National Storms

2021 hail season recap

IndependentNot affiliated with NOAA or the National Weather Service.

The 2021 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 2021, 6,265 hail, 15,508 damaging-wind and 1,328 tornado reports were logged in the US, with hail reported on 228 days. The largest hailstone reported was 6.42″ (softball size) in Medina County, TX on April 28, 2021. The biggest radar hail day was June 18, 2021, when 1-inch or larger hail was radar-estimated over about 430,000 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

6,265hail reports
228days with hail reported
15,508damaging wind reports
1,328tornado reports
6.42″largest hail reported
430,000homes inside 1″+ radar hail on the biggest day
Jan: 39Feb: 44Mar: 619Apr: 1040May: 1383Jun: 1005Jul: 765Aug: 733Sep: 326Oct: 117Nov: 67Dec: 127JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecmax 1383
Hail reports by month, 2021

Source: National Storms (nationalstorms.com), CC BY 4.0, data from NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports.

The biggest hail days of 2021, by homes inside the swath

#Storm dayHomes inside 1″+ radar hailPeopleAreaRadar maxHail reportsLargest reported
1June 18, 2021428,796957,2664,895 mi²3.31″1254.00″
2April 28, 2021422,5231,120,6444,778 mi²3.76″1046.42″
3July 9, 2021259,454571,1956,734 mi²3.92″1144.25″
4August 7, 2021242,989587,1743,193 mi²3.24″813.50″
5May 3, 2021230,999601,8635,779 mi²3.90″2235.50″
6June 13, 2021161,959342,2522,672 mi²3.30″891.75″
7April 9, 2021127,938265,3924,970 mi²3.76″3284.00″
8June 11, 2021124,893281,3161,767 mi²3.48″392.50″
9September 7, 2021123,190290,8442,025 mi²3.33″1234.50″
10March 27, 2021120,218286,5122,356 mi²4.47″1663.00″
11June 15, 2021102,684255,282602 mi²2.87″362.00″
12April 8, 202194,992225,7591,166 mi²5.50″632.75″
13June 19, 202194,553214,5321,738 mi²4.27″344.00″
14August 12, 202189,656206,6442,738 mi²2.78″641.75″
15March 24, 202187,909235,2741,355 mi²3.65″763.00″

Largest hail reported in 2021

SizeWhereStorm day
6.42″ softballin Medina County, TXApril 28, 2021
6.00″ softballin Medina County, TXApril 28, 2021
5.50″ softballin Bexar County, TXMay 3, 2021
5.00″ softballin Medina County, TXApril 28, 2021
4.50″ softballin Bexar County, TXMay 3, 2021
4.50″ softballin Pennington County, SDAugust 26, 2021
4.50″ softballin Outagamie County, WISeptember 7, 2021
4.30″ grapefruitin Box Butte County, NEJuly 8, 2021
4.25″ grapefruitin Scurry County, TXMay 16, 2021
4.25″ grapefruitin Howard County, TXMay 17, 2021

States with the most hail days in 2021

#StateDays with hail reportedHail reportsLargest
1Texas781,2146.42″
2Kansas565374.00″
2Nebraska563334.30″
4Colorado472684.00″
5Oklahoma462593.61″
6South Dakota413264.50″
7Minnesota372463.75″
8Wisconsin362534.50″
8New Mexico361213.07″
10Missouri331682.00″
10Arkansas331533.00″
10Wyoming331112.75″

Cities with the most days of 1-inch radar-estimated hail in 2021

CityPopulationDays with 1″+ radar hail near the centerRadar max
Hays, KS21,21353.03″
Burkburnett, TX11,10151.65″
Sweetwater, TX10,19651.52″
San Marcos, TX74,31641.44″
Pampa, TX16,48741.55″
Azle, TX15,04641.90″
Lamar, CO7,64141.63″
El Lago, TX2,99045.50″
Sioux Falls, SD209,28932.84″
Odessa, TX119,74831.56″
Duluth, MN87,98631.85″
Cheyenne, WY65,70431.68″
Manhattan, KS54,70031.41″
Grapevine, TX51,32031.19″
Urbandale, IA47,75932.10″

2021 compared with the 10 years before

2021, Jan 1–December 31Average, 2011–2020, same datesDifference
Hail reports6,26510,398−40%
Days with hail reported228231−1%
Damaging wind reports15,50816,463−6%
Tornado reports1,3281,184+12%

Every 2021 storm day: 2021 storm reports by day. Homes inside hail swaths by state and county: the 2026 study. Tornado tracks: tornadoes.

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026