VIDEO & Photo Timeline of Tuesday's Severe Weather in Golden Valley

Once again, it feels like we've gone from winter to summer seemingly overnight.  Last week Monday we couldn't get above 40 degrees, but yesterday, not only did we hit a high of 88 degrees, we had our first tornado of the year.

Anyone who spent time sweating outside on Tuesday knew we had indeed sped right past spring and into summer.  In fact, meteorologist Paul Huttner explained on Minnesota Public Radio that with dewpoints in the 70s, Tuesday was the most humid May 10th in Twin Cities' history.

All that heat and humidity made conditions just right for severe weather, and the skies over Golden Valley darkened just after dinner time.

So-called "pop-up" thunderstorms formed and moved into the Twin Cities metro just after 7:00.  The National Weather Service in Chanhassen issued a tornado watch and a storm warning, urging residents to take shelter immediately and prepare for an onslaught of large hail.

"Seek shelter now inside a sturdy structure and stay away from the windows," the agency advised in the warning, which was issues at 7:23 p.m.

Sirens blared in Golden Valley around 8:10, when the NWS issued a tornado warning for Hennepin County as rotating wall clouds and funnel clouds were reported.   near Highway 169 and Excelsior Blvd. in Hopkins, and where a building lost its roof.

No funnel clouds were reported in Golden Valley, but take a look at our photo gallery and you'll see some impressive mammatus clouds that took over our skies just after 8:00.

Then came the hail.  The NWS says Golden Valley was hit with hail the size of tennis balls around 8:30.  Ping-pong ball-sized hail hit the northeast part of Golden Valley while hail measuring nearly three inches in diameter fell near I-394 and Louisiana Ave.

Several drivers sought out shelter for their vehicles as the hail came down (See attached videos of the hail in Golden Valley and of cars waiting out the storm under Highway 100).

The only reported damage in Golden Valley was minor and caused by the large hail.  For a list of damage around the metro, click here.

The tornado warning issued for Hennepin County expired at 8:45, and a less-severe tornado watch remained in effect until midnight.

The watches and warnings may have expired, but we may not have seen the last of the severe weather.  The National Weather Service says Golden Valley can expect a high today of 81 with a 40 percent chance of rain during the day and a 60 percent chance of showers late tonight.

If you have weather pics from Tuesday night or from today you can share, or if you have any reports of storm damage, email our editor.  The NWS recommends checking on the weather throughout the day, as conditions can change quickly and so can the severity of storms.