Hail history for McDowell County, North Carolina
Every NOAA hail report filed in McDowell County since 1974, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · McDowell County
- Last hail
- Aug 11, 2026
- 1.00 in, quarter size · preliminary
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 14
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 24 reports
- Largest ever
- 2.50 in
- tennis ball · Apr 9, 2011
144 reports on 97 days since 1974 · #21 of 101 North Carolina counties
Hail map · McDowell 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 McDowell County
The latest hail report in McDowell County is from August 11, 2026, 1.00 in (quarter size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 14 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.00 in on July 1, 2023.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, McDowell County logged 99 reports on 60 hail days, about 5.0 reports a year. That is about twice the median North Carolina county (2.4 a year) and ranks #21 of 101 North Carolina counties for all-time reports. McDowell County holds 1% of all 9,947 hail reports in North Carolina.
6% of reports with a size were 2 inches (hen egg) or larger, against 3% for the median North Carolina county. The largest hail on record here is 2.50 in (tennis ball) on April 9, 2011 near 2.07 S East Marion.
Reports were down 48% in 2016–2025 (34) compared with 2006–2015 (65). The busiest year was 2011, with 14 reports on 7 days. Hail here peaks in June (34% of reports); 76% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- McDowell County 5.0
- Median North Carolina county 2.4
Hail days 2006–2025
- McDowell County 60
- Median North Carolina county 32
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- McDowell County 6%
- Median North Carolina county 3%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||
| 2025 | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||||
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2023 | 1 | 6 | 7 | ||||||||||
| 2022 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2021 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 11, 2026 | 2 | 1.00 in | View |
| Jul 18, 2026 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 1, 2026 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| Mar 6, 2026 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| Jun 25, 2025 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 8, 2025 | 3 | 1.75 in | — |
| Apr 16, 2024 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| Jul 25, 2023 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 2, 2023 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 1, 2023 | 2 | 2.00 in | — |
| May 16, 2023 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| Jun 16, 2022 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jun 15, 2022 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 1, 2022 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 2011 | 2.50 intennis ball | 2.07 S East Marion | — | 18:02 local · NCEI |
| Jul 1, 2023 | 2.00 inhen egg | 0.69 S Old Ft | — | 13:26 local · NCEI |
| May 2, 2016 | 2.00 inhen egg | 0.89 SW Davistown | — | 13:45 local · NCEI |
| May 1, 2016 | 2.00 inhen egg | 1.82 WNW Sugar Hill | $250K | 16:46 local · NCEI |
| Apr 17, 2012 | 2.00 inhen egg | 0.89 SE Woodlawn | — | 14:57 local · NCEI |
Size of every report
- Under 1 in 77 53%
- 1–2 in 59 41%
- 2 in + 8 6%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 11, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 3 N Glenwood | 20:56 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Aug 11, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | Marion | 20:50 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Jul 18, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.49 SSW Dysortville | 13:27 local · NCEI |
| Apr 1, 2026 | 0.75 inpenny | 1.82 WSW Providence | 15:03 local · NCEI |
| Mar 6, 2026 | 0.88 innickel | 3.64 ESE Nebo | 16:00 local · NCEI |
| Jun 25, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.49 SSW Nebo | 15:07 local · NCEI |
| Jun 25, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.89 SE Little Switzerland | 14:30 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 5.14 WNW Davistown | 15:45 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.56 E Marion | 15:43 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2025 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 4.87 S Fero | 15:09 local · NCEI |
| Apr 16, 2024 | 0.75 inpenny | 1.67 WSW Greenlee | 13:26 local · NCEI |
| Jul 25, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | Pleasant Gardens | 14:00 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in McDowell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Marion | 5 | 5 | Jun 16, 2017 |
| Glenwood | 4 | 4 | May 2, 2016 |
Questions about hail in McDowell County
How often does it hail in McDowell County, North Carolina?
144 hail reports have been logged in McDowell County since 1974. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 5.0 reports a year. That ranks #21 of 101 North Carolina counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in McDowell County?
Most reports come in June, May, April. June alone accounts for 34% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in McDowell County?
2.50 in (tennis ball size) on April 9, 2011 near 2.07 S East Marion. 6% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in McDowell County?
The most recent report in this data is from August 11, 2026 (1.00 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has McDowell County had in the last five years?
14 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 24 reports. The most recent was August 11, 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.