Hail history in Louisville, KY
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Louisville on 2.4 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 2.0 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Louisville on 49 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 2.0 in, in 2025. 41 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. April has the most hail days, 10 since 2010. The most recent was May 16, 2026. NOAA also recorded high wind on 166 days, with gusts up to 96 mph.
Ranks #51 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 49
- Largest hail
- 2.0 in
- Highest gust
- 96 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
49 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. 49 hail days in total; the most was 8 in 2012.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 1, Feb 1, Mar 9, Apr 10, May 10, Jun 5, Jul 7, Aug 2, Sep 0, Oct 2, Nov 0, Dec 2.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2026 | 1.0 in | 2.5 mi |
| Mar 19, 2025 | 1.0 in | 9.6 mi |
| Mar 14, 2025 | 2.0 in | 5.2 mi |
| Mar 13, 2025 | 1.0 in | 9.2 mi |
| Apr 2, 2024 | 1.0 in | 9.3 mi |
| Mar 14, 2024 | 1.0 in | 11.0 mi |
| Jul 17, 2023 | 1.5 in | 12.1 mi |
| Jun 25, 2023 | 1.75 in | 0.6 mi |
| May 8, 2023 | 1.75 in | 3.8 mi |
| Jan 12, 2023 | 0.88 in | 5.3 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Louisville, 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.
166 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 16, 2026 | 64 mph | 3.9 mi |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Not recorded | 8.8 mi |
| Jul 21, 2026 | Not recorded | 6.7 mi |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Not recorded | 8.7 mi |
| Jun 26, 2026 | Not recorded | 0.4 mi |
| Jun 25, 2026 | Not recorded | 6.2 mi |
| Jun 21, 2026 | Not recorded | 8.9 mi |
| Jun 18, 2026 | Not recorded | 9.4 mi |
| Jun 17, 2026 | 62 mph | 2.4 mi |
| May 19, 2026 | Not recorded | 1.5 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Louisville, 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 Louisville
Estimated peak gusts
1 day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Louisville.
| Day | Estimated peak gust |
|---|---|
| Jul 28, 2025 | 50 mph or more |
| Mar 3, 2023 | 58 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 37 tornadoes whose path came within 10 miles of Louisville since 1950; the strongest was rated EF4.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF3 | 9.68 miles | 9 miles |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF1 | 2.24 miles | 8 miles |
| Mar 30, 2025 | EF1 | 5.43 miles | 8.8 miles |
| Sep 24, 2024 | EF0 | 3.88 miles | 8.6 miles |
| Jul 4, 2024 | EF1 | 0.51 miles | 2.9 miles |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF2 | 11.15 miles | 8.6 miles |
| May 7, 2023 | EF1 | 4.45 miles | 5.1 miles |
| May 7, 2023 | EF1 | 0.41 miles | 8.6 miles |
Show all 37Show fewer
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2023 | EF1 | 0.35 miles | 8.9 miles |
| Apr 5, 2023 | EF1 | 0.89 miles | 3.1 miles |
| Apr 5, 2023 | EF1 | 0.39 miles | 2.9 miles |
| Apr 5, 2023 | EF1 | 0.82 miles | 6.4 miles |
| Jan 29, 2013 | EF0 | 2.67 miles | 9.1 miles |
| Jan 17, 2012 | EF1 | 0.5 miles | 8.3 miles |
| Jan 17, 2012 | EF1 | 7.92 miles | 7.1 miles |
| Jan 17, 2012 | EF0 | 1.85 miles | 7.4 miles |
| Jan 17, 2012 | EF1 | 2.13 miles | 8.6 miles |
| Jun 22, 2011 | EF2 | 1.6 miles | 9.1 miles |
| Jun 22, 2011 | EF1 | 1.9 miles | 7 miles |
| Jun 22, 2011 | EF2 | 1.2 miles | 1.5 miles |
| Apr 19, 2011 | EF0 | 0.17 miles | 6.9 miles |
| Apr 19, 2011 | EF1 | 1.18 miles | 7 miles |
| Feb 27, 2011 | EF1 | 3.03 miles | 8.1 miles |
| Jan 29, 2008 | EF1 | 16.38 miles | 0.2 miles |
| Oct 18, 2007 | EF0 | 0.04 miles | 3 miles |
| Jan 2, 2006 | EF1 | 1.5 miles | 4.3 miles |
| Apr 22, 2005 | EF0 | 0.3 miles | 1.6 miles |
| May 30, 2004 | EF0 | 3.8 miles | 9.5 miles |
| May 30, 2004 | EF1 | 2 miles | 4 miles |
| Oct 4, 2002 | EF1 | 6 miles | 7.6 miles |
| May 28, 1996 | EF4 | 30 miles | 5.2 miles |
| May 29, 1974 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 7.6 miles |
| Apr 3, 1974 | EF4 | 18.5 miles | 1 miles |
| Jun 27, 1973 | EF1 | 15.2 miles | 5.4 miles |
| Apr 1, 1970 | EF1 | 2.3 miles | 9.2 miles |
| Mar 25, 1964 | EF2 | 38.4 miles | 3.2 miles |
| Mar 25, 1964 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 9.9 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 Louisville.
