Hail history for Hand County, South Dakota
Every NOAA hail report filed in Hand County since 1965, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Hand County
- Last hail
- Aug 29, 2026
- 1.00 in, quarter size · preliminary
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 12
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 23 reports
- Largest ever
- 4.00 in
- grapefruit · Jul 3, 1971
327 reports on 158 days since 1965 · #11 of 67 South Dakota counties
Hail map · Hand 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 Hand County is from August 29, 2026. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about Hand County
The latest hail report in Hand County is from August 29, 2026, 1.00 in (quarter size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 12 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.75 in on June 2, 2024.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Hand County logged 191 reports on 76 hail days, about 9.6 reports a year. That is 74% more than the median South Dakota county (5.5 a year) and ranks #11 of 67 South Dakota counties for all-time reports. Hand County holds 2% 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 3, 1971.
Reports were down 53% in 2016–2025 (61) compared with 2006–2015 (130). The busiest year was 2015, with 34 reports on 5 days. Hail here peaks in June (35% of reports); 48% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Hand County 9.6
- Median South Dakota county 5.5
Hail days 2006–2025
- Hand County 76
- Median South Dakota county 54
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Hand 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 | 5 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2025 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 | |||||||||
| 2023 | 4 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||
| 2022 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 5 | 3 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 2019 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 2018 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 19 | ||||||||
| 2017 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2026 | 1 | 1.00 in | View |
| Jun 4, 2026 | 5 | 1.50 in | — |
| Jul 6, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jun 2, 2024 | 4 | 2.75 in | — |
| May 23, 2024 | 2 | 1.75 in | — |
| Aug 10, 2023 | 1 | 1.75 in | — |
| Jul 30, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 25, 2023 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 13, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 7, 2022 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jun 20, 2022 | 1 | 1.75 in | — |
| Apr 22, 2022 | 3 | 1.25 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 3, 1971 | 4.00 ingrapefruit | — | 18:15 local · NCEI |
| May 30, 1998 | 3.00 inteacup | 10 N St Lawrence | 17:50 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 2024 | 2.75 inbaseball | 2.81 S St Lawrence | 18:13 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 2024 | 2.75 inbaseball | 4.15 S Miller | 17:45 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 2024 | 2.75 inbaseball | 9.4 SSE Ree Hgts | 17:16 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 109 33%
- 1–2 in 192 59%
- 2 in + 26 8%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 5 SSW Orient | 02:27 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Jun 4, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 8.16 SSE Vayland | 18:31 local · NCEI |
| Jun 4, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 9.27 ENE Danforth | 18:27 local · NCEI |
| Jun 4, 2026 | 0.88 innickel | 6.98 S Vayland | 18:19 local · NCEI |
| Jun 4, 2026 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 9.07 NNW Danforth | 17:52 local · NCEI |
| Jun 4, 2026 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 11.91 SSE Ree Hgts | 17:25 local · NCEI |
| Jul 6, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 7.51 NNE Ree Hgts | 14:07 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 2024 | 2.75 inbaseball | 2.81 S St Lawrence | 18:13 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 2024 | 2.75 inbaseball | 4.15 S Miller | 17:45 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 2024 | 2.75 inbaseball | 9.4 SSE Ree Hgts | 17:16 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 2024 | 2.75 inbaseball | 11.27 SSE Ree Hgts | 17:11 local · NCEI |
| May 23, 2024 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 10.78 NNE Vayland | 18:00 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Hand County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Miller | 35 | 4.00 in |
| Ree Heights | 18 | 1.75 in |
| St. Lawrence | 15 | 2.75 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millerdale Colony | 8 | 6 | Jun 4, 2026 |
Questions about hail in Hand County
How often does it hail in Hand County, South Dakota?
327 hail reports have been logged in Hand County since 1965. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 9.6 reports a year. That ranks #11 of 67 South Dakota counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Hand County?
Most reports come in June, July, August. June alone accounts for 35% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Hand County?
4.00 in (grapefruit size) on July 3, 1971. 8% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Hand County?
The most recent report in this data is from August 29, 2026 (1.00 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Hand County had in the last five years?
12 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 23 reports. The most recent was August 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.