Gutters, roofing, siding and windows in ZIP code 56355, Nelson, MN

• Gutters in ZIP code 56355

  Douglas County averages 27.6 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). One inch of rain on 1,000 square feet of roof is about 623 gallons of water for the gutters to carry.

• Roofing in ZIP code 56355

  3 of the 17 hail events on record within 10 miles of the center of ZIP code 56355 from 2016 through March 31, 2026 had hail 1.5 inches or larger. The National Weather Service counts hail of 1 inch or larger as severe.

• Siding in ZIP code 56355

  The strongest thunderstorm wind on record within 10 miles of the center of ZIP code 56355 from 2016 through September 22, 2025 was 87 mph. The National Weather Service counts a thunderstorm wind of 58 mph or more as severe.

• Windows in ZIP code 56355

  48% of homes in ZIP code 56355 were built before 1980. A home built before 1980 was built before the energy codes in force today were written.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database (hail events through March 31, 2026; thunderstorm-wind and tornado events through September 22, 2025); American Community Survey 2023, 5-year; NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals.

ZIP code 56355 is filed here under Nelson, in Douglas County, Minnesota; its center is about 58 miles southwest of our Brainerd office. Our address file holds 303 address points in ZIP code 56355. Of the cities and towns on our pages, ZIP code 56355 covers only Nelson.

Source: Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area, county and place boundaries (a ZIP code can also take in land outside any city or town).

ZIP code 56355 has 256 housing units, and 89% of them are single-family detached homes (American Community Survey 2023, 5-year). Another 1% are attached homes such as townhomes. Mobile homes make up 5% of the housing units.

The median home in ZIP code 56355 was built in 1981. 48% of homes in ZIP code 56355 were built before 1980, and 19% were built in 2000 or later. The most common building period is 1939 or earlier, with 73 homes.

76% of occupied homes in ZIP code 56355 are owner-occupied. The median owner-occupied home in ZIP code 56355 is valued at $307,000. Among occupied homes in ZIP code 56355, 14% heat with utility gas, 11% with electricity, 62% with bottled or tank gas, 9% with fuel oil and 3% with wood.

Source: American Community Survey 2023, 5-year (tables B25024, B25034, B25035, B25003, B25077, B25040), for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 56355.

The nearest other ZIP codes we serve, measured center to center, are 56319 in Carlos (4.5 miles north), 56360 in Osakis (7.1 miles southeast), 56354 in Miltona (8.5 miles north), 56308 in Alexandria (8.7 miles southwest), 56332 in Garfield (13 miles west) and 56446 in Eagle Bend (15 miles northeast). The table sets ZIP code 56355 beside the 8 ZIP codes nearest to it, using the same Census figures for each.

Source: American Community Survey 2023, 5-year, by ZIP Code Tabulation Area; distances are straight lines between ZIP code centers.

The NOAA Storm Events Database records 17 hail events, 23 thunderstorm-wind events and 3 tornadoes within 10 miles of the center of ZIP code 56355 from 2016 through March 31, 2026 for hail and through September 22, 2025 for thunderstorm wind and tornadoes. The largest hail on record there in that period was 1.75 inches on July 19, 2019, near Osakis. 3 of those hail events had hail 1.5 inches or larger.

The closest event to the center of ZIP code 56355 was 64 mph wind on May 12, 2022, 3.2 miles away near Carlos. The most recent hail event within 10 miles of the center of ZIP code 56355 was on June 28, 2025: 1 in hail near Alexandria. The most recent thunderstorm-wind event within 10 miles of the center of ZIP code 56355 was on July 22, 2025, near Alexandria. The strongest thunderstorm wind recorded within 10 miles of the center of ZIP code 56355 in that period was 87 mph. The busiest year was 2022, with 9 events in all.

Apart from those database entries, NOAA weather radar indicated hail of 1 inch or larger over Nelson on 1 day from January 2025 on, most recently June 20, 2025. A radar indication is an estimate, not a report from the ground, and the counts and tables on this page do not include it.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database (hail events through March 31, 2026; thunderstorm-wind and tornado events through September 22, 2025); NOAA MRMS radar hail estimates (for the city of Nelson).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database (hail events through March 31, 2026; thunderstorm-wind and tornado events through September 22, 2025).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database (hail events through March 31, 2026; thunderstorm-wind and tornado events through September 22, 2025).

This page is filed under Nelson, which is in Douglas County; the ratings below are that county's. Douglas County scores 47.7 of 100 for hail in FEMA's National Risk Index, which ranks 72nd of 87 Minnesota counties. Douglas County scores 73.1 of 100 for strong wind in FEMA's National Risk Index, which ranks 33rd of 87 Minnesota counties. Douglas County scores 91.8 of 100 for winter weather in FEMA's National Risk Index, which ranks 10th of 87 Minnesota counties. Of the perils listed here, the highest score in Douglas County is for winter weather, at 91.8 of 100.

Douglas County averages 27.6 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). The average annual temperature in Douglas County is 42°F.

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, 2026 release; rank among the state's counties computed from the scores; NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals.

Our Brainerd office is at 217 S 7th St, Brainerd, MN 56401, about 58 miles from the center of ZIP code 56355. Its hours are Monday–Friday 7:00 AM–7:00 PM. You can reach that office at (218) 833-2997.

• Brainerd office: address, hours and map