Hail history for Lake Charles, Louisiana
NOAA hail reports in and within about 5 km (3 miles) of Lake Charles since 1965, with preliminary reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Lake Charles
- Last hail
- Jan 8, 2024
- 2.00 in, hen egg size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 4
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 5 reports
- Largest ever
- 2.75 in
- baseball · Jun 20, 1973
67 reports on 46 days since 1965 · #5 of 145 Louisiana places
Hail map · Lake Charles
- 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 Lake Charles is from January 8, 2024. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about Lake Charles
The latest hail report in and around Lake Charles is from January 8, 2024, 2.00 in (hen egg size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 4 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.00 in on January 8, 2024.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Lake Charles logged 41 reports on 23 hail days, about 2.0 reports a year. That is 5.9 times the median Louisiana town on this site (0.3 a year) and ranks #5 of 145 Louisiana cities and towns on this site for all-time reports. Lake Charles accounts for 30% of the 226 reports filed in Calcasieu Parish.
5% of reports with a size were 2 inches (hen egg) or larger, against 4% for the median Louisiana town on this site. The largest hail on record here is 2.75 in (baseball) on June 20, 1973.
Reports were down 48% in 2016–2025 (14) compared with 2006–2015 (27). The busiest year was 2011, with 8 reports on 3 days. Hail here peaks in March (22% of reports); 55% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Lake Charles 2.0
- Calcasieu Parish 5.8
- Median Louisiana town on this site 0.3
Hail days 2006–2025
- Lake Charles 23
- Calcasieu Parish 55
- Median Louisiana town on this site 6
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Lake Charles 5%
- Calcasieu Parish 3%
- Median Louisiana town on this site 4%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2023 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2021 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | 1 | 5 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2019 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2018 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 8, 2024 | 2 | 2.00 in | — |
| Jun 23, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jun 22, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jun 26, 2022 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | County | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 20, 1973 | 2.75 inbaseball | — | Calcasieu | — | 15:35 local · NCEI |
| Jan 8, 2024 | 2.00 inhen egg | 0.6 W Chennault Indus Airp | Calcasieu | — | 12:10 local · NCEI |
| Jan 8, 2024 | 2.00 inhen egg | 0.4 SSE (Lch)lk Charles Muni | Calcasieu | — | 11:52 local · NCEI |
| Jun 4, 2007 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 1.83 NE (Lch)lk Charles Muni | Calcasieu | $5K | 16:21 local · NCEI |
| Jun 4, 2007 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 3.51 S Lake Charles Lake | Calcasieu | — | 16:20 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 29 43%
- 1–2 in 35 52%
- 2 in + 3 4%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | County | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 8, 2024 | 2.00 inhen egg | 0.6 W Chennault Indus Airp | Calcasieu | 12:10 local · NCEI |
| Jan 8, 2024 | 2.00 inhen egg | 0.4 SSE (Lch)lk Charles Muni | Calcasieu | 11:52 local · NCEI |
| Jun 23, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.38 S Lake Charles | Calcasieu | 20:13 local · NCEI |
| Jun 22, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.69 N Westlake | Calcasieu | 16:06 local · NCEI |
| Jun 26, 2022 | 1.00 inquarter | 3.01 SSW Westlake | Calcasieu | 17:28 local · NCEI |
| May 26, 2020 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 0.91 SW Chloe | Calcasieu | 20:23 local · NCEI |
| May 26, 2020 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 0.91 SW Lake Charles | Calcasieu | 20:14 local · NCEI |
| May 26, 2020 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 2.76 N (Lch)lk Charles Muni | Calcasieu | 20:10 local · NCEI |
| May 26, 2020 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 2.16 SSW Lake Charles | Calcasieu | 20:10 local · NCEI |
| May 26, 2020 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.38 S Lake Charles | Calcasieu | 20:04 local · NCEI |
| Mar 4, 2020 | 0.88 innickel | 1.38 S Lake Charles | Calcasieu | 14:43 local · NCEI |
| May 3, 2017 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.38 S Lake Charles | Calcasieu | 09:35 local · NCEI |
Hail history near Lake Charles
Questions about hail in Lake Charles
How often does it hail in Lake Charles, Louisiana?
67 hail reports have been logged in and within about 5 km (3 miles) of Lake Charles since 1965. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 2.0 reports a year. That ranks #5 of 145 Louisiana places by number of reports.
When is hail season in Lake Charles?
Most reports come in March, May, April. March alone accounts for 22% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Lake Charles?
2.75 in (baseball size) on June 20, 1973. 4% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Lake Charles?
The most recent report in this data is from January 8, 2024 (2.00 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Lake Charles had in the last five years?
4 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 5 reports. The most recent was January 8, 2024.
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.