Hail history for Des Moines County, Iowa
Every NOAA hail report filed in Des Moines County since 1965, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Des Moines County
- Last hail
- May 4, 2026
- 0.88 in, nickel size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 9
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 17 reports
- Largest ever
- 4.00 in
- grapefruit · Aug 25, 1965
123 reports on 67 days since 1965 · #67 of 100 Iowa counties
Hail map · Des Moines 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 Des Moines County is from May 4, 2026. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about Des Moines County
The latest hail report in Des Moines County is from May 4, 2026, 0.88 in (nickel size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 9 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 1.75 in on June 13, 2024.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Des Moines County logged 84 reports on 42 hail days, about 4.2 reports a year. That is 14% more than the median Iowa county (3.7 a year) and ranks #67 of 100 Iowa counties for all-time reports. Des Moines County holds 1% of all 16,032 hail reports in Iowa.
6% of reports with a size were 2 inches (hen egg) or larger, against 7% for the median Iowa county. The largest hail on record here is 4.00 in (grapefruit) on August 25, 1965.
Reports were down 50% in 2016–2025 (28) compared with 2006–2015 (56). The busiest year was 2006, with 14 reports on 3 days. Hail here peaks in May (23% of reports); 63% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Des Moines County 4.2
- Median Iowa county 3.7
Hail days 2006–2025
- Des Moines County 42
- Median Iowa county 39.5
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Des Moines County 6%
- Median Iowa county 7%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2025 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | ||||||||
| 2023 | 4 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2022 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | 6 | 1 | 7 | ||||||||||
| 2020 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2018 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2026 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| Aug 15, 2024 | 4 | 1.50 in | — |
| Jun 13, 2024 | 2 | 1.75 in | — |
| Apr 16, 2024 | 2 | 1.25 in | — |
| Mar 4, 2024 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jun 24, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jun 4, 2023 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| May 7, 2023 | 3 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 6, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25, 1965 | 4.00 ingrapefruit | — | — | 18:30 local · NCEI |
| Apr 21, 1973 | 3.00 inteacup | — | — | 16:00 local · NCEI |
| Jul 16, 2015 | 2.75 inbaseball | 0.87 SE Lenox Park | — | 16:44 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2003 | 2.75 inbaseball | Burlington | $10.0 million | 19:53 local · NCEI |
| Sep 22, 2000 | 2.75 inbaseball | Burlington | $50K | 20:05 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 49 40%
- 1–2 in 67 54%
- 2 in + 7 6%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2026 | 0.88 innickel | Beaverdale | 18:30 local · NCEI |
| Aug 15, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.25 WNW Middletown | 20:41 local · NCEI |
| Aug 15, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.25 WNW Middletown | 20:39 local · NCEI |
| Aug 15, 2024 | 1.50 inping pong ball | Danville Wilson Arpt | 20:35 local · NCEI |
| Aug 15, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 2.96 WNW Danville | 20:20 local · NCEI |
| Jun 13, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.87 SE Dodgeville | 18:00 local · NCEI |
| Jun 13, 2024 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 1.71 WNW Dodgeville | 17:59 local · NCEI |
| Apr 16, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.71 WNW West Burlington | 16:49 local · NCEI |
| Apr 16, 2024 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 0.69 N West Burlington | 16:47 local · NCEI |
| Mar 4, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | West Burlington | 17:30 local · NCEI |
| Mar 4, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 3.13 W Pleasantgrove | 16:15 local · NCEI |
| Jun 24, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | 4.59 SW Danville Wilson Arpt | 18:37 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Des Moines County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Burlington | 65 | 2.75 in |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediapolis | 9 | 8 | May 7, 2023 |
| Beaverdale | 7 | 7 | May 4, 2026 |
| Danville | 7 | 6 | Aug 15, 2024 |
| Middletown | 7 | 6 | Aug 15, 2024 |
| West Burlington | 7 | 7 | Apr 16, 2024 |
| Yarmouth | 7 | 6 | Jun 4, 2023 |
| Sperry | 5 | 4 | Jun 13, 2024 |
| Kingston | 3 | 2 | Apr 19, 1996 |
| Oak Hills | 1 | 1 | Aug 18, 2017 |
Questions about hail in Des Moines County
How often does it hail in Des Moines County, Iowa?
123 hail reports have been logged in Des Moines County since 1965. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 4.2 reports a year. That ranks #67 of 100 Iowa counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Des Moines County?
Most reports come in May, June, April. May alone accounts for 23% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Des Moines County?
4.00 in (grapefruit size) on August 25, 1965. 6% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Des Moines County?
The most recent report in this data is from May 4, 2026 (0.88 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Des Moines County had in the last five years?
9 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 17 reports. The most recent was May 4, 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.