Hail history for Fort Smith, Arkansas
NOAA hail reports in and within about 5 km (3 miles) of Fort Smith since 1956, with preliminary reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Fort Smith
- Last hail
- Aug 20, 2026
- 0.50 in, marble size · preliminary
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 13
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 26 reports
- Largest ever
- 2.75 in
- baseball · Apr 13, 1965
159 reports on 122 days since 1956 · #2 of 302 Arkansas places
Hail map · Fort Smith
- Under 1 in
- 1–1.75 in
- 1.75–2.5 in
- 2.5–4 in
- 4 in +
- No size
For homeowners
Roof damage after hail? Get a free inspection
Hail bruises shingles and cracks seals in ways you can't see from the ground, and most insurers set a claim deadline after the storm. The latest hail report in Fort Smith is from August 20, 2026. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about Fort Smith
The latest hail report in and around Fort Smith is from August 20, 2026, 0.50 in (marble size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 13 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.50 in on April 11, 2022.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Fort Smith logged 61 reports on 47 hail days, about 3.0 reports a year. That is 6.8 times the median Arkansas town on this site (0.5 a year) and ranks #2 of 302 Arkansas cities and towns on this site for all-time reports. Fort Smith accounts for 40% of the 396 reports filed in Sebastian County.
7% of reports with a size were 2 inches (hen egg) or larger, against 5% for the median Arkansas town on this site. The largest hail on record here is 2.75 in (baseball) on April 13, 1965.
Reports held about level in 2016–2025 (31) compared with 2006–2015 (30). The busiest year was 2003, with 11 reports on 6 days. Hail here peaks in May (27% of reports); 59% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Fort Smith 3.0
- Sebastian County 7.7
- Median Arkansas town on this site 0.5
Hail days 2006–2025
- Fort Smith 47
- Sebastian County 77
- Median Arkansas town on this site 7
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Fort Smith 7%
- Sebastian County 7%
- Median Arkansas town on this site 5%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 8 | |||||||||
| 2025 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | |||||||||
| 2024 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | |||||||||
| 2021 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||
| 2019 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2018 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 20, 2026 | 1 | 0.50 in | View |
| May 8, 2026 | 6 | 1.75 in | — |
| Apr 24, 2026 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Sep 16, 2025 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| May 19, 2025 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 18, 2025 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 3, 2025 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 24, 2024 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| Mar 14, 2024 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 15, 2023 | 1 | 2.00 in | — |
| Oct 15, 2022 | 5 | 1.50 in | — |
| May 14, 2022 | 1 | 1.25 in | — |
| Apr 11, 2022 | 2 | 2.50 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | County | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 1965 | 2.75 inbaseball | — | Sebastian | — | 00:01 local · NCEI |
| Apr 11, 2022 | 2.50 intennis ball | 0.33 NE Ft Smith | Sebastian | $150K | 15:42 local · NCEI |
| Apr 29, 2016 | 2.50 intennis ball | 1.06 NE Ft Smith | Sebastian | $150K | 15:17 local · NCEI |
| Apr 26, 2011 | 2.50 intennis ball | 1.44 ESE Ft Smith | Sebastian | $100K | 17:11 local · NCEI |
| Apr 15, 2023 | 2.00 inhen egg | 0.76 NNW Ft Smith | Sebastian | $300K | 13:50 local · NCEI |
Sizes filed before 1996 are often rough estimates (round numbers like 7.00 or 8.00 in) without an exact spot; they are shown as NOAA filed them.
Size of every report
- Under 1 in 72 45%
- 1–2 in 76 48%
- 2 in + 11 7%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | County | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 20, 2026 | 0.50 inmarble | 2 NE Bonanza | Sebastian | — | 10:28 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| May 8, 2026 | 0.75 inpenny | 1.59 NNW Barling | Sebastian | — | 20:18 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.64 NNW Barling | Sebastian | — | 20:18 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2026 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 1.08 WSW Barling | Sebastian | $25K | 20:15 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2026 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 1 S Ft Smith | Sebastian | $25K | 20:09 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2026 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 2.36 ENE Ft Smith | Sebastian | $250K | 20:09 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 1 SW Ft Smith | Sebastian | — | 20:09 local · NCEI |
| Apr 24, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.32 ESE Enterprise | Sebastian | — | 16:54 local · NCEI |
| Sep 16, 2025 | 0.75 inpenny | 0.89 SE Ft Smith | Sebastian | — | 14:55 local · NCEI |
| May 19, 2025 | 0.75 inpenny | 1 N Barling | Sebastian | — | 19:05 local · NCEI |
| May 19, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 1 NW Barling | Sebastian | — | 18:57 local · NCEI |
| May 18, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 2 E Mill Creek | Sebastian | — | 03:36 local · NCEI |
Hail history near Fort Smith
Questions about hail in Fort Smith
How often does it hail in Fort Smith, Arkansas?
159 hail reports have been logged in and within about 5 km (3 miles) of Fort Smith since 1956. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 3.0 reports a year. That ranks #2 of 302 Arkansas places by number of reports.
When is hail season in Fort Smith?
Most reports come in May, April, March. May alone accounts for 27% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Fort Smith?
2.75 in (baseball size) on April 13, 1965. 7% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Fort Smith?
The most recent report in this data is from August 20, 2026 (0.50 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Fort Smith had in the last five years?
13 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 26 reports. The most recent was August 20, 2026.
Where does this hail data come from?
Hail reports come from the NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, which the National Weather Service compiles from spotter, public, law enforcement and media reports. Recent days use preliminary NWS Local Storm Reports via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet until NOAA publishes final data. Only reported hail is counted, so areas with fewer people tend to have fewer reports.