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Hail history in Washington

We counted the days with NOAA hail reports within 15 miles of the center of 6 Washington cities since 2010.

An office park and apartments on green hills as rain clouds roll in
Hail days near Spokane since 2010, the most in Washington
4
Largest hail reported, near Spokane
1.25 in
Washington cities tracked
6

Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center

Data through November 1, 2026

Washington cities by hail days

Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center

Data through November 1, 2026

CityHail days since 2010Largest hail
Spokane41.25 in
Kennewick41.0 in
Yakima21.0 in
Seattle0No reports
Olympia0No reports
Bremerton0No reports

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 Washington

For commercial and multifamily buildings in Washington, flooding and fall and winter windstorms are the storm risks that matter most, followed by snow and cold, wildfire in central and eastern Washington, and only rare hail and tornadoes. Flooding is the state's most common and costliest natural disaster, while Washington ranks 43rd among states for tornado frequency.2,3,4

How often storms hit Washington

Storm hazards for buildings in Washington1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
HazardHow oftenWhat it means for buildings
FloodingA 60 percent chance of a flood-related disaster declaration in any year, and about one major flood event a year since 1980. All 39 counties have had a flood disaster declaration since 1970.In western Washington floods mostly follow long winter rains, and in the east spring snowmelt and rain on snow. Floodwater damages ground floors, basements and mechanical rooms.
WindstormsWindstorms strike every fall and winter. Puget Sound can see sustained winds of 60 to 70 mph with gusts up to 90 mph, and the state plan lists winds over 100 mph among Washington's known extremes.Falling trees cause much of the structural damage. Wind also peels roof edges and cuts power, which after the 2006 storm took a week to restore fully in Seattle.
Winter storms and coldSpokane averages 45.4 inches of snow a year (1991 to 2020 normals), and the state plan counts extreme cold and heavy snow among the weather extremes behind its disaster declarations.Snow drifts against parapets, roof steps and rooftop equipment, rain on snow adds weight, and cold snaps freeze pipes and sprinkler lines.
WildfireA 70 percent chance of a wildfire disaster declaration in any year, with large fires becoming more likely in central and eastern Washington.Embers and flames ignite roofs, vents, siding and nearby plants, and buildings in the wildland-urban interface face the most exposure.
HailHail days since 2010 within 15 miles of the city center: Spokane 4, with hail up to 1.25 inches, Kennewick 4, Yakima 2, and none near Seattle, Olympia or Bremerton.Hail is a small share of storm damage here and falls mostly east of the Cascades, where it can dent metal roofs and break skylights.
TornadoesTwo to three a year on average, and most are weak.They form and end quickly, sometimes before a warning goes out, so damage is usually local to roofs, siding and trees.

The hail counts are days with at least one hail report within 15 miles of each city's center since 2010; a zero means no report in that circle, not that hail can't fall there. The state hazard plan puts the chance of a disaster declaration for extreme weather, such as high wind, heavy rain, snow, cold or heat, at 72 percent in any year.1,4

Rules owners in Washington should know

  • FAIR Plan: the Washington FAIR Plan, which operates under WAC 284-19 with Office of the Insurance Commissioner supervision, is the last resort for basic fire insurance on dwellings, apartment buildings and commercial structures, with Extended Coverage and Vandalism available. It generally does not insure vacant buildings and offers no liability, theft or most water-related coverage.9
  • Insurance Fair Conduct Act (RCW 48.30.015): a first party claimant, including a corporation, association or partnership, who is unreasonably denied coverage or payment may sue for actual damages, which a court may raise up to three times, plus attorneys' fees and costs. The claimant must send written notice to the insurer and the Office of the Insurance Commissioner 20 days before filing.10
  • Claim answers (WAC 284-30-380): within 30 calendar days of notice of a claim, the insurer must tell a first party claimant whether the claim is accepted or denied, or give all the reasons it needs more time and send an update every 30 days. An insurer still settling directly with a first party claimant who has no attorney must give written notice 30 days before a policy or legal time limit expires, and if it prices the claim with estimating software or a database, it must say on request when and where the cost data was collected.11
  • Suit deadline (RCW 48.18.200): a property insurance policy cannot limit the time to sue the insurer to less than one year from the date of the loss, and a shorter limit in the policy is void.12
  • Floodway rebuilding (RCW 86.16.041): local floodplain rules must bar building, rebuilding, repairing or replacing residential structures in designated floodways, except repairs that add no ground floor area and repairs costing no more than 50 percent of the structure's market value before the damage.13

