Hail history for Cottonwood County, Minnesota
Every NOAA hail report filed in Cottonwood County since 1956, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Cottonwood County
- Last hail
- Apr 13, 2026
- 1.25 in, half dollar size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 11
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 23 reports
- Largest ever
- 3.00 in
- teacup · Jul 4, 1961
144 reports on 82 days since 1956 · #50 of 88 Minnesota counties
Hail map · Cottonwood County
- Under 1 in
- 1–1.75 in
- 1.75–2.5 in
- 2.5–4 in
- 4 in +
- No size
For homeowners
Roof damage after hail? Get a free inspection
Hail bruises shingles and cracks seals in ways you can't see from the ground, and most insurers set a claim deadline after the storm. The latest hail report in Cottonwood County is from April 13, 2026. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about Cottonwood County
The latest hail report in Cottonwood County is from April 13, 2026, 1.25 in (half dollar size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 11 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.00 in on April 13, 2026.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Cottonwood County logged 73 reports on 37 hail days, about 3.6 reports a year. That is about the same as the median Minnesota county (3.9 a year) and ranks #50 of 88 Minnesota counties for all-time reports. Cottonwood County holds 1% of all 15,925 hail reports in Minnesota.
8% 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 3.00 in (teacup) on July 4, 1961.
Reports were down 30% in 2016–2025 (30) compared with 2006–2015 (43). The busiest year was 2013, with 24 reports on 5 days. Hail here peaks in May (26% of reports); 62% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Cottonwood County 3.6
- Median Minnesota county 3.9
Hail days 2006–2025
- Cottonwood County 37
- Median Minnesota county 42
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Cottonwood County 8%
- Median Minnesota county 7%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||||
| 2025 | 3 | 3 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2024 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||
| 2022 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2017 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2026 | 9 | 2.00 in | — |
| Sep 21, 2025 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| Sep 16, 2025 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| Apr 28, 2025 | 3 | 1.00 in | — |
| Oct 24, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Aug 11, 2023 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| Jul 22, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Aug 18, 2022 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| Jul 5, 2022 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| Jun 13, 2022 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 28, 2022 | 1 | 1.25 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 4, 1961 | 3.00 inteacup | — | 21:00 local · NCEI |
| May 29, 1980 | 2.75 inbaseball | — | 14:45 local · NCEI |
| Jul 21, 1979 | 2.75 inbaseball | — | 21:44 local · NCEI |
| Jul 20, 1979 | 2.50 intennis ball | — | 18:30 local · NCEI |
| Apr 13, 2026 | 2.00 inhen egg | 1.64 WNW Mountain Lake | 17:40 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 55 38%
- 1–2 in 78 54%
- 2 in + 11 8%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2026 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | Windom | 17:50 local · NCEI |
| Apr 13, 2026 | 1.75 ingolf ball | Mountain Lake | 17:46 local · NCEI |
| Apr 13, 2026 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 0.69 S Windom | 17:45 local · NCEI |
| Apr 13, 2026 | 2.00 inhen egg | 1.64 WNW Mountain Lake | 17:40 local · NCEI |
| Apr 13, 2026 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 2.87 SE Delft | 17:31 local · NCEI |
| Apr 13, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.85 NE Delft | 17:22 local · NCEI |
| Apr 13, 2026 | 2.00 inhen egg | 0.69 N Windom Muni Arpt | 17:21 local · NCEI |
| Apr 13, 2026 | 2.00 inhen egg | 2.42 NW Windom | 17:20 local · NCEI |
| Apr 13, 2026 | 2.00 inhen egg | 3.06 WNW Windom Muni Arpt | 17:15 local · NCEI |
| Sep 21, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.38 S Windom Muni Arpt | 20:53 local · NCEI |
| Sep 21, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.69 N Windom | 20:47 local · NCEI |
| Sep 16, 2025 | 0.88 innickel | 6.39 NNW Mountain Lake | 18:26 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Cottonwood County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Windom | 39 | 2.75 in |
| Mountain Lake | 15 | 2.00 in |
| Jeffers | 14 | 1.75 in |
| Westbrook | 10 | 1.75 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bingham Lake | 6 | 6 | Apr 13, 2026 |
| Storden | 6 | 6 | Aug 11, 2023 |
Questions about hail in Cottonwood County
How often does it hail in Cottonwood County, Minnesota?
144 hail reports have been logged in Cottonwood County since 1956. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 3.6 reports a year. That ranks #50 of 88 Minnesota counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Cottonwood County?
Most reports come in May, July, June. May alone accounts for 26% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Cottonwood County?
3.00 in (teacup size) on July 4, 1961. 8% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Cottonwood County?
The most recent report in this data is from April 13, 2026 (1.25 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Cottonwood County had in the last five years?
11 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 23 reports. The most recent was April 13, 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.