Hail history for Ames, Iowa
NOAA hail reports in and within about 5 km (3 miles) of Ames since 1960, with preliminary reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Ames
- Last hail
- Jun 20, 2025
- 0.75 in, penny size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 9
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 32 reports
- Largest ever
- 4.00 in
- grapefruit · Jul 26, 2000
139 reports on 59 days since 1960 · #3 of 483 Iowa places
Hail map · Ames
- 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 Ames is from June 20, 2025. 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 Ames
The latest hail report in and around Ames is from June 20, 2025, 0.75 in (penny size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 9 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.50 in on May 7, 2023.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Ames logged 86 reports on 29 hail days, about 4.3 reports a year. That is 9.6 times the median Iowa town on this site (0.5 a year) and ranks #3 of 483 Iowa cities and towns on this site for all-time reports. Ames accounts for 43% of the 325 reports filed in Story County.
12% of reports with a size were 2 inches (hen egg) or larger, against 6% for the median Iowa town on this site. The largest hail on record here is 4.00 in (grapefruit) on July 26, 2000 near Ames.
Reports were up 174% in 2016–2025 (63) compared with 2006–2015 (23). The busiest year was 2018, with 21 reports on 6 days. Hail here peaks in May (35% of reports); 62% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Ames 4.3
- Story County 10.4
- Median Iowa town on this site 0.5
Hail days 2006–2025
- Ames 29
- Story County 64
- Median Iowa town on this site 7
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Ames 12%
- Story County 10%
- Median Iowa town on this site 6%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 2024 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||||
| 2023 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 20 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | 1 | 7 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 2018 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 21 | ||||||||
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 20, 2025 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| Mar 19, 2025 | 2 | 1.25 in | — |
| Mar 14, 2025 | 5 | 1.50 in | — |
| Apr 30, 2024 | 3 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 27, 2024 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| Jun 4, 2023 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| May 7, 2023 | 5 | 2.50 in | — |
| Apr 19, 2023 | 1 | 1.25 in | — |
| Mar 31, 2023 | 13 | 1.75 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | County | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 26, 2000 | 4.00 ingrapefruit | Ames | Story | $250K | 07:40 local · NCEI |
| May 30, 1998 | 3.00 inteacup | 5 NE Ames | Story | $40K | 13:09 local · NCEI |
| May 22, 2004 | 2.75 inbaseball | 1 W Slater | Story | $10K | 18:18 local · NCEI |
| May 22, 2004 | 2.75 inbaseball | 2 N Madrid | Boone | $15K | 17:58 local · NCEI |
| Jun 18, 1974 | 2.75 inbaseball | — | Story | — | 20:10 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 54 39%
- 1–2 in 69 50%
- 2 in + 16 12%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | County | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 20, 2025 | 0.75 inpenny | 1.72 NW Ames | Story | 06:08 local · NCEI |
| Mar 19, 2025 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 0.51 E Ames | Story | 03:39 local · NCEI |
| Mar 19, 2025 | 0.88 innickel | 0.69 N Ames Arpt | Story | 03:39 local · NCEI |
| Mar 14, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.86 NW Ontario | Story | 16:36 local · NCEI |
| Mar 14, 2025 | 0.75 inpenny | 0.51 E Ontario | Story | 16:35 local · NCEI |
| Mar 14, 2025 | 0.88 innickel | 0.51 E Ontario | Story | 16:35 local · NCEI |
| Mar 14, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.86 SE Ontario | Story | 16:34 local · NCEI |
| Mar 14, 2025 | 1.50 inping pong ball | Ontario | Story | 16:34 local · NCEI |
| Apr 30, 2024 | 0.88 innickel | 1.03 E Ames Arpt | Story | 17:45 local · NCEI |
| Apr 30, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.69 S Ontario | Story | 17:43 local · NCEI |
| Apr 30, 2024 | 0.75 inpenny | 0.69 S Ontario | Story | 17:39 local · NCEI |
| Apr 27, 2024 | 0.75 inpenny | Ames | Story | 16:37 local · NCEI |
Hail history near Ames
Questions about hail in Ames
How often does it hail in Ames, Iowa?
139 hail reports have been logged in and within about 5 km (3 miles) of Ames since 1960. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 4.3 reports a year. That ranks #3 of 483 Iowa places by number of reports.
When is hail season in Ames?
Most reports come in May, June, March. May alone accounts for 35% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Ames?
4.00 in (grapefruit size) on July 26, 2000 near Ames. 12% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Ames?
The most recent report in this data is from June 20, 2025 (0.75 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Ames had in the last five years?
9 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 32 reports. The most recent was June 20, 2025.
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.