Hail history in Cedar Rapids, IA
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Cedar Rapids on 2.9 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 1.9 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Cedar Rapids on 55 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 2.75 in, in 2020. 40 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. April has the most hail days, 13 since 2010. The most recent was July 20, 2026. NOAA also recorded high wind on 82 days, with gusts up to 140 mph.
Ranks #54 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 55
- Largest hail
- 2.75 in
- Highest gust
- 140 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
55 hail days within 15 miles since 2010, largest 2.75 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. 55 hail days in total; the most was 7 in 2017.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 0, Feb 1, Mar 6, Apr 13, May 10, Jun 11, Jul 4, Aug 5, Sep 2, Oct 2, Nov 1, Dec 0.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 20, 2026 | 1.0 in | 6.0 mi |
| Apr 17, 2026 | 1.0 in | 4.0 mi |
| Apr 14, 2026 | 1.75 in | 2.1 mi |
| Mar 10, 2026 | 2.0 in | 2.6 mi |
| Aug 15, 2025 | 1.5 in | 2.6 mi |
| Mar 19, 2025 | 0.88 in | 3.2 mi |
| Oct 24, 2024 | 1.0 in | 13.5 mi |
| Jun 25, 2024 | 1.0 in | 15.0 mi |
| May 24, 2024 | 1.0 in | 7.5 mi |
| May 21, 2024 | 1.0 in | 5.7 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Cedar Rapids, 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.
82 high-wind days within 15 miles since 2010, strongest gust 140 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
Most recent high-wind days
| Date | Highest gust | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2026 | 69 mph | 6.2 mi |
| Aug 7, 2026 | 65 mph | 2.7 mi |
| Jul 20, 2026 | 70 mph | 2.7 mi |
| Jun 17, 2026 | 78 mph | 3.6 mi |
| Jun 16, 2026 | 75 mph | 6.0 mi |
| Aug 15, 2025 | 72 mph | 4.3 mi |
| Jul 28, 2025 | 83 mph | 2.1 mi |
| Jul 11, 2025 | 75 mph | 2.7 mi |
| May 7, 2025 | 59 mph | 1.2 mi |
| Mar 14, 2025 | 71 mph | 4.6 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Cedar Rapids, 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 Cedar Rapids
Estimated peak gusts
1 day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Cedar Rapids.
| Day | Estimated peak gust |
|---|---|
| Mar 12, 2026 | 50 mph or more |
| Dec 28, 2025 | 50 mph or more |
| Feb 28, 2025 | 50 mph or more |
| Jul 28, 2023 | 58 mph or more |
| May 7, 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 33 tornadoes whose path came within 10 miles of Cedar Rapids since 1950; the strongest was rated EF3.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 31, 2026 | Not rated | 3.7 miles | |
| Jun 25, 2024 | EF0 | 0.54 miles | 6.5 miles |
| Jan 16, 2023 | Not rated | 0.85 miles | 4.9 miles |
| Apr 7, 2021 | EF0 | 0.65 miles | 3 miles |
| Aug 10, 2020 | Not rated | 0.92 miles | 4.6 miles |
| Sep 3, 2018 | EF1 | 2.18 miles | 2.5 miles |
| Jul 16, 2016 | EF2 | 3.99 miles | 9.5 miles |
| Dec 23, 2015 | EF1 | 2.25 miles | 6.4 miles |
Show all 33Show fewer
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 2014 | EF0 | 0.07 miles | 10 miles |
| Aug 26, 2004 | EF1 | 7.9 miles | |
| May 21, 2004 | EF3 | 3 miles | 8.7 miles |
| Jul 20, 2003 | EF2 | 0.3 miles | 2.9 miles |
| Jul 20, 2003 | EF2 | 1 miles | 5.3 miles |
| Jun 12, 2002 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 8.9 miles |
| Apr 11, 2001 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 8 miles |
| Apr 11, 2001 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 2.9 miles |
| Jun 10, 1999 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 5.7 miles |
| May 28, 1998 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 8.8 miles |
| May 8, 1998 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 9.6 miles |
| Jul 27, 1995 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 7.3 miles |
| Sep 12, 1991 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 2.9 miles |
| Aug 17, 1987 | EF0 | 0.3 miles | 6.8 miles |
| Aug 14, 1985 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 2.9 miles |
| Jun 29, 1983 | EF1 | 31 miles | 0.8 miles |
| Oct 6, 1982 | EF0 | 0.3 miles | 4.8 miles |
| Jun 9, 1979 | EF1 | 8 miles | 8.6 miles |
| May 18, 1971 | EF3 | 4.3 miles | 8.6 miles |
| Oct 14, 1966 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 4.5 miles |
| Oct 14, 1966 | EF2 | 5 miles | 7.2 miles |
| May 25, 1965 | EF2 | 19.8 miles | 2.1 miles |
| Apr 30, 1954 | EF2 | 65.8 miles | 2.8 miles |
| Jun 7, 1953 | EF2 | 116 miles | 7.5 miles |
| May 20, 1953 | EF3 | 38.6 miles | 5.7 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 Cedar Rapids.
