Hail history in Winston-Salem, NC
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Winston-Salem on 1.4 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 1.3 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Winston-Salem on 36 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 1.75 in, in 2016. 32 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. May has the most hail days, 11 since 2010. The most recent was August 15, 2023. NOAA also recorded high wind on 171 days, with gusts up to 69 mph.
Ranks #85 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 36
- Largest hail
- 1.75 in
- Highest gust
- 69 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
36 hail days within 15 miles since 2010, largest 1.75 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. 36 hail days in total; the most was 9 in 2011.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 0, Feb 0, Mar 4, Apr 7, May 11, Jun 6, Jul 4, Aug 2, Sep 2, Oct 0, Nov 0, Dec 0.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2023 | 1.25 in | 10.7 mi |
| Jun 26, 2023 | 1.25 in | 9.2 mi |
| Apr 14, 2023 | 1.25 in | 13.2 mi |
| Apr 6, 2023 | 0.88 in | 9.2 mi |
| Jun 17, 2022 | 1.0 in | 4.8 mi |
| May 10, 2021 | 1.0 in | 8.9 mi |
| Mar 27, 2021 | 1.0 in | 12.4 mi |
| May 31, 2019 | 1.0 in | 7.0 mi |
| Apr 15, 2018 | 1.25 in | 8.4 mi |
| Jul 18, 2017 | 1.0 in | 4.0 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Winston-Salem, 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.
171 high-wind days within 15 miles since 2010, strongest gust 69 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 | 3.1 mi |
| Sep 5, 2026 | Not recorded | 2.2 mi |
| Aug 22, 2026 | Not recorded | 4.5 mi |
| Aug 17, 2026 | Not recorded | 8.2 mi |
| Jul 5, 2026 | Not recorded | 2.8 mi |
| Jun 22, 2026 | Not recorded | 5.3 mi |
| Jun 18, 2026 | Not recorded | 14.4 mi |
| Mar 16, 2026 | Not recorded | 3.8 mi |
| Sep 6, 2025 | 58 mph | 3.4 mi |
| Aug 1, 2025 | 58 mph | 0.3 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Winston-Salem, 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 Winston-Salem
Estimated peak gusts
No day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Winston-Salem.
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 14 tornadoes whose path came within 10 miles of Winston-Salem since 1950; the strongest was rated EF3.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2008 | EF3 | 2.9 miles | 7.7 miles |
| Sep 14, 2007 | EF0 | 0.25 miles | 8.5 miles |
| Jul 7, 2005 | EF0 | 8 miles | 7 miles |
| May 7, 1998 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 9.3 miles |
| May 7, 1998 | EF3 | 2 miles | 8.8 miles |
| May 5, 1989 | EF2 | 5.5 miles | 3 miles |
| May 5, 1989 | EF3 | 10.5 miles | 0.6 miles |
| May 5, 1989 | EF2 | 0.5 miles | 8.8 miles |
Show all 14Show fewer
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 1985 | EF3 | 3.5 miles | 0.5 miles |
| Jul 22, 1983 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 6.9 miles |
| Jun 3, 1982 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 8.1 miles |
| Jun 6, 1981 | EF2 | 9.4 miles | 2.8 miles |
| Apr 8, 1980 | EF1 | 1.9 miles | 3.3 miles |
| May 27, 1973 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 5.1 miles |
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center. Ratings before 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
6 storms in NOAA's records brought modeled tropical-storm-force winds (39 mph or more) to Winston-Salem.
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zeta (2020) | 51 mph | 41 mph | 45 miles |
| Bonnie (1998) | 71 mph | 58 mph | 186 miles |
| Fran (1996) | 50 mph | 41 mph | 76 miles |
| Hugo (1989) | 55 mph | 45 mph | 79 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1949 | 56 mph | 46 mph | 28 miles |
| 1893 Sea Islands hurricane | 62 mph | 51 mph | 11 miles |
Modeled from NOAA’s best tracks for open, flat ground; not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
42 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.
19 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 1 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Winston-Salem’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 18, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Sep 5, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Aug 22, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Aug 17, 2026 | 1.0 in or more |
| Aug 11, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
Storms in Winston-Salem
In NWS Raleigh's area, 66% of severe hail reports from 1950 to 2005 came between 3 pm and 8 pm.1
Notable storms
- June 26, 2023Evening storms dropped hail up to 1.25 inches around Clemmons, where a trained spotter reported 1-inch hail covering the ground.2,3
- May 12, 2016Hail up to golf ball size fell near Winston-Salem State University, and numerous trees and power lines came down on the east side of the city.4,5
- June 13, 2013A fast line of storms blew down trees and power lines throughout Forsyth County, hitting the northwest part hardest, and the Smith Reynolds Airport weather station (KINT) measured a 58 mph gust. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $500,000 in property damage in Forsyth County.6,7
- March 28, 2010On the evening of March 28, 2010, an EF3 tornado with peak winds near 138 mph tracked about 3.5 miles through southwest Guilford County near High Point. NOAA's Storm Events Database counts 603 single-family homes damaged and 21 destroyed, and lists $10 million in property damage.8
- May 7, 1998Early on the evening of May 7, 1998, an F3 tornado struck a subdivision in Clemmons in southwest Forsyth County. Several homes were destroyed and several hundred had major roof, wall and window damage. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 5 injuries and $50 million in property damage.9
- May 5, 1989On the evening of May 5, 1989, an F2 tornado hit Clemmons, then an F3 tornado touched down in southwest Winston-Salem and moved east-northeast across the city on a path 10.5 miles long. NWS Greensboro reported that the tornadoes and downburst winds destroyed five buildings and seven houses in Forsyth County, damaged 85 more and injured 48 people.10,11
Warnings and alerts
NWS Raleigh issues warnings for Forsyth County, and the county's NOAA Weather Radio SAME code is 037067.1,12 Forsyth County offers CodeRED emergency alerts to residents outside Winston-Salem, while residents inside the city can sign up for Smart911.13
Sources
- 1. NWS Raleigh: A Severe Weather Climatology for the Raleigh, NC, County Warning Area
- 2. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Forsyth County, June 26, 2023
- 3. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Forsyth County, June 26, 2023
- 4. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Forsyth County, May 12, 2016
- 5. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Forsyth County, May 12, 2016
- 6. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Forsyth County, June 13, 2013
- 7. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Forsyth County, June 13, 2013
- 8. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Guilford County, March 28, 2010
- 9. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Forsyth County, May 7, 1998
- 10. National Weather Service: Severe Weather Outbreak in the Northwest Piedmont of North Carolina on May 5, 1989 (Eastern Region Technical Attachment 89-11)
- 11. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Forsyth County, May 5, 1989
- 12. City of Winston-Salem: Emergency Alerts
- 13. Forsyth County Government: Sign up for emergency alerts with CodeRED
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Questions about hail in Winston-Salem
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Winston-Salem?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Winston-Salem on 1.4 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 1.3 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 36 hail days.
- When is hail season in Winston-Salem?
- May has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Winston-Salem, 11 since 2010, then April (7) and June (6).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Winston-Salem?
- 1.75 in, in 2016: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Winston-Salem since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Winston-Salem?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Winston-Salem is from August 15, 2023, with hail up to 1.25 in reported 10.7 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.