Hail history in Birmingham, AL
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Birmingham on 2.3 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 1.6 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Birmingham on 50 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 2.5 in, in 2017. 37 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. June has the most hail days, 13 since 2010. The most recent was February 26, 2026. NOAA also recorded high wind on 135 days, with gusts up to 104 mph.
Ranks #71 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 50
- Largest hail
- 2.5 in
- Highest gust
- 104 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
50 hail days within 15 miles since 2010, largest 2.5 in
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
Hail days by year
Bar chart of hail days per year, 2010 to 2026. 50 hail days in total; the most was 9 in 2011.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 0, Feb 4, Mar 9, Apr 5, May 8, Jun 13, Jul 5, Aug 1, Sep 0, Oct 4, Nov 0, Dec 1.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 26, 2026 | 1.75 in | 12.5 mi |
| Jun 27, 2025 | 1.0 in | 4.5 mi |
| May 17, 2025 | 1.25 in | 12.3 mi |
| Aug 18, 2024 | 1.0 in | 13.3 mi |
| May 9, 2024 | 1.75 in | 10.8 mi |
| Feb 12, 2024 | 1.1 in | 7.1 mi |
| Jun 16, 2023 | 1.5 in | 14.0 mi |
| Jun 14, 2023 | 0.75 in | 12.6 mi |
| May 16, 2023 | 0.88 in | 6.6 mi |
| May 9, 2023 | 0.75 in | 14.9 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Birmingham, not from any one property. Look up a street address below for a single building.
- Reports come from trained spotters and the public, so they cluster near towns and roads.
- No report does not mean no hail. Hail can fall where no one is there to report it.
- This is not a damage or insurance assessment.
135 high-wind days within 15 miles since 2010, strongest gust 104 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
Most recent high-wind days
| Date | Highest gust | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 21, 2026 | Not recorded | 0.5 mi |
| Sep 19, 2026 | Not recorded | 10.1 mi |
| Aug 26, 2026 | Not recorded | 7.2 mi |
| Aug 9, 2026 | Not recorded | 3.3 mi |
| Jul 26, 2026 | Not recorded | 6.3 mi |
| Jul 19, 2026 | Not recorded | 10.4 mi |
| Jul 9, 2026 | Not recorded | 3.9 mi |
| Jul 3, 2026 | Not recorded | 0.9 mi |
| Jul 1, 2026 | Not recorded | 11.7 mi |
| Jun 1, 2026 | Not recorded | 4.6 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Birmingham, not from any one property. Look up a street address below for a single building.
- Reports come from trained spotters and the public, so they cluster near towns and roads.
- No report does not mean no hail. Hail can fall where no one is there to report it.
- Wind speed is the highest reported gust; some reports have no speed.
- This is not a damage or insurance assessment.
Gusts, tornadoes and hurricanes in Birmingham
Estimated peak gusts
No day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Birmingham.
Estimates: the highest gust of each storm day in NOAA’s hourly 2.5 km wind analysis (URMA), which fills in between weather stations. Analyses like this smooth out short thunderstorm gusts, so they are best for widespread wind (hurricanes, winter storms, high wind days); for thunderstorm wind, NOAA’s wind reports are the better record. Not a measurement at any building.
