Hail in Polk County, MN
Hail turns up in Polk County on a regular basis. NOAA radar has confirmed 13 hail events of 1 inch or larger in Polk County since 2025, the largest 1.9″ (golf ball) on July 6, 2026. The most recent confirmed hail was July 6, 2026.
Did hail hit your exact address?
This page covers the whole area. Enter your address to see what NOAA radar detected over your specific roof - free, in seconds.
About Polk County, MN
Polk County lies in the flat Red River Valley of northwestern Minnesota, fertile former lakebed farmland along the river and the Red Lake River. Midsummer storms organize as warm, moist air pushes north into fronts crossing the northern plains, and the stronger cells drop large hail. Coverage comes from the Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX) about 46 miles to the west, close enough to follow most storms moving across the valley.
The hail record for Polk County, MN
Hail is a recurring threat in Polk County, with 13 confirmed events on record since 2025.
July does most of the damage here; Polk County is comparatively quiet the rest of the year.
Common questions
How often does it hail in Polk County?
NOAA radar has confirmed 13 severe hail events (1 inch or larger) in the Polk County area since 2025.
When is hail season in Polk County?
Hail in Polk County is concentrated in July, within a season that runs spring into early summer.
What's the largest hail recorded in Polk County?
Radar confirmed 1.9-inch hail, about golf ball size, on July 6, 2026.
Does homeowner's insurance cover hail damage?
Hail is a covered peril under most standard homeowner's policies (typically HO-3), subject to your deductible. Whether you have replacement-cost or actual-cash-value coverage makes a big difference in what's paid out. Your declarations page will say which.
How do I know if my roof was damaged by hail?
Common signs are granules collecting in gutters and downspouts, bruised or cracked shingles, and dents on soft metals like vents, flashing, and gutter tops. A lot of hail damage isn't visible from the ground, so a professional inspection is the reliable check.
Hail just hit, what should I do?
Safely photograph any hail and note the time, then confirm what radar recorded at your address before calling your insurer. Most policies require prompt notice after a hail event, and deadlines vary by policy and state, so don't wait to document it.
Will it hail again in Polk County this year?
Polk County's record already includes more than one confirmed event in a single season. That's what the data shows so far, not a prediction for any given season.
Recent confirmed hail near Polk County, MN
What this means for your home
If you were just hit
With recent hail in Polk County, you're still in the window to document and report it. Photograph any damage, note the storm date, confirm what radar detected at your address, and review your policy's reporting requirements. Deadlines vary.
Damage can be invisible from the ground
At Polk County's typical sizes, hail often bruises shingles and loosens granules without obvious holes, shortening roof life in ways that are easy to miss until the next storm or an inspection.
Document before you repair
If you suspect hail damage, photograph it and note the storm's date before making any repairs. Undocumented or already-fixed damage is much harder to claim later.
Keep a 'before' record
Photos of your roof and exterior in good condition make new hail damage much easier to prove later. A few shots now, before the next storm, can save an argument with an adjuster over what's old wear and what's storm damage.
Replacement cost vs. actual cash value
An RCV policy pays to replace your roof at today's prices; an ACV policy subtracts depreciation for the roof's age, which can mean a much smaller check on an older roof. Knowing which you carry shapes what a hail claim is actually worth.
Get more than one estimate
After a damaging storm, reputable local roofers get busy and out-of-town crews flood in. Get multiple written estimates and verify licensing and local references before signing anything.
Before you call your insurer
Get the radar evidence for your address.
A NOAA Radar Evidence Report documents exactly what federal radar recorded at your address - hail size, date, and signature - in a formatted PDF you can attach to a claim. Built entirely from public NOAA data.
Events are NOAA/NWS Severe Thunderstorm Warnings with confirmed hail ≥ 1 inch, matched to this county by the warning centroid. Federal public-domain data. A confirmed event indicates radar-detected hail over the area, not a guarantee of damage to any specific property.