Hail history for Benton County, Minnesota
Every NOAA hail report filed in Benton County since 1956, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Benton County
- Last hail
- Oct 28, 2026
- 0.70 in, marble size · preliminary
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 7
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 13 reports
- Largest ever
- 3.50 in
- teacup · Jul 1, 2011
110 reports on 64 days since 1956 · #71 of 88 Minnesota counties
Hail map · Benton County
- Under 1 in
- 1–1.75 in
- 1.75–2.5 in
- 2.5–4 in
- 4 in +
- No size
For homeowners
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What the record says about Benton County
The latest hail report in Benton County is from October 28, 2026, 0.70 in (marble size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 7 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.00 in on May 12, 2022.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Benton County logged 58 reports on 28 hail days, about 2.9 reports a year. That is 25% less than the median Minnesota county (3.9 a year) and ranks #71 of 88 Minnesota counties for all-time reports. Benton County holds 1% of all 15,925 hail reports in Minnesota.
14% of reports with a size were 2 inches (hen egg) or larger, against 7% for the median Minnesota county. The largest hail on record here is 3.50 in (teacup) on July 1, 2011 near 0.76 SSW North Benton.
Reports were down 55% in 2016–2025 (18) compared with 2006–2015 (40). The busiest year was 2011, with 12 reports on 3 days. Hail here peaks in July (24% of reports); 45% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Benton County 2.9
- Median Minnesota county 3.9
Hail days 2006–2025
- Benton County 28
- Median Minnesota county 42
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Benton County 14%
- Median Minnesota county 7%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | |||||||||
| 2025 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2023 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | 5 | 2 | 7 | ||||||||||
| 2021 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2011 | 3.50 inteacup | 0.76 SSW North Benton | — | 16:45 local · NCEI |
| Aug 27, 1990 | 3.00 inteacup | — | — | 20:37 local · NCEI |
| Aug 27, 1990 | 3.00 inteacup | — | — | 20:16 local · NCEI |
| Aug 2, 1965 | 3.00 inteacup | — | — | 19:00 local · NCEI |
| Aug 28, 2021 | 2.50 intennis ball | 3.56 SW Popple Creek | $250K | 11:00 local · NCEI |
Sizes filed before 1996 are often rough estimates (round numbers like 7.00 or 8.00 in) without an exact spot; they are shown as NOAA filed them.
Size of every report
- Under 1 in 33 30%
- 1–2 in 61 55%
- 2 in + 16 15%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 28, 2026 | 0.70 inmarble | 2 E Sauk Rapids | 21:00 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Oct 28, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | Sartell | 20:48 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Aug 7, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 3 E St. Cloud | 16:01 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Aug 7, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 1 NE St. Cloud | 15:55 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Jul 4, 2026 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 2.13 SSE Sauk Rapids | 16:09 local · NCEI |
| Jun 12, 2024 | 0.75 inpenny | 4.15 S Popple Creek | 19:30 local · NCEI |
| Jun 24, 2022 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.97 E Sauk Rapids | 01:30 local · NCEI |
| Jun 24, 2022 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.48 W Sauk Rapids | 01:30 local · NCEI |
| May 12, 2022 | 1.00 inquarter | 3.57 NW Duelm | 10:37 local · NCEI |
| May 12, 2022 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 1.19 SE Foley | 06:33 local · NCEI |
| May 12, 2022 | 2.00 inhen egg | 1.19 SE Foley | 06:28 local · NCEI |
| May 12, 2022 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 3.57 NW Duelm | 06:22 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Benton County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | 24 | 3.00 in |
| Sauk Rapids | 16 | 2.50 in |
| Foley | 14 | 3.00 in |
| Gilman | 11 | 3.50 in |
Smaller places with fewer than 10 reports
These places have too few reports for a page of their own, so their record lives here.
| Place | Reports | Hail days | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ronneby | 5 | 2 | May 10, 2011 |
Questions about hail in Benton County
How often does it hail in Benton County, Minnesota?
110 hail reports have been logged in Benton County since 1956. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 2.9 reports a year. That ranks #71 of 88 Minnesota counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Benton County?
Most reports come in July, May, August. July alone accounts for 24% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Benton County?
3.50 in (teacup size) on July 1, 2011 near 0.76 SSW North Benton. 15% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Benton County?
The most recent report in this data is from October 28, 2026 (0.70 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Benton County had in the last five years?
7 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 13 reports. The most recent was October 28, 2026.
Where does this hail data come from?
Hail reports come from the NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, which the National Weather Service compiles from spotter, public, law enforcement and media reports. Recent days use preliminary NWS Local Storm Reports via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet until NOAA publishes final data. Only reported hail is counted, so areas with fewer people tend to have fewer reports.