Hail history for Union County, South Dakota
Every NOAA hail report filed in Union County since 1959, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Union County
- Last hail
- Oct 8, 2026
- 1.50 in, ping pong ball size · preliminary
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 15
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 21 reports
- Largest ever
- 3.00 in
- teacup · May 7, 1993
162 reports on 104 days since 1959 · #48 of 67 South Dakota counties
Hail map · Union 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 Union County is from October 8, 2026. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about Union County
The latest hail report in Union County is from October 8, 2026, 1.50 in (ping pong ball size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 15 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 1.75 in on June 2, 2025.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Union County logged 57 reports on 44 hail days, about 2.9 reports a year. That is about half the median South Dakota county (5.5 a year) and ranks #48 of 67 South Dakota counties for all-time reports. Union 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 3.00 in (teacup) on May 7, 1993 near Beresford.
Reports held about level in 2016–2025 (27) compared with 2006–2015 (30). The busiest year was 2004, with 25 reports on 8 days. Hail here peaks in May (30% of reports); 65% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Union County 2.9
- Median South Dakota county 5.5
Hail days 2006–2025
- Union County 44
- Median South Dakota county 54
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Union 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 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||
| 2025 | 1 | 5 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||
| 2023 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | |||||||
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2021 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2018 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 8, 2026 | 2 | 1.50 in | View |
| May 31, 2026 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 18, 2026 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| Jun 14, 2025 | 2 | 1.25 in | — |
| Jun 2, 2025 | 3 | 1.75 in | — |
| Apr 17, 2025 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jun 25, 2024 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
| May 20, 2024 | 1 | 1.75 in | — |
| Apr 16, 2024 | 1 | 1.25 in | — |
| Jul 3, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jun 24, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| May 8, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Apr 19, 2023 | 3 | 1.50 in | — |
| Mar 30, 2023 | 1 | 1.25 in | — |
| May 12, 2022 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 1993 | 3.00 inteacup | Beresford | $5.0 million | 13:45 local · NCEI |
| Jun 5, 1999 | 2.75 inbaseball | Jefferson | $300K | 15:49 local · NCEI |
| Jun 25, 1994 | 2.75 inbaseball | Elk Point/Civil Bend | $5K | 18:00 local · NCEI |
| Jun 15, 1992 | 2.75 inbaseball | — | — | 20:45 local · NCEI |
| Jul 28, 1986 | 2.75 inbaseball | — | — | 17:20 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 71 44%
- 1–2 in 84 52%
- 2 in + 7 4%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 8, 2026 | 1.50 inping pong ball | Alcester | 05:32 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Oct 8, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 8 S Alcester | 03:44 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| May 31, 2026 | 1.00 inquarter | 4 SSW Big Spgs | 21:05 local · NCEI |
| May 18, 2026 | 0.88 innickel | 0.51 W Elk Pt | 17:24 local · NCEI |
| Jun 14, 2025 | 0.75 inpenny | 5.71 NNE Big Spgs | 18:15 local · NCEI |
| Jun 14, 2025 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 2.31 SSW Midway | 17:35 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 2025 | 1.50 inping pong ball | 1.23 NW Elk Pt | 17:15 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 2025 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 3.43 NW Elk Pt | 17:10 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 2025 | 0.75 inpenny | 2.07 S Junction City | 16:54 local · NCEI |
| Apr 17, 2025 | 1.00 inquarter | 2.07 S Junction City | 23:05 local · NCEI |
| Jun 25, 2024 | 0.75 inpenny | 2.46 NW Jefferson | 19:20 local · NCEI |
| May 20, 2024 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 0.86 NW Elk Pt | 21:59 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in Union County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Elk Point | 30 | 1.75 in |
| Alcester | 21 | 1.75 in |
| North Sioux City | 18 | 1.75 in |
| Jefferson | 16 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richland | 8 | 8 | Jun 2, 2025 |
| Dakota Dunes | 2 | 2 | Apr 19, 2023 |
Questions about hail in Union County
How often does it hail in Union County, South Dakota?
162 hail reports have been logged in Union County since 1959. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 2.9 reports a year. That ranks #48 of 67 South Dakota counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Union County?
Most reports come in May, June, July. May alone accounts for 30% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Union County?
3.00 in (teacup size) on May 7, 1993 near Beresford. 4% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Union 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 Union County had in the last five years?
15 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 21 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.