Hail history in Milwaukee, WI
On average, NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Milwaukee on 3.1 days a year from 2016 to 2025, 1.9 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Milwaukee on 55 days since 2010. The largest hail reported was 3.0 in, in 2015. 37 of those days had hail of 1 inch or larger. April has the most hail days, 11 since 2010. The most recent was April 21, 2026. NOAA also recorded high wind on 78 days, with gusts up to 82 mph.
Ranks #54 of 200 US cities for days with hail 1 inch or larger, 2016 to 2025.
- Hail days since 2010
- 55
- Largest hail
- 3.0 in
- Highest gust
- 82 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
55 hail days within 15 miles since 2010, largest 3.0 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. 55 hail days in total; the most was 6 in 2014.
Hail days by month
Hail days by month since 2010: Jan 0, Feb 1, Mar 1, Apr 11, May 10, Jun 11, Jul 5, Aug 8, Sep 6, Oct 0, Nov 2, Dec 0.
Most recent hail days
| Date | Largest hail | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 21, 2026 | 1.0 in | 7.5 mi |
| Apr 15, 2026 | 1.0 in | 9.5 mi |
| Apr 14, 2026 | 2.0 in | 5.3 mi |
| Sep 22, 2025 | 0.75 in | 10.6 mi |
| May 15, 2025 | 1.5 in | 5.1 mi |
| Apr 18, 2025 | 1.0 in | 3.1 mi |
| Jun 24, 2024 | 1.25 in | 6.0 mi |
| May 24, 2024 | 0.75 in | 3.9 mi |
| May 13, 2024 | 0.75 in | 7.8 mi |
| May 7, 2024 | 1.5 in | 6.9 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Milwaukee, 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.
78 high-wind days within 15 miles since 2010, strongest gust 82 mph
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
Most recent high-wind days
| Date | Highest gust | Nearest report |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 2026 | Not recorded | 7.7 mi |
| Aug 18, 2026 | Not recorded | 2.6 mi |
| Jul 27, 2026 | Not recorded | 9.8 mi |
| Jul 2, 2026 | 64 mph | 9.0 mi |
| Jun 10, 2026 | Not recorded | 11.4 mi |
| Apr 14, 2026 | Not recorded | 14.8 mi |
| Apr 13, 2026 | 61 mph | 3.1 mi |
| Apr 2, 2026 | Not recorded | 6.1 mi |
| Jun 29, 2025 | 82 mph | 4.6 mi |
| May 15, 2025 | 61 mph | 3.2 mi |
About this data
- Distances are from the center of Milwaukee, 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 Milwaukee
Estimated peak gusts
No day since October 1, 2021 had an estimated peak gust of 58 mph or more at Milwaukee.
| Day | Estimated peak gust |
|---|---|
| Mar 13, 2026 | 50 mph or more |
| Jan 27, 2025 | 50 mph or more |
| Jun 24, 2024 | 50 mph or more |
| Apr 14, 2022 | 50 mph or more |
| Dec 16, 2021 | 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 17 tornadoes whose path came within 10 miles of Milwaukee since 1950; the strongest was rated EF2.
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 12, 2022 | EF0 | 3.07 miles | 5 miles |
| Mar 8, 2000 | EF1 | 1.7 miles | 8.5 miles |
| May 24, 1989 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 2.3 miles |
| Aug 17, 1985 | EF1 | 15 miles | 8.5 miles |
| May 15, 1982 | EF1 | 2 miles | 9.3 miles |
| Aug 4, 1980 | EF2 | 0.1 miles | 7.8 miles |
| Aug 4, 1977 | EF0 | 0.1 miles | 2.4 miles |
| Apr 2, 1977 | EF2 | 9.3 miles | 1.7 miles |
Show all 17Show fewer
| Day | Rating | Path length | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 24, 1975 | EF2 | 0.2 miles | 5.8 miles |
| Aug 24, 1975 | EF1 | 0.1 miles | 3 miles |
| Jul 14, 1972 | EF1 | 34 miles | 9.7 miles |
| Aug 11, 1969 | EF1 | 0.3 miles | 5.1 miles |
| Sep 3, 1964 | EF2 | 0.1 miles | 5.1 miles |
| Oct 4, 1962 | EF1 | 0.5 miles | 8.9 miles |
| Jul 22, 1962 | EF2 | 0.1 miles | 4.4 miles |
| Sep 26, 1959 | EF2 | 1.5 miles | 7.8 miles |
| Aug 7, 1958 | EF2 | 1 miles | 4.3 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 Milwaukee.
