Hail history in Modesto, CA
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Modesto on 0.1 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 0.0 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Modesto on 2 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 1.0 in, in 2026. 1 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. April has the most hail days, 2 since 2010. The most recent was April 10, 2026. NOAA also recorded high wind on 2 days, with gusts up to 100 mph.
Ranks #177 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 2
- Largest hail
- 1.0 in
- Highest gust
- 100 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
2 hail days within 15 miles since 2010, largest 1.0 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. 2 hail days in total; the most was 1 in 2016.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 0, Feb 0, Mar 0, Apr 2, May 0, Jun 0, Jul 0, Aug 0, Sep 0, Oct 0, Nov 0, Dec 0.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 10, 2026 | 1.0 in | 9.9 mi |
| Apr 27, 2016 | 0.5 in | 13.9 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Modesto, 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.
2 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 10, 2023 | 41 mph | 11.9 mi |
| Dec 24, 2015 | 100 mph | 2.9 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Modesto, 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 Modesto
Estimated peak gusts
No day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Modesto.
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 7 tornadoes whose path came within 10 miles of Modesto since 1950; the strongest was rated EF2.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2025 | EF0 | 0.9 miles | 5.3 miles |
| Dec 24, 2015 | EF0 | 0.23 miles | 2.8 miles |
| Apr 14, 2006 | EF1 | 0.5 miles | 0.9 miles |
| Mar 20, 2005 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 0.9 miles |
| Mar 4, 1978 | EF1 | 2.5 miles | 9.5 miles |
| Mar 1, 1978 | EF1 | 1.5 miles | 4.6 miles |
| Apr 27, 1953 | EF2 | 0.1 miles | 0.9 miles |
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center. Ratings before 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
No hurricane or tropical storm in NOAA's records brought modeled tropical-storm-force winds (39 mph) to Modesto.
Modeled from NOAA’s best tracks for open, flat ground; not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
7 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.
5 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 0 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Modesto’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 |
|---|---|
| Apr 20, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Apr 10, 2026 | 1.0 in or more |
| Apr 9, 2026 | 1.25 in or more |
| Sep 25, 2024 | 1.0 in or more |
| Aug 19, 2024 | 1.25 in or more |
| Oct 9, 2023 | 0.75 in or more |
Storms in Modesto
An NWS Sacramento study says Central Valley thunderstorms are most common in March and April.1 An NWS Sacramento study names the Central Valley, which includes the San Joaquin Valley, as one of two California regions with a significant increase in tornado occurrence.2
Notable storms
- April 10, 2026Severe thunderstorms dropped 1-inch hail in Ripon around 2 p.m., the public reported.3
- April 1, 2025A brief EF0 tornado with peak winds estimated at 76 mph touched down about 2 miles east-northeast of Salida at 2:13 p.m. and stayed on the ground for 0.9 miles through orchards and three properties. It uprooted dozens of almond trees, ripped material off a roof, broke a window and moved a large trailer about 20 feet.4,5
- March 17, 2025Straight-line thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 mph uprooted about 100 almond trees about 3 miles north-northeast of Turlock Municipal Airport.6
- April 27, 2016Thunderstorms dropped half-inch hail that covered roads 1 to 2 inches deep about 3 miles north-northwest of Oakdale.7
- December 24, 2015Severe thunderstorms produced straight-line winds estimated at 100 mph near Coffee Road and Athens Road in northeast Modesto, where a large tree fell on power lines and brought down 12 power poles. The same storms produced an EF0 tornado in Ceres.8,9
- November 15, 2015An EF1 tornado with multiple touchdowns tracked about 3 miles through the north side of Denair, damaging about 21 homes, most with minor roof damage, and bringing down trees, fences and power lines. No one was hurt, and NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $1 million in property damage.10
Warnings and alerts
Modesto lies in NWS Sacramento's warning area, which covers the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys from Turlock in the south to around Redding in the north.11 Stanislaus County's StanAware system can contact residences and businesses in an affected area by phone, text or email with emergency alerts.12
Sources
- 1. NWS Sacramento: The Northern Sacramento Valley Surface Moisture Convergence Zone (Western Region Technical Attachment 02-07)
- 2. NWS Sacramento: The Presidents' Day 2005 Tornadoes in the Southern Sacramento Valley of Northern California (NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS WR-284)
- 3. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, San Joaquin County, April 10, 2026
- 4. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Stanislaus County, April 1, 2025
- 5. KCRA: Tornado uprooted almond trees, damaged Stanislaus County properties, NWS says
- 6. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Stanislaus County, March 17, 2025
- 7. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Stanislaus County, April 27, 2016
- 8. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Stanislaus County, December 24, 2015
- 9. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Stanislaus County, December 24, 2015
- 10. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Stanislaus County, November 15, 2015
- 11. NWS Sacramento: NWS Sacramento Cooperative Observer Program
- 12. Stanislaus County Emergency Services: Register for Alerts
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Questions about hail in Modesto
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Modesto?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Modesto on 0.1 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 0.0 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 2 hail days.
- When is hail season in Modesto?
- April has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Modesto, 2 since 2010.
- What is the largest hail recorded in Modesto?
- 1.0 in, in 2026: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Modesto since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Modesto?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Modesto is from April 10, 2026, with hail up to 1.0 in reported 9.9 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.