Tornadoes within 10 miles
NOAA recorded 53 tornadoes whose path came within 10 miles of Birmingham since 1950; the strongest was rated EF5.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 9, 2023 | EF1 | 1.78 miles | 4 miles |
| Dec 9, 2023 | EF1 | 3.02 miles | 4.1 miles |
| Feb 17, 2022 | EF1 | 12.64 miles | 9.8 miles |
| Mar 25, 2021 | EF1 | 4.78 miles | 5.9 miles |
| Mar 17, 2021 | EF0 | 3.46 miles | 9.8 miles |
| Jan 25, 2021 | EF3 | 10.4 miles | 5.1 miles |
| Jun 22, 2017 | EF1 | 8.29 miles | 4.1 miles |
| Dec 25, 2015 | EF2 | 0.92 miles | 8.1 miles |
Show all 53Show fewer
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 9, 2012 | EF1 | 1.05 miles | 2 miles |
| Jan 22, 2012 | EF3 | 15.69 miles | 7.3 miles |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 80.68 miles | 4.6 miles |
| Apr 26, 2011 | EF2 | 7.76 miles | 6.3 miles |
| Apr 26, 2011 | EF1 | 3.39 miles | 7.8 miles |
| Apr 11, 2011 | EF1 | 0.38 miles | 5.3 miles |
| Oct 26, 2010 | EF1 | 4.3 miles | 7.6 miles |
| May 3, 2009 | EF0 | 2.6 miles | 9.4 miles |
| Apr 11, 2008 | EF0 | 0.3 miles | 9.8 miles |
| Mar 1, 2007 | EF1 | 0.9 miles | 9.3 miles |
| Apr 7, 2006 | EF1 | 3.2 miles | 8.2 miles |
| Apr 7, 2006 | EF1 | 2.3 miles | 7.2 miles |
| May 30, 2004 | EF0 | 4.2 miles | 9.7 miles |
| Apr 3, 2000 | EF1 | 5.7 miles | 6.4 miles |
| Apr 2, 2000 | EF1 | 4.5 miles | 4.8 miles |
| Apr 8, 1998 | EF5 | 30.3 miles | 5.6 miles |
| Apr 20, 1996 | EF0 | 0.3 miles | 1.4 miles |
| Apr 29, 1991 | EF0 | 0.3 miles | 1.4 miles |
| Feb 3, 1990 | EF1 | 3 miles | 6.4 miles |
| Feb 3, 1990 | EF1 | 7 miles | 7 miles |
| Aug 16, 1985 | EF1 | 0.2 miles | 7.9 miles |
| May 2, 1984 | EF0 | 1 miles | 6.4 miles |
| Mar 27, 1984 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 6.6 miles |
| Jun 28, 1982 | EF1 | 2.5 miles | 6.8 miles |
| Nov 9, 1979 | EF1 | 0.5 miles | 3.1 miles |
| May 30, 1979 | EF1 | 25.8 miles | 4.1 miles |
| May 4, 1979 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 4 miles |
| Apr 4, 1977 | EF5 | 14.7 miles | 2.5 miles |
| Jan 13, 1976 | EF2 | 0.3 miles | 1.4 miles |
| Jan 10, 1975 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 7.5 miles |
| Nov 4, 1974 | EF1 | 1.5 miles | 4 miles |
| May 27, 1973 | EF3 | 41.6 miles | 6.3 miles |
| Oct 27, 1972 | EF2 | 17.1 miles | 6.5 miles |
| Feb 26, 1971 | EF1 | 2 miles | 7.9 miles |
| May 17, 1969 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 3.3 miles |
| Dec 18, 1967 | EF2 | 2 miles | 5 miles |
| May 6, 1967 | EF3 | 4.3 miles | 4.2 miles |
| Mar 3, 1966 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 8.6 miles |
| May 27, 1963 | EF2 | 0.1 miles | 4.4 miles |
| Mar 5, 1963 | EF4 | 14.9 miles | 4.2 miles |
| May 12, 1959 | EF3 | 8.6 miles | 7.5 miles |
| Apr 29, 1958 | EF2 | 0.5 miles | 7.2 miles |
| Nov 18, 1957 | EF2 | 8.2 miles | 5 miles |
| Apr 15, 1956 | EF4 | 21.3 miles | 2.5 miles |
| Feb 13, 1952 | EF3 | 0.1 miles | 9.2 miles |
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center. Ratings before 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
3 storms in NOAA's records brought modeled tropical-storm-force winds (39 mph or more) to Birmingham.
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georges (1998) | 68 mph | 55 mph | 186 miles |
| Opal (1995) | 54 mph | 44 mph | 38 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1916 | 55 mph | 45 mph | 42 miles |
Modeled from NOAA’s best tracks for open, flat ground; not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
71 radar hail days within 15 miles since 2020, largest 2.75 in or more
Source: NOAA MRMS radar (MESH), from October 14, 2020. Estimates of the largest hail in each 1 km cell, not measurements.
