Hail history for Lake County, South Dakota
Every NOAA hail report filed in Lake County since 1958, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Lake County
- Last hail
- Aug 24, 2026
- 1.00 in, quarter size · preliminary
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 9
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 15 reports
- Largest ever
- 4.00 in
- grapefruit · Jul 11, 2000
151 reports on 85 days since 1958 · #51 of 67 South Dakota counties
Hail map · Lake 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 Lake County is from August 24, 2026. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about Lake County
The latest hail report in Lake County is from August 24, 2026, 1.00 in (quarter size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 9 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.00 in on October 23, 2022.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Lake County logged 77 reports on 40 hail days, about 3.9 reports a year. That is 30% less than the median South Dakota county (5.5 a year) and ranks #51 of 67 South Dakota counties for all-time reports. Lake County holds 1% of all 17,223 hail reports in South Dakota.
4% 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 11, 2000 near Countywide.
Reports were down 21% in 2016–2025 (34) compared with 2006–2015 (43). The busiest year was 2005, with 13 reports on 8 days. Hail here peaks in June (25% of reports); 45% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Lake County 3.9
- Median South Dakota county 5.5
Hail days 2006–2025
- Lake County 40
- Median South Dakota county 54
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Lake County 4%
- Median South Dakota county 8%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2025 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2023 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 2022 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 10 | ||||||||
| 2021 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2019 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | |||||||||
| 2018 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | 4 | 4 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 24, 2026 | 1 | 1.00 in | View |
| Apr 26, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Aug 10, 2023 | 2 | 1.25 in | — |
| Jul 13, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Oct 23, 2022 | 6 | 2.00 in | — |
| Jun 20, 2022 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| May 30, 2022 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 11, 2022 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| Apr 28, 2022 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 11, 2000 | 4.00 ingrapefruit | Countywide | $500K | 16:40 local · NCEI |
| Jun 15, 1970 | 3.00 inteacup | — | — | 18:15 local · NCEI |
| Jul 11, 2000 | 2.75 inbaseball | 5 NW Chester | $10K | 17:15 local · NCEI |
| Jun 5, 1999 | 2.75 inbaseball | Junius | — | 18:25 local · NCEI |
| Jun 27, 1990 | 2.75 inbaseball | — | — | 21:55 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 58 38%
- 1–2 in 87 58%
- 2 in + 6 4%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 24, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | Ramona | 08:40 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Apr 26, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 4.9 SW Ramona | 14:31 local · NCEI |
| Aug 10, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | 2.07 N Madison Muni Arpt | 20:06 local · NCEI |
| Aug 10, 2023 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 2.48 E Ramona | 19:44 local · NCEI |
| Jul 13, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | 4.04 ESE Nunda | 16:49 local · NCEI |
| Oct 23, 2022 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.21 SW Madison Muni Arpt | 17:38 local · NCEI |
| Oct 23, 2022 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 0.85 NE Madison | 17:38 local · NCEI |
| Oct 23, 2022 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.21 SW Madison Muni Arpt | 17:37 local · NCEI |
| Oct 23, 2022 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.69 N Madison | 17:37 local · NCEI |
| Oct 23, 2022 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.85 SE Madison Muni Arpt | 17:33 local · NCEI |
| Oct 23, 2022 | 2.00 inhen egg | 0.85 NW Orland | 17:25 local · NCEI |
| Jun 20, 2022 | 0.88 innickel | 0.69 S Nunda | 16:58 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Lake County
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Madison | 8 | 8 | May 11, 2022 |
| Nunda | 6 | 6 | Jun 20, 2022 |
| Rustic Acres Colony | 6 | 4 | Aug 22, 2011 |
| Wentworth | 6 | 4 | Aug 5, 2021 |
| Graceville Colony | 4 | 4 | Jul 3, 2019 |
Questions about hail in Lake County
How often does it hail in Lake County, South Dakota?
151 hail reports have been logged in Lake County since 1958. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 3.9 reports a year. That ranks #51 of 67 South Dakota counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Lake County?
Most reports come in June, July, August. June alone accounts for 25% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Lake County?
4.00 in (grapefruit size) on July 11, 2000 near Countywide. 4% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Lake County?
The most recent report in this data is from August 24, 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 Lake County had in the last five years?
9 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 15 reports. The most recent was August 24, 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.