Hail history in Buffalo, NY
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Buffalo on 0.7 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 0.4 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Buffalo on 13 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 1.5 in, in 2020. 6 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. August has the most hail days, 5 since 2010. The most recent was July 15, 2024. NOAA also recorded high wind on 78 days, with gusts up to 85 mph.
Ranks #152 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 13
- Largest hail
- 1.5 in
- Highest gust
- 85 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
13 hail days within 15 miles since 2010, largest 1.5 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. 13 hail days in total; the most was 2 in 2011.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 0, Feb 0, Mar 0, Apr 1, May 1, Jun 3, Jul 3, Aug 5, Sep 0, Oct 0, Nov 0, Dec 0.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 2024 | 1.25 in | 2.0 mi |
| Jul 10, 2024 | 1.0 in | 10.7 mi |
| Aug 10, 2023 | 1.0 in | 13.3 mi |
| Aug 15, 2020 | 0.75 in | 6.1 mi |
| Jun 2, 2020 | 1.5 in | 0.2 mi |
| Jun 27, 2017 | 0.75 in | 6.8 mi |
| Jun 20, 2016 | 0.88 in | 13.0 mi |
| May 14, 2014 | 0.75 in | 5.5 mi |
| Aug 7, 2013 | 0.75 in | 9.8 mi |
| Aug 2, 2013 | 1.0 in | 15.0 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Buffalo, 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.
78 high-wind days within 15 miles since 2010, strongest gust 85 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
Most recent high-wind days
| Date | Highest gust | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2, 2026 | Not recorded | 9.9 mi |
| Jul 21, 2026 | Not recorded | 11.6 mi |
| Jul 9, 2026 | Not recorded | 10.2 mi |
| Jul 1, 2026 | Not recorded | 2.6 mi |
| May 19, 2026 | Not recorded | 10.2 mi |
| May 9, 2026 | 58 mph | 7.4 mi |
| Mar 31, 2026 | Not recorded | 10.1 mi |
| May 15, 2025 | 58 mph | 3.3 mi |
| Apr 19, 2025 | 58 mph | 10.4 mi |
| Sep 9, 2024 | 85 mph | 11.4 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Buffalo, 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 Buffalo
Estimated peak gusts
5 days since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Buffalo.
| Day | Estimated peak gust |
|---|---|
| Mar 13, 2026 | 50 mph or more |
| Jan 9, 2026 | 50 mph or more |
| Dec 29, 2025 | 58 mph or more |
| Jan 27, 2025 | 50 mph or more |
| Apr 12, 2024 | 50 mph or more |
| Feb 28, 2024 | 50 mph or more |
| Jan 14, 2024 | 50 mph or more |
| Jan 13, 2024 | 58 mph or more |
Show all 16Show fewer
| Day | Estimated peak gust |
|---|---|
| Jan 10, 2024 | 50 mph or more |
| Jan 9, 2024 | 58 mph or more |
| Mar 25, 2023 | 50 mph or more |
| Dec 24, 2022 | 50 mph or more |
| Dec 23, 2022 | 58 mph or more |
| Dec 3, 2022 | 50 mph or more |
| Mar 6, 2022 | 50 mph or more |
| Dec 11, 2021 | 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 11 tornadoes whose path came within 10 miles of Buffalo since 1950; the strongest was rated EF2.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 2024 | EF1 | 1.4 miles | 0.4 miles |
| Oct 20, 2018 | EF0 | 0.16 miles | 7.8 miles |
| Oct 31, 2017 | EF0 | 0.4 miles | 1.7 miles |
| Jun 30, 2006 | EF1 | 3 miles | 4.9 miles |
| Aug 28, 1994 | EF0 | 0.3 miles | 9.3 miles |
| Sep 23, 1993 | EF0 | 2 miles | 9.7 miles |
| Jul 30, 1987 | EF2 | 1.5 miles | 4.9 miles |
| Jun 30, 1976 | EF1 | 0.3 miles | 9.7 miles |
Show all 11Show fewer
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 22, 1971 | EF2 | 0.1 miles | 8.3 miles |
| Jul 7, 1961 | EF2 | 7.8 miles | 7.4 miles |
| Apr 25, 1957 | EF1 | 0.5 miles | 8.1 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 Buffalo.
