2026 hail season recap
IndependentNot affiliated with NOAA or the National Weather Service.
The 2026 US hail season so far: 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 · Updated daily · Data through November 6, 2026
In 2026 through November 6, 5,116 hail, 21,241 damaging-wind and 1,523 tornado reports were logged in the US, with hail reported on 211 days. The largest hailstone reported was 6.10″ (softball size) 1 mile SSE of Kankakee, IL on March 10, 2026. The biggest radar hail day was July 27, 2026, when 1-inch or larger hail was radar-estimated over about 1.4 million 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 2026, by homes inside the swath
| # | Storm day | Homes inside 1″+ radar hail | People | Area | Radar max | Hail reports | Largest reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 27, 2026 | 1,448,218 | 3,656,995 | 4,585 mi² | 5.00″ | 59 | 4.50″ |
| 2 | April 25, 2026 | 586,944 | 1,506,174 | 4,828 mi² | 4.59″ | 98 | 4.50″ |
| 3 | April 27, 2026 | 414,286 | 985,196 | 5,166 mi² | 3.34″ | 129 | 4.00″ |
| 4 | March 10, 2026 | 316,838 | 757,684 | 5,819 mi² | 4.23″ | 155 | 6.10″ |
| 5 | April 14, 2026 | 297,402 | 669,374 | 4,180 mi² | 3.17″ | 109 | 4.00″ |
| 6 | April 26, 2026 | 295,418 | 677,975 | 8,163 mi² | 3.60″ | 100 | 3.00″ |
| 7 | April 28, 2026 | 214,170 | 498,062 | 8,295 mi² | 4.73″ | 120 | 4.75″ |
| 8 | October 21, 2026 | 163,890 | 431,212 | 1,559 mi² | 2.99″ | 11 | 2.00″ |
| 9 | September 3, 2026 | 163,771 | 352,673 | 2,516 mi² | 3.29″ | 21 | 2.30″ |
| 10 | July 4, 2026 | 163,116 | 381,768 | 4,594 mi² | 3.89″ | 67 | 3.00″ |
| 11 | June 1, 2026 | 161,134 | 339,715 | 2,756 mi² | 3.04″ | 61 | 2.50″ |
| 12 | April 17, 2026 | 147,775 | 334,388 | 5,637 mi² | 3.16″ | 155 | 3.25″ |
| 13 | July 20, 2026 | 143,547 | 333,023 | 2,453 mi² | 2.47″ | 18 | 3.25″ |
| 14 | May 8, 2026 | 143,080 | 340,094 | 3,667 mi² | 4.51″ | 63 | 2.75″ |
| 15 | June 10, 2026 | 142,265 | 321,856 | 6,957 mi² | 4.48″ | 79 | 3.50″ |
Largest hail reported in 2026
| Size | Where | Storm day |
|---|---|---|
| 6.10″ softball | 1 mile SSE of Kankakee, IL | March 10, 2026 |
| 5.00″ softball | 3 miles NE of Campus, IL | March 10, 2026 |
| 5.00″ softball | 2 miles NNW of Buckingham, IL | March 10, 2026 |
| 5.00″ softball | 2 miles S of Camp Wood, TX | April 29, 2026 |
| 4.80″ softball | Darien, IL | March 10, 2026 |
| 4.75″ softball | 5 miles SE of Bois d'Arc, MO | April 28, 2026 |
| 4.50″ softball | Rio Grande City, TX | March 7, 2026 |
| 4.50″ softball | Rio Grande City, TX | March 7, 2026 |
| 4.50″ softball | 1 mile NNE of Kankakee, IL | March 10, 2026 |
| 4.50″ softball | 1 mile NE of Weatherby Lake, MO | March 10, 2026 |
States with the most hail days in 2026
| # | State | Days with hail reported | Hail reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 77 | 502 | 5.00″ |
| 2 | Nebraska | 68 | 406 | 4.50″ |
| 3 | Kansas | 65 | 509 | 4.00″ |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 48 | 276 | 3.75″ |
| 5 | South Dakota | 47 | 268 | 4.50″ |
| 6 | Iowa | 45 | 317 | 4.50″ |
| 7 | Colorado | 44 | 229 | 4.50″ |
| 8 | Missouri | 43 | 357 | 4.75″ |
| 9 | Illinois | 39 | 271 | 6.10″ |
| 9 | Minnesota | 39 | 249 | 4.00″ |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 32 | 205 | 4.50″ |
| 11 | Indiana | 32 | 162 | 3.00″ |
Cities with the most days of 1-inch radar-estimated hail in 2026
| City | Population | Days with 1″+ radar hail near the center | Radar max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chadron, NE | 5,094 | 7 | 2.24″ |
| Enid, OK | 50,519 | 5 | 1.80″ |
| Paris, TX | 25,037 | 5 | 1.89″ |
| Benbrook, TX | 24,542 | 5 | 1.87″ |
| Le Mars, IA | 10,674 | 5 | 1.39″ |
| Crete, NE | 7,580 | 5 | 2.21″ |
| Maize, KS | 7,059 | 5 | 1.43″ |
| Blackwell, OK | 6,016 | 5 | 2.03″ |
| Chariton, IA | 4,278 | 5 | 1.89″ |
| Chandler, OK | 2,944 | 5 | 1.97″ |
| Lubbock, TX | 272,086 | 4 | 1.24″ |
| Grand Prairie, TX | 207,331 | 4 | 1.92″ |
| Bolingbrook, IL | 74,756 | 4 | 3.00″ |
| DeSoto, TX | 56,711 | 4 | 2.40″ |
| Berwyn, IL | 55,152 | 4 | 1.80″ |
2026 compared with the 10 years before
| 2026, Jan 1–November 6 | Average, 2016–2025, same dates | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail reports | 5,116 | 8,695 | −41% |
| Days with hail reported | 211 | 222 | −5% |
| Damaging wind reports | 21,241 | 17,694 | +20% |
| Tornado reports | 1,523 | 1,230 | +24% |
2026 counts come from the Storm Prediction Center's preliminary daily reports; earlier years are from its final database, which usually adds reports. Compare with care until NOAA finalizes 2026.
Every 2026 storm day: 2026 storm reports by day. Homes inside hail swaths by state and county: homes in hail swaths, 2026. Tornado tracks: tornadoes.