Before the next storm

  • Tree check before fall: have trees that could fall on buildings, parking or power lines assessed before windstorm season, a step the Department of Health lists for windstorms, since falling trees cause much of the structural damage.5,3
  • Flood policy timing: FEMA says a new NFIP policy typically takes effect 30 days after purchase, and Ecology notes flood season begins as autumn turns cooler and wetter, so changes made after the first fall storms often take effect too late.14,2
  • Roof snow removal: when snow has to come off a flat roof, FEMA says to use qualified crews, clear drifts at parapets, roof steps and equipment first, and leave a couple of inches on the roof to protect the covering.8
  • Vacant space in winter: keep vacant units and buildings at 55°F or more and never below 40°F, and shut off and drain domestic water lines, as IBHS advises, so a heating failure doesn't become a burst pipe.15

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 Washington
  2. 2. Washington State Department of Ecology: Raising flood awareness on the cusp of new flood season
  3. 3. Seattle Office of Emergency Management: Windstorms
  4. 4. Washington Military Department, Emergency Management Division: 2023 Washington State Enhanced Hazard Mitigation Plan
  5. 5. Washington State Department of Health: Windstorms
  6. 6. Washington Military Department, Emergency Management Division: Tornado
  7. 7. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information: Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020: Spokane International Airport
  8. 8. FEMA: Snow Load Safety Guidance (FEMA P-957)
  9. 9. Washington FAIR Plan Association: Frequently Asked Questions
  10. 10. Washington State Legislature: RCW 48.30.015: Unreasonable denial of a claim for coverage or payment of benefits
  11. 11. Washington State Legislature: WAC 284-30-380: Settlement standards applicable to all insurers
  12. 12. Washington State Legislature: RCW 48.18.200: Limiting actions, jurisdiction
  13. 13. Washington State Legislature: RCW 86.16.041: Floodplain management ordinances and amendments
  14. 14. FEMA: Waiting Period for Activating Flood Policy?
  15. 15. Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS): Commercial Risk Engineering Bulletin: Winter Weather

Storms in Washington

The state climatologist's office counted thunderstorm days from June through September for 1990 to 2019: Spokane averaged 7.4 a summer, Yakima 3 and Seattle 2.5.1

Notable storms

  1. July 10, 2023Hail up to 2 inches across fell about 3 miles southeast of Ford in Stevens County and damaged roof panels, NOAA's Storm Events Database reports. The same storms dropped hail up to half-dollar size east of Elk in Spokane County.2,3
  2. August 11, 2022A storm dropped hail from Albion to Newman Lake, with stones up to 2.75 inches across near Newman Lake. It broke windows and damaged siding on homes in Liberty Lake and dented many vehicles. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $200,000 in property damage.4
  3. December 18, 2018An EF2 tornado touched down near Port Orchard in Kitsap County. It hit 300 homes and businesses, and 25 homes were red-tagged as uninhabitable. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $1.18 million in damage.5
  4. November 17, 2015A windstorm hit both sides of the state. Spokane International Airport measured a 71 mph gust, and NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 2 deaths caused directly by the storm in the Spokane area. Trees fell on homes around Everett, where the database lists $3.5 million in damage.6,7,8
  5. July 23, 2014Hail up to 2 inches across fell near Kettle Falls, denting vehicles and the metal roofs of shop buildings. A microburst with gusts of 60 to 70 mph then crossed Spokane County, where falling trees damaged at least 40 mobile homes and cars in one park. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $4 million in property damage and 4 injuries there.9,10

Warnings and alerts

NWS Seattle covers most of western Washington, and NWS Spokane covers north-central and eastern Washington, including Spokane. NWS Pendleton, Oregon, covers Yakima, Kittitas, Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, Columbia and Klickitat counties, and NWS Portland, Oregon, covers Clark, Cowlitz, Pacific, Skamania and Wahkiakum counties.11 Washington's Emergency Management Division links to each county's local emergency alert sign-up.12

Sources

  1. 1. Office of the Washington State Climatologist: Thunderstorms in WA during the Summers of 1990-2019
  2. 2. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Stevens County hail, July 10, 2023
  3. 3. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Spokane County hail, July 10, 2023
  4. 4. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Spokane County hail, August 11, 2022
  5. 5. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Kitsap County tornado, December 18, 2018
  6. 6. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Spokane area high wind, November 17, 2015
  7. 7. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Spokane area high wind, November 17, 2015
  8. 8. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Everett area high wind, November 17, 2015
  9. 9. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Stevens County hail, July 23, 2014
  10. 10. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Spokane County thunderstorm wind, July 23, 2014
  11. 11. National Weather Service: Western Region public forecast zones by county and office
  12. 12. Washington State Military Department, Emergency Management Division: Alerts

Hail history in other states