Fireworks and hail in Mankato

Posted at 2:05 PM on June 2, 2010 by Bob Ingrassia

What's the Fourth of July without a big ol' fireworks display? They might find out this year in Mankato.

And that hail storm that raged along Highway 169 made June 1 look a bit like Jan. 1, at least for a little while.

Joe Spear, the Free Press editor, fill us in.

No fireworks?

The Mankato Free Press reports:

Mankato's Fourth of July fireworks tradition is in danger this year after a change in location and a drop in city support.

A year ago, a group of Mankato radio stations raised money and promoted the fireworks.

But the construction at Blakeslee Stadium field means the fireworks can't take place there, which presents logistical hurdles that are too high, said Jo Guck Bailey, vice president and general manager of Minnesota Valley Broadcasting/Radio Mankato.

What the hail?

The newspaper chronicles an early-summer storm.

A spate of thunderstorms on Tuesday resulted in a round of area storm warnings and one other-worldly scene between Mankato and St. Peter.

The storm that blew through Mankato on Tuesday created a surreal like winter scene in spring. (John Cross - Mankato Free Press)

Hail stacked up in a snow-like drift on Highway 169 Tuesday afternoon. (John Cross - Mankato Free Press)