Hail history for Santa Barbara County, California
Every NOAA hail report filed in Santa Barbara County since 1982, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Santa Barbara County
- Last hail
- May 18, 2006
- 0.88 in, nickel size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 0
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 0 reports
- Largest ever
- 1.75 in
- golf ball · Jan 20, 1982
6 reports on 5 days since 1982 · #40 of 47 California counties
Hail map · Santa Barbara County
- Under 1 in
- 1–1.75 in
- 1.75–2.5 in
- 2.5–4 in
- 4 in +
- No size
For homeowners
Concerned about your roof after hail?
Send a request to Moxisync Labs for review. The latest hail report in Santa Barbara County is from May 18, 2006. We’re building local roofer coverage. Submitting a request does not guarantee a quote or book an inspection.
Phone line opening soon
What the record says about Santa Barbara County
The latest hail report in Santa Barbara County is from May 18, 2006, 0.88 in (nickel size). There has been no hail report here in the five years since November 3, 2021.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Santa Barbara County logged 2 reports on 1 hail day, about 0.1 reports a year. That is 25% of the median California county (0.4 a year) and ranks #40 of 47 California counties for all-time reports. Santa Barbara County holds 1% of all 938 hail reports in California.
0% 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 1.75 in (golf ball) on January 20, 1982.
The busiest year was 2006, with 2 reports on 1 day. Hail here peaks in February (33% of reports); 50% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Santa Barbara County 0.1
- Median California county 0.4
Hail days 2006–2025
- Santa Barbara County 1
- Median California county 7
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Santa Barbara County 0%
- 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 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2018 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | 0 |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 20, 1982 | 1.75 ingolf ball | — | 14:15 local · NCEI |
| May 18, 2006 | 0.88 innickel | Cuyama | 14:30 local · NCEI |
| May 18, 2006 | 0.75 inpenny | Cuyama | 14:30 local · NCEI |
| Feb 22, 2005 | 0.75 inpenny | 10 E Gaviota | 05:22 local · NCEI |
| Feb 13, 1992 | 0.75 inpenny | — | 02:00 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 4 80%
- 1–2 in 1 20%
- 2 in + 0 0%
- No size 1
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2006 | 0.88 innickel | Cuyama | — | 14:30 local · NCEI |
| May 18, 2006 | 0.75 inpenny | Cuyama | — | 14:30 local · NCEI |
| Feb 22, 2005 | 0.75 inpenny | 10 E Gaviota | — | 05:22 local · NCEI |
| Apr 5, 2001 | — | 1 E Carpinteria | —1 injured | 06:15 local · NCEI |
| Feb 13, 1992 | 0.75 inpenny | — | — | 02:00 local · NCEI |
| Jan 20, 1982 | 1.75 ingolf ball | — | — | 14:15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuyama | 2 | 1 | May 18, 2006 |
| Santa Barbara | 1 | 1 | Jan 20, 1982 |
| Vandenberg AFB | 1 | 1 | Feb 13, 1992 |
Questions about hail in Santa Barbara County
How often does it hail in Santa Barbara County, California?
6 hail reports have been logged in Santa Barbara County since 1982. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 0.1 reports a year. That ranks #40 of 47 California counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Santa Barbara County?
Most reports come in February, May, January. February alone accounts for 33% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Santa Barbara County?
1.75 in (golf ball size) on January 20, 1982. 0% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Santa Barbara County?
The most recent report in this data is from May 18, 2006 (0.88 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Santa Barbara County had in the last five years?
None: there has been no hail report in Santa Barbara County since November 3, 2021. The last one was on May 18, 2006.
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.