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Hail in Cook County, Minnesota
25 hail events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Hail.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
NCEI records 25 hail events in Cook County, Minnesota, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 16 years.
July is the busiest month, with 6 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 16 events against 7 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.2% of the 15,756 hail events recorded in Minnesota; its 1.7 per 100 square miles compares with 19.8 statewide.
2 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 3.00 inches (tea cup size).
Compared with Minnesota
| Measure | Cook County | Minnesota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 25 | 15,756 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 1.7 | 19.8 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 44.5 | 27.6 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| Busiest month | July | June | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
1May
4Jun
5Jul
6Aug
6Sep
2Oct
1Nov
0Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
NWS hail-size descriptors
- under 1 in
- pea to quarter
- 1–1.74 in
- quarter to golf ball
- 1.75–2.74 in
- golf ball to baseball
- 2.75–3.99 in
- baseball to softball
- 4 in and larger
- softball and larger
Hail size in inches as recorded by NCEI; events without a size are not binned.
Recorded events
All 25 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Jul 2023 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 2022 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 2022 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Oct 2021 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2021 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 2021 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2020 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Sep 2017 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Sep 2016 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 2015 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 2015 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 2015 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 2015 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 2014 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Aug 2011 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 2011 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jul 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2006 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2000 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Aug 1988 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 1985 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 1984 | Hail | 3.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Cook County had?
25 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of hail became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded hail event in Cook County?
25 Jul 2023 (Hail, 1.00 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Cook County?
NCEI records no damage estimate for events of this type in the county.
How does Cook County compare with Minnesota for hail?
1.7 events per 100 square miles against 19.8 statewide; the county holds 25 of the state's 15,756 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Hail hub and the county page.