HailEvidence → hail history by county → Iowa → Polk County
Hail dates in Polk County, Iowa
The National Weather Service has recorded hail in Polk County on 38 days since 2016 (162 separate reports, 127 of them quarter-size or larger). The largest stone on record was 3.25" (tea cup) on July 9, 2021; the most recent hail was May 19, 2025. Every row below is an official NWS record. Check hail at your exact address, free →
Every hail day in Polk County since 2016
One row per day the NWS logged hail somewhere in the county. The narrative names the town; the free check below narrows it to your address.
| Date | Largest hail | Reports | NWS narrative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-19 | 1.00" (quarter) | 6 | Delayed report, time estimated by radar. |
| 2025-03-14 | 1.00" (quarter) | 3 | MPing report. |
| 2024-07-31 | 1.25" (half dollar) | 4 | Mostly penny to quarter sized hail, a few stones up to half dollar sized. |
| 2024-07-30 | 1.25" (half dollar) | 4 | Relayed via social media. |
| 2024-06-25 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | Public safety reported quarter sized hail northeast of Runnells. |
| 2024-05-24 | 0.88" (nickel) | 1 | Delayed report of pea to nickel sized hail in Elkhart. |
| 2024-05-21 | 1.00" (quarter) | 3 | Trained spotter relayed picture of quarter sized hail. |
| 2023-04-19 | 1.00" (quarter) | 2 | — |
| 2023-04-04 | 1.00" (quarter) | 6 | Report via mping. |
| 2022-09-17 | 1.00" (quarter) | 6 | Quarter sized hail. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2022-08-19 | 3.00" (tea cup) | 14 | WOI-5 reported three inch hail at the station in West Des Moines. |
| 2022-06-05 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | Report via WOI TV of quarter sized hail. |
| 2022-04-29 | 0.88" (nickel) | 1 | A Mercy Hospital ambulance reported penny to nickel sized hail. |
| 2022-03-05 | 2.50" (tennis ball) | 2 | Public report of 2.5 inch or greater hail stones in Pleasant Hill via Twitter. |
| 2021-07-09 | 3.25" (tea cup) | 24 | Picture via social media of 3.25 inch hail in Beaverdale. Time estimated via radar. |
| 2021-06-22 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) | 13 | Report via mping of ping pong ball sized hail. |
| 2021-05-25 | 1.25" (half dollar) | 1 | Report via social media of half dollar sized hail. Time estimated via radar. |
| 2020-07-14 | 2.00" (hen egg) | 4 | Public report via social media of 2 inch hail. |
| 2020-07-11 | 0.75" (penny) | 1 | A trained spotter reported penny sized hail. |
| 2020-06-21 | 0.88" (nickel) | 1 | Trained spotter reported 50 mph winds and small twigs broken with nickle hail in the Beaverdale neighborhood of Des Moines. |
| 2019-10-01 | 2.75" (baseball) | 7 | Public reported baseball sized hail via picture from social media. |
| 2019-07-20 | 0.75" (penny) | 1 | Public reported penny sized hail, as well as sapling trees snapped. |
| 2019-05-16 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) | 11 | The local media reported hail caused damage to the roofs of Hoover High School and Meredith Middle School, making some spaces unusable. Some classes had to b… |
| 2019-04-28 | 1.00" (quarter) | 2 | Public relayed estimated quarter sized hail via the mPING app, and was located right underneath the hail core via radar. |
| 2018-09-18 | 0.75" (penny) | 1 | Public reported brief penny sized hail. |
| 2018-09-01 | 2.00" (hen egg) | 12 | Trained spotter reported hail larger than golf balls. |
| 2018-08-31 | 0.75" (penny) | 1 | — |
| 2018-06-30 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | Public reported quarter sized hail. |
| 2018-06-06 | 1.00" (quarter) | 2 | Public reported quarter sized hail via the mPING application. |
| 2018-05-28 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | Public reported quarter sized hail via the mPING application. |
| 2018-05-14 | 0.75" (penny) | 1 | Amateur radio operator reported up to penny sized hail from about 4:56 am to 5 am. |
| 2018-05-01 | 0.88" (nickel) | 2 | Trained spotter reported mostly pea size hail, but a few larger stones up to nickel size were observed. |
