Hail in Des Moines since 2016
The Storm Prediction Center logged 443 hail reports in Polk, Dallas, Warren, Madison, Jasper and Story counties from January 1, 2016 to September 27, 2026, on 82 different days. The largest was 3.25 inches, at 2 ENE Windsor Heights on July 9, 2021. The busiest day was July 9, 2021, with 30 reports.
Hail reports by year
2023 had the most reports (68). 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 Des Moines
April, May and July account for 60% 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 | 343 | 77.4% |
| 1.75 to 2.49 in | golf ball, hen egg | 72 | 16.3% |
| 2.50 to 3.99 in | tennis ball, baseball, teacup | 28 | 6.3% |
| 4.00 in and up | softball or larger | 0 | 0.0% |
The largest hail reported
| Date | Size | Place | NWS comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 9, 2021 2:15 pm CDT | 3.25 in | 2 ENE Windsor Heights, Polk Co. | PICTURE VIA SOCIAL MEDIA OF 3.25 INCH HAIL IN BEAVERDALE. TIME ESTIMATED VIA RADAR. (DMX) |
| May 14, 2020 4:30 pm CDT | 3.00 in | New Virginia, Warren Co. | (DMX) |
| July 9, 2021 1:29 pm CDT | 3.00 in | Woodward, Dallas Co. | REPORT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. (DMX) |
| August 19, 2022 2:45 pm CDT | 3.00 in | 1 SE Clive, Polk Co. | 3 INCH HAIL STONE MEASURED AT WOI IN WEST DES MOINES. (DMX) |
| June 28, 2017 4:46 pm CDT | 2.75 in | Van Meter, Dallas Co. | DELAYED REPORT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. (DMX) |
| October 1, 2019 5:32 pm CDT | 2.75 in | 2 WNW Des Moines, Polk Co. | SOCIAL MEDIA PICTURE OF BASEBALL SIZE HAIL IN DES MOINES. (DMX) |
| May 14, 2020 4:22 pm CDT | 2.75 in | New Virginia, Warren Co. | DELAYED REPORT AND TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. REPORT VIA WOI-DT WEATHER AND SOCIAL MEDIA. (DMX) |
| July 9, 2021 1:28 pm CDT | 2.75 in | Woodward, Dallas Co. | (DMX) |
| July 9, 2021 2:01 pm CDT | 2.75 in | 1 SE Urbandale, Polk Co. | REPORT FROM MPING: BASEBALL (2.75 IN.). (DMX) |
| July 9, 2021 2:03 pm CDT | 2.75 in | Johnston, Polk Co. | COURTESY WHOTV. (DMX) |
The days with the most hail reports
| Date | Reports | Largest | Counties with reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 9, 2021 | 30 | 3.25 in | Dallas, Polk and Warren |
| May 7, 2023 | 25 | 2.75 in | Jasper and Story |
| April 17, 2026 | 19 | 1.75 in | Dallas, Jasper, Polk, Story and Warren |
| April 4, 2023 | 18 | 2.50 in | Jasper, Madison, Polk and Warren |
| July 11, 2020 | 17 | 2.50 in | Jasper, Story and Warren |
| June 22, 2021 | 17 | 1.50 in | Polk and Warren |
| April 15, 2026 | 16 | 2.00 in | Madison, Polk and Story |
| August 19, 2022 | 14 | 3.00 in | Polk |
| June 15, 2017 | 12 | 1.75 in | Jasper, Madison, Polk and Warren |
| March 31, 2023 | 12 | 1.75 in | Story and Warren |
Storm dates in Des Moines 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
- March 30, 2026 7 reports, up to 1.25 in
- April 15, 2026 16 reports, up to 2.00 in
- April 17, 2026 19 reports, up to 1.75 in
- July 2, 2026 6 reports, up to 1.50 in
- July 20, 2026 5 reports, up to 2.75 in
- September 8, 2026 8 reports, up to 2.25 in
2025
- March 14, 2025 6 reports, up to 1.50 in
- May 19, 2025 6 reports, up to 1.00 in
2024
- April 30, 2024 5 reports, up to 1.50 in
- June 25, 2024 9 reports, up to 2.75 in
- July 30, 2024 8 reports, up to 1.75 in
- July 31, 2024 5 reports, up to 1.25 in
2023
- March 31, 2023 12 reports, up to 1.75 in
- April 4, 2023 18 reports, up to 2.50 in
- April 19, 2023 9 reports, up to 1.50 in
- May 7, 2023 25 reports, up to 2.75 in
2022
- June 25, 2022 5 reports, up to 1.75 in
- August 19, 2022 14 reports, up to 3.00 in
- September 17, 2022 8 reports, up to 1.25 in
2021
- June 18, 2021 6 reports, up to 1.75 in
- June 22, 2021 17 reports, up to 1.50 in
- July 9, 2021 30 reports, up to 3.25 in
Check your own address in Des Moines
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 Polk, Dallas, Warren, Madison, Jasper and Story 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.