Hail history in Raleigh, NC
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Raleigh on 2.9 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 2.4 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Raleigh on 51 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 2.75 in, in 2019. 41 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. May has the most hail days, 16 since 2010. The most recent was September 5, 2026. NOAA also recorded high wind on 200 days, with gusts up to 86 mph.
Ranks #38 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 51
- Largest hail
- 2.75 in
- Highest gust
- 86 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
51 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. 51 hail days in total; the most was 10 in 2016.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 0, Feb 3, Mar 6, Apr 5, May 16, Jun 7, Jul 6, Aug 3, Sep 5, Oct 0, Nov 0, Dec 0.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 2026 | 1.5 in | 12.1 mi |
| Jul 8, 2026 | 1.25 in | 6.6 mi |
| May 5, 2025 | 1.0 in | 5.5 mi |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 1.5 in | 2.1 mi |
| Aug 15, 2023 | 1.0 in | 2.9 mi |
| Apr 14, 2023 | 1.5 in | 8.3 mi |
| May 21, 2022 | 1.0 in | 10.5 mi |
| May 19, 2022 | 1.0 in | 11.2 mi |
| May 6, 2022 | 1.25 in | 9.4 mi |
| Aug 14, 2021 | 1.0 in | 6.2 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Raleigh, 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.
200 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 11, 2026 | Not recorded | 0.1 mi |
| Sep 21, 2026 | Not recorded | 12.8 mi |
| Sep 18, 2026 | Not recorded | 6.9 mi |
| Sep 5, 2026 | Not recorded | 2.9 mi |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Not recorded | 12.2 mi |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Not recorded | 4.0 mi |
| Jul 28, 2026 | Not recorded | 3.1 mi |
| Jul 20, 2026 | Not recorded | 8.8 mi |
| Jul 12, 2026 | Not recorded | 8.4 mi |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Not recorded | 8.4 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Raleigh, 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 Raleigh
Estimated peak gusts
No day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Raleigh.
| Day | Estimated peak gust |
|---|---|
| Jan 9, 2024 | 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 15 tornadoes whose path came within 10 miles of Raleigh since 1950; the strongest was rated EF4.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 11, 2026 | Not rated | 5.8 miles | |
| Dec 10, 2023 | EF1 | 1.88 miles | 8.7 miles |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF3 | 65.23 miles | 1.8 miles |
| Sep 14, 2007 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 9.6 miles |
| Jun 1, 2001 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 9.6 miles |
| Mar 20, 1998 | EF0 | 0.2 miles | 2.7 miles |
| Mar 20, 1998 | EF2 | 1.5 miles | 7.8 miles |
| Jul 12, 1996 | EF0 | 4.5 miles | 9.6 miles |
Show all 15Show fewer
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 27, 1988 | EF4 | 83 miles | 5.2 miles |
| Mar 14, 1986 | EF1 | 0.5 miles | 8.8 miles |
| Feb 10, 1981 | EF2 | 1.9 miles | 8.7 miles |
| May 7, 1977 | EF0 | 1 miles | 5.2 miles |
| Nov 2, 1966 | EF2 | 64.5 miles | 7.3 miles |
| Mar 18, 1956 | EF2 | 0.3 miles | 9.3 miles |
| Mar 18, 1956 | EF1 | 0.3 miles | 9.4 miles |
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center. Ratings before 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
29 storms in NOAA's records brought modeled tropical-storm-force winds (39 mph or more) to Raleigh.
