Hail history in Charlotte, NC
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Charlotte on 3.3 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 Charlotte on 67 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 2.75 in, in 2017. 39 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. June has the most hail days, 20 since 2010. The most recent was June 25, 2025. NOAA also recorded high wind on 177 days, with gusts up to 81 mph.
Ranks #51 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 67
- Largest hail
- 2.75 in
- Highest gust
- 81 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
67 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. 67 hail days in total; the most was 11 in 2011.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 0, Feb 0, Mar 4, Apr 8, May 19, Jun 20, Jul 8, Aug 4, Sep 3, Oct 1, Nov 0, Dec 0.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 25, 2025 | 0.88 in | 9.7 mi |
| Jun 12, 2025 | 0.75 in | 2.2 mi |
| May 15, 2024 | 0.75 in | 12.8 mi |
| Sep 7, 2023 | 1.0 in | 15.0 mi |
| Jun 26, 2023 | 1.75 in | 9.3 mi |
| Jun 12, 2023 | 0.75 in | 10.7 mi |
| May 16, 2023 | 1.0 in | 1.5 mi |
| Apr 21, 2023 | 0.75 in | 14.3 mi |
| Jun 16, 2022 | 1.0 in | 3.1 mi |
| May 21, 2022 | 0.88 in | 14.8 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Charlotte, 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.
177 high-wind days within 15 miles since 2010, strongest gust 81 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
Most recent high-wind days
| Date | Highest gust | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 2026 | Not recorded | 3.0 mi |
| Aug 21, 2026 | Not recorded | 5.0 mi |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Not recorded | 0.5 mi |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Not recorded | 14.4 mi |
| Jul 28, 2026 | Not recorded | 2.4 mi |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Not recorded | 1.4 mi |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 61 mph | 1.5 mi |
| Mar 12, 2026 | Not recorded | 9.8 mi |
| Aug 1, 2025 | 58 mph | 3.6 mi |
| Jun 25, 2025 | 60 mph | 10.5 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Charlotte, 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 Charlotte
Estimated peak gusts
No day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Charlotte.
| Day | Estimated peak gust |
|---|---|
| Aug 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 25 tornadoes whose path came within 10 miles of Charlotte since 1950; the strongest was rated EF3.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2026 | Not rated | 2.8 miles | |
| Mar 16, 2026 | Not rated | 2.8 miles | |
| Dec 29, 2024 | EF0 | 1.67 miles | 8 miles |
| May 23, 2022 | EF1 | 9.76 miles | 7.1 miles |
| Feb 6, 2020 | EF1 | 17.15 miles | 7.1 miles |
| Nov 30, 2016 | EF1 | 2.37 miles | 6.7 miles |
| May 14, 2014 | EF0 | 0.5 miles | 6.3 miles |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 2.94 miles | 8.8 miles |
Show all 25Show fewer
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2008 | EF2 | 18.21 miles | 7.9 miles |
| Mar 8, 2005 | EF1 | 3 miles | 2.8 miles |
| Aug 1, 1999 | EF0 | 0.2 miles | 9 miles |
| Mar 20, 1998 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 9.3 miles |
| Mar 27, 1994 | EF3 | 18.5 miles | 0.3 miles |
| Mar 10, 1992 | EF2 | 3.4 miles | 7.9 miles |
| Nov 28, 1990 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 1.8 miles |
| Jun 6, 1985 | EF0 | 1 miles | 0.6 miles |
| May 3, 1984 | EF1 | 20 miles | 3.2 miles |
| Sep 16, 1977 | EF1 | 0.2 miles | 2.6 miles |
| May 28, 1973 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 5.7 miles |
| May 27, 1973 | EF2 | 9.6 miles | 5.8 miles |
| Jun 7, 1968 | EF2 | 16.7 miles | 4.6 miles |
| Sep 12, 1965 | EF2 | 0.3 miles | 6.5 miles |
| Apr 12, 1961 | EF1 | 1 miles | 7.4 miles |
| Feb 18, 1960 | EF1 | 23.7 miles | 3.2 miles |
| Apr 6, 1956 | EF1 | 56.4 miles | 0.6 miles |
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center. Ratings before 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
8 storms in NOAA's records brought modeled tropical-storm-force winds (39 mph or more) to Charlotte.