| 2017-06-28 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) | 5 | Public reported half dollar sized hail. |
| 2017-06-15 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 6 | Local fire department reported lots of quarter to golf ball sized hail near the Highway 65 exit along I-80. |
| 2017-05-17 | 1.00" (quarter) | 4 | Trained spotter reported quarter sized hail. |
| 2016-08-28 | 0.75" (penny) | 1 | Public reported penny sized hail and estimated 55 mph winds. |
| 2016-04-27 | 0.75" (penny) | 1 | — |
| 2016-03-30 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) | 5 | Spotter reported quarter sized hail. |
Hail days by year
| Year | Hail days | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 9 | 1.00" (quarter) |
| 2024 | 5 | 13 | 1.25" (half dollar) |
| 2023 | 2 | 8 | 1.00" (quarter) |
| 2022 | 5 | 24 | 3.00" (tea cup) |
| 2021 | 3 | 38 | 3.25" (tea cup) |
| 2020 | 3 | 6 | 2.00" (hen egg) |
| 2019 | 4 | 21 | 2.75" (baseball) |
| 2018 | 8 | 21 | 2.00" (hen egg) |
| 2017 | 3 | 15 | 1.75" (golf ball) |
| 2016 | 3 | 7 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) |
Damaging wind in Polk County
Thunderstorm wind of 58 mph or more (the NWS severe threshold), 202 reports since 2016, strongest 85 mph. 16 tornadoes recorded in the county in the same period. Wind and tornado records are included in the extended report.
| Date | Peak gust | Reports | NWS narrative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-08-10 | 85 mph | 22 | Mesonet station reported a 74 kts wind gust. |
| 2021-12-15 | 75 mph | 8 | Broadcast media relayed public report of telephone pole damage at Wakonda Club Golf Course. Time estimated from radar. |
| 2025-07-10 | 74 mph | 3 | Mature tree snapped in Ewing Park. Time estimated from radar. |
| 2025-03-14 | 72 mph | 7 | A 40 ft tall pine tree was blown over the 6600 block of NE 8th ct. Spotter estimated winds of 65 to 75 mph. |
| 2025-07-11 | 70 mph | 3 | Trained spotter reported an estimated wind gust of 70 mph. |
| 2024-05-21 | 70 mph | 11 | Public mping report of trees uprooted or snapped, roof damage. |
| 2019-09-09 | 70 mph | 2 | Trained spotter reported telephone pole leaned over as well as a no passing sign leaned over. This is a delayed report and time estimated… |
| 2019-06-15 | 70 mph | 5 | Des Moines International Airport ASOS recorded a 70 mph wind gust. |
Was hail recorded at your Polk County address? Check free
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against every hail event the National Weather Service recorded in the last 10 years and show you
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address? Enter coordinates as 44.05, -107.31.
Address lookup by the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder. Records: NOAA NCEI Storm Events (final) plus SPC preliminary reports for storms newer than the latest compile — see methodology.
Need it in writing for a claim?
The verification report lists every NWS hail (and, in the extended version, wind and tornado) record within 1, 3 and 10 miles of one address, each linked to its official source, with the disputed date called out in plain English. Adjusters can verify every line.
10-year hail history for one address + the disputed-date finding.
15-year window, wind & tornado records, plus a drafted claim-appeal letter.
Questions
What date did hail last hit Polk County?
May 19, 2025, per the NWS Storm Events record. The largest since 2016 was 3.25" (tea cup) on July 9, 2021.
Does a county record prove hail at my house?
No. NWS records are point and path observations. The absence of a nearby report does NOT prove that no hail fell at this address — it means no observation was logged nearby. A report of nearby hail documents the event; it does not by itself prove damage to a specific structure. The free check above shows what was recorded near your specific address, with distances.
Nearby counties
Dallas County, IA (15 mi) · Warren County, IA (22 mi) · Madison County, IA (27 mi) · Story County, IA (28 mi) · Boone County, IA (29 mi) · Jasper County, IA (30 mi) · Marion County, IA (39 mi) · Guthrie County, IA (39 mi)
See also: Iowa hail history by city · all counties