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Hail history in Utah

We counted the days with NOAA hail reports within 15 miles of the center of 3 Utah cities since 2010.

Apartments and an office park below the mountains under green hail clouds
Hail days near Salt Lake City since 2010, the most in Utah
23
Largest hail reported, near Ogden
2.0 in
Utah cities tracked
3

Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center

Data through November 1, 2026

Utah cities by hail days

Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center

Data through November 1, 2026

CityHail days since 2010Largest hail
Salt Lake City231.75 in
Ogden102.0 in
Provo31.75 in

About this data

  • Each city counts reports within 15 miles of its center, not of any one property.
  • 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.

Storm risk in Utah

For commercial and multifamily buildings in Utah, the storm risks that matter most are strong downslope and thunderstorm winds, winter storms and heavy snow, flash floods and snowmelt floods, wildfire, and hail.2,3 Utah has some tornadoes every year but a relatively low tornado risk compared with the Midwest and the South, and its hail is usually small, the Western Regional Climate Center says. Wildfire now also carries state fees and building rules for property in the wildland-urban interface.2,3,8

How often storms hit Utah

Storm hazards for buildings in Utah1,2,3,4,5,6,7,16
HazardHow oftenWhat it means for buildings
HailHail days since 2010 within 15 miles of the city center: Salt Lake City 23, Ogden 10 and Provo 3, with hail up to 2 inches near Ogden and 1.75 inches near the other two. Hail with recorded damage: 30 events from 1955 to 2022, 0.45 a year.Hail cracks roof covers and skylights and bends the fins on rooftop condensers, which can stop a unit from working.
Damaging windHigh and strong wind events with $50,000 or more in damage: 66 from 1996 to 2022, 2.54 a year. Thunderstorm wind events of that size: 66 from 1955 to 2022, 0.99 a year.Downslope winds and thunderstorm downbursts peel roof covers and edges, damage siding and fences and drop trees. FEMA says the roof edge takes the most wind uplift on a low-slope roof.
Tornadoes138 observed from 1869 to 2022, 0.90 a year.Those reported usually cause only slight damage, and a direct hit on one building is rare.
FloodingTen federal flood disaster declarations since 1953, and $96,994,000 in flood property damage recorded from 2014 to 2022.Snowmelt floods rivers and streams, and cloudbursts send flash floods through canyons and washes. Burn scars raise the risk of flash floods and debris flows.
Winter storms and snowWinter storms with $50,000 or more in damage: 84 from 1996 to 2022, 3.23 a year.FEMA says drifting snow and rain on snow can load a roof past its design. Cold snaps freeze pipes and sprinkler lines.
WildfireA yearly risk. The state plan says hot temperatures, high winds and years of drought have left prime fire conditions in low-elevation timber and shrubs.Embers can travel long distances and land on roofs or blow into vents, IBHS says, so buildings away from the fire front can still ignite.

The city counts are days with at least one hail report within 15 miles of each city's center since 2010, so they show how often hail falls near a city, not on one building. The statewide rates come from the 2024 Utah hazard mitigation plan's analysis of NOAA storm data and count only events with recorded damage, or damage of $50,000 or more, so they understate how often hail and wind occur.1,2

