Hail history in Tuscaloosa, AL
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Tuscaloosa on 1.4 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 0.8 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Tuscaloosa on 23 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 2.5 in, in 2016. 11 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. March has the most hail days, 7 since 2010. The most recent was May 25, 2024. NOAA also recorded high wind on 67 days, with gusts up to 100 mph.
Ranks #127 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 23
- Largest hail
- 2.5 in
- Highest gust
- 100 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
23 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. 23 hail days in total; the most was 5 in 2024.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 0, Feb 2, Mar 7, Apr 2, May 6, Jun 5, Jul 0, Aug 1, Sep 0, Oct 0, Nov 0, Dec 0.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| May 25, 2024 | 1.0 in | 13.4 mi |
| May 24, 2024 | 1.0 in | 13.6 mi |
| May 18, 2024 | 0.88 in | 10.7 mi |
| May 9, 2024 | 0.88 in | 6.5 mi |
| Feb 12, 2024 | 0.75 in | 2.2 mi |
| Jun 29, 2023 | 1.0 in | 11.4 mi |
| Apr 27, 2023 | 0.88 in | 9.9 mi |
| Mar 22, 2022 | 1.0 in | 2.3 mi |
| Feb 17, 2022 | 1.0 in | 3.4 mi |
| Jun 13, 2021 | 0.88 in | 6.0 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Tuscaloosa, 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.
67 high-wind days within 15 miles since 2010, strongest gust 100 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
Most recent high-wind days
| Date | Highest gust | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2026 | Not recorded | 4.8 mi |
| Mar 15, 2026 | Not recorded | 12.2 mi |
| Jun 16, 2025 | 58 mph | 12.9 mi |
| May 25, 2025 | 58 mph | 9.6 mi |
| May 17, 2025 | 100 mph | 1.2 mi |
| Feb 15, 2025 | 60 mph | 2.9 mi |
| Dec 28, 2024 | 58 mph | 3.0 mi |
| Aug 18, 2024 | 58 mph | 14.2 mi |
| Aug 2, 2024 | 64 mph | 7.6 mi |
| Jul 18, 2024 | 49 mph | 6.4 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Tuscaloosa, 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 Tuscaloosa
Estimated peak gusts
1 day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Tuscaloosa.
| Day | Estimated peak gust |
|---|---|
| Mar 15, 2025 | 58 mph or more |
| Jan 12, 2024 | 50 mph or more |
| Jan 8, 2024 | 50 mph or more |
| Dec 14, 2022 | 50 mph or more |
| Jul 21, 2022 | 50 mph or more |
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 27 tornadoes whose path came within 10 miles of Tuscaloosa since 1950; the strongest was rated EF4.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 15, 2025 | EF1 | 11.54 miles | 9.1 miles |
| Mar 30, 2022 | EF1 | 3.88 miles | 4.4 miles |
| Mar 17, 2021 | EF1 | 0.53 miles | 9.1 miles |
| Mar 17, 2021 | EF1 | 22.03 miles | 7.9 miles |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF1 | 9.86 miles | 3.7 miles |
| Apr 28, 2014 | EF1 | 12.47 miles | 6.9 miles |
| Jan 22, 2012 | EF2 | 0.45 miles | 9.8 miles |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 80.68 miles | 0.2 miles |
Show all 27Show fewer
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2011 | EF3 | 18.37 miles | 3.4 miles |
| Apr 29, 2005 | EF0 | 6.9 miles | 2.5 miles |
| Nov 18, 2003 | EF1 | 6.3 miles | 1 miles |
| Dec 16, 2000 | EF4 | 18 miles | 5.8 miles |
| Mar 10, 2000 | EF0 | 3.3 miles | 5.3 miles |
| Apr 8, 1998 | EF3 | 19.5 miles | 7.2 miles |
| Jan 27, 1997 | EF2 | 2 miles | 9.4 miles |
| Jan 24, 1997 | EF2 | 10 miles | 3.3 miles |
| Jul 4, 1995 | EF0 | 0.5 miles | 3.4 miles |
| Feb 3, 1990 | EF1 | 6 miles | 5.5 miles |
| Nov 19, 1988 | EF3 | 0.5 miles | 3.4 miles |
| Nov 10, 1984 | EF2 | 14 miles | 4.2 miles |
| Dec 3, 1983 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 6.7 miles |
| Dec 8, 1978 | EF0 | 0.3 miles | 9.5 miles |
| Sep 6, 1977 | EF2 | 8.3 miles | 3.1 miles |
| Mar 18, 1975 | EF1 | 2 miles | 4.8 miles |
| Mar 13, 1975 | EF0 | 0.5 miles | 8.9 miles |
| Feb 23, 1975 | EF4 | 14.4 miles | 3 miles |
| Feb 21, 1961 | EF2 | 1 miles | 2.9 miles |
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center. Ratings before 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
7 storms in NOAA's records brought modeled tropical-storm-force winds (39 mph or more) to Tuscaloosa.
