Hail history for Watauga County, North Carolina
Every NOAA hail report filed in Watauga County since 1984, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Watauga County
- Last hail
- Apr 29, 2026
- 0.75 in, penny size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 4
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 4 reports
- Largest ever
- 4.00 in
- grapefruit · Jun 2, 1998
75 reports on 55 days since 1984 · #59 of 101 North Carolina counties
Hail map · Watauga 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 Watauga County is from April 29, 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 Watauga County
The latest hail report in Watauga County is from April 29, 2026, 0.75 in (penny size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 4 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 1.00 in on April 1, 2026.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Watauga County logged 47 reports on 34 hail days, about 2.4 reports a year. That is about the same as the median North Carolina county (2.4 a year) and ranks #59 of 101 North Carolina counties for all-time reports. Watauga County holds 1% 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 June 2, 1998 near Boone.
Reports were down 85% in 2016–2025 (6) compared with 2006–2015 (41). The busiest year was 2011, with 14 reports on 10 days. Hail here peaks in May (37% of reports); 80% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Watauga County 2.4
- Median North Carolina county 2.4
Hail days 2006–2025
- Watauga County 34
- Median North Carolina county 32
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Watauga 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 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2025 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2018 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | 1 | 1 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2026 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| Apr 1, 2026 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 23, 2022 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| May 21, 2022 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 1998 | 4.00 ingrapefruit | Boone | $350K | 18:40 local · NCEI |
| Jun 3, 1998 | 3.00 inteacup | Meat Camp | — | 19:40 local · NCEI |
| Jun 3, 1998 | 3.00 inteacup | Boone | — | 19:35 local · NCEI |
| Jun 9, 2008 | 2.75 inbaseball | 2.82 SSE Kellersville | $75K | 16:05 local · NCEI |
| May 26, 2011 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 0.56 E Blowing Rock | — | 17:47 local · NCEI |
Size of every report
- Under 1 in 35 47%
- 1–2 in 36 48%
- 2 in + 4 5%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2026 | 0.75 inpenny | 1.79 SSE Reese | 06:13 local · NCEI |
| Apr 1, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.11 E Deep Gap | 13:14 local · NCEI |
| Jul 23, 2022 | 0.88 innickel | Vilas | 17:05 local · NCEI |
| May 21, 2022 | 0.88 innickel | 0.75 N Sands | 13:17 local · NCEI |
| Mar 18, 2021 | 1.00 inquarter | Sherwood | 16:40 local · NCEI |
| May 19, 2017 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.56 E Blowing Rock | 12:29 local · NCEI |
| Sep 29, 2016 | 1.00 inquarter | 3.93 SE Aho | 16:04 local · NCEI |
| May 2, 2016 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.89 SE Rominger | 14:00 local · NCEI |
| May 11, 2015 | 1.00 inquarter | 2.93 WNW Bowers Gap | 16:15 local · NCEI |
| Apr 20, 2015 | 0.88 innickel | 2.15 SSE Matney | 15:02 local · NCEI |
| Apr 9, 2015 | 1.00 inquarter | Mabel | 18:04 local · NCEI |
| Apr 9, 2015 | 0.75 inpenny | Todd | 15:50 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Watauga County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Boone | 19 | 4.00 in |
| Foscoe | 14 | 1.75 in |
| Blowing Rock | 11 | 1.75 in |
| Cove Creek | 11 | 1.00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valle Crucis | 5 | 4 | May 2, 2016 |
| Seven Devils | 1 | 1 | Apr 20, 2015 |
Questions about hail in Watauga County
How often does it hail in Watauga County, North Carolina?
75 hail reports have been logged in Watauga County since 1984. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 2.4 reports a year. That ranks #59 of 101 North Carolina counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Watauga County?
Most reports come in May, June, April. May alone accounts for 37% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Watauga County?
4.00 in (grapefruit size) on June 2, 1998 near Boone. 5% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Watauga County?
The most recent report in this data is from April 29, 2026 (0.75 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Watauga County had in the last five years?
4 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.