Hail history for Wake County, North Carolina
Every NOAA hail report filed in Wake County since 1958, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Wake County
- Last hail
- Sep 5, 2026
- 1.50 in, ping pong ball size · preliminary
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 13
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 38 reports
- Largest ever
- 4.00 in
- grapefruit · Mar 28, 2005
401 reports on 181 days since 1958 · #1 of 101 North Carolina counties
Hail map · Wake County
- 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 Wake County is from September 5, 2026. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about Wake County
The latest hail report in Wake County is from September 5, 2026, 1.50 in (ping pong ball size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 13 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 1.75 in on April 14, 2023.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Wake County logged 256 reports on 85 hail days, about 12.8 reports a year. That is 5.4 times the median North Carolina county (2.4 a year) and ranks #1 of 101 North Carolina counties for all-time reports. Wake County holds 4% of all 9,947 hail reports in North Carolina.
5% 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 4.00 in (grapefruit) on March 28, 2005 near 5 N Raleigh.
Reports held about level in 2016–2025 (125) compared with 2006–2015 (131). The busiest year was 2006, with 41 reports on 10 days. Hail here peaks in May (40% of reports); 65% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Wake County 12.8
- Median North Carolina county 2.4
Hail days 2006–2025
- Wake County 85
- Median North Carolina county 32
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Wake County 5%
- Median North Carolina county 3%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 3 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 2025 | 3 | 5 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 2024 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||||
| 2021 | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||||
| 2020 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 24 | 34 | ||||||||
| 2019 | 28 | 28 | |||||||||||
| 2018 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 2026 | 2 | 1.50 in | View |
| Sep 4, 2026 | 1 | 0.50 in | View |
| Jul 8, 2026 | 5 | 1.25 in | — |
| May 5, 2025 | 5 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 3 | 1.50 in | — |
| Sep 8, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Aug 15, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 7, 2023 | 2 | 1.25 in | — |
| Apr 14, 2023 | 8 | 1.75 in | — |
| May 21, 2022 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 19, 2022 | 3 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 6, 2022 | 4 | 1.25 in | — |
| May 1, 2022 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 2005 | 4.00 ingrapefruit | 5 N Raleigh | — | 07:20 local · NCEI |
| Jun 24, 1986 | 3.00 inteacup | — | — | 12:25 local · NCEI |
| May 13, 2019 | 2.75 inbaseball | 1.72 SSE Williams Xrds | $95.0 million | 12:31 local · NCEI |
| Sep 1, 2017 | 2.75 inbaseball | 1.69 W Fuquay Spgs | $10.0 million | 15:55 local · NCEI |
| Jul 1, 1990 | 2.50 intennis ball | — | — | 15:45 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 159 40%
- 1–2 in 221 55%
- 2 in + 21 5%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 2026 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 3 ENE Knightdale | 20:32 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Sep 5, 2026 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 3 ENE Knightdale | 19:45 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Sep 4, 2026 | 0.50 inmarble | 1 E Wendell | 01:58 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Jul 8, 2026 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 1.36 ENE Macedonia | 17:44 local · NCEI |
| Jul 8, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.57 E Asbury | 17:44 local · NCEI |
| Jul 8, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.76 SW Macedonia | 17:36 local · NCEI |
| Jul 8, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.95 SSE Macedonia | 17:35 local · NCEI |
| Jul 8, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.61 ENE Hollemans Xrds | 16:58 local · NCEI |
| May 5, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.38 N Pet Xrds | 13:40 local · NCEI |
| May 5, 2025 | 0.75 inpenny | 2.82 SSE Wilders Grove | 13:38 local · NCEI |
| May 5, 2025 | 0.75 inpenny | 1.12 W Mc Cullers | 13:24 local · NCEI |
| May 5, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.1 NW Echo Hgts | 13:17 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Wake County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh | 132 | 4.00 in |
| Cary | 69 | 2.00 in |
| Apex | 32 | 2.50 in |
| Garner | 29 | 2.75 in |
| Fuquay-Varina | 22 | 2.75 in |
| Wake Forest | 22 | 2.50 in |
| Holly Springs | 16 | 1.75 in |
| Knightdale | 12 | 1.75 in |
| Rolesville | 12 | 2.00 in |
| Zebulon | 11 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morrisville | 9 | 6 | Apr 22, 2025 |
| Wendell | 6 | 6 | Sep 4, 2026 |
Questions about hail in Wake County
How often does it hail in Wake County, North Carolina?
401 hail reports have been logged in Wake County since 1958. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 12.8 reports a year. That ranks #1 of 101 North Carolina counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Wake County?
Most reports come in May, July, June. May alone accounts for 40% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Wake County?
4.00 in (grapefruit size) on March 28, 2005 near 5 N Raleigh. 5% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Wake County?
The most recent report in this data is from September 5, 2026 (1.50 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Wake County had in the last five years?
13 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 38 reports. The most recent was September 5, 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.