Hail in Charlotte since 2016
The Storm Prediction Center logged 184 hail reports in the counties of Mecklenburg, NC, Cabarrus, NC, Gaston, NC, Union, NC, Iredell, NC, Lincoln, NC, Rowan, NC, York, SC and Lancaster, SC from January 1, 2016 to September 27, 2026, on 65 different days. The largest was 4.00 inches, at 3 S Rock Hill on April 20, 2024. The busiest day was March 21, 2017, with 13 reports.
Hail reports by year
2017 had the most reports (28). 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 Charlotte
May, June and March account for 66% 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 | 155 | 84.2% |
| 1.75 to 2.49 in | golf ball, hen egg | 25 | 13.6% |
| 2.50 to 3.99 in | tennis ball, baseball, teacup | 3 | 1.6% |
| 4.00 in and up | softball or larger | 1 | 0.5% |
The largest hail reported
| Date | Size | Place | NWS comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 20, 2024 4:21 pm EDT | 4.00 in | 3 S Rock Hill, York, SC Co. | Public reported softball size hail near the intersection of Highway 901 and Saluda St in Rock Hill. Widespread hail damage reported throughout the city. (GSP) |
| March 21, 2017 8:30 pm EDT | 2.75 in | 3 E Harrisburg, Cabarrus, NC Co. | PUBLIC REPORTED PING PONG BALL TO BASEBALL (2.75") SIZE HAIL COVERING THE GROUND ON MOSS CREEK DRIVE. WIND DAMAGE AT HICKORY RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL. (GSP) |
| April 15, 2018 3:12 pm EDT | 2.75 in | Belmont, Gaston, NC Co. | CALLER REPORTED BASEBALL-SIZE HAIL IN BELMONT. (GSP) |
| March 21, 2017 8:27 pm EDT | 2.50 in | 1 NNW Harrisburg, Cabarrus, NC Co. | GOLF BALL TO TENNIS BALL HAIL APPROX 12 MILES NE OF UPTOWN CHARLOTTE (GSP) |
| April 15, 2018 3:12 pm EDT | 2.00 in | 3 SE Cramerton, Gaston, NC Co. | HAIL UP TO HEN EGG SIZE ON VALLEY VIEW DR IN BELMONT. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (GSP) |
| June 26, 2023 5:52 pm EDT | 2.00 in | 5 NNE Love Valley, Iredell, NC Co. | Social media picture of a large bucket full of hail in Union Grove near the Wilkes County line. Numerous golf ball size hailstones with several larger stones around 2 i (GSP) |
| April 20, 2024 4:30 pm EDT | 2.00 in | 1 SSE Rock Hill, York, SC Co. | (GSP) |
| April 20, 2024 4:57 pm EDT | 2.00 in | 3 NE Lancaster, Lancaster, SC Co. | Trained spotter relayed 2 inch hail report via Twitter. Hail lasted about 10 minutes. (CAE) |
| July 8, 2016 8:00 pm EDT | 1.75 in | 2 N Stanley, Gaston, NC Co. | (GSP) |
| July 8, 2016 8:05 pm EDT | 1.75 in | 2 NE Bessemer City, Gaston, NC Co. | (GSP) |
The days with the most hail reports
| Date | Reports | Largest | Counties with reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 21, 2017 | 13 | 2.75 in | Cabarrus, NC, Lincoln, NC, Mecklenburg, NC and Rowan, NC |
| June 26, 2023 | 13 | 2.00 in | Cabarrus, NC, Iredell, NC, Mecklenburg, NC and Rowan, NC |
| March 1, 2017 | 12 | 1.75 in | Cabarrus, NC, Gaston, NC, Iredell, NC, Lincoln, NC and Mecklenburg, NC |
| April 20, 2024 | 12 | 4.00 in | Lancaster, SC and York, SC |
| May 8, 2025 | 10 | 1.25 in | Gaston, NC, Lincoln, NC and York, SC |
| April 25, 2020 | 8 | 1.75 in | Gaston, NC, Mecklenburg, NC and York, SC |
| May 6, 2022 | 8 | 1.75 in | Gaston, NC, Lancaster, SC, Lincoln, NC, Union, NC and York, SC |
| May 3, 2016 | 5 | 1.00 in | Iredell, NC, Mecklenburg, NC, Rowan, NC and Union, NC |
| April 15, 2018 | 5 | 2.75 in | Gaston, NC, Mecklenburg, NC and York, SC |
| May 10, 2024 | 5 | 1.50 in | Lancaster, SC |
Storm dates in Charlotte 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.
2025
- May 8, 2025 10 reports, up to 1.25 in
2024
- April 20, 2024 12 reports, up to 4.00 in
- May 10, 2024 5 reports, up to 1.50 in
2023
- June 26, 2023 13 reports, up to 2.00 in
2022
- May 6, 2022 8 reports, up to 1.75 in
Check your own address in Charlotte
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 the counties of Mecklenburg, NC, Cabarrus, NC, Gaston, NC, Union, NC, Iredell, NC, Lincoln, NC, Rowan, NC, York, SC and Lancaster, SC. 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.