ST. CLOUD -- Strong thunderstorms and large hail shook the St. Cloud metro area Friday evening, if only briefly.

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was originally issued for Stearns, Benton, Sherburne and Wright counties just before 5:15 p.m. The alert warned of heavy rain, wind gusts of up to 60 mph, and nickel to golf ball-sized hail.

That warning expired at 6 p.m. for everywhere except for parts of Benton County, which remained under a warning until 6:30 p.m., and parts of Sherburne and Wright Counties through 8 p.m.

At the storm's peak, ping pong ball-sized hail was recovered in southeast St. Cloud outside the Townsquare Media studios, and there were reader reports of shattered car windshields near Clearwater.

The stormy weather is not expected to return to the metro area over the weekend.

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