HailEvidence → hail history by county → Iowa → Story County
Hail dates in Story County, Iowa
The National Weather Service has recorded hail in Story County on 37 days since 2016 (126 separate reports, 98 of them quarter-size or larger). The largest stone on record was 2.50" (tennis ball) on May 7, 2023; the most recent hail was June 20, 2025. Every row below is an official NWS record. Check hail at your exact address, free →
Every hail day in Story 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-20 | 0.75" (penny) | 1 | Report via mping. |
| 2025-05-19 | 1.00" (quarter) | 3 | Mostly small hail with a few stones up to quarter sized. |
| 2025-04-22 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) | 4 | Relayed via broadcast media. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2025-03-19 | 1.25" (half dollar) | 2 | Public report of 1.25 inch hail near Ames. |
| 2025-03-14 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) | 5 | Reported on mping. |
| 2024-07-15 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | Report of nickel to quarter sized hail. |
| 2024-07-06 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | MPING report of 1-inch hail. Time of occurrence estimated from radar. |
| 2024-05-24 | 1.25" (half dollar) | 2 | Social media report between Cambridge and Nevada. |
| 2024-05-08 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | — |
| 2024-04-30 | 1.00" (quarter) | 3 | Variety of hail with largest up to quarter sized. |
| 2024-04-27 | 0.75" (penny) | 1 | Penny sized hail mixed with pea hail. |
| 2023-06-04 | 0.88" (nickel) | 1 | Nickel sized hail and winds estimated near 45 mph. |
| 2023-05-07 | 2.50" (tennis ball) | 15 | Image received via twitter. |
| 2023-04-19 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) | 5 | Emergency manager relayed report of silver dollar sized hail. |
| 2023-03-31 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 15 | Golfball sized hail covering the ground. |
| 2022-08-11 | 1.25" (half dollar) | 2 | Golf ball sized hail ongoing at time of report. |
| 2022-06-14 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | Report via social media from the interstate 35 rest area. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2021-08-24 | 0.88" (nickel) | 1 | Trained spotter reported nickel sized hail and sustained 30 mph winds. |
| 2020-10-22 | 0.88" (nickel) | 1 | A trained spotter relayed an image of roughly penny to nickel sized hail. |
| 2020-07-11 | 2.50" (tennis ball) | 14 | Emergency manager relayed a report of tennis ball sized hail at the intersection of 620th ave and 120th st in Story County. |
| 2019-09-14 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) | 7 | Emergency manager reported ping pong ball sized hail. This is a delayed report. |
| 2019-07-17 | 0.75" (penny) | 1 | Trained spotter reported penny sized hail. |
| 2018-09-01 | 0.88" (nickel) | 1 | Public reported nickel sized hail. |
| 2018-08-01 | 0.88" (nickel) | 1 | Trained spotter reported nickel sized hail. |
| 2018-06-14 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | Public reported quarter sized hail. |
| 2018-06-06 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) | 6 | Trained spotter reported ping pong ball sized hail. |
| 2018-05-29 | 0.88" (nickel) | 1 | Public reported nickel sized hail. |
| 2018-05-28 | 1.00" (quarter) | 2 | Trained spotter reported quarter sized hail falling on the south side of Maxwell along with strong winds. No wind damage was observed at the time. |
| 2018-05-25 | 2.25" (hen egg) | 10 | Large hail nearly tennis ball size was measured and reported in Huxley. |
| 2018-05-01 | 2.00" (hen egg) | 8 | Trained spotter reported 2 inch hail. |
| 2017-08-14 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | Trained spotter reported brief pea to quarter sized hail between Nevada and Colo on Highway 30. |
| 2017-06-28 | 2.00" (hen egg) | 3 | Law enforcement reported golf ball sized hail. |
| 2017-06-19 | 0.75" (penny) | 1 | — |
| 2017-06-16 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | Coop observer reported quarter sized hail. This is a delayed report and time estimated from radar. |
| 2017-05-17 | 0.75" (penny) | 1 | Storm chaser reported penny sized hail. |
| 2017-05-16 | 1.00" (quarter) | 1 | Coop observer reported quarter sized hail. |
| 2017-04-15 | 0.75" (penny) | 1 | Amateur radio operator reported penny sized hail. |
Hail days by year
| Year | Hail days | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 15 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) |
| 2024 | 6 | 9 | 1.25" (half dollar) |
| 2023 | 4 | 36 | 2.50" (tennis ball) |
| 2022 | 2 | 3 | 1.25" (half dollar) |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | 0.88" (nickel) |
| 2020 | 2 | 15 | 2.50" (tennis ball) |
| 2019 | 2 | 8 | 1.50" (ping pong ball) |
| 2018 | 8 | 30 | 2.25" (hen egg) |
| 2017 | 7 | 9 | 2.00" (hen egg) |
Damaging wind in Story County
Thunderstorm wind of 58 mph or more (the NWS severe threshold), 78 reports since 2016, strongest 100 mph. 10 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 | 100 mph | 7 | A trained spotter reported damage to trees and grain bins. Time estimated. |
| 2018-04-13 | 86 mph | 4 | Emergency manager reported significant damage to 2 buildings and a tree blown down near a house. A semi-trailer was blown over at a wareh… |
| 2019-06-15 | 72 mph | 6 | Ames Municipal Airport ASOS recorded a 72 mph wind gust. |
| 2025-07-19 | 71 mph | 4 | Gust measured on personal weather station. |
| 2018-06-06 | 71 mph | 5 | Ames Municipal Airport ASOS recorded a 71 mph wind gust. |
| 2024-05-21 | 70 mph | 1 | Spotter reported power lines down, still live, and trees down and other debris. |
| 2021-12-15 | 70 mph | 3 | Trained spotter estimated 70 mph winds. |
| 2019-09-09 | 70 mph | 5 | Ames Police reported wall of a building pushed in about 6 feet, damage to the walls and doors, contents inside blown around, as well as t… |
Was hail recorded at your Story County address? Check free
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Questions
What date did hail last hit Story County?
June 20, 2025, per the NWS Storm Events record. The largest since 2016 was 2.50" (tennis ball) on May 7, 2023.
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
Boone County, IA (18 mi) · Polk County, IA (28 mi) · Marshall County, IA (30 mi) · Dallas County, IA (32 mi) · Hardin County, IA (33 mi) · Jasper County, IA (35 mi) · Greene County, IA (43 mi) · Webster County, IA (43 mi)
See also: Iowa hail history by city · all counties