Hail history in Richmond, VA
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Richmond on 2.1 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 2.1 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Richmond on 36 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 2.4 in, in 2024. 36 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. May has the most hail days, 9 since 2010. The most recent was September 4, 2026. NOAA also recorded high wind on 158 days, with gusts up to 86 mph.
Ranks #49 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 36
- Largest hail
- 2.4 in
- Highest gust
- 86 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
36 hail days within 15 miles since 2010, largest 2.4 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 4 in 2016.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 0, Feb 3, Mar 0, Apr 4, May 9, Jun 9, Jul 4, Aug 4, Sep 2, Oct 1, Nov 0, Dec 0.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 2026 | 1.0 in | 14.4 mi |
| May 5, 2025 | 1.0 in | 4.2 mi |
| Apr 14, 2025 | 1.0 in | 12.7 mi |
| Aug 18, 2024 | 2.0 in | 6.6 mi |
| Jun 30, 2024 | 1.0 in | 8.9 mi |
| May 26, 2024 | 2.4 in | 10.8 mi |
| Jun 26, 2023 | 1.0 in | 9.8 mi |
| Jun 16, 2023 | 1.5 in | 11.0 mi |
| May 16, 2023 | 1.0 in | 4.9 mi |
| Apr 1, 2023 | 1.75 in | 3.8 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Richmond, 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.
158 high-wind days within 15 miles since 2010, strongest gust 86 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
Most recent high-wind days
| Date | Highest gust | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 2026 | Not recorded | 6.9 mi |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Not recorded | 13.7 mi |
| Aug 16, 2026 | Not recorded | 11.0 mi |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Not recorded | 9.4 mi |
| Aug 10, 2026 | Not recorded | 5.3 mi |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Not recorded | 5.4 mi |
| Jul 26, 2026 | Not recorded | 8.2 mi |
| Jul 21, 2026 | Not recorded | 8.8 mi |
| Jul 18, 2026 | 71 mph | 6.7 mi |
| Jul 6, 2026 | Not recorded | 5.9 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Richmond, 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 Richmond
Estimated peak gusts
No day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Richmond.
| Day | Estimated peak gust |
|---|---|
| Jul 18, 2026 | 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 29 tornadoes whose path came within 10 miles of Richmond since 1950; the strongest was rated EF2.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17, 2018 | EF0 | 1.05 miles | 3.8 miles |
| Sep 17, 2018 | EF0 | 0.5 miles | 9.6 miles |
| Sep 17, 2018 | EF0 | 1.38 miles | 0.9 miles |
| Sep 17, 2018 | EF0 | 1.3 miles | 3.1 miles |
| Sep 17, 2018 | EF0 | 0.25 miles | 0.8 miles |
| Sep 17, 2018 | EF2 | 7.5 miles | 5 miles |
| Sep 17, 2018 | EF1 | 4 miles | 5.4 miles |
| Jun 27, 2015 | EF0 | 3.59 miles | 9.1 miles |
Show all 29Show fewer
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 27, 2010 | EF1 | 11.36 miles | 2.8 miles |
| Jul 7, 2005 | EF1 | 0.2 miles | 5.9 miles |
| Sep 8, 2004 | EF0 | 0.7 miles | 1.8 miles |
| Aug 30, 2004 | EF0 | 0.5 miles | 1.9 miles |
| Sep 22, 2003 | EF1 | 3 miles | 5.6 miles |
| Sep 22, 2003 | EF1 | 2 miles | 1.9 miles |
| Jun 15, 2001 | EF0 | 1 miles | 6.8 miles |
| Jun 16, 1989 | EF1 | 3 miles | 3.6 miles |
| Jun 13, 1989 | EF1 | 0.2 miles | 9.8 miles |
| May 29, 1984 | EF2 | 0.5 miles | 2.6 miles |
| Feb 11, 1981 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 3.8 miles |
| Apr 27, 1980 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 3 miles |
| Dec 1, 1974 | EF1 | 1 miles | 7.7 miles |
| Jun 16, 1973 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 5.8 miles |
| Mar 24, 1969 | EF2 | 0.3 miles | 2.6 miles |
| Oct 20, 1961 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 4.6 miles |
| Jul 20, 1956 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 1.6 miles |
| Jul 20, 1956 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 9.7 miles |
| Jul 20, 1956 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 8.3 miles |
| Jul 20, 1956 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 1.6 miles |
| Jun 13, 1951 | EF2 | 4.1 miles | 1.3 miles |
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center. Ratings before 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
16 storms in NOAA's records brought modeled tropical-storm-force winds (39 mph or more) to Richmond.
