Hail history in Providence, RI
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Providence on 1.1 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 0.6 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Providence on 19 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 2.0 in, in 2012. 11 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. July has the most hail days, 6 since 2010. The most recent was August 26, 2024. NOAA also recorded high wind on 69 days, with gusts up to 100 mph.
Ranks #140 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 19
- Largest hail
- 2.0 in
- Highest gust
- 100 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
19 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. 19 hail days in total; the most was 3 in 2012.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 0, Feb 0, Mar 1, Apr 1, May 2, Jun 5, Jul 6, Aug 1, Sep 3, Oct 0, Nov 0, Dec 0.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 26, 2024 | 1.0 in | 8.0 mi |
| May 8, 2024 | 1.25 in | 10.0 mi |
| Jun 6, 2023 | 1.0 in | 7.8 mi |
| Sep 28, 2021 | 0.75 in | 10.4 mi |
| Jul 23, 2021 | 0.75 in | 4.6 mi |
| Jul 17, 2021 | 0.75 in | 10.4 mi |
| Mar 29, 2020 | 1.0 in | 12.9 mi |
| Jun 30, 2019 | 1.25 in | 4.0 mi |
| Jun 29, 2019 | 1.75 in | 10.5 mi |
| Sep 30, 2017 | 0.75 in | 6.5 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Providence, 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.
69 high-wind days within 15 miles since 2010, strongest gust 100 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
Most recent high-wind days
| Date | Highest gust | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2025 | 58 mph | 4.8 mi |
| Jul 25, 2025 | 58 mph | 1.7 mi |
| Jul 3, 2025 | 64 mph | 3.0 mi |
| Aug 15, 2024 | 58 mph | 10.5 mi |
| Aug 3, 2024 | 58 mph | 13.5 mi |
| Aug 2, 2024 | 58 mph | 8.2 mi |
| Jun 30, 2024 | 58 mph | 8.2 mi |
| Jun 26, 2024 | 100 mph | 4.1 mi |
| Sep 13, 2023 | 58 mph | 13.2 mi |
| Sep 9, 2023 | 58 mph | 11.1 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Providence, 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 Providence
Estimated peak gusts
1 day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Providence.
| Day | Estimated peak gust |
|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2026 | 50 mph or more |
| Jan 9, 2024 | 50 mph or more |
| Dec 18, 2023 | 58 mph or more |
| Dec 17, 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 10 tornadoes whose path came within 10 miles of Providence since 1950; the strongest was rated EF2.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 26, 2024 | EF1 | 0.55 miles | 6.6 miles |
| Jun 26, 2024 | EF1 | 8.6 miles | 5.8 miles |
| Sep 13, 2023 | EF1 | 0.21 miles | 7.7 miles |
| Aug 18, 2023 | EF1 | 7.6 miles | 8.4 miles |
| Aug 18, 2023 | EF2 | 9.1 miles | 3.3 miles |
| Oct 23, 2018 | EF1 | 1.5 miles | 4 miles |
| Oct 18, 1990 | EF1 | 4.5 miles | 4.4 miles |
| Sep 23, 1989 | EF0 | 0.2 miles | 4 miles |
| Aug 7, 1986 | EF2 | 4 miles | 0.6 miles |
| Aug 7, 1986 | EF1 | 0.5 miles | 6.7 miles |
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center. Ratings before 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
41 storms in NOAA's records brought modeled tropical-storm-force winds (39 mph or more) to Providence.
