The Time Minnesota Experienced Hurricane Force Wind

The joke in Minnesota is that when you are shoveling 2 feet of snow, you can at least take comfort in the fact that we don't have hurricanes in Minnesota. Yes, we may be cold and snowy for a large chunk of the year, but at least we don't have to worry about being evacuated or facing the deadly hurricanes like in the Southeast.

Hurricane Melissa Category 5

Hurricane Melissa is making headlines, becoming the most powerful storm we've seen in 2025. It intensified to a Category 5 Hurricane, the strongest, with sustained winds over 157 MPH. NOAA's Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale says that most framed homes will collapse and have roof failure at those wind speeds. It's catastrophic, and most places hit by a Category 5 hurricane will be uninhabitable for weeks or even months.

Highest Wind Speed Ever Recorded In Minnesota

In 2011, a severe wind event happened near Donaldson, Minnesota, in the Northwest corner of the state.

Wind Speed Peaked At 121 MPH

The record for wind speed occurred during this extreme weather event. A line of strong thunderstorms with downbursts passed through Kittson County in the early morning hours of September 1, 2011. A MNDOT monitoring station on Highway 11 recorded strong winds from 3:03 AM to 3:14 AM. The highest wind speed recorded in those 11 minutes was 121 MPH. That's comparable to a Category 2-3 hurricane.

Significant damage occurred. Two large commercial-grade steel bins and their transfer system were torn off the local grain elevator facility. A mile away from Donaldson, another three steel grain bins were torn off their foundations and blown into the field. Other structures suffered damage, windows cracked on the nearby house, and shingles were lost from the roof.

Other damage occurred in Grafton, Minnesota. 60 to 70-foot pine trees were snapped off. At least 5 houses were damaged by fallen trees. Based on the damages, they estimate the wind speed was around 90 MPH in Grafton.