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georges (1998) | 77 mph | 63 mph | 158 miles |
| Opal (1995) | 56 mph | 46 mph | 76 miles |
| Frederic (1979) | 59 mph | 48 mph | 42 miles |
| Baker (1950) | 48 mph | 39 mph | 37 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1917 | 50 mph | 41 mph | 180 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1916 | 49 mph | 40 mph | 3 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1906 | 54 mph | 44 mph | 112 miles |
Modeled from NOAA’s best tracks for open, flat ground; not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
85 radar hail days within 15 miles since 2020, largest 1.75 in or more
Source: NOAA MRMS radar (MESH), from October 14, 2020. Estimates of the largest hail in each 1 km cell, not measurements.
36 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 0 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Tuscaloosa’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 22, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Sep 21, 2026 | 1.0 in or more |
| Sep 20, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Sep 19, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Sep 7, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Sep 3, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
Storms in Tuscaloosa
NWS Birmingham says Central Alabama gets damaging straight-line winds and large hail, especially in spring, and that its tornadoes are most frequent from November to May, with a peak in March and April.1 Alabama also has a secondary severe weather season that typically runs from the beginning of November until mid-December, according to NWS Birmingham.2
Notable storms
- May 18, 2025On May 18, 2025, straight-line winds estimated at 90 to 100 mph swept Tuscaloosa County north of Northport, mostly between 5:50 and 6:12 a.m., per an NWS Birmingham damage survey. The survey found a nearly solid 4-mile swath of tree damage, with Clearwater Estates, Four Winds, Vista Granda, Searles and Bull City hit hardest.3
- June 19, 2021Claudette brought rain totals of 4.5 to 6.5 inches to much of Central Alabama, and flash flooding from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham flooded homes and other buildings and closed roads. In the Cottondale community, saturated ground and breezy winds brought a tree down onto a mobile home, killing two people.4
- April 27, 2011The EF4 Tuscaloosa-Birmingham tornado, with peak winds estimated at 190 mph, crossed the city of Tuscaloosa on an 80.68-mile path. NWS Birmingham counts 65 deaths and 1,500 injuries along the full path. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $1.5 billion in property damage in Tuscaloosa County, where homes in the Cedar Crest and Alberta City neighborhoods were destroyed.5,6
- April 30, 2002On April 30, 2002, a supercell crossed southern Tuscaloosa County and dropped hail from pea to baseball size, up to 2.75 inches, across southern areas of Tuscaloosa, Fosters, Ralph, Taylorville and Duncanville. NOAA Storm Data listed $400,000 in property damage from the hail in Tuscaloosa County.7
- December 16, 2000An F4 tornado moving about 60 mph crossed 18 miles of Tuscaloosa County in 18 minutes, with pockets of F4 damage in the Hinton Place, Hillcrest Meadows and Bear Creek areas. Tuscaloosa EMA reported 11 deaths and 144 injuries, and NWS Birmingham ranks it the county's strongest tornado recorded since 1950.8
Warnings and alerts
NWS Birmingham, based in Calera, issues warnings for Tuscaloosa County, and Tuscaloosa County EMA manages TuscALERT, a free service that sends weather alerts by phone call, text and email.1,9
Sources
- 1. NWS Birmingham: About the National Weather Service Office in Birmingham
- 2. NWS Birmingham: Fall Severe Weather Awareness Day
- 3. NWS Birmingham (Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive): Public Information Statement: NWS Damage Survey for 05/18/2025 Tuscaloosa County Straight-Line Wind Event
- 4. NWS Birmingham: Central Alabama Impacts from Claudette
- 5. NWS Birmingham: Tuscaloosa-Birmingham Tornado - April 27, 2011
- 6. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Tuscaloosa County, April 27, 2011
- 7. NOAA National Climatic Data Center: Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena, April 2002
- 8. NWS Birmingham: Tuscaloosa Tornado - December 16, 2000
- 9. Tuscaloosa County Emergency Management Agency: TuscALERT
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Questions about hail in Tuscaloosa
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Tuscaloosa?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Tuscaloosa on 1.4 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 0.8 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 23 hail days.
- When is hail season in Tuscaloosa?
- March has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Tuscaloosa, 7 since 2010, then May (6) and June (5).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Tuscaloosa?
- 2.5 in, in 2016: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Tuscaloosa since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Tuscaloosa?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Tuscaloosa is from May 25, 2024, with hail up to 1.0 in reported 13.4 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.