3:59 PM Sunday, August 4, 2024
Showers and thunderstorms tracked southeast across the Northland on Saturday. Several storms intensified, yielding large hail ranging from quarter to half-dollar size. Notably, a report near Backus, Minnesota, in Cass County, documented hen egg-sized hail (2″ in diameter) at approximately 6:15 PM on Saturday.
Severe thunderstorms in the Wadena, Minnesota area on early Saturday evening brought reports of exceptionally large hail, ranging from baseball to softball size, measuring 3 to 4 inches in diameter.
Thunderstorms brought torrential downpours to our region on Saturday, with reports indicating a range of a half inch to more than an inch of rain in various locations. This includes the area near McGregor, where a rainfall of an inch was documented.
Rainfall totals in the Duluth area on Saturday varied, with 0.72 inches recorded at Duluth Sky Harbor Airport and nearly half an inch at Duluth International Airport.

Rainfall Reports for August 3, 2024
Source: MesoWest
6 NE Tobique, MN: 1.63″
1 S Pleasant Valley, MN: 1.24″
5 S McGregor, MN: 1.00″
Minong, WI: 0.79″
Saginaw, MN: 0.78″
Keewatin, MN: 0.76″
Solon Springs, WI: 0.75″
Duluth Sky Harbor Airport: 0.72″
Danbury, WI: 0.71″
Hermantown, MN: 0.68″
McGregor, MN: 0.63″
Hayward, WI: 0.60″
Hill City, MN: 0.58″
Ely, MN: 0.57″
Winter, WI: 0.54″
Hinckley, MN: 0.50″
Poplar, WI: 0.50″
Orr, MN: 0.49″
Moose Lake, MN: 0.48″
Duluth Airport: 0.47″
Hibbing, MN: 0.46″
Isabella, MN: 0.42″
Glidden, WI: 0.42″
Grand Rapids, MN: 0.38″
Clam Lake, WI: 0.36″
Ashland, WI: 0.35″
Brainerd, MN: 0.35″
Washburn, WI: 0.34″
Cass Lake, MN: 0.34″
Spooner, WI: 0.29″
Siren, WI: 0.26″
Cook, MN: 0.24″
Schroeder, MN: 0.21″
Cable, WI: 0.15″
International Falls, MN: 0.15″
Northome, MN: 0.13″
The precipitation patterns in Duluth from May 1 to August 3, 2024
Duluth experienced many rainfall events in May and June; but the pattern shifted significantly last month, with a reduction in rainfall events in July. Notably, Duluth observed a stretch of six consecutive days without rain from July 9th to July 14th.
Additionally, it’s noteworthy to see the dry days in Duluth. For instance, in July, each Wednesday and Thursday experienced no rainfall. Every Monday saw at least a trace of precipitation.
Looking back at this past May, Duluth experienced rainfall every single Friday. This June, measurable rain fell in Duluth on every Saturday.


Local Storm Reports for August 3, 2024
Source: National Weather Service, Duluth, Minnesota
- 7:18 PM: Hail 0.75 inch. 3 S Breezy Point, MN (Crow Wing County)
- 7:13 PM: Hail 0.50 inch. 3 S Breezy Point, MN (Crow Wing County)
- 7:10 PM: Hail 1.00 inch (quarter sized hail). Pequot Lakes, MN (Crow Wing County)
- 7:06 PM: Hail 0.75 inch. 1 E Pequot Lakes, MN (Crow Wing County)
- 7:01 PM: Thunderstorm Wind Damage. 2 SSW Ball Bluff, MN (Aitkin County) Several trees downed on the west side of Ball Bluff Lake.
- 6:35 PM: Hail 0.75 inch. 4 NE Jenkins, MN (Crow Wing County)
- 6:35 PM: Hail 0.50 inch. Whipholt, MN (Cass County)
- 6:30 PM: Hail 0.75 inch. 7 WSW Pine River, MN (Cass County)
- 6:15 PM: Hail 2.00 inch (hen egg sized hail). 1 S Backus, MN (Cass County)
- 6:14 PM: Hail 1.00 inch (quarter sized hail). 3 NE Backus, MN (Cass County)
- 6:11 PM: Hail 1.25 inch (half dollar sized hail). Backus, MN (Cass County)
- 6:10 PM: Hail 1.25 inch (half dollar sized hail). Backus, MN (Cass County) Hailed for 10-15 minutes.
- 5:12 PM: Hail 0.75 inch. 1 SW Grand Rapids, MN (Itasca County)
- 3:35 PM: Hail 1.00 inch (quarter sized hail). Nashwauk, MN (Itasca County)
- 3:21 PM: Hail 1.25 inch (half dollar sized hail). Nashwauk, MN (Itasca County)
- 2:00 PM: Hail 0.50 inch. 1 NW Wabedo, MN (Cass County)
- 1:37 PM: Hail 0.25 inch. 2 S Coleraine, MN (Itasca County)
- 1:20 PM: Hail 0.25 inch. 7 N Cohasset, MN (Itasca County)
- 12:50 PM: Thunderstorm Wind Damage. 2 NNE Inger, MN (Itasca County) 6 trees down around Portage Lake. Largest in diameter was 16 inches.
- 12:30 PM: Hail 0.70 inch. 3 WNW Squaw Lake, MN (Itasca County)
- 10:55 AM: Hail 0.75 inch. 3 S Wirt, MN (Itasca County)
- 10:52 AM: Hail 0.75 inch. 8 ESE Northome, MN (Itasca County)
- 10:05 AM: Hail 0.70 inch. Littlefork, MN (Koochiching County)
Thanks for reading!
Tim

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