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Storms That Hit

NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Sturgeon Lake, MN

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated

No tropical storm or hurricane has passed within 75 miles of Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 16 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
0

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
0

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
16

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
1

no recorded deaths

What the records show for Sturgeon Lake

The strongest of the 16 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on June 30, 1968; its path came within 17 miles. Of the 16, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 7 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on June 12, 2024. Of the 341 Minnesota cities on this site, 92% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Sturgeon Lake. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 53 times since 1970, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 341 Minnesota cities, 79% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Sturgeon Lake.

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Tornadoes within 25 miles of Sturgeon Lake

By decade

  • 2020s6
  • 2000s1
  • 1990s2
  • 1980s2
  • 1970s3
  • 1960s2(1 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Jun 30, 1968F317 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Sep 18, 1997F221 mi17 mi0 / 0
Jul 7, 1970F23 mi22.3 mi0 / 2
Jul 11, 2022EF119 mi4.63 mi0 / 0
May 30, 2022EF123 mi3.3 mi0 / 0
Aug 14, 2020EF13 mi2.7 mi0 / 0
Aug 14, 2020EF120 mi1.5 mi0 / 0
Jun 21, 1986F121 mi0.5 mi0 / 0
Jun 21, 1986F124 mi2 mi0 / 0
Jul 13, 1973F111 mi0.5 mi0 / 0
Jun 12, 2024EF021 mi7.8 mi0 / 0
Aug 14, 2020EF014 mi2 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 16, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Sturgeon Lake

The Storm Prediction Center has 53 hail reports within 10 miles of Sturgeon Lake since 1970, made on 30 separate days. Of these, 34 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 30, 2022. The most recent report is from September 19, 2024. July has the most reports, 17.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.

Weather by month in Sturgeon Lake

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Moose Lake 1 SSE, MN, 5 miles northeast of Sturgeon Lake at 1,110 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 57°F; January is the coolest, at 20°F and 1°F. June and July are the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 0.8 inches; the year adds up to 31.6 inches over 65 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 5 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 175 nights a year. That 31.6 inches is more than at 72 of the 124 Minnesota stations used on this site (58%). Sandstone, 18 miles south, has its own station (Sandstone 6 W, MN): 33.5 inches a year, 1.9 more than here, and a July average high of 79°F against 80°F.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Moose Lake 1 SSE, MN
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"
Jan2010.83
Feb2540.93
Mar38171.44
Apr52302.66
May66413.47
Jun75514.88
Jul80574.88
Aug78563.76
Sep69483.27
Oct54363.16
Nov38231.74
Dec2591.24
Year523131.665

Averages for 1991–2020 at Moose Lake 1 SSE, MN (1,110 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.

Minnesota weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Sturgeon Lake

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 47 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Sturgeon Lake: 38 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 flash floods, 1 flood and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $16.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on August 9, 2005. July has had the most flash floods, 5 of 7. Of the 312 Minnesota cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 190 have had fewer than Sturgeon Lake.

  • August 26, 2013: lightning strike 4 miles from the centre of Sturgeon Lake — 1 killed.

    NWS: “The Pine County Sheriff reported that a male was struck by lightning about 4 miles east-southeast of Sturgeon Lake, MN on Alder Loop in a development called Hogan's Acres. The individual passed away from his injuries after being taken by ambulance to Mercy Hospital in Moose Lake, MN.”

  • June 20, 2012: flood 6 miles from the centre of Sturgeon Lake — $16.0 million damage.

  • August 9, 2005: thunderstorm wind in Sturgeon Lake — $200,000 damage.

    NWS: “There was major wind damage at Sturgeon Lake. At least four homes were heavily damaged.”

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.

Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings

Flood insurance policyholders in Sturgeon Lake's ZIP code 55783 have filed 12 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 2010, and were paid $621,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. Of the 120 Minnesota cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 7 have fewer than Sturgeon Lake.

Pine County, which includes Sturgeon Lake, has been named in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 floods, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on July 19, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Pine County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $21.5 million a year, the 28th highest of 87 Minnesota counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $12.1 million (56%), is from inland flooding.

Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.

Cities near Sturgeon Lake

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