Hail history for Orange County, North Carolina
Every NOAA hail report filed in Orange County since 1956, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Orange County
- Last hail
- Apr 29, 2026
- 1.00 in, quarter size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 3
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 4 reports
- Largest ever
- 2.75 in
- baseball · May 14, 1967
84 reports on 65 days since 1956 · #50 of 101 North Carolina counties
Hail map · Orange 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 Orange County
The latest hail report in Orange County is from April 29, 2026, 1.00 in (quarter size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 3 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 1.50 in on October 17, 2022.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Orange County logged 39 reports on 26 hail days, about 1.9 reports a year. That is 17% less than the median North Carolina county (2.4 a year) and ranks #50 of 101 North Carolina counties for all-time reports. Orange County holds 1% of all 9,947 hail reports in North Carolina.
1% 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 2.75 in (baseball) on May 14, 1967.
Reports were down 78% in 2016–2025 (7) compared with 2006–2015 (32). The busiest year was 2008, with 11 reports on 5 days. Hail here peaks in May (30% of reports); 70% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Orange County 1.9
- Median North Carolina county 2.4
Hail days 2006–2025
- Orange County 26
- Median North Carolina county 32
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Orange County 1%
- Median North Carolina county 3%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2025 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2017 | 0 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2026 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| Oct 17, 2022 | 1 | 1.50 in | — |
| May 1, 2022 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 14, 1967 | 2.75 inbaseball | — | — | 17:15 local · NCEI |
| Apr 28, 2016 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 1.49 SSE Teer | $3K | 16:00 local · NCEI |
| Jun 25, 2015 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 2.78 ENE Chapel Hill Wllms Ar | — | 19:19 local · NCEI |
| May 9, 2008 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 0.56 W Chapel Hill | — | 23:10 local · NCEI |
| Jun 4, 2007 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 3.93 NE Schley | — | 20:50 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 39 46%
- 1–2 in 44 52%
- 2 in + 1 1%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.87 SW Chapel Hill | — | 21:44 local · NCEI |
| Apr 29, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.29 WSW Chapel Hill | — | 21:44 local · NCEI |
| Oct 17, 2022 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 2.2 NNE Calvander | — | 17:25 local · NCEI |
| May 1, 2022 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.85 NNW Etland | — | 16:08 local · NCEI |
| May 7, 2021 | 0.75 inpenny | 2.94 N Orange Grove | — | 13:24 local · NCEI |
| May 21, 2018 | 0.75 inpenny | 1.78 SE Chapel Hill | — | 14:26 local · NCEI |
| Apr 28, 2016 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 1.49 SSE Teer | $3K | 16:00 local · NCEI |
| Mar 14, 2016 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.31 ENE Glenn | — | 16:52 local · NCEI |
| Feb 24, 2016 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 2.15 SSE Hillsborough | — | 15:55 local · NCEI |
| Jun 25, 2015 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 2.78 ENE Chapel Hill Wllms Ar | — | 19:19 local · NCEI |
| Jun 25, 2015 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.78 SW Cedar Grove | — | 18:14 local · NCEI |
| Jun 25, 2015 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.8 SW Cedar Grove | — | 18:10 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Orange County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough | 25 | 2.75 in |
| Chapel Hill | 15 | 1.75 in |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrboro | 7 | 6 | Apr 29, 2026 |
| Efland | 6 | 6 | May 1, 2022 |
Questions about hail in Orange County
How often does it hail in Orange County, North Carolina?
84 hail reports have been logged in Orange County since 1956. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 1.9 reports a year. That ranks #50 of 101 North Carolina counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Orange County?
Most reports come in May, June, April. May alone accounts for 30% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Orange County?
2.75 in (baseball size) on May 14, 1967. 1% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Orange County?
The most recent report in this data is from April 29, 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 Orange County had in the last five years?
3 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 4 reports. The most recent was April 29, 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.