Hail history in Little Rock, AR
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Little Rock on 4.4 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 3.3 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Little Rock on 85 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 2.0 in, in 2015. 65 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. April has the most hail days, 21 since 2010. The most recent was August 22, 2026. NOAA also recorded high wind on 134 days, with gusts up to 96 mph.
Ranks #20 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 85
- Largest hail
- 2.0 in
- Highest gust
- 96 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
85 hail days within 15 miles since 2010, largest 2.0 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. 85 hail days in total; the most was 13 in 2011.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 3, Feb 5, Mar 12, Apr 21, May 17, Jun 12, Jul 3, Aug 3, Sep 2, Oct 4, Nov 2, Dec 1.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 22, 2026 | 1.0 in | 12.3 mi |
| Jul 6, 2026 | 1.0 in | 8.6 mi |
| May 31, 2026 | 1.0 in | 14.8 mi |
| Jun 17, 2025 | 1.0 in | 7.7 mi |
| May 16, 2025 | 1.0 in | 11.3 mi |
| May 2, 2025 | 1.0 in | 9.7 mi |
| Mar 12, 2025 | 0.88 in | 13.5 mi |
| Jun 9, 2024 | 1.0 in | 10.7 mi |
| May 24, 2024 | 1.0 in | 9.4 mi |
| May 7, 2024 | 1.25 in | 1.8 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Little Rock, 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.
134 high-wind days within 15 miles since 2010, strongest gust 96 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
Most recent high-wind days
| Date | Highest gust | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 26, 2026 | Not recorded | 4.0 mi |
| Aug 22, 2026 | Not recorded | 1.8 mi |
| Aug 17, 2026 | 63 mph | 7.3 mi |
| Jul 6, 2026 | Not recorded | 2.3 mi |
| Jul 4, 2026 | 60 mph | 4.2 mi |
| Jul 1, 2026 | Not recorded | 5.7 mi |
| Jun 1, 2026 | Not recorded | 7.4 mi |
| May 5, 2026 | Not recorded | 8.3 mi |
| Apr 28, 2026 | Not recorded | 5.5 mi |
| Mar 15, 2026 | 58 mph | 7.3 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Little Rock, 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 Little Rock
Estimated peak gusts
1 day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Little Rock.
| Day | Estimated peak gust |
|---|---|
| Aug 22, 2026 | 58 mph or more |
| Jul 30, 2025 | 50 mph or more |
| Jun 25, 2023 | 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 36 tornadoes whose path came within 10 miles of Little Rock since 1950; the strongest was rated EF4.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 34.23 miles | 3.1 miles |
| May 2, 2019 | EF1 | 1.5 miles | 4.3 miles |
| Apr 14, 2011 | EF1 | 6.57 miles | 5.9 miles |
| Apr 14, 2011 | EF1 | 3.94 miles | 2 miles |
| Oct 24, 2010 | EF0 | 0.76 miles | 5.1 miles |
| Apr 30, 2010 | EF2 | 34.68 miles | 10 miles |
| Apr 30, 2010 | EF2 | 17.99 miles | 8.3 miles |
| Apr 3, 2008 | EF2 | 7.07 miles | 7.7 miles |
Show all 36Show fewer
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 2008 | EF1 | 4.81 miles | 1.9 miles |
| Apr 3, 2008 | EF2 | 2.58 miles | 8.6 miles |
| Dec 7, 2001 | EF0 | 5 miles | 8.6 miles |
| Feb 24, 2001 | EF2 | 14.3 miles | 6.6 miles |
| May 4, 2000 | EF1 | 0.3 miles | 9.3 miles |
| Jan 21, 1999 | EF2 | 15 miles | 9.8 miles |
| Jan 21, 1999 | EF3 | 39 miles | 3.3 miles |
| Mar 1, 1997 | EF2 | 5 miles | 8 miles |
| Mar 1, 1997 | EF4 | 11 miles | 5.4 miles |
| Mar 1, 1997 | EF4 | 14 miles | 5.2 miles |
| Sep 26, 1996 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 5.5 miles |
| Dec 24, 1982 | EF2 | 0.5 miles | 5.3 miles |
| Dec 23, 1982 | EF1 | 9 miles | 2.9 miles |
| Dec 2, 1982 | EF3 | 18 miles | 0.2 miles |
| Oct 8, 1982 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 4.5 miles |
| Apr 7, 1980 | EF2 | 18.1 miles | 3.2 miles |
| Apr 11, 1976 | EF1 | 2 miles | 8.3 miles |
| Feb 17, 1976 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 4.5 miles |
| Feb 22, 1975 | EF3 | 14.4 miles | 1.4 miles |
| Apr 22, 1973 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 7.9 miles |
| Apr 19, 1973 | EF2 | 1 miles | 8 miles |
| Mar 27, 1972 | EF0 | 0.3 miles | 8.3 miles |
| Mar 5, 1967 | EF2 | 11.4 miles | 1.6 miles |
| Jul 9, 1964 | EF1 | 1 miles | 6.9 miles |
| May 5, 1961 | EF1 | 1 miles | 9 miles |
| May 5, 1960 | EF1 | 3.3 miles | 1.7 miles |
| Mar 21, 1952 | EF3 | 17.7 miles | 9.9 miles |
| Mar 26, 1950 | EF2 | 10.4 miles | 1.6 miles |
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center. Ratings before 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
1 storm in NOAA's records brought modeled tropical-storm-force winds (39 mph or more) to Little Rock.
