Hail history in Rochester, NY
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Rochester on 1.0 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 0.5 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Rochester on 20 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 1.5 in, in 2013. 9 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. May has the most hail days, 6 since 2010. The most recent was November 3, 2025. NOAA also recorded high wind on 73 days, with gusts up to 75 mph.
Ranks #146 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 20
- Largest hail
- 1.5 in
- Highest gust
- 75 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
20 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. 20 hail days in total; the most was 5 in 2013.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 0, Feb 0, Mar 0, Apr 0, May 6, Jun 4, Jul 2, Aug 5, Sep 1, Oct 1, Nov 1, Dec 0.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 3, 2025 | 1.0 in | 9.0 mi |
| May 17, 2025 | 1.0 in | 8.2 mi |
| Oct 6, 2024 | 1.0 in | 12.8 mi |
| Jun 26, 2023 | 1.0 in | 3.6 mi |
| Aug 8, 2019 | 0.75 in | 7.4 mi |
| May 19, 2019 | 0.88 in | 10.3 mi |
| Jul 16, 2018 | 0.75 in | 7.4 mi |
| Aug 1, 2017 | 1.0 in | 10.3 mi |
| May 14, 2017 | 0.75 in | 1.9 mi |
| Jun 20, 2016 | 0.75 in | 3.9 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Rochester, 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.
73 high-wind days within 15 miles since 2010, strongest gust 75 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 | 8.6 mi |
| Jul 21, 2026 | Not recorded | 5.9 mi |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Not recorded | 13.2 mi |
| Jul 4, 2026 | Not recorded | 5.3 mi |
| Jul 3, 2026 | 58 mph | 0.7 mi |
| Jul 1, 2026 | Not recorded | 0.2 mi |
| Jun 11, 2026 | Not recorded | 13.1 mi |
| May 19, 2026 | Not recorded | 12.0 mi |
| May 17, 2025 | 58 mph | 4.7 mi |
| Apr 29, 2025 | 58 mph | 3.6 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Rochester, 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 Rochester
Estimated peak gusts
No day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Rochester.
| Day | Estimated peak gust |
|---|---|
| Dec 29, 2025 | 50 mph or more |
| Jan 27, 2025 | 50 mph or more |
| Dec 23, 2022 | 50 mph or more |
| Mar 6, 2022 | 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 1 tornado whose path came within 10 miles of Rochester since 1950; the strongest was rated EF0.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 5, 1979 | EF0 | 14 miles | 4.9 miles |
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center. Ratings before 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
4 storms in NOAA's records brought modeled tropical-storm-force winds (39 mph or more) to Rochester.
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy (2012) | 51 mph | 41 mph | 195 miles |
| Ike (2008) | 57 mph | 46 mph | 102 miles |
| Hazel (1954) | 76 mph | 62 mph | 32 miles |
| 1900 Galveston hurricane | 58 mph | 47 mph | 98 miles |
Modeled from NOAA’s best tracks for open, flat ground; not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
26 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.
12 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 0 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Rochester’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 2, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Aug 23, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jul 18, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| May 17, 2025 | 0.75 in or more |
| Aug 2, 2024 | 1.0 in or more |
| Jul 22, 2024 | 1.0 in or more |
Storms in Rochester
Rochester-area summer showers and thunderstorms are more common inland than near the Lake Ontario shore, and the National Weather Service says the greatest risk of damaging winds and small tornadoes is south of the Thruway.1
Notable storms
- July 15, 2024On July 15, 2024, storms dropped 2.5-inch hail in Farmington in Ontario County and downed trees and power lines in Bushnell Basin.2,3
- March 8, 2017Unusually deep low pressure, not a thunderstorm, brought an 81 mph gust at Rochester airport. NOAA's storm records list about $1.5 million in property damage in Monroe County.4
- June 10, 2015On the evening of June 10, 2015, storms downed trees and power lines from Ogden and Gates through Chili, Henrietta, Pittsford and Bushnell Basin. Rochester airport measured a 58 mph gust, but an NWS damage survey estimated gusts of 65 to 70 mph, and falling trees damaged several cars in Henrietta.5
- January 9, 2008Early-morning thunderstorms on a strong cold front produced a measured 75 mph gust at Rochester airport and 72 mph in Fairport, as winds brought down trees and power lines across the region.6,7
- February 17, 2006On February 17, 2006, winds from a deepening low gusted to 77 mph at Rochester and 64 mph in Fairport. In Irondequoit, a woman was killed when a tree fell on the car she was driving. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $500,000 in property damage in Monroe County.8
- April 4, 2003Freezing rain on April 4, 2003, built up as much as an inch of ice across the Genesee Valley and Finger Lakes, with eastern Monroe County among the hardest hit areas. Monroe County was part of a federal disaster declaration, and NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $12 million in property damage in the county.9
Warnings and alerts
MonroeAlert is Monroe County's official emergency notification system, sending alerts by text, phone call, email or app for the locations a resident picks.10
Sources
- 1. NWS Buffalo: Rochester Climate Narrative
- 2. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Ontario County, July 15, 2024
- 3. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe County, July 15, 2024
- 4. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: High Wind, Monroe County, March 8, 2017
- 5. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe County, June 10, 2015
- 6. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe County, January 9, 2008
- 7. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe County, January 9, 2008 (Fairport)
- 8. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: High Wind, Monroe County, February 17, 2006
- 9. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Ice Storm, Monroe County, April 4, 2003
- 10. Monroe County, NY: MonroeAlert
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Questions about hail in Rochester
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Rochester?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Rochester on 1.0 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 0.5 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 20 hail days.
- When is hail season in Rochester?
- May has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Rochester, 6 since 2010, then August (5) and June (4).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Rochester?
- 1.5 in, in 2013: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Rochester since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Rochester?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Rochester is from November 3, 2025, with hail up to 1.0 in reported 9.0 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.