32 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 3 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Birmingham’s center.
Biggest radar hail days
- 0.75 in+
- 1.0 in+
- 1.5 in+
- 2.0 in+
- 2.5 in+
- 3.0 in+
Most recent radar hail days
| Date | Largest radar estimate |
|---|---|
| Sep 21, 2026 | 1.5 in or more |
| Sep 19, 2026 | 1.75 in or more |
| Aug 26, 2026 | 1.25 in or more |
| Aug 9, 2026 | 2.0 in or more |
| Aug 7, 2026 | 1.0 in or more |
| Aug 6, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
Storms in Birmingham
NWS Birmingham says the city's stormiest time of year, with the greatest risk of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, is spring, especially March and April.1
Notable storms
- February 26, 2026Supercells dropped hail as large as 2 inches in parts of Blount, Jefferson and St. Clair counties. In Pinson, NWS Birmingham surveyed a microburst with winds estimated at 70 to 75 mph, along with accumulating hail and hail fog.2
- January 25, 2021Late on January 25, 2021, an EF3 tornado with peak winds estimated at 150 mph touched down about 5 miles north-northwest of Birmingham and tracked 10.4 miles through Fultondale to Center Point. NWS Birmingham counted 1 death and at least 30 injuries, and several homes along Fulton Drive and Lykes Boulevard were destroyed.3
- April 5, 2017Afternoon storms on April 5, 2017, dropped 2.5-inch hail 2.4 miles east-southeast of Red Gap Junction in Jefferson County. Hail of 1.75 inches fell near Cahaba Heights the same afternoon.4
- January 22, 2017The Birmingham airport weather station measured a 65-knot (75 mph) thunderstorm gust in the early morning, and trees were uprooted in Homewood, Vestavia Hills and Bessemer.5
- January 23, 2012Before dawn on January 23, 2012, an EF3 tornado with winds up to 150 mph tracked 15.7 miles from near Tarrant through Center Point into St. Clair County. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 1 death and 75 injuries, and about 200 homes were heavily damaged or destroyed along the path.6
- April 27, 2011On April 27, 2011, an EF4 tornado with peak winds estimated at 190 mph tracked 80.7 miles through Tuscaloosa and into Jefferson County, where NWS Birmingham found EF4 damage near Concord and in Pleasant Grove before it lifted about 2 miles north of Tarrant. The office counted 65 deaths and 1,500 injuries along its path.7
Warnings and alerts
NWS Birmingham is the local forecast office for the city and serves Jefferson County.8 Jefferson County EMA's free JeffCoAlert service sends tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings by text, email or voice call for a location you choose.9,10
Sources
- 1. NWS Birmingham: Birmingham Area Climograph
- 2. NWS Birmingham: Jefferson County Microburst, Large Hail, and Tornado of February 26, 2026
- 3. NWS Birmingham: Fultondale EF3 Tornado - January 25, 2021
- 4. NWS Birmingham: Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena - April 2017
- 5. NWS Birmingham: Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena - January 2017
- 6. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Storm Events Database: Tornado, Jefferson County, January 23, 2012
- 7. NWS Birmingham: Tuscaloosa-Birmingham Tornado - April 27, 2011
- 8. NWS Birmingham: About the National Weather Service Office in Birmingham
- 9. Jefferson County EMA: Emergency Notifications
- 10. Jefferson County EMA: JeffCoAlert Public Signup
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Questions about hail in Birmingham
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Birmingham?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Birmingham on 2.3 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 1.6 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 50 hail days.
- When is hail season in Birmingham?
- June has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Birmingham, 13 since 2010, then March (9) and May (8).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Birmingham?
- 2.5 in, in 2017: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Birmingham since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Birmingham?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Birmingham is from February 26, 2026, with hail up to 1.75 in reported 12.5 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.