Hail history for West Des Moines, Iowa
NOAA hail reports in and within about 5 km (3 miles) of West Des Moines since 1986, with preliminary reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · West Des Moines
- Last hail
- Oct 8, 2026
- 1.75 in, golf ball size · preliminary
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 9
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 15 reports
- Largest ever
- 3.00 in
- teacup · Aug 19, 2022
70 reports on 43 days since 1986 · #15 of 483 Iowa places
Hail map · West Des Moines
- 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 West Des Moines
The latest hail report in and around West Des Moines is from October 8, 2026, 1.75 in (golf ball size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 9 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 3.00 in on August 19, 2022.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, West Des Moines logged 50 reports on 31 hail days, about 2.5 reports a year. That is 5.6 times the median Iowa town on this site (0.5 a year) and ranks #15 of 483 Iowa cities and towns on this site for all-time reports. West Des Moines accounts for 10% of the 677 reports filed in Polk County.
11% 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 3.00 in (teacup) on August 19, 2022 near 0.52 W Clover Hills.
Reports were down 21% in 2016–2025 (22) compared with 2006–2015 (28). The busiest year was 2022, with 8 reports on 2 days. Hail here peaks in June (26% of reports); 61% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- West Des Moines 2.5
- Polk County 19.9
- Median Iowa town on this site 0.5
Hail days 2006–2025
- West Des Moines 31
- Polk County 102
- Median Iowa town on this site 7
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- West Des Moines 11%
- Polk County 6%
- Median Iowa town on this site 6%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |||||||||
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 1 | 7 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 8, 2026 | 1 | 1.75 in | View |
| May 19, 2025 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 31, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 24, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 21, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 26, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 4, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Aug 19, 2022 | 7 | 3.00 in | — |
| Jun 5, 2022 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | County | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 19, 2022 | 3.00 inteacup | 0.52 W Clover Hills | Polk | — | 13:45 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2003 | 2.75 inbaseball | Centerville | Appanoose | $100K | 18:05 local · NCEI |
| Jun 12, 2001 | 2.75 inbaseball | West Des Moines | Polk | $250K | 05:37 local · NCEI |
| Aug 19, 2022 | 2.00 inhen egg | Clover Hills | Polk | — | 13:50 local · NCEI |
| Aug 19, 2022 | 2.00 inhen egg | 0.69 S Clover Hills | Polk | — | 13:46 local · NCEI |
Size of every report
- Under 1 in 26 37%
- 1–2 in 36 51%
- 2 in + 8 11%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | County | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 8, 2026 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 1 S Cumming | Warren | 03:45 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| May 19, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.73 NE Commerce | Polk | 15:32 local · NCEI |
| Jul 31, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 2.07 S Hadden Hill | Dallas | 00:53 local · NCEI |
| Jul 24, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.48 SSE Cumming | Warren | 18:25 local · NCEI |
| May 21, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 2.07 S Hadden Hill | Dallas | 08:07 local · NCEI |
| Apr 26, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.48 NNW Cumming | Warren | 19:36 local · NCEI |
| Apr 4, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.73 NE Commerce | Polk | 19:57 local · NCEI |
| Aug 19, 2022 | 2.00 inhen egg | Clover Hills | Polk | 13:50 local · NCEI |
| Aug 19, 2022 | 2.00 inhen egg | 0.69 S Clover Hills | Polk | 13:46 local · NCEI |
| Aug 19, 2022 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 1.24 SE Ashawa | Polk | 13:45 local · NCEI |
| Aug 19, 2022 | 2.00 inhen egg | 1.03 W West Des Moines | Polk | 13:45 local · NCEI |
| Aug 19, 2022 | 3.00 inteacup | 0.52 W Clover Hills | Polk | 13:45 local · NCEI |
Hail history near West Des Moines
- Cumming 7 km · 10
- Windsor Heights 8 km · 17
- Norwalk 10 km · 58
- Urbandale 10 km · 57
- Waukee 10 km · 32
- Des Moines 14 km · 227
- Grimes 14 km · 30
- Van Meter 14 km · 11
Questions about hail in West Des Moines
How often does it hail in West Des Moines, Iowa?
70 hail reports have been logged in and within about 5 km (3 miles) of West Des Moines since 1986. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 2.5 reports a year. That ranks #15 of 483 Iowa places by number of reports.
When is hail season in West Des Moines?
Most reports come in June, May, April. June alone accounts for 26% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in West Des Moines?
3.00 in (teacup size) on August 19, 2022 near 0.52 W Clover Hills. 11% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in West Des Moines?
The most recent report in this data is from October 8, 2026 (1.75 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has West Des Moines had in the last five years?
9 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 15 reports. The most recent was October 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.