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zeta (2020) | 51 mph | 41 mph | 30 miles |
| Sandy (2012) | 58 mph | 47 mph | 173 miles |
| Isabel (2003) | 71 mph | 58 mph | 37 miles |
| Bonnie (1998) | 64 mph | 52 mph | 148 miles |
| Connie (1955) | 50 mph | 41 mph | 70 miles |
| Hazel (1954) | 85 mph | 69 mph | 23 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1933 | 49 mph | 40 mph | 165 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1933 | 59 mph | 48 mph | 38 miles |
Show all 16Show fewer
| Storm | Modeled peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 Okeechobee hurricane | 60 mph | 49 mph | 3 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1899 | 52 mph | 42 mph | 130 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1896 | 64 mph | 52 mph | 75 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1893 | 82 mph | 67 mph | 43 miles |
| 1893 Sea Islands hurricane | 57 mph | 47 mph | 67 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1879 | 49 mph | 40 mph | 112 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1878 | 72 mph | 58 mph | 20 miles |
| Unnamed storm, 1876 | 59 mph | 48 mph | 10 miles |
Modeled from NOAA’s best tracks for open, flat ground; not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
58 radar hail days within 15 miles since 2020, largest 3.0 in or more
Source: NOAA MRMS radar (MESH), from October 14, 2020. Estimates of the largest hail in each 1 km cell, not measurements.
30 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 3 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Richmond’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 4, 2026 | 1.75 in or more |
| Sep 2, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Aug 28, 2026 | 1.25 in or more |
| Aug 20, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Aug 14, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jul 28, 2026 | 1.0 in or more |
Storms in Richmond
Around the Wakefield radar, whose 124-nautical-mile range includes Richmond, May averages the most severe hail reports and July the most damaging wind reports, per NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.1
Notable storms
- August 18, 2024On August 18, 2024, hail about 2 inches across fell in the Tuckahoe area, and 1.5-inch hail nearby dented vehicles and damaged a home's window screens. A tree that fell on a car in Henrico County during the storm killed a person.2,3,4
- September 17, 2018On September 17, 2018, storms tied to the remnants of Florence produced nine tornadoes in the Richmond metro. The strongest, an EF2 with winds of 115 to 125 mph, tracked 7.5 miles from Winterpock to Bon Air in Chesterfield County, killing one person and injuring another. Several weaker tornadoes snapped trees inside the city, including one that crossed from near Byrd Park into Windsor Farms.5,6,7
- May 27, 2017On May 27, 2017, hen egg size hail of 2 inches fell near the State Capitol, and 3-inch hail the size of teacups fell in Chesterfield County.8,9
- June 29, 2012The June 29, 2012, derecho caused structural damage along Parham and Pemberton Roads in Henrico County and downed trees onto cars on Interstate 95 near Exit 86 in Hanover County. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $420,000 in property damage in Henrico County and $90,000 in Hanover County.10,11
- September 18, 2003Isabel tracked into central Virginia just west of Richmond on September 18, 2003, with gusts to 73 mph at Richmond International Airport. Across central Virginia, its winds uprooted many thousands of trees. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $9 million in property damage in Henrico County and $18 million in Chesterfield County.12,13
Warnings and alerts
Severe thunderstorm warnings for Richmond and its surrounding counties come from the National Weather Service office in Wakefield, Virginia.14,8 Richmond Ready Alerts, the city's free sign-up system, sends severe weather and other alerts by location to mobile phones, landlines and email.15
Sources
- 1. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: AKQ Severe Weather Climatology
- 2. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Henrico County, August 18, 2024
- 3. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Henrico County, August 18, 2024
- 4. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Henrico County, August 18, 2024
- 5. NWS Wakefield: September 17, 2018 Tornadoes
- 6. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Chesterfield County, September 17, 2018
- 7. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tornado, Richmond, September 17, 2018
- 8. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Richmond, May 27, 2017
- 9. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Chesterfield County, May 27, 2017
- 10. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Henrico County, June 29, 2012
- 11. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Hanover County, June 29, 2012
- 12. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tropical Storm, Henrico County, September 18, 2003
- 13. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Tropical Storm, Chesterfield County, September 18, 2003
- 14. NWS Wakefield: NWS Forecast Office Wakefield, VA
- 15. City of Richmond: Richmond Ready Alerts
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Questions about hail in Richmond
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Richmond?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Richmond on 2.1 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 2.1 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 36 hail days.
- When is hail season in Richmond?
- May has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Richmond, 9 since 2010, then June (9) and April (4).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Richmond?
- 2.4 in, in 2024: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Richmond since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Richmond?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Richmond is from September 4, 2026, with hail up to 1.0 in reported 14.4 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.