2020 hail season recap
IndependentNot affiliated with NOAA or the National Weather Service.
The 2020 US hail season: the biggest days by homes inside radar-estimated 1-inch hail, the largest stones, the states and cities hit most, and how it compares.
Published November 7, 2026 · Final for the year · Data through November 6, 2026
In 2020, 7,669 hail, 19,304 damaging-wind and 1,090 tornado reports were logged in the US, with hail reported on 210 days. The largest hailstone reported was 5.33″ (softball size) in Wichita County, TX on May 22, 2020. The biggest radar hail day was May 27, 2020, when 1-inch or larger hail was radar-estimated over about 360,000 homes.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports; NOAA MRMS radar hail estimates (MESH) via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet; 2020 Census housing units. Data through November 6, 2026. Methodology
Source: National Storms (nationalstorms.com), CC BY 4.0, data from NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports.
The biggest hail days of 2020, by homes inside the swath
| # | Storm day | Homes inside 1″+ radar hail | People | Area | Radar max | Hail reports | Largest reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 27, 2020 | 355,947 | 874,701 | 4,358 mi² | 4.34″ | 118 | 2.75″ |
| 2 | July 6, 2020 | 327,511 | 793,842 | 3,420 mi² | 3.39″ | 146 | 2.75″ |
| 3 | July 11, 2020 | 293,738 | 637,135 | 9,373 mi² | 4.69″ | 231 | 4.50″ |
| 4 | May 4, 2020 | 287,332 | 689,187 | 8,566 mi² | 4.20″ | 267 | 5.00″ |
| 5 | April 27, 2020 | 274,484 | 739,151 | 816 mi² | 2.99″ | 42 | 2.00″ |
| 6 | August 9, 2020 | 257,783 | 618,813 | 2,619 mi² | 3.28″ | 80 | 3.00″ |
| 7 | April 7, 2020 | 218,064 | 488,831 | 2,439 mi² | 3.67″ | 291 | 3.00″ |
| 8 | April 28, 2020 | 211,132 | 478,381 | 5,396 mi² | 2.84″ | 175 | 3.75″ |
| 9 | August 16, 2020 | 190,585 | 467,809 | 6,969 mi² | 3.44″ | 103 | 3.00″ |
| 10 | May 23, 2020 | 164,452 | 394,396 | 4,722 mi² | 3.55″ | 114 | 3.25″ |
| 11 | June 29, 2020 | 141,934 | 326,436 | 3,412 mi² | 3.28″ | 67 | 2.50″ |
| 12 | April 22, 2020 | 129,386 | 301,537 | 3,124 mi² | 3.41″ | 92 | 2.75″ |
| 13 | August 10, 2020 | 123,980 | 268,147 | 3,380 mi² | 3.29″ | 51 | 2.50″ |
| 14 | May 20, 2020 | 117,761 | 273,531 | 2,353 mi² | 3.00″ | 56 | 3.00″ |
| 15 | April 8, 2020 | 110,757 | 251,990 | 3,040 mi² | 4.17″ | 287 | 4.00″ |
Largest hail reported in 2020
| Size | Where | Storm day |
|---|---|---|
| 5.33″ softball | in Wichita County, TX | May 22, 2020 |
| 5.00″ softball | in Washington County, AR | May 4, 2020 |
| 4.50″ softball | in Texas County, MO | March 27, 2020 |
| 4.50″ softball | in Wabaunsee County, KS | July 11, 2020 |
| 4.50″ softball | in Pennington County, SD | August 8, 2020 |
| 4.50″ softball | in Mellette County, SD | August 26, 2020 |
| 4.25″ grapefruit | in Rock County, NE | June 8, 2020 |
| 4.25″ grapefruit | in Niobrara County, WY | July 19, 2020 |
| 4.00″ grapefruit | in Lee County, IA | April 8, 2020 |
| 4.00″ grapefruit | in Val Verde County, TX | April 11, 2020 |
States with the most hail days in 2020
| # | State | Days with hail reported | Hail reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 72 | 1,018 | 5.33″ |
| 2 | Kansas | 63 | 597 | 4.50″ |
| 3 | South Dakota | 57 | 571 | 4.50″ |
| 4 | Nebraska | 55 | 432 | 4.25″ |
| 5 | Colorado | 46 | 311 | 3.00″ |
| 6 | Oklahoma | 45 | 622 | 4.00″ |
| 6 | North Dakota | 45 | 313 | 3.75″ |
| 8 | Minnesota | 41 | 390 | 3.00″ |
| 9 | Missouri | 38 | 274 | 4.50″ |
| 10 | Georgia | 34 | 97 | 2.50″ |
| 11 | Arkansas | 33 | 184 | 5.00″ |
| 12 | Wyoming | 32 | 180 | 4.25″ |
Cities with the most days of 1-inch radar-estimated hail in 2020
| City | Population | Days with 1″+ radar hail near the center | Radar max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid City, SD | 79,894 | 8 | 2.57″ |
| Summerset, SD | 3,013 | 7 | 2.45″ |
| Belle Fourche, SD | 5,855 | 6 | 2.71″ |
| Duncan, OK | 23,174 | 5 | 1.97″ |
| Spearfish, SD | 13,803 | 5 | 2.67″ |
| Park Rapids, MN | 4,381 | 5 | 1.90″ |
| Taft, TX | 2,929 | 5 | 1.49″ |
| Birmingham, AL | 196,357 | 4 | 1.27″ |
| San Angelo, TX | 100,159 | 4 | 3.28″ |
| Baytown, TX | 86,004 | 4 | 3.83″ |
| La Porte, TX | 38,046 | 4 | 5.41″ |
| Nixa, MO | 26,352 | 4 | 1.34″ |
| Big Spring, TX | 22,541 | 4 | 1.72″ |
| Hays, KS | 21,213 | 4 | 1.31″ |
| La Marque, TX | 20,194 | 4 | 1.56″ |
2020 compared with the 10 years before
| 2020, Jan 1–December 31 | Average, 2010–2019, same dates | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail reports | 7,669 | 10,722 | −28% |
| Days with hail reported | 210 | 233 | −10% |
| Damaging wind reports | 19,304 | 16,114 | +20% |
| Tornado reports | 1,090 | 1,206 | −10% |
Every 2020 storm day: 2020 storm reports by day. Homes inside hail swaths by state and county: the 2026 study. Tornado tracks: tornadoes.