Hail history for Clay County, South Dakota
Every NOAA hail report filed in Clay County since 1957, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Clay County
- Last hail
- Oct 8, 2026
- 1.50 in, ping pong ball size · preliminary
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 14
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 20 reports
- Largest ever
- 4.50 in
- softball · Jun 13, 1981
178 reports on 105 days since 1957 · #44 of 67 South Dakota counties
Hail map · Clay 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 Clay County
The latest hail report in Clay County is from October 8, 2026, 1.50 in (ping pong ball size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 14 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 1.50 in on October 8, 2026.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Clay County logged 83 reports on 45 hail days, about 4.2 reports a year. That is 25% less than the median South Dakota county (5.5 a year) and ranks #44 of 67 South Dakota counties for all-time reports. Clay County holds 1% of all 17,223 hail reports in South Dakota.
5% 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 4.50 in (softball) on June 13, 1981.
Reports were down 49% in 2016–2025 (28) compared with 2006–2015 (55). The busiest year was 2005, with 22 reports on 12 days. Hail here peaks in May (32% of reports); 67% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Clay County 4.2
- Median South Dakota county 5.5
Hail days 2006–2025
- Clay County 45
- Median South Dakota county 54
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Clay County 5%
- Median South Dakota county 8%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||
| 2025 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |||||||||
| 2022 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||||
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||
| 2019 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2018 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 8, 2026 | 1 | 1.50 in | View |
| May 31, 2026 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 24, 2026 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jun 2, 2025 | 3 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 28, 2025 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 20, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 12, 2023 | 1 | 1.50 in | — |
| Jul 3, 2023 | 1 | 1.50 in | — |
| Jun 24, 2023 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| May 4, 2023 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| May 30, 2022 | 3 | 1.50 in | — |
| May 29, 2022 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 12, 2022 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 11, 2022 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 1981 | 4.50 insoftball | — | — | 19:20 local · NCEI |
| Jun 21, 1969 | 4.00 ingrapefruit | — | — | 21:30 local · NCEI |
| Sep 22, 2010 | 3.00 inteacup | 0.51 W Vermillion | $250K | 10:29 local · NCEI |
| Sep 22, 2010 | 2.75 inbaseball | 2.54 W Vermillion | — | 10:28 local · NCEI |
| Aug 25, 1980 | 2.75 inbaseball | — | — | 17:00 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 60 34%
- 1–2 in 109 61%
- 2 in + 9 5%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 8, 2026 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 6 SW Beresford | 04:18 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| May 31, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 5.45 SE Westerville | 20:28 local · NCEI |
| May 31, 2026 | 0.88 innickel | 0.86 SW Wakonda | 19:17 local · NCEI |
| May 24, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.5 E Irene | 19:39 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 2025 | 0.75 inpenny | 1.52 E Vermillion | 16:25 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.86 NW Vermillion | 16:22 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | Vermillion | 16:21 local · NCEI |
| Apr 28, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 3.75 NW Meckling | 18:17 local · NCEI |
| May 20, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 3.8 ESE Westerville | 20:52 local · NCEI |
| Jul 12, 2023 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 0.69 S Wakonda | 02:55 local · NCEI |
| Jul 3, 2023 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 2.62 ENE Wakonda | 15:09 local · NCEI |
| Jun 24, 2023 | 0.88 innickel | 4.15 S Wakonda | 17:12 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Clay County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Vermillion | 49 | 3.00 in |
| Wakonda | 24 | 4.50 in |
| Meckling | 20 | 1.75 in |
| Burbank | 19 | 2.00 in |
| Irene | 11 | 1.75 in |
Questions about hail in Clay County
How often does it hail in Clay County, South Dakota?
178 hail reports have been logged in Clay County since 1957. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 4.2 reports a year. That ranks #44 of 67 South Dakota counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Clay County?
Most reports come in May, June, July. May alone accounts for 32% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Clay County?
4.50 in (softball size) on June 13, 1981. 5% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Clay County?
The most recent report in this data is from October 8, 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 Clay County had in the last five years?
14 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 20 reports. The most recent was October 8, 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.