Minnesota Newbie Lives Through St. Louis Park Hailstorm

I lived in St. Louis for more than 15 years until I relocated to St. Louis Park nine months ago. In my time there, I experienced flooding, tornadoes, even an earthquake and, yes, many hailstorms.  St. Louis experiences on average more than 40 hail events per year, sometimes as many as 70 in a year. Although that doesn't qualify it as a top-10 city for hail events, that's still more than most cities experience.  So in my 15 years there, I probably had something like 700 different opportunities to experience hail.  

Contrast that with my new Minneapolitan location, where there are far fewer hailstorms per year.  Yet tonight, while enjoying a fun evening at in St. Louis Park, my car sustained its first ever hail damage. 

The weather in my new hometown completely fascinates me.  I'm still new, so the unbelievably long winter is just something I'm learning about.  The fact that "we" claimed the Fourth Snowiest Winter of All Time this year, well, that's just impressive—and the fact that my family and I survived unscathed, well, we think that means we're going to be just fine up here.  I'm relieved to have moved from one of the worst cities for allergies to one of the best. And I am relieved that this summer will be enjoyable, not smothering and oppressive in both heat and humidity.  But today's hail took us by surprise—we're used to this from home, but hadn't yet seen it here.  We weren't the only ones intrigued by the storm.  

Within minutes of the hail starting, long before the Twins game was put on rain delay, the pool players, bowlers and diners at Park Tavern lined the windows as the hail fell, fast and hard. Pelting then bouncing off cars and the ground, in sizes ranging from dimes to tennis balls before it was all done.  They "ooo'd" and "ahh'd" as the sky and clouds changed shapes and colors then gradually grew darker.  And then, once things settled down, the patrons piled out on the sidewalks to survey the damage and marvel at the clouds first-hand.  I am KICKING myself that my cell phone battery was nearly dead, rendering me unable to capture stills or video.  

The cars in the lot at Park Tavern sustained some minor damage, most vehicles had a dent or two—including mine!  After making it through 15 years and 700+ hail events in St. Louis, I cannot believe we came to Minnesota to get hail damage!  Even less lucky, one man had his back windshield smashed in by the hail, then the hail collected on his back dash.  Employees rushed to assist him in getting it patched temporarily, and back he went to join his friends inside the bar.  

My friends and I followed the weather reports that replaced the Twins game on the big screens and waited for things to settle down before heading home.  As we watched the path of the storm, my son (wearing a St. Louis Cardinals T-shirt) pointed out that the Cards-Cubs rivalry was still being broadcast on the smaller television to our left, but that none of us was interested in it anymore.  I told him our cars had dents from the hail and he replied, "Well, I guess now Minnesota has made an impression on us."  Indeed.