Hail history for McKenzie County, North Dakota
Every NOAA hail report filed in McKenzie County since 1963, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · McKenzie County
- Last hail
- Sep 6, 2026
- 1.75 in, golf ball size · preliminary
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 11
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 18 reports
- Largest ever
- 4.50 in
- softball · Sep 4, 1996
227 reports on 119 days since 1963 · #15 of 54 North Dakota counties
Hail map · McKenzie 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 McKenzie County is from September 6, 2026. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about McKenzie County
The latest hail report in McKenzie County is from September 6, 2026, 1.75 in (golf ball size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 11 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.00 in on June 7, 2026.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, McKenzie County logged 140 reports on 62 hail days, about 7.0 reports a year. That is 54% more than the median North Dakota county (4.5 a year) and ranks #15 of 54 North Dakota counties for all-time reports. McKenzie County holds 2% of all 10,117 hail reports in North Dakota.
10% of reports with a size were 2 inches (hen egg) or larger, against 9% for the median North Dakota county. The largest hail on record here is 4.50 in (softball) on September 4, 1996 near Keene.
Reports were down 29% in 2016–2025 (58) compared with 2006–2015 (82). The busiest year was 2013, with 15 reports on 7 days. Hail here peaks in June (40% of reports); 47% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- McKenzie County 7.0
- Median North Dakota county 4.5
Hail days 2006–2025
- McKenzie County 62
- Median North Dakota county 48.5
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- McKenzie County 10%
- Median North Dakota county 9%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
| 2025 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2023 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 11 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2021 | 7 | 1 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 2020 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 2019 | 7 | 5 | 12 | ||||||||||
| 2018 | 3 | 5 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 2017 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 6, 2026 | 1 | 1.75 in | View |
| Jul 2, 2026 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jun 7, 2026 | 3 | 2.00 in | — |
| May 17, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Aug 30, 2023 | 2 | 1.75 in | — |
| Aug 1, 2023 | 2 | 1.75 in | — |
| Jul 29, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 22, 2023 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| Jun 30, 2023 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| May 25, 2023 | 4 | 1.50 in | — |
| Jun 9, 2022 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 1996 | 4.50 insoftball | Keene | $30K | 19:05 local · NCEI |
| Aug 18, 1995 | 4.50 insoftball | Keene | $2.0 million5 injured | 02:55 local · NCEI |
| Jul 4, 1964 | 4.50 insoftball | — | — | 16:00 local · NCEI |
| Jul 13, 2013 | 3.50 inteacup | 2.32 W Watford City | — | 15:48 local · NCEI |
| Jun 21, 2016 | 2.75 inbaseball | 6.91 N Watford City | $15K | 18:40 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 65 29%
- 1–2 in 139 61%
- 2 in + 23 10%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 6, 2026 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 5 S Watford City | — | 00:29 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Jul 2, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 24.63 S Fairview | — | 18:25 local · NCEI |
| Jun 7, 2026 | 2.00 inhen egg | 0.83 SW Arnegard | — | 18:25 local · NCEI |
| Jun 7, 2026 | 2.00 inhen egg | 3.11 NW Arnegard | — | 17:50 local · NCEI |
| Jun 7, 2026 | 2.00 inhen egg | 4.86 N Alexander | — | 17:40 local · NCEI |
| May 17, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 3.33 SE Keene | — | 14:31 local · NCEI |
| Aug 30, 2023 | 0.88 innickel | 4.69 E Fairview | — | 20:24 local · NCEI |
| Aug 30, 2023 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 0.83 SW Arnegard | $100K | 17:45 local · NCEI |
| Aug 1, 2023 | 1.75 ingolf ball | Watford City | — | 16:37 local · NCEI |
| Aug 1, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | 18.11 N Charbonneau | — | 15:47 local · NCEI |
| Jul 29, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | 2.44 ESE Grassy Butte | — | 17:48 local · NCEI |
| Jul 22, 2023 | 0.88 innickel | 19.23 SSW East Fairview | — | 23:46 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in McKenzie County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Watford City | 28 | 3.50 in |
| Alexander | 16 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandaree | 9 | 9 | Jul 21, 2018 |
| Arnegard | 7 | 7 | Jun 7, 2026 |
| East Fairview | 5 | 5 | Jun 30, 2015 |
Questions about hail in McKenzie County
How often does it hail in McKenzie County, North Dakota?
227 hail reports have been logged in McKenzie County since 1963. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 7.0 reports a year. That ranks #15 of 54 North Dakota counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in McKenzie County?
Most reports come in June, July, August. June alone accounts for 40% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in McKenzie County?
4.50 in (softball size) on September 4, 1996 near Keene. 10% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in McKenzie County?
The most recent report in this data is from September 6, 2026 (1.75 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has McKenzie County had in the last five years?
11 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 18 reports. The most recent was September 6, 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.