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy (2012) | 57 mph | 46 mph | 135 miles |
| Ike (2008) | 58 mph | 47 mph | 89 miles |
| 1900 Galveston hurricane | 55 mph | 45 mph | 101 miles |
Modeled from NOAA’s best tracks for open, flat ground; not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
32 radar hail days within 15 miles since 2020, largest 1.25 in or more
Source: NOAA MRMS radar (MESH), from October 14, 2020. Estimates of the largest hail in each 1 km cell, not measurements.
11 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 0 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Buffalo’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 11, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Sep 1, 2026 | 1.25 in or more |
| Aug 1, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| May 31, 2026 | 1.25 in or more |
| Apr 30, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jul 2, 2025 | 1.0 in or more |
Storms in Buffalo
Cool Lake Erie water steadies the air near the shore, so the city of Buffalo gets fewer thunderstorms than inland areas in spring and through most of July, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.1 By August the lake is warmer and loses that effect, and a nighttime thunderstorm or two is often a feature of late summer in Buffalo.1 Storm Prediction Center data for the Buffalo radar area set the primary severe season at April 28 to September 5, with daily reports peaking on July 30.2
Notable storms
- December 23, 2022A lake effect blizzard from December 23 to 27, 2022, brought gusts of 79 mph at the base of the Buffalo Skyway and 72 mph at the Buffalo airport, where 51.9 inches of snow fell over the five days. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 32 direct and 8 indirect deaths and $15 million in property damage in northern Erie County.3
- June 2, 2020Late on June 2, 2020, storms dropped 1-inch hail in Buffalo's Elmwood Village and 1.25-inch hail in Lackawanna, and wind brought several 100-year-old trees down onto Horton Place, damaging vehicles.4,5,6
- February 24, 2019On February 24, 2019, high winds gusted to 69 mph at Buffalo Niagara International Airport and 74 mph at Niagara Falls International Airport. Falling trees and wires caused substantial structural damage to homes and businesses across northern Erie County, and falling utility poles injured two people.7
- October 26, 2010Thunderstorms along an evening cold front tore the metal roof off a garage in Tonawanda and knocked down a traffic signal in Cheektowaga, where a 69 mph gust was measured.8,9
- June 16, 2008A thunderstorm that formed over Grand Island moved southeast across Buffalo's northern and eastern suburbs, dropping hail up to 1.75 inches in Snyder, Amherst, Depew and Clarence. NOAA says the hail damaged thousands of cars and windows, roofs and awnings on homes, and its storm records list about $960,000 in property damage in the area.10,11,12,13
- April 18, 2004A derecho crossed the region with a measured 86 mph gust in Alden, and falling trees damaged buildings in Alden and North Tonawanda. NOAA's storm records list about $800,000 in property damage in the area.14,15
Warnings and alerts
Erie and Niagara counties are covered by the National Weather Service office in Buffalo, which lists them in its daily Hazardous Weather Outlook.16 Erie County's alert page lists BUFFALERT as the City of Buffalo's alert system, along with the county's own ReadyErie.17
Sources
- 1. NWS Buffalo: Buffalo Climate Narrative
- 2. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: BUF Severe Weather Climatology
- 3. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Blizzard, Northern Erie County, December 23, 2022
- 4. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Erie County, June 2, 2020
- 5. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Erie County, June 2, 2020
- 6. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Erie County, June 2, 2020
- 7. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: High Wind, Northern Erie County, February 24, 2019
- 8. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Erie County, October 26, 2010
- 9. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Erie County, October 26, 2010
- 10. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Erie County, June 16, 2008
- 11. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Erie County, June 16, 2008
- 12. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Erie County, June 16, 2008
- 13. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Erie County, June 16, 2008
- 14. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Erie County, April 18, 2004
- 15. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Niagara County, April 18, 2004
- 16. NWS Buffalo: Buffalo Hazardous Weather Outlook
- 17. Erie County Homeland Security and Emergency Services: Alert Systems in Erie County
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Questions about hail in Buffalo
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Buffalo?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Buffalo on 0.7 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 0.4 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 13 hail days.
- When is hail season in Buffalo?
- August has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Buffalo, 5 since 2010, then June (3) and July (3).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Buffalo?
- 1.5 in, in 2020: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Buffalo since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Buffalo?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Buffalo is from July 15, 2024, with hail up to 1.25 in reported 2.0 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.