Hail history in Detroit, MI
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Detroit on 1.3 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 0.9 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Detroit on 31 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 2.25 in, in 2010. 24 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. July has the most hail days, 9 since 2010. The most recent was June 16, 2026. NOAA also recorded high wind on 100 days, with gusts up to 76 mph.
Ranks #120 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 31
- Largest hail
- 2.25 in
- Highest gust
- 76 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
31 hail days within 15 miles since 2010, largest 2.25 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. 31 hail days in total; the most was 4 in 2011.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 0, Feb 0, Mar 2, Apr 1, May 2, Jun 5, Jul 9, Aug 9, Sep 3, Oct 0, Nov 0, Dec 0.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 2026 | 1.0 in | 14.7 mi |
| Jun 10, 2026 | 1.25 in | 7.5 mi |
| May 19, 2026 | 1.0 in | 5.1 mi |
| Mar 14, 2025 | 0.88 in | 8.1 mi |
| Jul 20, 2023 | 1.5 in | 7.1 mi |
| Sep 21, 2022 | 1.0 in | 3.8 mi |
| Sep 13, 2021 | 1.0 in | 11.6 mi |
| Jul 8, 2020 | 1.0 in | 1.2 mi |
| Jun 10, 2020 | 1.0 in | 0.4 mi |
| Jun 28, 2019 | 1.0 in | 12.3 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Detroit, 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.
100 high-wind days within 15 miles since 2010, strongest gust 76 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
Most recent high-wind days
| Date | Highest gust | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 2026 | 60 mph | 5.2 mi |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Not recorded | 6.6 mi |
| Jul 3, 2026 | 64 mph | 9.0 mi |
| Jun 11, 2026 | 61 mph | 5.5 mi |
| May 19, 2026 | 76 mph | 12.0 mi |
| May 18, 2026 | Not recorded | 12.2 mi |
| May 4, 2026 | 61 mph | 10.3 mi |
| Apr 14, 2026 | Not recorded | 14.0 mi |
| Jul 24, 2025 | 62 mph | 9.1 mi |
| Jul 12, 2025 | 64 mph | 5.4 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Detroit, 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 Detroit
Estimated peak gusts
No day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Detroit.
| Day | Estimated peak gust |
|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2026 | 50 mph or more |
| Mar 13, 2026 | 50 mph or more |
| Jan 9, 2026 | 50 mph or more |
| May 15, 2025 | 50 mph or more |
| Dec 11, 2021 | 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 15 tornadoes whose path came within 10 miles of Detroit since 1950; the strongest was rated EF4.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 2026 | Not rated | 3.8 miles | |
| Apr 14, 2026 | Not rated | 9 miles | |
| Jul 2, 1997 | EF2 | 5 miles | 0.2 miles |
| Sep 14, 1990 | EF3 | 24 miles | 6.7 miles |
| Aug 2, 1986 | EF1 | 0.3 miles | 4 miles |
| May 2, 1983 | EF3 | 23 miles | 9.1 miles |
| Jul 16, 1980 | EF2 | 1.3 miles | 9.8 miles |
| Aug 21, 1975 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 8.7 miles |
Show all 15Show fewer
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 1975 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 8.9 miles |
| Aug 1, 1973 | EF0 | 12.5 miles | 5.6 miles |
| Jun 26, 1973 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 5.8 miles |
| Nov 20, 1957 | EF3 | 1.5 miles | 1.2 miles |
| Jul 4, 1957 | EF4 | 29.9 miles | 9.5 miles |
| May 12, 1956 | EF0 | 11.7 miles | 6.8 miles |
| May 31, 1954 | EF1 | 1.8 miles | 6.4 miles |
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center. Ratings before 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
3 storms in NOAA's records brought modeled tropical-storm-force winds (39 mph or more) to Detroit.
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy (2012) | 50 mph | 40 mph | 138 miles |
| Ike (2008) | 59 mph | 48 mph | 4 miles |
| 1900 Galveston hurricane | 56 mph | 45 mph | 82 miles |
Modeled from NOAA’s best tracks for open, flat ground; not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
39 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.
17 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 0 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Detroit’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 |
|---|---|
| Oct 28, 2026 | 1.75 in or more |
| Oct 2, 2026 | 1.0 in or more |
| Sep 2, 2026 | 1.25 in or more |
| Jul 3, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jun 25, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jun 10, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
Storms in Detroit
Damaging wind is the most common severe weather report around Detroit: within 124 nautical miles of the Detroit radar, NOAA's Storm Prediction Center counted 7,626 damaging-wind reports and 3,599 large-hail reports from 1980 to 2006.1 Wind reports in that area peak in July, averaging 85 that month, and the center puts the primary severe season at May 2 to August 31.1
Notable storms
- September 3, 2026An EF2 tornado with peak winds near 115 mph crossed 3.5 miles of Detroit's east side and Belle Isle, partly tearing roofs off industrial buildings and blowing out or collapsing their walls, and damaging the roofs, siding and windows of homes. One person was injured.2
- August 24, 2023Evening storms brought a 70 mph gust just east of Detroit, and around Clinton Township 43 homes and businesses had major damage. NOAA's storm records list about $3.1 million in property damage in the area.3,4
- March 8, 2017Winds without thunderstorms gusted to 68 mph at Detroit Metro Airport, downing trees and power lines and damaging buildings across southeast Michigan. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $25 million in property damage in Wayne County.5,6
- June 8, 2008A derecho with winds as high as 85 mph swept southeast Michigan, and NOAA's storm records estimate its damage at $100 million. Gusts reached an estimated 81 mph near Bloomfield Hills.7
- May 9, 2000Storms dropped golf ball size hail at Comerica Park in Detroit, and winds reached an estimated 75 mph in Allen Park. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $755,000 in property damage around Allen Park.8
- July 2, 1997An F2 tornado cut a path of heavy damage from northwest Detroit through Highland Park and Hamtramck, injuring 90 people, and NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $90 million in property damage. The same day in Grosse Pointe Farms, straight-line winds near 100 mph blew a gazebo full of people into Lake St. Clair, killing five.9,10
Warnings and alerts
NWS Detroit/Pontiac warnings and forecasts for Wayne County air on NOAA Weather Radio station KEC-63 at 162.550 MHz, from a transmitter in Southfield.11 The City of Detroit's free Detroit Alerts 365 system sends emergency notices for a registered address by phone, text or email.12
Sources
- 1. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: DTX Severe Weather Climatology
- 2. NWS Detroit/Pontiac: September 2 and 3, 2026 Severe Weather and Detroit Tornado
- 3. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Wayne County, August 24, 2023
- 4. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Macomb County, August 24, 2023
- 5. NWS Detroit/Pontiac: High Wind Event March 8, 2017
- 6. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: High Wind, Wayne County, March 8, 2017
- 7. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Oakland County, June 8, 2008
- 8. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Wayne County, May 9, 2000
- 9. NWS Detroit/Pontiac: Memorable Weather Events in Southeast Michigan
- 10. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Wayne County, July 2, 1997
- 11. NWS Detroit/Pontiac: Radio
- 12. City of Detroit: Detroit Alerts 365
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 Detroit
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Detroit?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Detroit on 1.3 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 0.9 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 31 hail days.
- When is hail season in Detroit?
- July has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Detroit, 9 since 2010, then August (9) and June (5).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Detroit?
- 2.25 in, in 2010: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Detroit since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Detroit?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Detroit is from June 16, 2026, with hail up to 1.0 in reported 14.7 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.