Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Sunday's storms shake up our September

2-inch hail slams metro area

Radar image from hail that fell in Woodbury on 9-21-25
Radar image from hail that fell Sunday in Woodbury
Iowa Environmental Mesonet / Iowa State University

The last day of summer delivered powerful storms that slammed the Twin Cities region with reports of 2-inch hail and heavy downpours.

Roaring end to summer

Summer didn’t go quietly on it’s final day Sunday, bringing heavy rainfall to the metro area and southern Minnesota. Multiple reports of large hail accompanied the storms.

Earlier on Sunday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center issued a marginal risk for southern Minnesota, including the metro area.

Marginal risk for severe weather
Marginal risk for severe weather Sunday
NOAA Storm Prediction Center

Storms began firing in the late afternoon to early evening. After sunset they produced several reports of large hail with the biggest stones measuring around 2 inches, about the size of a hen’s egg.

Local storm reports from Sunday 9-21-25
Local storm reports from Sunday
Iowa Environmental Mesonet / Iowa State University

Several reports of 2-inch hail came in from the southwest and southeast metro areas as well as Waseca County in southern Minnesota.

2 inch hail reports from Sunday 9-21-25
2-inch hail reports from Sunday
National Weather Service

The radar image from the severe thunderstorm warning that affected southern Washington County until 8:45 p.m. on Sunday shows the intense reflectivity responsible for producing 2-inch hail in Woodbury.

Radar image from hail that fell in Woodbury on 9-21-25
Radar image from hail that fell in Woodbury
Iowa Environmental Mesonet / Iowa State University

The storms also produced some heavy rainfall across portions of the metro area and southeastern Minnesota.

rainfall
Rainfall over the past 24 hours
NOAA, via Pivotal Weather

Washington, Olmsted, Wabasha, and Dakota counties recorded some of the highest rainfall amounts, with totals reaching between 2 and 3 inches!

Rainfall totals from 9-21-25
Rainfall totals from Sunday
Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network

Here’s to a quieter start to fall with calmer skies and a chance to catch our breath after summer’s stormy farewell.