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonnie (1998) | 71 mph | 58 mph | 186 miles |
| Fran (1996) | 52 mph | 43 mph | 118 miles |
| Hugo (1989) | 77 mph | 63 mph | 24 miles |
| Gracie (1959) | 52 mph | 42 mph | 32 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1949 | 57 mph | 46 mph | 40 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1916 | 48 mph | 39 mph | 63 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1899 | 51 mph | 41 mph | 114 miles |
| 1893 Sea Islands hurricane | 69 mph | 56 mph | 14 miles |
Modeled from NOAA’s best tracks for open, flat ground; not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
40 radar hail days within 15 miles since 2020, largest 1.5 in or more
Source: NOAA MRMS radar (MESH), from October 14, 2020. Estimates of the largest hail in each 1 km cell, not measurements.
22 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 0 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Charlotte’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 28, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Aug 21, 2026 | 1.25 in or more |
| Aug 20, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Aug 11, 2026 | 1.25 in or more |
| Jul 5, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jun 18, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
Storms in Charlotte
Downbursts are the region's most common severe weather, peaking in June and July, and a typical Piedmont county sees at least one on four to seven days a year.1 Large hail peaks in May and June, with two to four large-hail days in a typical year across the western Carolinas Piedmont.1
Notable storms
- May 22, 2020On May 22, 2020, a line of storms blew down numerous trees in Charlotte's Dilworth and Elizabeth neighborhoods, and trees fell on about a dozen homes. One person was killed and another seriously injured when a tree fell on a house. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $500,000 in property damage.2
- February 6, 2020On February 6, 2020, an EF1 tornado tracked about 15 miles across southern Mecklenburg County, from the South Carolina line west of Pineville through Matthews. NWS surveyors estimated 90 to 95 mph winds in an industrial area west of Interstate 485, where several large buildings had roof damage. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $500,000 in property damage.3
- April 15, 2018Storms ahead of a cold front dropped hail up to about 2 inches south of Belmont, and Charlotte Douglas Airport measured a 68 mph gust. Most of the wind damage in Mecklenburg County ran from Mountain Island Lake to the southern and eastern shores of Lake Norman.4,5
- March 21, 2017On March 21, 2017, evening storms dropped quarter to golf ball size hail from north Charlotte to the UNC Charlotte area. In the Harrisburg area, hail up to 2.75 inches, about baseball size, covered the ground in places and damaged vehicles and structures.6,7
- August 18, 2000Bowing thunderstorms cut a swath of wind damage from Ericsson Stadium to the east side of Charlotte, with a trained spotter estimating 90 mph winds in Dilworth. Nearly 90,000 people lost power.8
- September 22, 1989Hurricane Hugo's winds gusted to 99 mph in Charlotte, nearly 200 miles from the ocean, and blew out large windows in downtown skyscrapers. NWS Wilmington cites newspaper reports that 85 percent of Charlotte homes and businesses lost power.9
Warnings and alerts
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg issues warnings for Mecklenburg County and broadcasts them on the Charlotte NOAA Weather Radio transmitter, WXL-70, at 162.475 MHz.10 Charlotte and Mecklenburg County send geographically targeted emergency alerts by call, text, email or push notification through CharMeck Alerts.11
Sources
- 1. NWS Greenville-Spartanburg: Becoming Severe Weather Ready in the Western Carolinas and Northeast Georgia
- 2. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Mecklenburg County, May 22, 2020
- 3. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Mecklenburg County, February 6, 2020
- 4. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Gaston County, April 15, 2018
- 5. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Mecklenburg County, April 15, 2018
- 6. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Mecklenburg County, March 21, 2017
- 7. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Cabarrus County, March 21, 2017
- 8. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Mecklenburg County, August 18, 2000
- 9. NWS Wilmington: Hurricane Hugo
- 10. NWS Greenville-Spartanburg: NOAA Weather Radio Page
- 11. City of Charlotte: Get Emergency Alerts
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Questions about hail in Charlotte
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Charlotte?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Charlotte on 3.3 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 2.0 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 67 hail days.
- When is hail season in Charlotte?
- June has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Charlotte, 20 since 2010, then May (19) and April (8).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Charlotte?
- 2.75 in, in 2017: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Charlotte since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Charlotte?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Charlotte is from June 25, 2025, with hail up to 0.88 in reported 9.7 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.