Hail history in Knoxville, TN
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Knoxville on 2.3 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 2.2 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Knoxville on 44 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 2.75 in, in 2011. 42 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. May has the most hail days, 9 since 2010. The most recent was October 21, 2025. NOAA also recorded high wind on 172 days, with gusts up to 75 mph.
Ranks #46 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 44
- Largest hail
- 2.75 in
- Highest gust
- 75 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
44 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. 44 hail days in total; the most was 9 in 2012.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 1, Feb 0, Mar 5, Apr 8, May 9, Jun 9, Jul 6, Aug 4, Sep 1, Oct 1, Nov 0, Dec 0.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 21, 2025 | 0.88 in | 8.7 mi |
| Sep 4, 2025 | 1.75 in | 4.2 mi |
| Apr 10, 2025 | 1.75 in | 4.2 mi |
| May 26, 2024 | 1.75 in | 5.7 mi |
| May 6, 2024 | 1.0 in | 13.3 mi |
| Aug 12, 2023 | 1.0 in | 7.7 mi |
| Jul 2, 2023 | 1.0 in | 9.7 mi |
| Jun 11, 2023 | 1.0 in | 11.8 mi |
| Jun 5, 2023 | 1.0 in | 6.1 mi |
| May 16, 2023 | 1.0 in | 3.8 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Knoxville, 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.
172 high-wind days within 15 miles since 2010, strongest gust 75 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
Most recent high-wind days
| Date | Highest gust | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 2026 | Not recorded | 3.5 mi |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Not recorded | 5.3 mi |
| Jul 3, 2026 | Not recorded | 14.5 mi |
| May 20, 2026 | Not recorded | 2.2 mi |
| Mar 15, 2026 | Not recorded | 5.6 mi |
| Feb 19, 2026 | 60 mph | 3.1 mi |
| Dec 18, 2025 | 70 mph | 1.1 mi |
| Sep 4, 2025 | 60 mph | 7.5 mi |
| May 20, 2025 | 72 mph | 1.7 mi |
| Apr 25, 2025 | 60 mph | 4.5 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Knoxville, 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 Knoxville
Estimated peak gusts
No day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Knoxville.
| Day | Estimated peak gust |
|---|---|
| Dec 29, 2024 | 50 mph or more |
| Aug 12, 2023 | 50 mph or more |
| Mar 11, 2022 | 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 13 tornadoes whose path came within 10 miles of Knoxville since 1950; the strongest was rated EF3.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF2 | 3.7 miles | 8.3 miles |
| Jun 23, 2011 | EF0 | 1 miles | 0.1 miles |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 1 miles | 2.8 miles |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF0 | 6.5 miles | 7.7 miles |
| May 15, 2003 | EF1 | 1.5 miles | 3.7 miles |
| May 15, 2003 | EF1 | 2.5 miles | 6.3 miles |
| May 23, 2000 | EF1 | 0.5 miles | 6.1 miles |
| May 18, 1995 | EF1 | 2 miles | 1.1 miles |
Show all 13Show fewer
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 1993 | EF0 | 1 miles | 1.8 miles |
| Jun 30, 1993 | EF0 | 2 miles | 7.6 miles |
| Feb 21, 1993 | EF3 | 16 miles | 8.8 miles |
| Apr 15, 1965 | EF2 | 7.4 miles | 3.2 miles |
| May 1, 1953 | EF2 | 0.8 miles | 7.9 miles |
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center. Ratings before 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
No hurricane or tropical storm in NOAA's records brought modeled tropical-storm-force winds (39 mph) to Knoxville.
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 1.5 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, 0 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Knoxville’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 23, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Sep 18, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Sep 5, 2026 | 1.0 in or more |
| Aug 17, 2026 | 1.25 in or more |
| Aug 14, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Aug 13, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
Storms in Knoxville
NWS Morristown's climatology shows large hail peaking in May, with a slight second peak in November.1 In June, wind damage becomes the main severe weather type across the Morristown office's area.1
Notable storms
- December 18, 2025On December 18, 2025, thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 mph brought down trees across Knoxville, and a 36-inch oak fell through a home near Sequoyah Hills.2
- April 10, 2025On April 10, 2025, afternoon storms dropped hail up to 1.75 inches near Solway in western Knox County and 1.5-inch hail near Gulf Park and Shooks. NOAA's storm records note that many Knoxville-area reports described soft, slushy stones closer to graupel than true hail.3,4,5
- July 8, 2016On July 8, 2016, a derecho crossed East Tennessee, and in West Knoxville winds estimated at 60 knots (69 mph) brought down many trees, one of which killed a woman. McGhee Tyson Airport measured a 63 mph gust.6,7,8
- July 2, 2012On July 2, 2012, an evening storm dropped quarter to golf ball size (1.75-inch) hail on western Knoxville and downed numerous trees in the city.9,10
- April 27, 2011Thunderstorms dropped baseball size (2.75-inch) hail 2 miles southeast of Knoxville, damaging vehicles, and a trained spotter reported a 70 mph gust on the University of Tennessee campus.11,12
- October 21, 2005Winds estimated at 86 mph blew the cover off a grocery store's rooftop air conditioner in Knoxville.13
Warnings and alerts
Knoxville is in the warning area of the National Weather Service office in Morristown.1 Knox County's Emergency Notification System sends severe weather and other emergency alerts by text, email or voice call, and residents without internet can register by calling 311.14
Sources
- 1. NWS Morristown: Severe Weather Climatology for WFO Morristown
- 2. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Knox County, December 18, 2025
- 3. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Knox County, April 10, 2025 (Solway)
- 4. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Knox County, April 10, 2025 (Gulf Park)
- 5. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Knox County, April 10, 2025 (Shooks)
- 6. NWS Morristown: July 2016 Derecho
- 7. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Knox County, July 8, 2016
- 8. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Blount County, July 8, 2016 (McGhee Tyson Airport)
- 9. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Knox County, July 2, 2012
- 10. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Knox County, July 2, 2012
- 11. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Knox County, April 27, 2011
- 12. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Knox County, April 27, 2011
- 13. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Knox County, October 21, 2005
- 14. Knox County Tennessee Government: Alerts - Emergency Notification System
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Questions about hail in Knoxville
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Knoxville?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Knoxville on 2.3 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 2.2 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 44 hail days.
- When is hail season in Knoxville?
- May has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Knoxville, 9 since 2010, then June (9) and April (8).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Knoxville?
- 2.75 in, in 2011: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Knoxville since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Knoxville?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Knoxville is from October 21, 2025, with hail up to 0.88 in reported 8.7 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.