Hail history for Polk County, Iowa
Every NOAA hail report filed in Polk County since 1956, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Polk County
- Last hail
- Sep 8, 2026
- 1.50 in, ping pong ball size · preliminary
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 15
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 61 reports
- Largest ever
- 3.25 in
- teacup · Jul 9, 2021
677 reports on 206 days since 1956 · #1 of 100 Iowa counties
Hail map · Polk 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 Polk County is from September 8, 2026. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about Polk County
The latest hail report in Polk County is from September 8, 2026, 1.50 in (ping pong ball size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 15 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 3.00 in on August 19, 2022.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Polk County logged 397 reports on 102 hail days, about 19.9 reports a year. That is 5.4 times the median Iowa county (3.7 a year) and ranks #1 of 100 Iowa counties for all-time reports. Polk County holds 4% 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 3.25 in (teacup) on July 9, 2021 near 2.59 SE Lovington.
Reports were down 31% in 2016–2025 (162) compared with 2006–2015 (235). The busiest year was 2011, with 53 reports on 10 days. Hail here peaks in June (24% of reports); 61% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Polk County 19.9
- Median Iowa county 3.7
Hail days 2006–2025
- Polk County 102
- Median Iowa county 39.5
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Polk County 6%
- Median Iowa county 7%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||||
| 2025 | 3 | 6 | 9 | ||||||||||
| 2024 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 13 | |||||||||
| 2023 | 8 | 8 | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 24 | |||||||
| 2021 | 1 | 13 | 24 | 38 | |||||||||
| 2020 | 1 | 5 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2019 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 21 | ||||||||
| 2018 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 21 | ||||||||
| 2017 | 4 | 11 | 15 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2026 | 7 | 1.75 in | View |
| May 19, 2025 | 6 | 1.00 in | — |
| Mar 14, 2025 | 3 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 31, 2024 | 4 | 1.25 in | — |
| Jul 30, 2024 | 4 | 1.25 in | — |
| Jun 25, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 24, 2024 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| May 21, 2024 | 3 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 19, 2023 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 4, 2023 | 6 | 1.00 in | — |
| Sep 17, 2022 | 6 | 1.00 in | — |
| Aug 19, 2022 | 14 | 3.00 in | — |
| Jun 5, 2022 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 29, 2022 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| Mar 5, 2022 | 2 | 2.50 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 9, 2021 | 3.25 inteacup | 2.59 SE Lovington | — | 13:15 local · NCEI |
| Aug 19, 2022 | 3.00 inteacup | 0.52 W Clover Hills | — | 13:45 local · NCEI |
| Jul 14, 2009 | 3.00 inteacup | 2 N Johnston | $50K | 23:08 local · NCEI |
| Jul 14, 2009 | 3.00 inteacup | 0.86 NE Johnston | $100K | 23:00 local · NCEI |
| Aug 12, 1956 | 3.00 inteacup | — | — | 14:30 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 227 34%
- 1–2 in 410 61%
- 2 in + 39 6%
- No size 1
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2026 | 1.50 inping pong ball | Mitchellville | 23:31 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Sep 8, 2026 | 1.75 ingolf ball | Mitchellville | 23:20 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Sep 8, 2026 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 1 NW Bondurant | 23:17 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Sep 8, 2026 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 4 SE Ankeny | 23:10 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Sep 8, 2026 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 3 E Ankeny | 23:09 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Sep 8, 2026 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 1 NW Bondurant | 23:09 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Sep 8, 2026 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 2 E Ankeny | 23:08 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| May 19, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.48 SSE Bondurant | 15:53 local · NCEI |
| May 19, 2025 | 0.75 inpenny | 1.47 NNW Oralabor | 15:48 local · NCEI |
| May 19, 2025 | 0.88 innickel | 1.24 SE Altoona | 15:47 local · NCEI |
| May 19, 2025 | 0.75 inpenny | Des Moines | 15:36 local · NCEI |
| May 19, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.73 NE Commerce | 15:32 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Polk County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 227 | 3.25 in |
| Ankeny | 79 | 3.00 in |
| West Des Moines | 70 | 3.00 in |
| Johnston | 61 | 3.00 in |
| Urbandale | 57 | 2.75 in |
| Altoona | 31 | 1.75 in |
| Grimes | 30 | 2.00 in |
| Polk City | 17 | 1.75 in |
| Windsor Heights | 17 | 2.00 in |
| Bondurant | 15 | 1.75 in |
| Runnells | 15 | 1.75 in |
| Luther | 10 | 1.75 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Hill | 9 | 9 | May 21, 2024 |
| Saylorville | 9 | 8 | Apr 19, 2023 |
| Clive | 7 | 4 | Aug 19, 2022 |
| Elkhart | 7 | 7 | May 24, 2024 |
| Alleman | 6 | 5 | May 12, 2010 |
Questions about hail in Polk County
How often does it hail in Polk County, Iowa?
677 hail reports have been logged in Polk County since 1956. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 19.9 reports a year. That ranks #1 of 100 Iowa counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Polk County?
Most reports come in June, May, April. June alone accounts for 24% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Polk County?
3.25 in (teacup size) on July 9, 2021 near 2.59 SE Lovington. 6% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Polk County?
The most recent report in this data is from September 8, 2026 (1.50 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Polk County had in the last five years?
15 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 61 reports. The most recent was September 8, 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.