Hail hits northern suburbs

by Perry Finelli, Minnesota Public Radio

Chisago County, Minn. — Some communities north of the Twin Cities were hit by powerful hailstorms last evening.

Softball-sized hailstones broke windows, punched three-inch holes into siding and ruined vehicles in the Harris area. Electricity was also knocked out, and the ground turned white from the hail.

The storm also interfered with the State Patrol's response to a three-car accident, with serious injuries, on Interstate 35. Emergency responders requested a medical helicopter, but the weather made that impossible.