Hawley, MN Hail Storm – August 2026

A severe hail storm moved through Hawley, Minnesota on August 17, 2026, producing a peak hail size of 2.64 inches and generating multiple NWS alerts across the late afternoon and early evening.

What Happened

The event began in the mid-afternoon and progressed into the early evening, with sequential NWS alerts showing an evolving hail signature. At 3:18 PM CDT radar detected hail around 1.06 inches. A later radar-detected alert at 4:22 PM CDT indicated 1.18-inch hail. The radar-derived signal intensified by 5:04 PM CDT, with a 1.56-inch radar detection coincident with spotter activity in the area. NEXRAD-derived detections persisted into the evening with a 6:32 PM CDT radar alert for 1.25-inch hail. A final NWS warning-only alert issued at 7:01 PM CDT closed the event.

Spotter reports were concentrated near County Roads 137 and 410 in the Hawley area. Observers shared video showing hail to roughly 2 inches at 5:03 PM CDT and reported that stones increased in size as they drove east on County Road 410 at about 5:05 PM CDT. That video and observer statements were logged as spotter-verified, with estimated stones recorded at 2.5 inches. The spotter timeline aligns with the 5:04 PM CDT radar detection, indicating the strongest surface impacts occurred in a narrow corridor through the county road network.

Damage Assessment

Field reports and radar track show the most concentrated surface impacts along County Roads 137 and 410 east of Hawley. The NWS Local Storm Report entries cite video evidence of hail around 2 inches at 5:03 PM CDT and an increase to tennis-ball size as observers moved east at 5:05 PM CDT. Those spotter-verified observations are the primary ground-truth for the event.

Radar-derived hail detections before and after 5:04 PM CDT map a swath that passes over the county road intersection corridor. Public reports and the radar track do not include additional local storm report entries for structural failure or widespread roof loss in the immediate area. Vehicle owners and property managers along County Road 410 reported visible hail accumulation in social media video captured at the time. The concentration of reports and the timing of the radar signature indicate a localized damage footprint rather than a broad, county-wide impact.

Mobile observers described hail increasing in size over a short eastward distance on County Road 410. That pattern suggests a narrow zone of peak updraft-driven hail deposition consistent with the radar-detected swath. Ground images and video supporting the spotter reports are available in the local NWS entries and show accumulation on pavement and in roadside vegetation at the time of the observations.

What Contractors Should Know

Inspect roofs and vehicles first along County Road 410 east of County Road 137. Start with the south- and east-facing slopes on residential roofs, and prioritize asphalt-shingle systems that were exposed during the 5:00–5:10 PM CDT window. Look for circular indentations, granule loss, and bruising on shingle surfaces. Document damage with close photos, a measurable reference (coin or ruler), and a timestamp tied to the inspection log.