St. Cloud is not hail alley, but it is not exempt either — the area averages about 5 hail-producing storms a year. When a cell does track over the county, the reports below tell you the date, the stone size, and how close it came.
St. Cloud's Storm-Climate Context
St. Cloud experiences harsh winters with significant snowfall and occasional ice storms which can damage roofs, while summer thunderstorms pose a risk of hail damage.
The roofing market in St. Cloud is dominated by local contractors who specialize in repairing storm-damaged roofs; homeowners should ensure they have adequate insurance coverage to handle unexpected repairs.
Hail Events Near St. Cloud by Date
August 7, 2026 — 9 reports, hail up to 1.50″ (ping-pong-ball size) Largest in 90 days
| Time (UTC) | Hail size | Location | Distance from St. Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1556 | 1.50″ | St. Cloud, Stearns County | 0.9 mi |
| 1551 | 1.00″ | St. Cloud, Stearns County | 0.8 mi |
| 1551 | 1.00″ | 1 E St. Cloud, Stearns County | 1.0 mi |
| 1553 | 1.00″ | 1 W St. Cloud, Stearns County | 0.9 mi |
| 1554 | 1.00″ | 1 E Waite Park, Stearns County | 2.0 mi |
| 1555 | 1.00″ | 1 NE St. Cloud, Benton County | 0.6 mi |
| 1556 | 1.00″ | 1 E St. Cloud, Stearns County | 0.1 mi |
| 1601 | 1.00″ | 3 E St. Cloud, Benton County | 3.0 mi |
| 1616 | 1.00″ | 1 NW St. Cloud, Stearns County | 1.5 mi |
July 4, 2026 — 4 reports, hail up to 1.50″ (ping-pong-ball size) Largest in 90 days
| Time (UTC) | Hail size | Location | Distance from St. Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2203 | 1.50″ | St. Cloud, Stearns County | 0.9 mi |
| 2204 | 1.50″ | 1 NNE St. Cloud, Benton County | 0.6 mi |
| 2226 | 1.00″ | 1 W St. Cloud, Stearns County | 1.6 mi |
| 2233 | 1.00″ | St. Cloud, Stearns County | 0.9 mi |
Preliminary Local Storm Reports from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. Sizes are reported hailstone diameters; times are UTC. Reports can be added or corrected for about a day after each event. A quiet page section ≠ no hail — smaller or unreported events happen. The closest report in this window landed 0.1 miles from St. Cloud's center.
View these 13 reports on a map
Circle positions are the NOAA SPC report coordinates; tap a circle for the date and hail size.
Hail size: < 1″ 1–1.75″ ≥ 2″ not recorded
How Severe Was It? The NWS Yardstick, Applied to St. Cloud's Reports
The National Weather Service calls hail severe at 1″ (quarter size) and significant at 2″ (hen-egg size). Scoring the 13 St. Cloud-area reports (filed in Benton, Stearns Counties) against that scale: 13 of them met the severe 1″+ criterion — the size at which asphalt shingles start taking granule loss and bruising that shows up as leaks a season later. Damage at these sizes is rarely visible from the ground but is typically covered by homeowners insurance when documented promptly.
What to Do If Your Roof Was in the Hail Path
- Do a ground-level walk-around. Hail is rare enough around St. Cloud that most homeowners never think to check — look for granules collecting at downspouts, dented gutters or screens, and battered plants after the August 7, 2026 reports above. Stay off the roof itself.
- Photograph anything suspicious with dates. Even minor-looking marks matter later: this NOAA log plus dated photos connect the damage to a covered storm event instead of "gradual wear", which insurers exclude.
- Book a free inspection rather than guessing. Bruised shingles and granule loss are invisible from the ground; a written scope from a local roofer settles whether there is a claim at all.
- Only involve the insurer once you know the scope. If the inspection finds nothing, you have lost nothing; if it finds damage, file within your policy's window while the event date is easy to prove.
- Bring the written scope to the adjuster. Full walkthrough in the roof insurance claim guide.
Hail History in St. Cloud — the 10-Year Picture
The county behind St. Cloud has logged 70 hail events over the last decade — a pace of roughly 7 per year — with the most severe stone measured at 3.25″. Against that 10-year baseline, the 2 hail days in this 90-day window run above the long-term average rate. St. Cloud averages 5 hail-producing storms per year — check hail risk lookup for your address.
St. Cloud's county logged fewer hail events than the Minnesota median (76 per county over 10 years), placing it on the lower end of the state's hail exposure spectrum — though individual storm cells can still produce damaging hail regardless of the long-term average.
St. Cloud's County, Year by Year (NOAA Archive)
| Year | Recorded hail events | Largest stone |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 1.25″ |
| 2023 largest stone | 12 | 3.25″ |
| 2022 busiest | 22 | 2.00″ |
| 2021 | 2 | 1.50″ |
| 2020 | 6 | 1.25″ |
| 2019 | 8 | 2.00″ |
| 2018 | 2 | 2.00″ |
| 2017 | 5 | 1.00″ |
| 2016 | 11 | 1.75″ |
NOAA Storm Events archive, St. Cloud's county. Years with no row logged no hail events.
The county's busiest hail year in the archive was 2022 (22 recorded events), while the largest stone on record — 3.25″ — fell in 2023. If your roof predates 2022 and has never had a documented inspection, assume it has taken at least one unexamined hit.
Hail in St. Cloud — Questions Homeowners Ask
Check Your Own ZIP in St. Cloud
The county-level history above averages over the whole area. For a score tied to your address, run your ZIP through the hail risk lookup — St. Cloud ZIP codes include 56301, 56302, 56304, 56309, 56310.
St. Cloud Neighborhoods — Hail Exposure Varies by Area
Hail paths track with storm cell movement, not city limits. If you're in Cedar Hill Estates, Lake St. Cloud, Southwood District, St. Joseph Heights or Woodlawn, check your specific street against the report locations above — distance from St. Cloud's center is listed for each report.
More Resources
Roofing contractors in St. Cloud · Storm damage repair in St. Cloud · Insurance claim guide · Roof replacement costs in St. Cloud · Emergency roof repair