Hail history · Mankato area
When did it last hail in the Mankato area — and can you still file?
Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties have logged NWS-documented hail every year of the 2020s — from the 2.5-inch stones that raked Lake Crystal in 2020 to three separate 2-inch events since 2021. Below: every major documented event, the zones it hit, and whether the claim window is still open.
Updated July 2026 · Sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database and NWS event summaries · Reviewed by Joe Dvorak, Owner, Modern Exterior Systems
What this page covers
Six years of Mankato area hail, by date and zone
The catalog below lists every major NWS-documented hail event across Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties from 2020 through 2026 — date, affected zones, max hailstone size, and current claim-window status. Curated from verified reports of 1"+ hail, not exhaustive — pair it with the NOAA Storm Events Database for full event records.
Event catalog
Major Mankato area hail events 2020 to 2026
Events by date, affected zone, max recorded hailstone size, and current claim-window status. For the complete record, check the NOAA Storm Events Database.
Date
August 27, 2025
Max hailstone size: 1.25"
Affected zones
North Mankato & Nicollet County
Two 1"+ reports in the North Mankato area.
Claim window
Open through August 2026
Date
July 21, 2025
Max hailstone size: 2.0"
Affected zones
Cleveland & Le Sueur County
Four 1"+ reports topping out at 2" hail around Cleveland.
Claim window
Open through July 2026 — closing soon
Date
June 16, 2025
Max hailstone size: 2.0"
Affected zones
Mankato
Four 1"+ reports in the city, topping out at 2".
Claim window
Standard window closed June 2026
Date
July 13, 2024
Max hailstone size: 1.25"
Affected zones
Le Center & Le Sueur County
Half-dollar hail around Le Center.
Claim window
Standard window closed July 2025
Date
July 13, 2023
Max hailstone size: 1.75"
Affected zones
New Sweden & Nicollet County
Golf-ball hail measured by a CoCoRaHS observer near New Sweden.
Claim window
Standard window closed July 2024
Date
April 12, 2022
Max hailstone size: 1.75"
Affected zones
Mankato & Blue Earth County
Eleven 1"+ hail reports centered on the Mankato airport corridor — the busiest single event of the period.
Claim window
Standard window closed April 2023
Date
August 22, 2021
Max hailstone size: 2.0"
Affected zones
Mankato
Six 1"+ reports in and around the city, topping out at 2".
Claim window
Standard window closed August 2022
Date
June 2, 2020
Max hailstone size: 2.5"
Affected zones
Lake Crystal & western Blue Earth County
NWS documented a large swath of very large hail — up to 2.5" — across the Lake Crystal area. The biggest stones of the period.
Claim window
Standard window closed June 2021
Standard Minnesota homeowners policies allow 1 year from event to file. Some carriers consider supplemental filings on previously-reported losses past the window — talk to your agent.
What hail damage actually looks like
Hail bruises don't always read as damage from the ground — most of what totals a roof is invisible from the driveway. Here's what we're documenting up close.
Bruised shingles & granule loss
Soft spots where hail crushed the mat — the granules shed and the shingle fails years early.
Size is what does the damage
Stones 1" and up dent vents and gutters and bruise shingles — every event above cleared that bar.
Documentation wins claims
Measured stones, dated photos, and a written scope — the same standard NWS uses for the events on this page.
Which claim windows are still open?
Two events remain inside the standard one-year window: August 27, 2025 (North Mankato — open through August 2026) and July 21, 2025 (Cleveland / Le Sueur County — open through July 2026, which means weeks, not months). Everything earlier has passed the standard window.
Filing windows vary by policy — most Minnesota policies allow one to two years from the date of loss. If your event is near or past the standard window, check your policy before assuming the door is closed. You file your own claim and pay your own deductible; that's Minnesota law, and how it should be.
How Modex works in the Mankato area
Modern Exterior Systems is based in Eden Prairie and licensed across Minnesota (#BC762305). We take on Mankato area projects on request — same crews, same documentation standards, and the same lifetime workmanship warranty we put on every residential install. If you've got storm damage from one of the events above, we'll walk the roof, photograph what's actually there, and give you an honest read — full claim, small repair, or no damage at all.
Think one of these storms hit your roof?
Free inspection, real photos, and a written line-item assessment — no pressure, no same-day close.