Thunderstorm assaults Twin Cities, hail on its way to northern suburbs

Yes, kitty, it's really hailing.

​In case you are in a deep underground bunker, City Pages would like to inform you that it's storming outside.

Okay, so most of you already knew that. What you should also know, if you live in the northern suburbs, is that it's also probably going to hail.

If you were planning a late, three-martini lunch at an outdoor cafe in Blaine, you might have to cancel. (The lunch, not the martinis.)

According to the National Weather Service, half-inch diameter hail was reported in St. Paul and surrounding areas, and is now making its way north. Minneapolis was hit hard, but has been mostly spared, falling just on the edge of the storm that is sitting just west of the metro area, where it will probably stick around for a nasty couple of hours.

Minneapolis will get a brief reprieve from the rain, but more is on its way this afternoon, though probably not nearly as bad as what just blew through.

Here's the full report from the National Weather Service:

THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO/DEVELOPING OVER ANOKA...CHISAGO...
DAKOTA...HENNEPIN...ISANTI...PIERCE...RAMSEY...ST. CROIX AND
WASHINGTON COUNTIES THROUGH 115 PM CDT...

AT 1209 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM HANOVER TO GOLDEN VALLEY TO
3 MILES NORTHEAST OF ROSEMOUNT. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTH AT 30
MPH.

ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL AND WINDS UP TO 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH
THESE STORMS.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
GOLDEN VALLEY.
MINNEAPOLIS.
SAINT PAUL.
SUNFISH.
LAUDERDALE.
HILLTOP.
SPRING LAKE PARK.
OAK PARK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE
STORM TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.