Hail history in Durham, NC
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Durham on 2.0 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 1.7 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Durham on 38 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 2.0 in, in 2020. 33 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. May has the most hail days, 14 since 2010. The most recent was April 29, 2026. NOAA also recorded high wind on 179 days, with gusts up to 86 mph.
Ranks #65 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 38
- Largest hail
- 2.0 in
- Highest gust
- 86 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
38 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. 38 hail days in total; the most was 7 in 2012.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 0, Feb 1, Mar 5, Apr 5, May 14, Jun 4, Jul 3, Aug 2, Sep 3, Oct 1, Nov 0, Dec 0.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2026 | 1.0 in | 11.2 mi |
| May 5, 2025 | 0.75 in | 5.4 mi |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 1.5 in | 11.0 mi |
| Apr 14, 2023 | 1.5 in | 14.6 mi |
| Oct 17, 2022 | 1.5 in | 2.0 mi |
| May 21, 2022 | 1.0 in | 9.8 mi |
| May 6, 2022 | 1.25 in | 9.2 mi |
| Aug 14, 2021 | 1.0 in | 9.0 mi |
| Mar 27, 2021 | 1.0 in | 14.8 mi |
| Sep 25, 2020 | 2.0 in | 6.9 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Durham, 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.
179 high-wind days within 15 miles since 2010, strongest gust 86 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
Most recent high-wind days
| Date | Highest gust | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 21, 2026 | Not recorded | 12.8 mi |
| Sep 5, 2026 | Not recorded | 14.4 mi |
| Aug 21, 2026 | Not recorded | 6.3 mi |
| Aug 17, 2026 | Not recorded | 11.2 mi |
| Aug 16, 2026 | Not recorded | 13.0 mi |
| Aug 8, 2026 | Not recorded | 4.4 mi |
| Aug 6, 2026 | Not recorded | 4.8 mi |
| Jul 28, 2026 | Not recorded | 0.7 mi |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Not recorded | 10.1 mi |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Not recorded | 0.9 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Durham, 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 Durham
Estimated peak gusts
No day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Durham.
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 Durham since 1950; the strongest was rated EF2.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 2022 | EF0 | 1.53 miles | 3.6 miles |
| Mar 31, 2022 | EF1 | 0.22 miles | 8.3 miles |
| Feb 24, 2016 | EF1 | 0.43 miles | 6.2 miles |
| May 15, 2014 | EF1 | 0.76 miles | 2.3 miles |
| May 14, 2006 | EF0 | 0.5 miles | 6.6 miles |
| Jul 16, 1989 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 3.1 miles |
| May 5, 1989 | EF2 | 8.7 miles | 1.7 miles |
| Apr 4, 1984 | EF2 | 1.7 miles | 3.1 miles |
Show all 11Show fewer
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 31, 1975 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 2 miles |
| Mar 18, 1956 | EF2 | 0.3 miles | 9.3 miles |
| Apr 4, 1952 | EF2 | 6.9 miles | 5.5 miles |
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center. Ratings before 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
16 storms in NOAA's records brought modeled tropical-storm-force winds (39 mph or more) to Durham.
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael (2018) | 59 mph | 48 mph | 4 miles |
| Isabel (2003) | 51 mph | 41 mph | 83 miles |
| Floyd (1999) | 49 mph | 40 mph | 114 miles |
| Bonnie (1998) | 91 mph | 74 mph | 126 miles |
| Fran (1996) | 69 mph | 56 mph | 3 miles |
| Bertha (1996) | 61 mph | 50 mph | 89 miles |
| Diana (1984) | 55 mph | 44 mph | 84 miles |
| Donna (1960) | 61 mph | 49 mph | 131 miles |
Show all 16Show fewer
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diane (1955) | 49 mph | 40 mph | 17 miles |
| 1928 Okeechobee hurricane | 55 mph | 45 mph | 73 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1899 | 57 mph | 46 mph | 27 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1896 | 68 mph | 56 mph | 14 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1893 | 55 mph | 45 mph | 24 miles |
| 1893 Sea Islands hurricane | 65 mph | 53 mph | 61 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1883 | 49 mph | 40 mph | 44 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1878 | 56 mph | 46 mph | 54 miles |
Modeled from NOAA’s best tracks for open, flat ground; not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
52 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.
27 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 0 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Durham’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 21, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Sep 5, 2026 | 1.0 in or more |
| Aug 21, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jul 28, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jul 19, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jul 18, 2026 | 1.0 in or more |
Storms in Durham
In NWS Raleigh's records from 1950 to 2005, severe hail peaked in May and damaging winds in June across central North Carolina.1
Notable storms
- September 25, 2020On September 25, 2020, a storm dropped a swath of large hail across western Wake County, including 2-inch hail near Morrisville and near Highway 55 and Indian Wells Road. Quarter size hail fell in Durham County near Clegg.2,3,4
- May 10, 2018On May 10, 2018, hail up to 1.75 inches fell at Bahama in northern Durham County, and ping pong ball size hail near Rose of Sharon Road damaged vehicles and trees.5,6
- February 24, 2016On February 24, 2016, rear-flank downdraft winds estimated at 81 mph blew down numerous trees in Durham County, and fallen trees damaged homes and vehicles, mostly along Rose of Sharon Road. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $250,000 in property damage from these winds.7
- January 11, 2014On January 11, 2014, a line of storms brought an 86 mph gust to Raleigh-Durham International Airport and uprooted numerous trees across the Triangle. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $350,000 in property damage near the airport.8
- June 13, 2013On June 13, 2013, a line of storms with straight-line gusts up to 80 mph crossed central North Carolina, and some trees fell onto homes in Wake County. A falling tree killed one person in Chapel Hill. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $1 million in property damage in Wake County.9,10
Warnings and alerts
The National Weather Service office in Raleigh issues warnings for Durham.1,7 Alert Durham, the county's free notification service, sends emergency alerts by voice, text and email based on the addresses a user registers.11
Sources
- 1. NWS Raleigh: A Severe Weather Climatology for the Raleigh, NC, County Warning Area
- 2. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Wake County, September 25, 2020
- 3. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Wake County, September 25, 2020
- 4. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Durham County, September 25, 2020
- 5. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Durham County, May 10, 2018
- 6. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Durham County, May 10, 2018
- 7. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Durham County, February 24, 2016
- 8. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Wake County, January 11, 2014
- 9. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Wake County, June 13, 2013
- 10. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Orange County, June 13, 2013
- 11. Durham County: Alert Durham Registration
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Questions about hail in Durham
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Durham?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Durham on 2.0 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 1.7 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 38 hail days.
- When is hail season in Durham?
- May has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Durham, 14 since 2010, then March (5) and April (5).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Durham?
- 2.0 in, in 2020: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Durham since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Durham?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Durham is from April 29, 2026, with hail up to 1.0 in reported 11.2 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.