CHANHASSEN, Minn. — Severe thunderstorms dropped large hail that left cars with dents and broken windows as they rumbled across Minnesota's midsection Tuesday evening.

Reports of 1-inch and 2-inch hail were common as the storms passed over the Twin Cities area. The National Weather Service says trained spotters also reported 3-inch hail near New London and 2.5-inch hail near Morris in western Minnesota.

WCCO Radio carried numerous reports from listeners reporting hail damage to vehicles and other property, as well as trees down.

Xcel Energy says over 44,000 customers from St. Cloud through the Twin Cities area were without power around 9 p.m.

The storms also led to at least a couple tornado warnings, near Willmar in western Minnesota and in Pine County in the east. But there were no reports of touchdowns.