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ian (2022) | 53 mph | 43 mph | 70 miles |
| Michael (2018) | 59 mph | 48 mph | 19 miles |
| Isabel (2003) | 55 mph | 45 mph | 77 miles |
| Floyd (1999) | 53 mph | 43 mph | 96 miles |
| Bonnie (1998) | 97 mph | 79 mph | 108 miles |
| Fran (1996) | 75 mph | 61 mph | 10 miles |
| Bertha (1996) | 67 mph | 55 mph | 72 miles |
| Diana (1984) | 61 mph | 49 mph | 68 miles |
Show all 29Show fewer
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donna (1960) | 66 mph | 54 mph | 114 miles |
| Ione (1955) | 53 mph | 43 mph | 115 miles |
| Diane (1955) | 53 mph | 43 mph | 5 miles |
| Connie (1955) | 50 mph | 41 mph | 127 miles |
| Hazel (1954) | 55 mph | 45 mph | 18 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1945 | 50 mph | 40 mph | 25 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1933 | 49 mph | 40 mph | 187 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1929 | 49 mph | 40 mph | 10 miles |
| 1928 Okeechobee hurricane | 61 mph | 50 mph | 55 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1913 | 51 mph | 42 mph | 45 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1899 | 63 mph | 51 mph | 10 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1896 | 82 mph | 67 mph | 30 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1893 | 64 mph | 52 mph | 9 miles |
| 1893 Sea Islands hurricane | 58 mph | 47 mph | 78 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1883 | 53 mph | 43 mph | 29 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1881 | 50 mph | 41 mph | 77 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1878 | 52 mph | 42 mph | 91 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1878 | 52 mph | 42 mph | 69 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1874 | 49 mph | 39 mph | 52 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1859 | 50 mph | 41 mph | 30 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1857 | 53 mph | 43 mph | 108 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.
23 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 0 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Raleigh’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 | 1.5 in or more |
| Sep 4, 2026 | 1.5 in or more |
| Aug 20, 2026 | 1.0 in or more |
| Aug 17, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jul 20, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
Storms in Raleigh
In NWS Raleigh's study of 1950 to 2005 severe weather reports, May was the peak hail month with 417 reports, and 78% of severe hail fell from April through July.1
Notable storms
- September 25, 2020On the evening of September 25, 2020, a storm dropped a swath of large hail across western Wake County, including 2-inch hail near Highway 55 and Indian Wells Road in Carpenter.2
- May 13, 2019A supercell crossed southern Wake County into Johnston County with golf ball to baseball size hail, breaking windows and damaging roofs, siding and cars. NOAA's storm records list about $100 million in property damage in the area.3
- January 11, 2014A winter line of storms produced an 86 mph gust at Raleigh-Durham International Airport and uprooted trees across the Triangle, several onto houses. One person was killed by a falling limb, and NOAA's storm records list about $1.35 million in property damage in the area.4
- April 16, 2011The Sanford-Raleigh tornado, on the ground for 67 miles, crossed southern and downtown Raleigh, then strengthened to EF2 from Stony Brook Drive to Buffalo Road. Four people died when a large tree fell on a mobile home, and 2,270 homes in Wake County were damaged, 67 of them destroyed.5,6
- September 5, 1996Hurricane Fran brought a 79 mph gust to Raleigh-Durham Airport on September 5 to 6, 1996. NWS Raleigh reports that Wake County alone had over $900 million in damage to homes and businesses.7,8
- November 28, 1988A tornado that formed in Raleigh just after midnight on November 28, 1988, did its worst damage, rated F4, in north and northwest Raleigh near Glenwood Avenue and Lynn and Creedmoor roads. Over its 84-mile path it killed 4 people, injured more than 150 and damaged more than 2,000 homes.9,10
Warnings and alerts
NWS Raleigh issues warnings for Wake County as part of a 31-county warning area that includes the Triangle.1 Wake County's sign-up alert service, Ready Wake Alerts, sends alerts by call, text or email for each address a subscriber registers, such as home and work.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, May 13, 2019
- 4. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Wake County, January 11, 2014
- 5. NWS Raleigh: April 16, 2011 North Carolina Tornado Outbreak
- 6. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Wake County, April 16, 2011
- 7. NWS Wilmington: Hurricane Fran: September 5-6, 1996
- 8. NWS Raleigh: Hurricane Fran, September 1996
- 9. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Wake County, November 28, 1988
- 10. WRAL: It's been 30 years since an EF-4 tornado ripped through Raleigh
- 11. Wake County Government: Alerts, Notifications and Warnings
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Questions about hail in Raleigh
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Raleigh?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Raleigh on 2.9 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 2.4 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 51 hail days.
- When is hail season in Raleigh?
- May has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Raleigh, 16 since 2010, then June (7) and March (6).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Raleigh?
- 2.75 in, in 2019: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Raleigh since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Raleigh?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Raleigh is from September 5, 2026, with hail up to 1.5 in reported 12.1 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.