Hail history for Orange County, California
Every NOAA hail report filed in Orange County since 1979, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Orange County
- Last hail
- Mar 20, 2019
- 0.25 in, pea size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 0
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 0 reports
- Largest ever
- 2.00 in
- hen egg · Jan 31, 1979
13 reports on 11 days since 1979 · #25 of 47 California counties
Hail map · Orange County
- 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 Orange County is from March 20, 2019. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
Phone line opening soon
What the record says about Orange County
The latest hail report in Orange County is from March 20, 2019, 0.25 in (pea size). There has been no hail report here in the five years since November 3, 2021.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Orange County logged 4 reports on 3 hail days, about 0.2 reports a year. That is about half the median California county (0.4 a year) and ranks #25 of 47 California counties for all-time reports. Orange County holds 1% of all 938 hail reports in California.
8% of reports with a size were 2 inches (hen egg) or larger, against 0% for the median California county. The largest hail on record here is 2.00 in (hen egg) on January 31, 1979.
The busiest year was 2005, with 3 reports on 3 days. Hail here peaks in March (31% of reports); 15% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Orange County 0.2
- Median California county 0.4
Hail days 2006–2025
- Orange County 3
- Median California county 7
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Orange County 8%
- Median California county 0%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2018 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | 0 |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 31, 1979 | 2.00 inhen egg | — | — | 17:30 local · NCEI |
| Mar 6, 2000 | 1.50 inping pong ball | Tustin | $75K | 02:38 local · NCEI |
| Jan 31, 1979 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | — | — | 17:00 local · NCEI |
| Sep 10, 2011 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.2 N Dana Pt | — | 05:30 local · NCEI |
| Feb 22, 2005 | 1.00 inquarter | Costa Mesa | — | 15:00 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 7 54%
- 1–2 in 5 38%
- 2 in + 1 8%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 2019 | 0.25 inpea | 3.06 E Rossmoor | $5K | 17:00 local · NCEI |
| Mar 20, 2019 | 0.70 inmarble | 1.2 ENE Yorba Linda | $500 | 15:00 local · NCEI |
| Mar 2, 2015 | 0.50 inmarble | 1.07 S Huntington Beach | $100 | 10:10 local · NCEI |
| Sep 10, 2011 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.2 N Dana Pt | — | 05:30 local · NCEI |
| Oct 17, 2005 | 0.75 inpenny | Yorba Linda | — | 12:30 local · NCEI |
| Feb 22, 2005 | 1.00 inquarter | Costa Mesa | — | 15:00 local · NCEI |
| Feb 19, 2005 | 0.75 inpenny | Anaheim | — | 06:52 local · NCEI |
| Apr 18, 2000 | 1.00 inquarter | Laguna Hills | — | 04:50 local · NCEI |
| Mar 6, 2000 | 1.50 inping pong ball | Tustin | $75K | 02:38 local · NCEI |
| Dec 4, 1998 | 0.75 inpenny | San Clemente | — | 23:30 local · NCEI |
| Apr 1, 1998 | 0.50 inmarble | 4 E Laguna Beach | — | 11:15 local · NCEI |
| Jan 31, 1979 | 2.00 inhen egg | — | — | 17:30 local · NCEI |
Smaller places with fewer than 10 reports
These places have too few reports for a page of their own, so their record lives here.
| Place | Reports | Hail days | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim | 2 | 2 | Mar 20, 2019 |
| Costa Mesa | 2 | 2 | Feb 22, 2005 |
| Aliso Viejo | 1 | 1 | Apr 18, 2000 |
| Dana Point | 1 | 1 | Sep 10, 2011 |
| Fullerton | 1 | 1 | Feb 19, 2005 |
| Huntington Beach | 1 | 1 | Mar 2, 2015 |
| San Clemente | 1 | 1 | Dec 4, 1998 |
| Santa Ana | 1 | 1 | Jan 31, 1979 |
| Tustin | 1 | 1 | Mar 6, 2000 |
| Yorba Linda | 1 | 1 | Mar 20, 2019 |
Questions about hail in Orange County
How often does it hail in Orange County, California?
13 hail reports have been logged in Orange County since 1979. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 0.2 reports a year. That ranks #25 of 47 California counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Orange County?
Most reports come in March, January, February. March alone accounts for 31% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Orange County?
2.00 in (hen egg size) on January 31, 1979. 8% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Orange County?
The most recent report in this data is from March 20, 2019 (0.25 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Orange County had in the last five years?
None: there has been no hail report in Orange County since November 3, 2021. The last one was on March 20, 2019.
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.