Hail in Birmingham since 2016
The Storm Prediction Center logged 176 hail reports in Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount and Walker counties from January 1, 2016 to September 27, 2026, on 49 different days. The largest was 4.00 inches, at 1 ENE Holly Springs on May 9, 2024. The busiest day was April 5, 2017, with 26 reports.
Hail reports by year
2017 had the most reports (43). The 2026 count runs through September 27, 2026. Report counts rise and fall with how many people were watching and reporting, not only with how much hail fell.
Which months bring hail to Birmingham
April, March and May account for 68% of the reports.
How big the hail was
| Reported size | For scale, the NWS compares it to | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00 to 1.74 in | quarter, half dollar, ping pong ball | 127 | 72.2% |
| 1.75 to 2.49 in | golf ball, hen egg | 37 | 21.0% |
| 2.50 to 3.99 in | tennis ball, baseball, teacup | 11 | 6.2% |
| 4.00 in and up | softball or larger | 1 | 0.6% |
The largest hail reported
| Date | Size | Place | NWS comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 2024 8:59 pm CDT | 4.00 in | 1 ENE Holly Springs, Blount Co. | Social media images of 4-inch hail in Holly Springs. (BMX) |
| April 5, 2017 5:56 pm CDT | 3.00 in | 2 WSW Irondale, Jefferson Co. | (BMX) |
| April 5, 2017 6:25 pm CDT | 3.00 in | Riverside, St. Clair Co. | SEVERAL VEHICLES HAD WINDOWS BROKEN OUT AND SOME STRUCTURE DAMAGE. (BMX) |
| March 19, 2018 7:38 pm CDT | 3.00 in | 1 NE Susan Moore, Blount Co. | (BMX) |
| March 19, 2018 7:46 pm CDT | 3.00 in | 4 NE Blountsville, Blount Co. | (BMX) |
| May 9, 2024 7:58 pm CDT | 3.00 in | Holly Springs, Blount Co. | Photos relayed of very large hail in Holly Springs area. Hail could be larger than 3 inches in diameter. (BMX) |
| May 9, 2024 8:58 pm CDT | 3.00 in | Holly Springs, Blount Co. | Corrects time of previous hail report from Holly Springs. Photos relayed of very large hail in Holly Springs area. Hail could be larger than 3 inches in diameter. (BMX) |
| April 5, 2017 6:14 pm CDT | 2.75 in | Pell City, St. Clair Co. | (BMX) |
| April 5, 2017 5:57 pm CDT | 2.50 in | 1 SSW Irondale, Jefferson Co. | (BMX) |
| April 5, 2017 6:20 pm CDT | 2.50 in | Pell City, St. Clair Co. | (BMX) |
The days with the most hail reports
| Date | Reports | Largest | Counties with reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 5, 2017 | 26 | 3.00 in | Jefferson, Shelby and St. Clair |
| March 27, 2017 | 13 | 1.75 in | Blount, Jefferson and Walker |
| April 9, 2021 | 12 | 1.75 in | Blount, Jefferson and Walker |
| February 26, 2026 | 11 | 2.00 in | Blount, Jefferson, St. Clair and Walker |
| May 9, 2024 | 9 | 4.00 in | Blount, Jefferson and St. Clair |
| March 19, 2018 | 7 | 3.00 in | Blount and Jefferson |
| April 24, 2021 | 7 | 2.00 in | Blount, Jefferson and St. Clair |
| May 22, 2020 | 5 | 1.75 in | Jefferson and Shelby |
| January 12, 2023 | 5 | 1.75 in | Shelby |
| June 25, 2023 | 5 | 2.00 in | St. Clair and Walker |
Storm dates in Birmingham with their own page
Every local date since January 1, 2021 with 5 or more spotter hail reports in the metro. Each page lists the reports and what radar recorded.
2026
- February 26, 2026 11 reports, up to 2.00 in
2024
- May 9, 2024 9 reports, up to 4.00 in
- June 9, 2024 5 reports, up to 2.00 in
2023
- January 12, 2023 5 reports, up to 1.75 in
- June 25, 2023 5 reports, up to 2.00 in
- August 9, 2023 5 reports, up to 2.00 in
2021
- April 9, 2021 12 reports, up to 1.75 in
- April 24, 2021 7 reports, up to 2.00 in
Check your own address in Birmingham
Enter the address and the date of the storm. The free check counts NOAA radar hail signatures within 1, 3 and 5 miles and finds the nearest spotter report.
Counts are Storm Prediction Center hail reports from January 1, 2016 to September 27, 2026 whose coordinates fall inside Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount and Walker counties. The daily logs are preliminary, and a storm nobody reported is missing from them. Radar signatures, which do not depend on anyone watching, appear on each storm-date page and in the address report. How these pages are built.