Modeled from NOAA’s best tracks for open, flat ground; not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
46 radar hail days within 15 miles since 2020, largest 2.0 in or more
Source: NOAA MRMS radar (MESH), from October 14, 2020. Estimates of the largest hail in each 1 km cell, not measurements.
15 days with radar hail 1 inch or larger, 2 at 2 inches or larger, within 15 miles of Milwaukee’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 3, 2026 | 1.75 in or more |
| Sep 2, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Aug 22, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Aug 9, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Aug 7, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
| Jul 27, 2026 | 0.75 in or more |
Storms in Milwaukee
The Wisconsin State Climatology Office says areas next to Lake Michigan see fewer thunderstorms than southern and western Wisconsin.1 Within 124 nautical miles of the Milwaukee/Sullivan radar, NOAA's Storm Prediction Center counted an average of 28 large hail days and 36 damaging wind days a year from 1980 to 2006.2 The same study puts the area's primary severe season at May 6 to August 31.2
Notable storms
- August 9, 2025Several rounds of storms from the evening of August 9 into early August 10 brought 14.55 inches of rain to a gauge in northwest Milwaukee, Wisconsin's 24-hour rainfall record. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 1,800 homes in Milwaukee County with major flood damage or destroyed along Lincoln and Honey Creeks.3,4
- August 2, 2015Storms dropped 3-inch hail near St. Martins in Milwaukee County and 2.75-inch hail near Wind Lake in Racine County.5,6
- May 12, 2014Evening storms over Milwaukee County dropped 2-inch hail northwest of Wauwatosa, and NOAA's Storm Events Database notes broken windows and dented vehicles where the hail fell.7
- April 13, 2006Hail of 1 to 2.75 inches fell at Menomonee Falls during the outbreak NOAA's records call the most costly hailstorm to affect Wisconsin. NOAA's storm records list about $27.7 million in property damage in the area.8
- August 21, 2002A macroburst with winds estimated near 100 mph tore from just northeast of the Waukesha County Airport through Pewaukee to Brookfield. At Timmerman Field, an estimated gust of at least 80 mph ripped a 100-foot blimp from its mooring.9,10
Warnings and alerts
The National Weather Service office in Milwaukee/Sullivan issues warnings for Milwaukee County.11,12 The City of Milwaukee's free MKEALERT system sends alerts on extreme weather and other hazards, and residents enroll by texting #MKEALERT to 24639.13
Sources
- 1. Wisconsin State Climatology Office: Highlighting Wisconsin's Hail History
- 2. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: MKX Severe Weather Climatology
- 3. NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan: New 24-Hour Precipitation Record Confirmed for Wisconsin
- 4. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Flash Flood, Milwaukee County, August 9, 2025
- 5. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Milwaukee County, August 2, 2015
- 6. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Racine County, August 2, 2015
- 7. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Milwaukee County, May 12, 2014 (Wauwatosa)
- 8. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Waukesha County, April 13, 2006
- 9. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Waukesha County, August 21, 2002
- 10. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Milwaukee County, August 21, 2002
- 11. NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan: NWS Forecast Office Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI
- 12. National Weather Service API: Point metadata, Milwaukee, WI
- 13. City of Milwaukee: MKEALERT
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Questions about hail in Milwaukee
Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
Data through November 1, 2026
- How often does it hail in Milwaukee?
- NOAA recorded hail within 15 miles of the center of Milwaukee on 3.1 days a year on average from 2016 to 2025, 1.9 of them with hail 1 inch or larger. Since 2010 it recorded 55 hail days.
- When is hail season in Milwaukee?
- April has the most hail days within 15 miles of the center of Milwaukee, 11 since 2010, then June (11) and May (10).
- What is the largest hail recorded in Milwaukee?
- 3.0 in, in 2015: the largest hail NOAA recorded within 15 miles of the center of Milwaukee since 2010.
- When did it last hail in Milwaukee?
- NOAA's most recent hail report within 15 miles of the center of Milwaukee is from April 21, 2026, with hail up to 1.0 in reported 7.5 miles from the center. Data through November 1, 2026.