Hail history for Rutherford County, North Carolina
Every NOAA hail report filed in Rutherford County since 1979, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Rutherford County
- Last hail
- Aug 11, 2026
- 1.00 in, quarter size · preliminary
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 9
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 14 reports
- Largest ever
- 2.75 in
- baseball · May 8, 2024
132 reports on 92 days since 1979 · #27 of 101 North Carolina counties
Hail map · Rutherford County
- Under 1 in
- 1–1.75 in
- 1.75–2.5 in
- 2.5–4 in
- 4 in +
- No size
For homeowners
Concerned about your roof after hail?
Send a request to Moxisync Labs for review. The latest hail report in Rutherford County is from August 11, 2026. We’re building local roofer coverage. Submitting a request does not guarantee a quote or book an inspection.
Phone line opening soon
What the record says about Rutherford County
The latest hail report in Rutherford County is from August 11, 2026, 1.00 in (quarter size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 9 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.75 in on May 8, 2024.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Rutherford County logged 86 reports on 63 hail days, about 4.3 reports a year. That is 83% more than the median North Carolina county (2.4 a year) and ranks #27 of 101 North Carolina counties for all-time reports. Rutherford County holds 1% of all 9,947 hail reports in North Carolina.
3% 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 8, 2024 near 1.49 NNW Lake Lure.
Reports were down 72% in 2016–2025 (19) compared with 2006–2015 (67). The busiest year was 2011, with 18 reports on 10 days. Hail here peaks in May (36% of reports); 70% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Rutherford County 4.3
- Median North Carolina county 2.4
Hail days 2006–2025
- Rutherford County 63
- Median North Carolina county 32
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Rutherford County 3%
- 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 | |||||||||||
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||
| 2024 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 2023 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2021 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2017 | 1 | 1 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 11, 2026 | 1 | 1.00 in | View |
| Jun 25, 2025 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 8, 2025 | 4 | 1.50 in | — |
| May 8, 2024 | 3 | 2.75 in | — |
| Jul 3, 2023 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| Jul 2, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 1, 2023 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| Aug 21, 2022 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| May 6, 2022 | 1 | 1.75 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2024 | 2.75 inbaseball | 1.49 NNW Lake Lure | 13:21 local · NCEI |
| Apr 9, 2011 | 2.00 inhen egg | 1.38 S Ellenboro | 19:14 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 1997 | 2.00 inhen egg | Forest City | 05:45 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 1997 | 2.00 inhen egg | Rutherfordton | 05:30 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2024 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 4.5 SW Gilkey | 13:45 local · NCEI |
Size of every report
- Under 1 in 65 49%
- 1–2 in 63 48%
- 2 in + 4 3%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 11, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 2 N Ellenboro | 21:55 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Jun 25, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.89 NE Alexander Mills | 16:15 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.69 S Logan | 17:18 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.89 NE Cliffside | 17:01 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.89 NE Alexander Mills | 16:37 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2025 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 1.49 NNW Rutherfordton | 16:05 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.89 NE Forest City | 13:54 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2024 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 4.5 SW Gilkey | 13:45 local · NCEI |
| May 8, 2024 | 2.75 inbaseball | 1.49 NNW Lake Lure | 13:21 local · NCEI |
| Jul 3, 2023 | 0.88 innickel | 0.79 ESE Alexander Mills | 14:52 local · NCEI |
| Jul 2, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | Gilkey | 17:21 local · NCEI |
| Jul 1, 2023 | 0.88 innickel | 0.85 E Lake Lure | 14:09 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Rutherford County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Lure | 26 | 2.75 in |
| Forest City | 20 | 2.00 in |
| Rutherfordton | 18 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cliffside | 7 | 7 | May 8, 2025 |
| Ellenboro | 6 | 6 | Aug 11, 2026 |
| Spindale | 6 | 6 | May 8, 2025 |
| Caroleen | 3 | 3 | Sep 2, 2011 |
| Bostic | 1 | 1 | Jul 12, 2003 |
| Henrietta | 1 | 1 | Mar 16, 2002 |
Questions about hail in Rutherford County
How often does it hail in Rutherford County, North Carolina?
132 hail reports have been logged in Rutherford County since 1979. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 4.3 reports a year. That ranks #27 of 101 North Carolina counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Rutherford County?
Most reports come in May, June, July. May alone accounts for 36% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Rutherford County?
2.75 in (baseball size) on May 8, 2024 near 1.49 NNW Lake Lure. 3% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Rutherford 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 Rutherford County had in the last five years?
9 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 14 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.