Hail history for Buffalo County, South Dakota
Every NOAA hail report filed in Buffalo County since 1959, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Buffalo County
- Last hail
- Jul 2, 2026
- 2.75 in, baseball size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 3
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 5 reports
- Largest ever
- 4.00 in
- grapefruit · Jul 28, 1986
85 reports on 59 days since 1959 · #66 of 67 South Dakota counties
Hail map · Buffalo 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 Buffalo County
The latest hail report in Buffalo County is from July 2, 2026, 2.75 in (baseball size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 3 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 3.00 in on July 2, 2026.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Buffalo County logged 40 reports on 25 hail days, about 2.0 reports a year. That is 36% of the median South Dakota county (5.5 a year) and ranks #66 of 67 South Dakota counties for all-time reports. Buffalo County holds 0% of all 17,223 hail reports in South Dakota.
8% of reports with a size were 2 inches (hen egg) or larger, against 8% for the median South Dakota county. The largest hail on record here is 4.00 in (grapefruit) on July 28, 1986.
Reports were down 79% in 2016–2025 (7) compared with 2006–2015 (33). The busiest year was 2012, with 10 reports on 4 days. Hail here peaks in June (29% of reports); 45% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Buffalo County 2.0
- Median South Dakota county 5.5
Hail days 2006–2025
- Buffalo County 25
- Median South Dakota county 54
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Buffalo County 8%
- Median South Dakota county 8%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2024 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2021 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2019 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2018 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | 2 | 2 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2, 2026 | 3 | 3.00 in | — |
| Jul 15, 2025 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 22, 2022 | 1 | 1.75 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 28, 1986 | 4.00 ingrapefruit | — | 15:30 local · NCEI |
| Jul 2, 2026 | 3.00 inteacup | 6.53 SSW Gann Vly | 13:30 local · NCEI |
| Jul 2, 2026 | 2.75 inbaseball | 6.46 WNW Gann Vly | 14:41 local · NCEI |
| Jun 16, 1992 | 2.75 inbaseball | — | 16:15 local · NCEI |
| Jul 6, 1987 | 2.75 inbaseball | — | 19:15 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 32 38%
- 1–2 in 46 54%
- 2 in + 7 8%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2, 2026 | 2.75 inbaseball | 6.46 WNW Gann Vly | 14:41 local · NCEI |
| Jul 2, 2026 | 3.00 inteacup | 6.53 SSW Gann Vly | 13:30 local · NCEI |
| Jul 2, 2026 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 6.06 SSW Gann Vly | 13:15 local · NCEI |
| Jul 15, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 2.84 WNW Shelby | 15:45 local · NCEI |
| Apr 22, 2022 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 11.49 NNW Gann Vly | 18:08 local · NCEI |
| Aug 30, 2020 | 1.00 inquarter | 11.07 N Gann Vly | 17:34 local · NCEI |
| Jun 25, 2020 | 1.00 inquarter | 5.44 NNE Shelby | 21:30 local · NCEI |
| Jun 13, 2017 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.21 NW Ft Thompson | 16:14 local · NCEI |
| Jun 11, 2017 | 1.00 inquarter | 8.81 NNE Gann Vly | 02:35 local · NCEI |
| May 26, 2016 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.99 W Ft Thompson | 20:05 local · NCEI |
| Aug 9, 2015 | 1.00 inquarter | 10.82 NW Gann Vly | 13:41 local · NCEI |
| Aug 9, 2015 | 1.00 inquarter | 10.82 NW Gann Vly | 13:35 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Buffalo County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Thompson | 15 | 4.00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gann Valley | 6 | 6 | Sep 4, 2012 |
Questions about hail in Buffalo County
How often does it hail in Buffalo County, South Dakota?
85 hail reports have been logged in Buffalo County since 1959. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 2.0 reports a year. That ranks #66 of 67 South Dakota counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Buffalo County?
Most reports come in June, July, August. June alone accounts for 29% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Buffalo County?
4.00 in (grapefruit size) on July 28, 1986. 8% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Buffalo County?
The most recent report in this data is from July 2, 2026 (2.75 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Buffalo County had in the last five years?
3 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 5 reports. The most recent was July 2, 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.