Hail history for Story County, Iowa
Every NOAA hail report filed in Story County since 1968, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Story County
- Last hail
- Jun 20, 2025
- 0.75 in, penny size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 17
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 63 reports
- Largest ever
- 5.50 in
- softball · May 22, 2004
325 reports on 122 days since 1968 · #5 of 100 Iowa counties
Hail map · Story County
- Under 1 in
- 1–1.75 in
- 1.75–2.5 in
- 2.5–4 in
- 4 in +
- No size
For homeowners
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What the record says about Story County
The latest hail report in Story County is from June 20, 2025, 0.75 in (penny size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 17 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.50 in on May 7, 2023.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Story County logged 208 reports on 64 hail days, about 10.4 reports a year. That is 2.8 times the median Iowa county (3.7 a year) and ranks #5 of 100 Iowa counties for all-time reports. Story County holds 2% of all 16,032 hail reports in Iowa.
10% 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 5.50 in (softball) on May 22, 2004 near 1 NW Slater.
Reports were up 54% in 2016–2025 (126) compared with 2006–2015 (82). The busiest year was 2023, with 36 reports on 4 days. Hail here peaks in May (32% of reports); 69% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Story County 10.4
- Median Iowa county 3.7
Hail days 2006–2025
- Story County 64
- Median Iowa county 39.5
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Story County 10%
- Median Iowa county 7%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 15 | ||||||||
| 2024 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 | |||||||||
| 2023 | 15 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 36 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 14 | 1 | 15 | ||||||||||
| 2019 | 1 | 7 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 2018 | 21 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 30 | ||||||||
| 2017 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 20, 2025 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| May 19, 2025 | 3 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 4 | 1.50 in | — |
| Mar 19, 2025 | 2 | 1.25 in | — |
| Mar 14, 2025 | 5 | 1.50 in | — |
| Jul 15, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 6, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 24, 2024 | 2 | 1.25 in | — |
| May 8, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 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 | 15 | 2.50 in | — |
| Apr 19, 2023 | 5 | 1.50 in | — |
| Mar 31, 2023 | 15 | 1.75 in | — |
| Aug 11, 2022 | 2 | 1.25 in | — |
| Jun 14, 2022 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2004 | 5.50 insoftball | 1 NW Slater | $100K | 18:20 local · NCEI |
| May 30, 1998 | 5.00 insoftball | 2 NE Gilbert | $50K | 12:51 local · NCEI |
| Jul 26, 2000 | 4.00 ingrapefruit | Ames | $250K | 07:40 local · NCEI |
| May 30, 1998 | 4.00 ingrapefruit | Gilbert | $100K | 12:50 local · NCEI |
| May 30, 1998 | 3.00 inteacup | 5 NE Ames | $40K | 13:09 local · NCEI |
Size of every report
- Under 1 in 107 33%
- 1–2 in 185 57%
- 2 in + 33 10%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 20, 2025 | 0.75 inpenny | 1.72 NW Ames | 06:08 local · NCEI |
| May 19, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.24 SE Zearing | 16:22 local · NCEI |
| May 19, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | Nevada | 16:05 local · NCEI |
| May 19, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.69 N Maxwell | 16:00 local · NCEI |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.51 E Nevada | 21:39 local · NCEI |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 1.38 S Nevada | 21:39 local · NCEI |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 1.50 inping pong ball | Nevada | 21:38 local · NCEI |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | Nevada | 21:34 local · NCEI |
| Mar 19, 2025 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 0.51 E Ames | 03:39 local · NCEI |
| Mar 19, 2025 | 0.88 innickel | 0.69 N Ames Arpt | 03:39 local · NCEI |
| Mar 14, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.86 NW Ontario | 16:36 local · NCEI |
| Mar 14, 2025 | 0.75 inpenny | 0.51 E Ontario | 16:35 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Story County
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colo | 8 | 7 | Jul 15, 2024 |
| McCallsburg | 7 | 6 | May 7, 2023 |
| Kelley | 6 | 6 | Jul 22, 2013 |
| Cambridge | 5 | 4 | May 25, 2018 |
| Sheldahl | 1 | 1 | Jun 5, 2008 |
Questions about hail in Story County
How often does it hail in Story County, Iowa?
325 hail reports have been logged in Story County since 1968. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 10.4 reports a year. That ranks #5 of 100 Iowa counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Story County?
Most reports come in May, June, April. May alone accounts for 32% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Story County?
5.50 in (softball size) on May 22, 2004 near 1 NW Slater. 10% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Story County?
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 Story County had in the last five years?
17 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 63 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.