Hail history in Reading, PA
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Reading on 2.1 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 1.8 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Reading on 32 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 2.5 in, in 2014. 23 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. May has the most hail days, 9 since 2010. The most recent was July 8, 2025. NOAA also recorded high wind on 152 days, with gusts up to 90 mph.
Ranks #61 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 32
- Largest hail
- 2.5 in
- Highest gust
- 90 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
32 hail days within 15 miles since 2010, largest 2.5 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. 32 hail days in total; the most was 6 in 2019.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 0, Feb 1, Mar 0, Apr 2, May 9, Jun 3, Jul 7, Aug 5, Sep 4, Oct 0, Nov 1, Dec 0.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 8, 2025 | 1.0 in | 9.6 mi |
| Apr 15, 2025 | 0.75 in | 11.3 mi |
| Jul 17, 2024 | 1.0 in | 4.6 mi |
| Jul 16, 2024 | 1.0 in | 5.1 mi |
| Sep 7, 2023 | 1.25 in | 9.8 mi |
| Aug 15, 2023 | 1.0 in | 12.8 mi |
| Jul 1, 2022 | 1.0 in | 1.8 mi |
| May 20, 2022 | 1.5 in | 5.1 mi |
| Jul 21, 2021 | 1.0 in | 4.9 mi |
| Jun 4, 2021 | 1.0 in | 10.0 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Reading, 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.
152 high-wind days within 15 miles since 2010, strongest gust 90 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
Most recent high-wind days
| Date | Highest gust | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026 | Not recorded | 6.9 mi |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Not recorded | 2.2 mi |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Not recorded | 11.6 mi |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Not recorded | 3.4 mi |
| Aug 17, 2026 | Not recorded | 2.4 mi |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Not recorded | 13.6 mi |
| Jul 28, 2026 | Not recorded | 3.7 mi |
| Jul 11, 2026 | Not recorded | 14.2 mi |
| Jul 5, 2026 | Not recorded | 11.3 mi |
| Jul 4, 2026 | Not recorded | 2.0 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Reading, 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 Reading
Estimated peak gusts
No day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Reading.
| Day | Estimated peak gust |
|---|---|
| Sep 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 9 tornadoes whose path came within 10 miles of Reading since 1950; the strongest was rated EF3.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2025 | EF0 | 0.9 miles | 9.5 miles |
| May 31, 1998 | EF3 | 8.3 miles | 9.8 miles |
| Mar 9, 1998 | EF1 | 2 miles | 6.7 miles |
| Jul 5, 1984 | EF2 | 7 miles | 8.4 miles |
| Oct 5, 1979 | EF2 | 1 miles | 0.8 miles |
| Sep 5, 1979 | EF2 | 1 miles | 6.7 miles |
| Apr 21, 1963 | EF1 | 0.2 miles | 0.8 miles |
| Apr 16, 1954 | EF1 | 2 miles | 0.8 miles |
| Nov 4, 1950 | EF3 | 15.9 miles | 2.6 miles |
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center. Ratings before 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
9 storms in NOAA's records brought modeled tropical-storm-force winds (39 mph or more) to Reading.
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy (2012) | 63 mph | 51 mph | 33 miles |
| Connie (1955) | 49 mph | 40 mph | 67 miles |
| Hazel (1954) | 75 mph | 61 mph | 68 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1949 | 57 mph | 47 mph | 47 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1933 | 50 mph | 41 mph | 58 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1929 | 50 mph | 41 mph | 8 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1903 | 56 mph | 45 mph | 43 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1893 | 54 mph | 44 mph | 103 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1878 | 80 mph | 65 mph | 14 miles |
Modeled from NOAA’s best tracks for open, flat ground; not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
24 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.
12 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 1 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Reading’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 1, 2026 | 1.0 in or more |
| Jul 21, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jul 4, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jul 3, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jun 11, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| May 20, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
Storms in Reading
A 2016 study of the forecast area of NWS Mount Holly, the office that covers Reading, found large hail reports peak in June while the number of days with large hail peaks in July.1,2 Damaging thunderstorm winds in that area favor June and July, when about one in five days has at least one severe wind report.1
Notable storms
- May 6, 2025Winds estimated at 90 mph snapped softwood and hardwood trees over an area about 400 yards by 300 yards near Fleetwood.3
- May 28, 2019An EF2 tornado with winds estimated up to 120 mph crossed from Caernarvon Township in Lancaster County into Berks County through Morgantown. Several homes in a subdivision had roof and window damage, at least a dozen vehicles were moved and badly damaged, and hail up to 2 inches across fell at Morgantown.4,5
- May 22, 2014Hail up to 2.5 inches across, the size of tennis balls, fell in Wyomissing and damaged vehicles, and 1.75-inch hail fell at several places in Reading.6,7
- June 26, 2009Storms knocked down scores of trees in southeastern Berks County, where about 30 homes in Amity Township were damaged and two were destroyed by fallen trees. NOAA's storm records list about $500,000 in property damage from the storm.8
- July 16, 2007A severe thunderstorm with winds estimated near 75 mph damaged the roof and upper floors of a manufacturing plant in Kutztown and dropped 1.75-inch hail on the borough. NOAA's storm records list about $1 million in property damage in the area.2,9
- May 31, 1998An F3 tornado tracked about 8 miles across northern Berks County and struck the borough of Lyons. About 40 homes in Lyons and in Maiden Creek, Maxatawny and Richmond townships were destroyed or damaged, and 7 people were hurt.10
Warnings and alerts
Berks County's Berks Alert system notifies residents and visitors who register about hazardous conditions, with alerts from partners including the National Weather Service.11
Sources
- 1. National Weather Service: Climatology of Storm Data Events for the NWS Mount Holly Forecast Area
- 2. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Berks County, July 16, 2007
- 3. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Berks County, May 6, 2025
- 4. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Berks County, May 28, 2019
- 5. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Berks County, May 28, 2019
- 6. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Wyomissing Hills, May 22, 2014
- 7. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Berkshire Heights, May 22, 2014
- 8. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Berks County, June 26, 2009
- 9. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Berks County, July 16, 2007
- 10. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Berks County, May 31, 1998
- 11. County of Berks: Berks Alert
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Questions about hail in Reading
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Reading?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Reading on 2.1 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 1.8 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 32 hail days.
- When is hail season in Reading?
- May has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Reading, 9 since 2010, then July (7) and August (5).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Reading?
- 2.5 in, in 2014: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Reading since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Reading?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Reading is from July 8, 2025, with hail up to 1.0 in reported 9.6 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.