Hail history in Hickory, NC
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Hickory on 4.2 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 3.1 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Hickory on 79 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 2.0 in, in 2018. 49 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. July has the most hail days, 23 since 2010. The most recent was July 28, 2026. NOAA also recorded high wind on 165 days, with gusts up to 81 mph.
Ranks #22 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 79
- Largest hail
- 2.0 in
- Highest gust
- 81 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
79 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. 79 hail days in total; the most was 13 in 2011.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 0, Feb 2, Mar 1, Apr 6, May 11, Jun 20, Jul 23, Aug 10, Sep 5, Oct 0, Nov 1, Dec 0.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 28, 2026 | 1.0 in | 6.1 mi |
| Jul 10, 2025 | 1.0 in | 2.4 mi |
| May 14, 2025 | 1.0 in | 14.1 mi |
| May 8, 2025 | 1.0 in | 10.3 mi |
| Aug 17, 2024 | 1.0 in | 9.8 mi |
| May 15, 2024 | 1.0 in | 2.7 mi |
| Sep 7, 2023 | 0.75 in | 9.5 mi |
| Jul 1, 2023 | 1.0 in | 1.5 mi |
| Apr 6, 2023 | 1.0 in | 14.9 mi |
| Aug 10, 2022 | 0.88 in | 7.4 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Hickory, 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.
165 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 2026 | Not recorded | 4.8 mi |
| Sep 5, 2026 | Not recorded | 10.8 mi |
| Aug 28, 2026 | Not recorded | 3.2 mi |
| Aug 21, 2026 | Not recorded | 5.5 mi |
| Aug 17, 2026 | 64 mph | 0.2 mi |
| Jul 28, 2026 | 75 mph | 1.9 mi |
| Jul 19, 2026 | Not recorded | 2.6 mi |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Not recorded | 9.6 mi |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Not recorded | 8.1 mi |
| Jul 4, 2026 | Not recorded | 11.7 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Hickory, 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 Hickory
Estimated peak gusts
No day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Hickory.
| Day | Estimated peak gust |
|---|---|
| Jun 27, 2026 | 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 16 tornadoes whose path came within 10 miles of Hickory since 1950; the strongest was rated EF4.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF1 | 36.23 miles | 9 miles |
| Oct 23, 2017 | EF1 | 6.48 miles | 4.7 miles |
| Oct 23, 2017 | EF2 | 4.87 miles | 2.9 miles |
| Jan 11, 2012 | EF0 | 0.12 miles | 3.4 miles |
| Jan 11, 2012 | EF2 | 4.15 miles | 7.2 miles |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 4.45 miles | 9.7 miles |
| Oct 26, 2010 | EF2 | 2.53 miles | 9.6 miles |
| Sep 28, 1998 | EF0 | 0.2 miles | 0.5 miles |
Show all 16Show fewer
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 1998 | EF1 | 10 miles | 7.8 miles |
| May 7, 1998 | EF4 | 4 miles | 9.1 miles |
| Aug 16, 1994 | EF2 | 1.5 miles | 0.5 miles |
| Aug 16, 1994 | EF0 | 2 miles | 9.7 miles |
| May 5, 1989 | EF4 | 14 miles | 6.7 miles |
| May 27, 1973 | EF1 | 31.3 miles | 5.4 miles |
| Aug 18, 1954 | EF2 | 5.4 miles | 8.3 miles |
| Aug 9, 1951 | EF2 | 0.5 miles | 1 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 Hickory.
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zeta (2020) | 51 mph | 41 mph | 37 miles |
| Bonnie (1998) | 61 mph | 49 mph | 225 miles |
| Hugo (1989) | 64 mph | 52 mph | 15 miles |
| 1893 Sea Islands hurricane | 54 mph | 44 mph | 52 miles |
Modeled from NOAA’s best tracks for open, flat ground; not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
56 radar hail days within 15 miles since 2020, largest 2.0 in or more
Source: NOAA MRMS radar (MESH), from October 14, 2020. Estimates of the largest hail in each 1 km cell, not measurements.
18 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 1 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Hickory’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 18, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Sep 5, 2026 | 1.0 in or more |
| Aug 17, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Aug 8, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jul 28, 2026 | 1.75 in or more |
| Jul 19, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
Storms in Hickory
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg says downbursts are the region's most common severe weather and peak in June and July, while large hail peaks in May and June.1
Notable storms
- January 9, 2024An EF1 tornado with peak winds of 110 mph tracked 9 miles from south of Claremont across the Catawba River into Iredell County. It struck a mobile home community, where 1 person was killed and 4 were hurt.2
- August 7, 2023An NWS survey found 81 mph straight-line winds across central Catawba County, from Mountain View and Hickory to Conover and Newton, snapping trees and power poles. NOAA's storm records list about $260,000 in property damage in the area.3
- October 23, 2017An EF2 tornado with peak winds estimated at 125 mph touched down at Hickory Regional Airport, destroying a hangar and flipping several planes. It stayed on the ground for nearly 23 miles, damaged buildings on both sides of Lake Hickory and brought down hundreds of trees, many onto homes and vehicles.4,5
- June 13, 2013Estimated 75 mph winds blew down numerous trees across the north side of Conover, and the Hickory Regional Airport sensor measured a 55 mph gust.6,7
- January 11, 2012An EF2 tornado hit the South Fork community in Burke County, damaging dozens of homes, destroying some mobile homes and injuring 8 people. NOAA's storm records list 168 structures damaged or destroyed in the county and $13.4 million in property damage.8
- April 4, 2011A fast-moving line of thunderstorms brought estimated 86 mph winds north of Taylorsville, blowing much of the roof off a home, and 69 mph winds near Maiden. NOAA's storm records list about $1 million in property damage in the area.9,10
Warnings and alerts
Catawba County's free Community Alert System, run on CodeRED, contacts residents by phone, text and email in large-scale emergencies, but the county says it does not send messages during fast-changing storms such as thunderstorms and tornadoes.11
Sources
- 1. NWS Greenville-Spartanburg: Becoming Severe Weather Ready in the Western Carolinas and Northeast Georgia
- 2. NWS Greenville-Spartanburg: Review of the 9 January 2024 Claremont, NC Tornado
- 3. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Catawba County, August 7, 2023
- 4. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Burke County, October 23, 2017
- 5. WSOC-TV: Tornado that slammed Hickory airport was EF2, NWS says
- 6. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Catawba County, June 13, 2013
- 7. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Catawba County, June 13, 2013 (Longview)
- 8. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Burke County, January 11, 2012
- 9. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Alexander County, April 4, 2011
- 10. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Catawba County, April 5, 2011
- 11. Catawba County Government: Community Alert System
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Questions about hail in Hickory
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Hickory?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Hickory on 4.2 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 3.1 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 79 hail days.
- When is hail season in Hickory?
- July has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Hickory, 23 since 2010, then June (20) and May (11).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Hickory?
- 2.0 in, in 2018: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Hickory since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Hickory?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Hickory is from July 28, 2026, with hail up to 1.0 in reported 6.1 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.