Rules owners in Utah should know

  • Wildfire fee: from January 1, 2026, counties assess an annual fee on property in the state's high-risk wildland-urban interface, in an amount the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands sets from a structure's square footage and may tier by the property's triage rating (HB 48, 2025; Utah Code 65A-8-402). The division says fees for 2026 and 2027 are flat by square footage, that triage lot assessments shape them from 2028, and that completing the mitigation a lot assessment lists can lower the fee.8,9,10
  • Wildfire building code: cities and counties must adopt and enforce the Utah Wildland Urban Interface Code, with fire-safe building and landscaping standards, in the wildland-urban interface zones they map, by January 1, 2026, the division says.10,8
  • Wildfire underwriting: to decide whether a property is high-risk wildland-urban interface property, an insurer may use only the state's high-risk boundary. An insurer that cancels or nonrenews such property because of wildfire risk must state the facts behind the decision, and one that raises the premium more than 20 percent for that reason must give the facts on request (Utah Code 31A-22-1310).11
  • Claim deadlines: an insurer must acknowledge a notice of loss within 15 days (Utah Admin. Code R590-190-6) and accept or deny the claim within 30 days after a complete proof of loss, or explain why it needs more time and update the claimant every 45 days (R590-190-10). It must pay within 30 days after written proof of a covered loss and its amount, paying any part that is proven even while the rest is not, and overdue amounts bear interest at the legal rate (R590-190-9).12,14,13
  • Time to sue: a suit on a first-party policy must start within three years after the inception of the loss, a policy may not shorten that, and the clock stops during an appraisal or arbitration. A suit to compel payment generally may not start until 60 days after proof of loss, unless the insurer first waives proof of loss or denies full payment (Utah Code 31A-21-313). An insurer still settling with a claimant who has no attorney or public adjuster must give notice of the deadline at least 60 days ahead (R590-190-10).15,14

Before the next storm

  • Wildfire lot check: look up each property on the state's wildfire risk portal, where the division said the high-risk boundary would be viewable from January 1, 2026, and ask the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands for a certified lot assessment. The division says the assessment lists the defensible space and construction fixes that can lower the fee.10
  • Snow drift check: have a structural engineer confirm that drift-prone areas, such as parapets, roof steps and spots around rooftop equipment, can carry the weight of drifted snow, as IBHS recommends. FEMA's warning signs of an overloaded roof include sagging ceiling tiles, sprinkler heads dropping below the ceiling and doors that stick.7,6
  • Roof inspections: have low-slope roofs inspected in spring, in fall and after high winds, edges and rooftop equipment first. FEMA singles out the roof border as the part most at risk from wind uplift.16
  • Roof ratings: when reroofing, IBHS recommends low-slope covers rated FM 4470 Class 1-SH or UL 2218 Class 4 where hail is common, hail guards on rooftop condensers, and a Class A fire-rated cover where wildfire threatens.7
  • Flood timing: arrange or change flood coverage well before the spring snowmelt, since FEMA says an NFIP policy typically takes effect 30 days after purchase.17

Sources

Written by the Cloudbreak team. Numbers, dates and rules cite the published sources below.

  1. 1. Cloudbreak: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center storm reports, as counted on the Cloudbreak hail history page for Utah
  2. 2. Utah Division of Emergency Management: Utah Enhanced State Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024, Section 4.11: Severe Weather
  3. 3. Western Regional Climate Center: Climate of Utah
  4. 4. Utah Division of Emergency Management: Utah Enhanced State Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024, Section 4.8: Flood
  5. 5. Utah Division of Emergency Management: Utah Enhanced State Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024, Section 4.13: Wildfire Hazards
  6. 6. FEMA: Snow Load Safety Guidance (FEMA P-957)
  7. 7. Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS): Commercial Roofs Best Practices Guide
  8. 8. Utah State Legislature: H.B. 48 Wildland Urban Interface Modifications (2025, enrolled)
  9. 9. Utah State Legislature: Utah Code Title 65A, Chapter 8, Part 4: Wildland Urban Interface Property
  10. 10. Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands: Community Preparedness (HB 48 questions and answers)
  11. 11. Utah State Legislature: Utah Code 31A-22-1310: Insuring wildland urban interface property
  12. 12. Utah Insurance Department (text via Cornell LII): Utah Admin. Code R590-190-6: Failure to Acknowledge Communication
  13. 13. Utah Insurance Department (text via Cornell LII): Utah Admin. Code R590-190-9: Unfair Claim Settlement Practices
  14. 14. Utah Insurance Department (text via Cornell LII): Utah Admin. Code R590-190-10: Minimum Standards for Prompt, Fair, and Equitable Settlement
  15. 15. Utah State Legislature: Utah Code 31A-21-313: Limitation of actions
  16. 16. FEMA: FEMA P-2181, Fact Sheet 3.3.2: Roof Systems, Low-Slope Roofs (March 2022)
  17. 17. FEMA: Waiting Period for Activating Flood Policy?

