Hail history for Union County, Iowa
Every NOAA hail report filed in Union County since 1956, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Union County
- Last hail
- Sep 16, 2025
- 0.88 in, nickel size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 10
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 22 reports
- Largest ever
- 3.00 in
- teacup · Jun 18, 2021
120 reports on 72 days since 1956 · #70 of 100 Iowa counties
Hail map · Union 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 Union County is from September 16, 2025. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about Union County
The latest hail report in Union County is from September 16, 2025, 0.88 in (nickel size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 10 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.75 in on March 5, 2022.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Union County logged 89 reports on 46 hail days, about 4.5 reports a year. That is 20% more than the median Iowa county (3.7 a year) and ranks #70 of 100 Iowa counties for all-time reports. Union County holds 1% 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 3.00 in (teacup) on June 18, 2021 near 0.52 E Lorimor.
Reports were down 49% in 2016–2025 (30) compared with 2006–2015 (59). The busiest year was 2008, with 11 reports on 3 days. Hail here peaks in June (38% of reports); 81% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Union County 4.5
- Median Iowa county 3.7
Hail days 2006–2025
- Union County 46
- Median Iowa county 39.5
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Union 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 | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||
| 2024 | 7 | 1 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 2023 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | |||||||||
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2017 | 1 | 1 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2025 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| Apr 17, 2025 | 3 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 21, 2024 | 1 | 1.25 in | — |
| Apr 30, 2024 | 7 | 1.75 in | — |
| Jul 17, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jun 17, 2023 | 3 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 7, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Sep 17, 2022 | 3 | 1.75 in | — |
| Jun 7, 2022 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| Mar 5, 2022 | 1 | 2.75 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18, 2021 | 3.00 inteacup | 0.52 E Lorimor | — | 21:39 local · NCEI |
| Apr 29, 1970 | 3.00 inteacup | — | — | 14:30 local · NCEI |
| Mar 5, 2022 | 2.75 inbaseball | 3.71 W Spaulding | — | 16:07 local · NCEI |
| Jun 4, 2008 | 2.75 inbaseball | 1.48 SSE Lorimor | $15K | 21:19 local · NCEI |
| May 6, 2007 | 2.75 inbaseball | Afton | $750K | 03:30 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 28 24%
- 1–2 in 79 66%
- 2 in + 12 10%
- No size 1
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2025 | 0.88 innickel | 2.95 WNW Afton | 15:10 local · NCEI |
| Apr 17, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.56 W Thayer | 21:55 local · NCEI |
| Apr 17, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.69 S Afton | 21:43 local · NCEI |
| Apr 17, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | Afton | 21:43 local · NCEI |
| May 21, 2024 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 0.87 SE Creston | 14:42 local · NCEI |
| Apr 30, 2024 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 2.32 NNW Creston | 17:43 local · NCEI |
| Apr 30, 2024 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 2.5 WNW Lorimor | 17:20 local · NCEI |
| Apr 30, 2024 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 1.25 ESE Lorimor | 17:15 local · NCEI |
| Apr 30, 2024 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 2.32 SSE Lorimor | 17:13 local · NCEI |
| Apr 30, 2024 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 1.04 E Lorimor | 17:12 local · NCEI |
| Apr 30, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.52 E Lorimor | 17:11 local · NCEI |
| Apr 30, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 6.77 W Lorimor | 17:03 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Union 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cromwell | 9 | 9 | Sep 17, 2022 |
| Kent | 4 | 4 | Jun 25, 2019 |
| Shannon City | 1 | 1 | Aug 8, 1988 |
Questions about hail in Union County
How often does it hail in Union County, Iowa?
120 hail reports have been logged in Union County since 1956. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 4.5 reports a year. That ranks #70 of 100 Iowa counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Union County?
Most reports come in June, May, April. June alone accounts for 38% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Union County?
3.00 in (teacup size) on June 18, 2021 near 0.52 E Lorimor. 10% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Union County?
The most recent report in this data is from September 16, 2025 (0.88 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Union County had in the last five years?
10 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 22 reports. The most recent was September 16, 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.