Hail History

Hail history for Lester, Iowa

NOAA hail reports in and within about 5 km (3 miles) of Lester since 1998, with preliminary reports to November 3, 2026.

Readout · Lester

Last hail
May 24, 2026
0.88 in, nickel size
Hail days, last 5 years
2
since Nov 3, 2021 · 2 reports
Largest ever
2.75 in
baseball · Jun 27, 1998

16 reports on 14 days since 1998 · #246 of 483 Iowa places

Hail map · Lester

Lester Larchwood Rock Rapids Inwood Doon George Little Rock 5 mi
  • Under 1 in
  • 1–1.75 in
  • 1.75–2.5 in
  • 2.5–4 in
  • 4 in +
  • No size
16 most recent reports with a location; Lyon County is shaded. Open street map

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What the record says about Lester

The latest hail report in and around Lester is from May 24, 2026, 0.88 in (nickel size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 2 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 1.25 in on May 17, 2026.

Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Lester logged 9 reports on 7 hail days, about 0.5 reports a year. That is about the same as the median Iowa town on this site (0.5 a year) and ranks #246 of 483 Iowa cities and towns on this site for all-time reports. Lester accounts for 9% of the 176 reports filed in Lyon County.

6% 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 2.75 in (baseball) on June 27, 1998 near Lester.

Reports were down 50% in 2016–2025 (3) compared with 2006–2015 (6). The busiest year was 2010, with 4 reports on 2 days. Hail here peaks in April (31% of reports); 63% fall between April and June.

Reports a year 2006–2025 average

  • Lester 0.5
  • Lyon County 4.7
  • Median Iowa town on this site 0.5

Hail days 2006–2025

  • Lester 7
  • Lyon County 46
  • Median Iowa town on this site 7

Share 2 in or larger of sized reports

  • Lester 6%
  • Lyon County 9%
  • Median Iowa town on this site 6%

Hail over time

01234 1998: 2 reports, largest 2.75 in 2000: 1 reports, largest 1.75 in 2000 2002: 1 reports, largest 1.75 in 2005: 1 reports, largest 1.00 in 2005 2006: 1 reports, largest 0.88 in 2008: 1 reports, largest 0.88 in 2010: 4 reports, largest 1.75 in 2010 2015 2019: 1 reports, largest 1.00 in 2020 2021: 2 reports, largest 1.00 in 2025 2026: 2 reports, largest 1.25 in
Reports per year, 1998–2026. Bar colour shows the largest hail that year. Reporting grew sharply after the mid-1990s, so early decades undercount.
0246 Jan Feb Mar April: 5 reports (31%) Apr May: 2 reports (13%) May June: 3 reports (19%) Jun Jul August: 4 reports (25%) Aug September: 2 reports (13%) Sep Oct Nov Dec
All 16 reports by calendar month.
Reports per month, 2017–2026. Darker cells had more reports.
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
2026 2 2
2025 0
2024 0
2023 0
2022 0
2021 11 2
2020 0
2019 1 1
2018 0
2017 0

Hail days since Nov 3, 2021

DateReportsLargestStorm page
May 24, 2026 1 0.88 in —
May 17, 2026 1 1.25 in —

Largest hail on record

Largest hail reports in Lester
Date Size Location County Time · source
Jun 27, 1998 2.75 inbaseball Lester Lyon 15:15 local · NCEI
Apr 24, 2010 1.75 ingolf ball 1.38 N Loster Lyon 17:20 local · NCEI
Aug 16, 2002 1.75 ingolf ball Lester Lyon 14:19 local · NCEI
Apr 19, 2000 1.75 ingolf ball Lester Lyon 04:20 local · NCEI
May 17, 2026 1.25 inhalf dollar 4.07 E Lester Lyon 16:18 local · NCEI

Size of every report

Most recent reports

Most recent hail reports in Lester
Date Size Location County Time · source
May 24, 2026 0.88 innickel 2.12 ESE Lester Lyon 23:18 local · NCEI
May 17, 2026 1.25 inhalf dollar 4.07 E Lester Lyon 16:18 local · NCEI
Aug 28, 2021 1.00 inquarter 2.12 ESE Lester Lyon 18:53 local · NCEI
Apr 5, 2021 0.75 inpenny 2.01 E Loster Lyon 20:50 local · NCEI
Jun 27, 2019 1.00 inquarter 1 W Loster Lyon 07:23 local · NCEI
Sep 22, 2010 1.00 inquarter 1.47 SSE Loster Lyon 15:13 local · NCEI
Apr 24, 2010 1.75 ingolf ball 1.38 N Loster Lyon 17:20 local · NCEI
Apr 24, 2010 1.00 inquarter 0.69 N Loster Lyon 17:10 local · NCEI
Apr 24, 2010 0.88 innickel 0.69 N Loster Lyon 17:02 local · NCEI
Aug 27, 2008 0.88 innickel 0.85 NW Lester Lyon 16:00 local · NCEI
Jun 20, 2006 0.88 innickel Lester Lyon 02:16 local · NCEI
Sep 8, 2005 1.00 inquarter 3 S Lester Lyon 04:10 local · NCEI

Hail history near Lester

Questions about hail in Lester

How often does it hail in Lester, Iowa?

16 hail reports have been logged in and within about 5 km (3 miles) of Lester since 1998. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 0.5 reports a year. That ranks #246 of 483 Iowa places by number of reports.

When is hail season in Lester?

Most reports come in April, August, June. April alone accounts for 31% of all reports.

What is the largest hail recorded in Lester?

2.75 in (baseball size) on June 27, 1998 near Lester. 6% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.

When did it last hail in Lester?

The most recent report in this data is from May 24, 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 Lester had in the last five years?

2 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 2 reports. The most recent was May 24, 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.