Modeled from NOAA’s best tracks for open, flat ground; not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
41 radar hail days within 15 miles since 2020, largest 2.25 in or more
Source: NOAA MRMS radar (MESH), from October 14, 2020. Estimates of the largest hail in each 1 km cell, not measurements.
20 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 1 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Cedar Rapids’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 11, 2026 | 1.5 in or more |
| Aug 7, 2026 | 1.25 in or more |
| Jul 3, 2026 | 1.0 in or more |
| Apr 27, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Apr 23, 2026 | 1.0 in or more |
| Apr 17, 2026 | 1.0 in or more |
Storms in Cedar Rapids
Storm Prediction Center records for 1980 to 2006 within 124 nautical miles of the Quad Cities radar show damaging wind reports peaking in June and outnumbering hail reports from June through August.1
Notable storms
- August 10, 2020NWS Quad Cities estimated peak winds around 140 mph in southwest Cedar Rapids. NWS Chicago puts the derecho's damage across the Midwest at $11.5 billion, the costliest known thunderstorm event in modern U.S. history.2,3
- April 7, 2020Hail of 2.75 inches was measured at the KGAN studios near Hiawatha, and the northeast side of Cedar Rapids was one of the hardest hit areas, with hail up to baseball size.4
- June 22, 2015Around midday on June 22, 2015, storms dropped golf ball to baseball size hail across the south half of Linn County, including the Cedar Rapids area. Reports included 2.5-inch hail about 5 miles north-northeast of Cedar Rapids and 2-inch hail near Hiawatha.5,6
- June 30, 2014On the afternoon of June 30, 2014, a trained spotter in Cedar Rapids estimated winds of at least 80 mph lasting over 5 minutes, and trees and power lines came down across the city.7,8
- July 11, 2011A predawn derecho brought estimated winds of 110 to 130 mph to its hardest hit areas, including northwestern Linn County, and overturned tractor-trailers on Interstate 380 near Cedar Rapids.9,10
- July 20, 2003On the evening of July 20, 2003, an F2 tornado touched down on the northwest side of Cedar Rapids, unroofing 3 homes and heavily damaging 26 others along a quarter-mile path.11
Warnings and alerts
NWS Quad Cities issues the forecasts for Cedar Rapids.12 Linn County sounds outdoor warning sirens by quadrant, with Cedar Rapids in the southwest quadrant, for a tornado warning, confirmed 70 mph winds or confirmed 1.75-inch hail.13 Linn County Emergency Management names Alert Iowa, which residents join by texting LinnIA to 67283, and NOAA Weather Radio as its primary warning channels.13
Sources
- 1. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: DVN Severe Weather Climatology
- 2. NWS Quad Cities: Midwest Derecho - August 10, 2020
- 3. NWS Chicago: August 10, 2020: Corn Belt Derecho
- 4. NWS Quad Cities: April 7th - Large Hail Event
- 5. NWS Quad Cities: June 22, 2015 Storm Damage Surveys & Event Summary
- 6. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: 20150622's Storm Reports
- 7. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Linn County, June 30, 2014
- 8. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Linn County, June 30, 2014
- 9. NWS Quad Cities: July 11, 2011 Derecho in East Central Iowa
- 10. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: The Cross Country Derecho of July 2011
- 11. NWS Quad Cities: Cedar Rapids, Iowa Tornadoes July 20, 2003
- 12. NWS Quad Cities: NWS Forecast for Cedar Rapids IA
- 13. Linn County Emergency Management: Outdoor Warning Sirens
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 Cedar Rapids
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Cedar Rapids?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Cedar Rapids on 2.9 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 1.9 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 55 hail days.
- When is hail season in Cedar Rapids?
- April has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Cedar Rapids, 13 since 2010, then June (11) and May (10).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Cedar Rapids?
- 2.75 in, in 2020: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Cedar Rapids since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Cedar Rapids?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Cedar Rapids is from July 20, 2026, with hail up to 1.0 in reported 6.0 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.