch signatures, followed by additional radar-detected pulses between early evening and late night.

Two spotters submitted photographic reports estimated at 1.5 inches at 6:05 PM CDT; both entries note the time was estimated via radar and size was judged from images. Later in the night, two mPING reports at 9:33 PM CDT recorded dime-sized hail. The sequence shows alternating periods of stronger radar-indicated hail signatures and spotter submissions that documented surface impacts at specific times and locations within the NWS warning area.

Damage Assessment

Field reports for this event centered on two photographic submissions at 6:05 PM CDT and two mPING observations at 9:33 PM CDT. The photo-based submissions noted hail smaller than a golf ball but large enough for spotters to estimate at 1.5 inches. The later mPING entries identified dime-size stones. Radar detections during the same windows show larger signatures in places where no spotter photos were submitted.

Damage reports tied directly to submitted images are limited to the locations where those photos were taken. Those images supported the 1.5-inch size estimates but did not include broad-area damage summaries. The mix of photographic and mPING reports, combined with multiple dual-polarization radar detections and the 34 NWS alerts, indicates a variable surface impact pattern across the storm track. Inspectors should expect locations with photographic evidence to be the likeliest spots for observable hail marks and to find smaller, non-damaging impacts at sites corresponding to the dime-size reports.

What Contractors Should Know

Begin inspections at the coordinates and properties where spotters submitted photographs at 6:05 PM CDT. Those submissions are the primary ground-truth for this event and should be treated as first-priority for on-site verification. Document all findings with time-stamped photos and GPS coordinates that can be matched to the spotter timestamps.

Expect a mixed distribution of hail sizes along the storm path. Use the radar-detected sequence to guide routing — radar signatures peaked in the late afternoon and reappeared in the early evening and near 10 PM. Prioritize roofs, siding, and vehicles at addresses closest to the photographic submissions, then expand outward to locations intersecting the stronger radar signatures. Record discrepancies between visible surface evidence and the radar-indicated hail signatures.