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wanda (2021) | 62 mph | 50 mph | 108 miles |
| Henri (2021) | 52 mph | 42 mph | 2 miles |
| Sandy (2012) | 56 mph | 45 mph | 228 miles |
| Irene (2011) | 58 mph | 47 mph | 97 miles |
| Noel (2007) | 64 mph | 52 mph | 172 miles |
| Floyd (1999) | 57 mph | 47 mph | 39 miles |
| Bertha (1996) | 70 mph | 57 mph | 31 miles |
| Bob (1991) | 81 mph | 66 mph | 15 miles |
Show all 41Show fewer
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gloria (1985) | 81 mph | 66 mph | 64 miles |
| Belle (1976) | 49 mph | 40 mph | 66 miles |
| Gerda (1969) | 55 mph | 45 mph | 122 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1968 | 53 mph | 43 mph | 75 miles |
| Alma (1962) | 49 mph | 40 mph | 119 miles |
| Esther (1961) | 70 mph | 57 mph | 63 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1961 | 66 mph | 54 mph | 34 miles |
| Donna (1960) | 86 mph | 70 mph | 25 miles |
| Brenda (1960) | 49 mph | 40 mph | 50 miles |
| Edna (1954) | 67 mph | 55 mph | 56 miles |
| Carol (1954) | 117 mph | 95 mph | 20 miles |
| 1944 Great Atlantic hurricane | 86 mph | 70 mph | 11 miles |
| 1938 New England hurricane | 105 mph | 85 mph | 79 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1934 | 51 mph | 42 mph | 46 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1924 | 52 mph | 42 mph | 93 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1916 | 59 mph | 48 mph | 21 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1916 | 52 mph | 43 mph | 21 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1913 | 50 mph | 40 mph | 61 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1896 | 65 mph | 53 mph | 38 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1894 | 65 mph | 53 mph | 28 miles |
| 1893 Sea Islands hurricane | 50 mph | 41 mph | 92 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1893 | 50 mph | 41 mph | 101 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1888 | 57 mph | 46 mph | 116 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1888 | 51 mph | 41 mph | 76 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1879 | 53 mph | 43 mph | 43 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1878 | 53 mph | 43 mph | 73 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1874 | 70 mph | 57 mph | 46 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1869 | 70 mph | 57 mph | 53 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1869 | 107 mph | 87 mph | 8 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1861 | 60 mph | 49 mph | 9 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1861 | 57 mph | 47 mph | 47 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1858 | 74 mph | 60 mph | 18 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1851 | 48 mph | 39 mph | 10 miles |
Modeled from NOAA’s best tracks for open, flat ground; not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
21 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.
7 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 0 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Providence’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 |
|---|---|
| Jul 25, 2025 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jul 8, 2025 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jul 3, 2025 | 1.0 in or more |
| Aug 26, 2024 | 1.25 in or more |
| Aug 15, 2024 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jun 21, 2024 | 0.75 in or more |
Storms in Providence
Providence's 2024 hazard mitigation plan says severe storms occur in all months of the year but are most common on summer afternoons and evenings and along frontal boundaries.1 Rhode Island's 2024 hazard mitigation plan, using NCEI records from 1950 to 2023, gives Providence County 209 days with thunderstorm wind events and 41 days with hail, the most of any county in the state.2
Notable storms
- August 18, 2023On the morning of August 18, 2023, an EF2 tornado with peak winds of about 115 mph tracked a broken 9.1-mile path through Scituate, Johnston and North Providence. Trees fell on homes in Johnston and North Providence, and two North Providence homes were left uninhabitable. NWS Boston called it the state's strongest tornado since the August 7, 1986 tornado in Cranston and Providence.3
- June 9, 2011An overnight microburst on June 9, 2011 downed trees, utility poles and wires across Providence and North Providence, including 42 trees in Roger Williams Park. NOAA's storm records list about $333,000 in property damage in the area.4
- July 18, 2006On July 18, 2006, night storms ahead of a cold front downed nearly two dozen large trees around Roger Williams Park and split or splintered about 100 others in greater Providence. Golf ball size hail was reported in Johnston.5
- August 7, 1986On August 7, 1986, an F2 tornado touched down in Cranston and moved east-northeast, skipping a stretch before touching down again on Broad Street in South Providence. It damaged homes in Cranston and buildings in South Providence and blew out plate glass windows in many buildings. Providence's hazard plan counts 20 injuries and no deaths.1
- August 31, 1954Hurricane Carol arrived on the morning of August 31, 1954, shortly after high tide, and a 13.7-foot storm surge was recorded on upper Narragansett Bay. Downtown Providence flooded completely, and nearly 3,800 homes were destroyed across Rhode Island. A 1993 NWS summary lists 19 deaths in the state.6
- September 21, 1938Providence recorded sustained winds of 100 mph and gusts to 125 mph in the Great New England Hurricane of September 21, 1938. The city's hazard plan puts damage in Providence alone at about $120 million.1
Warnings and alerts
The City of Providence offers CodeRED, a free emergency notification service that sends alerts by phone, email and text, including for severe weather.7
Sources
- 1. City of Providence: City of Providence Local Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024
- 2. Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency: State of Rhode Island Hazard Mitigation Plan, February 2024
- 3. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Providence County, August 18, 2023
- 4. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Providence County, June 9, 2011
- 5. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Providence County, July 18, 2006
- 6. NOAA National Weather Service: Rhode Island Hurricanes and Tropical Storms: A Fifty-Six Year Summary, 1936-1991
- 7. City of Providence: City of Providence CodeRED Sign Up
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Questions about hail in Providence
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Providence?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Providence on 1.1 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 0.6 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 19 hail days.
- When is hail season in Providence?
- July has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Providence, 6 since 2010, then June (5) and September (3).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Providence?
- 2.0 in, in 2012: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Providence since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Providence?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Providence is from August 26, 2024, with hail up to 1.0 in reported 8.0 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.