Hail in Mountain Lake · May 18, 2026
NEXRAD logged 8 hail signatures up to 2.5"; the estimated-size surface had no signal that day. At 2.5" — baseball — this is a severe hail signal associated with roof damage. Open it on the live map to see the swath over the streets.
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Convective day · May 18, 2026 · noon–noon UTC
Severity
The 2nd most severe storm Mountain Lake has seen in the last 12 months
Overview's storm severity score weighs hailstone size, homes in the footprint, and ground-truth reports.
- Peak hail signal
- 63 /100
- Homes exposed
- 44 /100
- Ground truth
- 0 /100
Largest radar-indicated size — a signal of damage potential, not confirmation.
How many homes sit inside the storm's footprint.
Independent storm reports filed with the NWS.
Evidence / storm surfaces
How Mountain Lake saw the hail — from two instruments
Each storm gets two readings: the radar signatures NEXRAD recorded as the cells passed overhead, and a modeled estimate of hail size in the air. They are independent surfaces, so a mismatch between them is expected — and worth reading.
Radar signature field The point detections NEXRAD recorded overhead. Each signature marks where the radar saw hail aloft — it is a detection, not a stone measured on the ground.
Only the NEXRAD radar-signature surface resolved for May 18, 2026 — the estimated-size swath had no hail signal to model for this storm, so there is one map to show, not two.
The storm in context
Where May 18, 2026 sits in Mountain Lake's hail record.
This was Mountain Lake's 4th recorded hail day, arriving 1 day after the May 17, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 2nd of the 14 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Mountain Lake at 2.5" — the largest NEXRAD radar signature.
The May 18, 2026 convective day was bigger than Mountain Lake: the same system put hail over 726 other tracked cities, 10 of them in Minnesota. Nearest: Madelia (35 miles east, up to 0.75"); Spirit Lake (38 miles south, up to 1.75"); Lake Park (41 miles south, up to 1.5").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 14 Mountain Lake storm dates on a live map — both surfaces, the reports, and a replay — and the same map is where you draw the swath. This page rebuilds nightly.
Ground reports
What people on the ground reported
These are storm reports filed with the National Weather Service and released through the NOAA Storm Prediction Center — public-domain observations from spotters, the public, and NWS surveys. We quote each one exactly as filed.
The National Weather Service logged no spotter reports for this storm over Mountain Lake. That absence is ordinary — filing a report takes a person on the spot who saw the hail and phoned it in. What stands as the record for this date is the radar above, which caught the storm regardless.
Severe hail signal
What 2.5" hail means for Mountain Lake roofs.
Two-inch-plus hail is capable of puncturing shingles, breaking skylights or windows, and heavily denting soft materials. The strongest radar bands warrant prompt inspection, but neither the signal nor the footprint confirms damage at a specific address.
Radar reading · not confirmed damage
Roofing exposure
What this storm is worth to a roofer.
Potential roof exposure
$1.9M
Potential roof exposure — 157 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.
- Illustrative jobs
- 1 job
- Illustrative work
- ~$15K
Close just 0.5% of the 157 homes in this footprint at the average $15,000 roof job. Illustrative math, not a projection — your results depend on your outreach and how the market responds.
Claim window
May 2028
Claims from this storm can typically be filed until around May 2028 — the window to reach these homeowners while it's still open. Deadlines vary by policy and state.
Names and phones for every home in the footprint: at most $33 on top of the $150 plan.
Mountain Lake hail history
Other storms in Mountain Lake.
Estimated-size surface Sep 6, 2026
0.75"
Estimated-size surface Aug 7, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jul 25, 2026
Estimated-size surface Jul 6, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface Jul 4, 2026
0.75"
Estimated-size surface Jul 2, 2026
2"
Estimated-size surface Jun 29, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jun 27, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Jun 9, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface May 25, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface May 17, 2026
2.5"
Estimated-size surface Apr 23, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Apr 13, 2026
1.75"The next storm won’t wait for you.
Set your territory and alerts today. When hail hits, use Overview to choose your streets and get moving.
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For iPhone. Android coming soon.
Web trial: 7 days free. Card required. $150/month after the trial unless cancelled.