Storms in Utah

Near the Salt Lake City radar, SPC counts for 1980 to 2006 show severe hail and damaging wind reports falling mostly from May through September and peaking in July and August.1 The Western Regional Climate Center says Utah hail is usually small, while strong winds sometimes do damage near the canyon mouths on the west side of the Wasatch Mountains. NOAA's Storm Events Database notes that these downslope wind events come most often in winter.2,3

Notable storms

  1. August 13, 2024Hail 1 to 1.75 inches across fell in Orem and Lindon, 1.5-inch hail fell in Lehi, and 1-inch hail fell in Sunset and Clearfield. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $50,000 in property damage at Lehi and $25,000 at Orem and Lindon.4,5,6
  2. October 2, 2022Hail up to ping pong ball size, about 1.5 inches, caused damage from Cedar City to Enoch, and NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $40,000 in property damage there. The same day, 1-inch hail dented cars in Hanksville.7,8
  3. September 8, 2020A downslope windstorm brought gusts up to 99 mph on the northern Wasatch Front and 89 mph at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Storm Events reports list damaged roofs along the Wasatch Front, at least 20 heavily damaged manufactured homes in Box Elder County and 1 death. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $4.3 million in property damage for each of the two areas.3,9
  4. September 22, 2016An EF1 tornado crossed Riverdale, Washington Terrace and South Ogden, damaging about 30 homes in Weber County and leaving about 12 in Washington Terrace uninhabitable. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $2 million in damage. Another EF1 tornado damaged several homes and many vehicles in Panguitch, and 1.75-inch hail fell just west of West Point.10,11,12
  5. September 17, 2013Hail up to 1.75 inches across broke windows and damaged vehicles in Blanding. Hail of the same size in Maeser and 1.5-inch hail in Vernal also broke windows and dented vehicles.13,14,15
  6. December 1, 2011A downslope windstorm brought gusts to 102 mph in Centerville and 92 mph in West Bountiful, with the worst damage from North Salt Lake to South Ogden. Where winds were strongest, nearly every home had roof, fence or siding damage, and some windows shattered. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $82 million in property damage.16

Warnings and alerts

NWS Salt Lake City issues warnings for most of Utah, and NWS Grand Junction covers Daggett, Uintah, Grand and most of San Juan counties.17

Sources

  1. 1. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: MTX Severe Weather Climatology (Salt Lake City radar, 1980 to 2006)
  2. 2. Western Regional Climate Center: Climate of Utah
  3. 3. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Northern Wasatch Front high wind, September 8, 2020
  4. 4. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Utah County hail at Orem and Lindon, August 13, 2024
  5. 5. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Utah County hail at Lehi, August 13, 2024
  6. 6. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Davis County hail in Sunset and Clearfield, August 13, 2024
  7. 7. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Iron County hail from Cedar City to Enoch, October 2, 2022
  8. 8. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Wayne County hail in Hanksville, October 2, 2022
  9. 9. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Salt Lake and Tooele Valleys high wind, September 8, 2020
  10. 10. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Weber County tornado, September 22, 2016
  11. 11. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Garfield County tornado in Panguitch, September 22, 2016
  12. 12. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Davis County hail near West Point, September 22, 2016
  13. 13. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: San Juan County hail in Blanding, September 17, 2013
  14. 14. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Uintah County hail in Maeser, September 17, 2013
  15. 15. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Uintah County hail in Vernal, September 17, 2013
  16. 16. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Northern Wasatch Front high wind, December 1, 2011
  17. 17. NWS Western Region: Utah County Warning Forecast Areas

Hail history in other states