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georges (1998) | 48 mph | 39 mph | 346 miles |
Modeled from NOAA’s best tracks for open, flat ground; not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
82 radar hail days within 15 miles since 2020, largest 2.5 in or more
Source: NOAA MRMS radar (MESH), from October 14, 2020. Estimates of the largest hail in each 1 km cell, not measurements.
44 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 1 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Little Rock’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 |
|---|---|
| Aug 23, 2026 | 1.0 in or more |
| Aug 22, 2026 | 1.25 in or more |
| Aug 7, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jul 29, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jul 14, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jul 8, 2026 | 1.25 in or more |
Storms in Little Rock
NWS Little Rock calls the Interstate 30 and U.S. 67/167 corridors through Little Rock a local "tornado alley," and most Arkansas counties with 50 or more tornadoes since 1950 are clustered along them.1,2 NWS Little Rock says severe storms in Arkansas are most likely from 2 to 10 p.m. in March through May and again in November and December.2 In an SPC count of 1980 to 2006 reports within 124 nautical miles of the Little Rock radar, hail reports peaked in April and damaging-wind reports peaked in May, with June and July close behind.3
Notable storms
- September 6, 2023A microburst in west Little Rock brought 60 to 80 mph gusts and hail up to quarter size. Numerous trees were toppled or snapped, and 20,000 utility customers lost power.4
- March 31, 2023An EF3 tornado with peak winds of 165 mph touched down in west Little Rock and crossed North Little Rock, Sherwood and Jacksonville on a path of just over 34 miles to the south side of Cabot. NWS Little Rock says one person was killed, more than 50 were hospitalized and at least 2,700 structures were affected.5,6
- April 15, 2011An EF1 tornado tracked 3.94 miles entirely within Little Rock's city limits, from near West Markham Street and John Barrow Road to the Sherrill Heights neighborhood. Most damage came from trees falling on houses and vehicles, two people were killed, and NOAA's storm records list $38.5 million in property damage.7
- March 27, 2011Hail up to golf ball size fell at Baseline Road and Production Drive, and dozens of cars and roofs were damaged nearby. NOAA's storm records list $1.3 million in property damage. Ping pong ball size hail fell near Interstate 430 and Colonel Glenn Road, where hail covered the ground.8,9
- June 30, 2009Quarter to baseball size hail fell from North Little Rock and Sherwood to Lonoke. NWS Little Rock says damage totaled more than $60 million.10,2
Warnings and alerts
NWS Little Rock issues the tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings for Pulaski County.2,5 A NOAA Weather Radio programmed with Pulaski County's code, 005119, sounds an alert tone when a warning covers the county.11,2
Sources
- 1. NWS Little Rock: Tornadoes/Flooding on April 27-28, 2014
- 2. NWS Little Rock: Severe Weather Questions and Answers (brochure)
- 3. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: LZK Severe Weather Climatology
- 4. NWS Little Rock: Severe Storms on September 6-8, 2023
- 5. NWS Little Rock: Destructive Tornadoes on March 31, 2023
- 6. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Pulaski County, March 31, 2023
- 7. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Pulaski County, April 15, 2011
- 8. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Pulaski County, March 27, 2011
- 9. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Pulaski County, March 27, 2011
- 10. NWS Little Rock: Remembering Big Events in Recent Junes
- 11. NWS Little Rock: FIPS Codes
Free hail history
See the hail history near your property.
Enter a street address to see every day since 2010 with NOAA hail and wind reports within 10 miles.
Get a hail report for your whole portfolio.
Send us your properties and we’ll pull the NOAA hail history for every address. Then Cloudbreak watches each one, and you hear from us when a storm tracks toward it.
Questions about hail in Little Rock
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Little Rock?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Little Rock on 4.4 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 3.3 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 85 hail days.
- When is hail season in Little Rock?
- April has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Little Rock, 21 since 2010, then May (17) and March (12).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Little Rock?
- 2.0 in, in 2015: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Little Rock since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Little Rock?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Little Rock is from August 22, 2026, with hail up to 1.0 in reported 12.3 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.