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ike (2008) | 54 mph | 44 mph | 159 miles |
Modeled from NOAA’s best tracks for open, flat ground; not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
55 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.
21 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 1 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Louisville’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 18, 2026 | 1.0 in or more |
| Sep 5, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Aug 16, 2026 | 1.5 in or more |
| Aug 13, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Aug 11, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jul 21, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
Storms in Louisville
For the area covered by the Louisville radar, the Storm Prediction Center's 1980 to 2006 report climatology lists the primary severe weather season as March 30 to August 27, with hail reports peaking in May and damaging wind reports peaking in July.1
Notable storms
- May 26, 2024A line of storms on May 26, 2024 brought straight-line winds estimated at 75 to 80 mph to northeastern Louisville, downing many trees and power lines, and a man was killed by debris in Anchorage.2
- April 2, 2024An EF2 tornado with peak winds estimated at 120 mph crossed the Ohio River from Utica, Indiana, into Prospect in the early evening of April 2, 2024, damaging homes along the river. NWS Louisville said its 22 injuries were the most from one tornado in Jefferson County since April 3, 1974.3,4
- March 3, 2023Gradient winds gusted to 79 mph at both Louisville International Airport and Bowman Field.5
- April 28, 2012Golf ball size hail fell on the Churchill Downs, Highview and Fern Creek areas. NOAA's storm records note 2-inch hail at Churchill Downs and in Fern Creek, where hail damaged vehicles and the siding of several homes.6,7,8
- September 14, 2008The remnants of Hurricane Ike produced a gust of about 75 mph (65 knots) at Louisville and the city's largest blackout in at least 30 years. An NWS Louisville study put Kentucky's damage at nearly $200 million.9,10
- April 3, 1974During the April 3, 1974 Super Outbreak, a tornado touched down just north of Standiford Field and tore northeast across Louisville, reaching F4 strength in Northfield, where many large homes were destroyed, before weakening in Oldham County. NWS Louisville counts 2 deaths and 225 injuries from the tornado.11,12
Warnings and alerts
Louisville and Jefferson County are in the forecast and warning area of the National Weather Service office in Louisville.13 Louisville Metro Emergency Services runs LENSAlert, a regional emergency notification system, and texting LENSAlert to 67283 signs up a cell phone.14
Sources
- 1. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: LVX Severe Weather Climatology
- 2. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson County, May 26, 2024
- 3. NWS Louisville: April 2, 2024 Severe Weather Event
- 4. NWS Louisville: April 2024 Summary
- 5. NWS Louisville: March 3, 2023 High Winds & Severe Storms
- 6. NWS Louisville: Louisville hailstorm April 28, 2012
- 7. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Jefferson County, April 28, 2012
- 8. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Jefferson County, April 28, 2012 (Fern Creek)
- 9. NWS Louisville: Remnants of Hurricane Ike September 14, 2008
- 10. NWS Louisville: 14 September 2008 Ohio Valley High Wind Event Associated with the Remnants of Hurricane Ike
- 11. NWS Louisville: April 3, 1974 Tornado Outbreak
- 12. NWS Louisville: The Top 10 Tornado Outbreaks in the Louisville CWA
- 13. National Weather Service: Point metadata for Louisville, KY
- 14. Louisville Metro Government: LENSAlert & Smart911
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Questions about hail in Louisville
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Louisville?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Louisville on 2.4 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 2.0 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 49 hail days.
- When is hail season in Louisville?
- April has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Louisville, 10 since 2010, then May (10) and March (9).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Louisville?
- 2.0 in, in 2025: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Louisville since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Louisville?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Louisville is from May 16, 2026, with hail up to 1.0 in reported 2.5 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.