Severe weather is not supposed to happen two days before Halloween in Minnesota, but Wednesday evening it did. A Tornado Watch covered the Twin Cities metro and western Wisconsin until 9 p.m. on October 28. Then the National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning for Dakota and Goodhue counties as a rotating storm tracked over Cannon Falls, Randolph, and Hampton. The storm produced Dakota County hail damage that spotters measured at golf-ball size. It also tore the roof off a farm outbuilding and pelted the siding of homes in Hampton and New Trier. Here is what fell where, and what to check before winter sets in.
What happened on October 28
The day started warm and humid, with highs near 70, which is unusual fuel for late October. Storms fired in western Minnesota early in the afternoon and strengthened as they moved northeast. By 1:53 p.m., a spotter near Grove City in Meeker County photographed 3-inch hail, the largest report of the day. The Weather Service received a similar 3-inch report near Atwater in Kandiyohi County.
The most dangerous cell arrived in Dakota County around 5 p.m. The Weather Service had already warned of 60 mph gusts and quarter-size hail along a line from Lakeville to Dundas. Farmington, Burnsville, Rosemount, Apple Valley, Inver Grove Heights, and Eagan were all in the path. Then rotation developed, and the Tornado Warning followed until 5:30 p.m. The watch ended by early evening as the storms weakened and moved into Wisconsin. There, spotters reported a brief tornado near Danbury in Burnett County, with no damage reported.
Dakota County hail damage reports
- 1.75-inch hail, golf-ball size, near Hampton about three miles west of Miesville at 5:10 p.m.
- 1.5-inch hail, ping-pong size, near New Trier at 5:06 and 5:08 p.m.
- 1.25-inch hail, half-dollar size, near Hastings about three miles northwest of Miesville at 5:10 p.m.
- Roof damage to a farm outbuilding near Highway 50 and Highway 56 south of Hampton, reported with photos at about 5 p.m.
- Hail impact marks on the siding of homes in Hampton and New Trier, shown in local news video the next morning.
Reports are still coming in, and the Weather Service will publish a final summary. Notably, the last October tornadoes in Minnesota were in 2021, so this was a rare late-season event for the southeast metro.
Why 1.5-inch hail matters for your roof
Hail at ping-pong and golf-ball size is well above the threshold for asphalt shingle damage. At that size, shingles lose granules and fracture at the mat. The damage is usually invisible from the ground. Bruised shingles look fine in November. Then they crack during the first freeze-thaw cycles, and the leak shows up in a ceiling in February. Metal gutters, vents, and soft aluminum flashings dent on impact. As a result, they are the easiest place for an inspector to confirm the hail reached your house.
Siding damage is the other clue. The homes in Hampton and New Trier with pockmarked siding almost certainly have roof damage on the same side of the house.
Dakota County hail damage checklist for this weekend
- Walk the yard and look at the north and west faces of the house, where this storm hit hardest.
- Check gutters, downspouts, and the metal caps on roof vents for fresh dents.
- Look for hail splatter marks on the deck, driveway, or air conditioner fins.
- Photograph everything with a date stamp, including any shingle granules in the gutters or at downspout outlets.
- Do not climb on the roof. A professional inspection is free and safer.
Filing a claim after a late-season storm
Insurance timing works in your favor this time of year. Adjusters in Minnesota are far less busy in November than in July. That means faster appointments and quicker approvals. Document the damage now and call your carrier to open a claim. Then have a contractor meet the adjuster on site. Our storm damage restoration page explains the process step by step, and our recent post on storm chaser roofers covers the door-knockers who will arrive in Hampton this week.
Because the storm hit in late October, the repair itself may run into cold weather. That is fine for metal roofing and manageable for shingles when the crew follows cold-weather procedures. We explained both in this post on cold weather roof installation.
Free Dakota County hail damage inspections
Northern Lights Metal Roofing is inspecting roofs in Hampton, New Trier, Miesville, Hastings, Cannon Falls, Randolph, Farmington, and Rosemount this week. We photograph every slope and document the findings in writing. If you decide to file, we meet your adjuster on site. As a GAF Master Elite® Residential Contractor based in Ramsey, we will still be here when the warranty matters. Contact us or call (763) 276-1390 to schedule. For official storm reports, see the NWS Twin Cities office.
