Hail history for McCook County, South Dakota
Every NOAA hail report filed in McCook County since 1959, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · McCook County
- Last hail
- Aug 6, 2026
- 1.00 in, quarter size · preliminary
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 17
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 25 reports
- Largest ever
- 4.50 in
- softball · Sep 2, 1995
196 reports on 122 days since 1959 · #37 of 67 South Dakota counties
Hail map · McCook 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 McCook County is from August 6, 2026. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about McCook County
The latest hail report in McCook County is from August 6, 2026, 1.00 in (quarter size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 17 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.75 in on July 22, 2023.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, McCook County logged 95 reports on 52 hail days, about 4.8 reports a year. That is 14% less than the median South Dakota county (5.5 a year) and ranks #37 of 67 South Dakota counties for all-time reports. McCook 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 4.50 in (softball) on September 2, 1995 near Salem.
Reports were down 44% in 2016–2025 (34) compared with 2006–2015 (61). The busiest year was 2002, with 14 reports on 6 days. Hail here peaks in July (27% of reports); 43% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- McCook County 4.8
- Median South Dakota county 5.5
Hail days 2006–2025
- McCook County 52
- Median South Dakota county 54
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- McCook 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 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 | |||||||||
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2024 | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||||
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 8 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||
| 2021 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 2018 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 2017 | 3 | 3 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 6, 2026 | 1 | 1.00 in | View |
| Jul 2, 2026 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 31, 2026 | 3 | 1.75 in | — |
| May 24, 2026 | 2 | 1.50 in | — |
| Aug 6, 2025 | 1 | 1.75 in | — |
| Jul 9, 2025 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 31, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jul 30, 2024 | 2 | 1.75 in | — |
| Jun 12, 2024 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| Aug 10, 2023 | 1 | 1.50 in | — |
| Jul 22, 2023 | 4 | 2.75 in | — |
| Jul 12, 2023 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| May 4, 2023 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| Mar 31, 2023 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| Jul 5, 2022 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 11, 2022 | 1 | 1.75 in | — |
| Apr 12, 2022 | 1 | 1.75 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2, 1995 | 4.50 insoftball | Salem | $2.0 million | 07:00 local · NCEI |
| Jul 20, 1991 | 4.50 insoftball | — | — | 17:20 local · NCEI |
| Jul 22, 2023 | 2.75 inbaseball | 2.43 SW Unityville | — | 15:58 local · NCEI |
| Jul 22, 2023 | 2.50 intennis ball | 2.5 W Salem | — | 16:04 local · NCEI |
| Jul 27, 2010 | 2.50 intennis ball | 2.11 WNW Unityville | — | 17:55 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 55 28%
- 1–2 in 133 68%
- 2 in + 8 4%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 6, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 5 SW Canova | 10:15 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Jul 2, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 6.54 NNW Bridgewater | 19:28 local · NCEI |
| May 31, 2026 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 4.46 NE Canistota | 17:58 local · NCEI |
| May 31, 2026 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 1.47 NNE Canistota | 17:51 local · NCEI |
| May 31, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 4.86 N Bridgewater | 17:16 local · NCEI |
| May 24, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 3.25 SE Canistota | 21:18 local · NCEI |
| May 24, 2026 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 6 E Canistota | 17:35 local · NCEI |
| Aug 6, 2025 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 7.51 WNW Unityville | 00:10 local · NCEI |
| Jul 9, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 6.5 E Canistota | 23:25 local · NCEI |
| Jul 31, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.41 SE Canistota | 21:30 local · NCEI |
| Jul 30, 2024 | 0.88 innickel | 3.56 E Salem | 02:25 local · NCEI |
| Jul 30, 2024 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 0.85 SW Salem | 02:12 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in McCook 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden View Colony | 9 | 7 | Jul 22, 2023 |
| Orland Colony | 4 | 3 | May 5, 2012 |
Questions about hail in McCook County
How often does it hail in McCook County, South Dakota?
196 hail reports have been logged in McCook County since 1959. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 4.8 reports a year. That ranks #37 of 67 South Dakota counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in McCook County?
Most reports come in July, August, June. July alone accounts for 27% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in McCook County?
4.50 in (softball size) on September 2, 1995 near Salem. 4% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in McCook County?
The most recent report in this data is from August 6, 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 McCook County had in the last five years?
17 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 25 reports. The most recent was August 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.