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Hayes County, NE hail & severe wind history
138 storm reports on file for Hayes County between 2010-06-21 and 2026-06-08 — 97 hail and 41 severe thunderstorm wind. That averages 8.1 reports a year, and Jun is the busiest month.
At a glance
- Most recent hail report: May 30, 2026 — 1" (quarter), 2.81 mi N of Hayes Center.
- Hail was reported on 51 days since 2010 — about 3.2 hail days a year.
- Largest hail on record: 3.25" (teacup) on May 18, 2025.
- Hayes County has more hail reports than 59% of the 93 Nebraska counties we cover.
Search every Hayes County report
Check a single date first, or filter the full record below — pick a year, narrow to a month, or drag the hail-size slider to see only the larger stones (1", quarter size, is the National Weather Service severe threshold).
Loading Hayes County storm reports…
Worst storm days in Hayes County
| Date | Reports that day | Largest hail | Peak gust |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-06-19 | 14 | 2.5" (tennis ball) | — |
| 2019-08-29 | 6 | 2" (hen egg) | 60 mph |
| 2025-05-18 | 4 | 3.25" (teacup) | 61 mph |
| 2011-07-28 | 4 | 1.75" (golf ball) | — |
| 2014-05-07 | 4 | 1" (quarter) | 60 mph |
| 2011-07-10 | 4 | — | 71 mph |
| 2021-05-26 | 3 | 2.75" (baseball) | — |
| 2013-06-22 | 3 | 2.75" (baseball) | — |
| 2011-08-09 | 3 | 2.75" (baseball) | — |
| 2023-05-05 | 3 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 84 mph |
Reports by year
Report counts are driven partly by how many people were around to report a storm, so recent years tend to look busier than the early 2010s. Treat the trend as a reporting trend, not purely a weather trend.
Notable large-hail events (2" and up)
| Date | Size | Near | What was reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-18 | 3.25" teacup | 4.18 mi N of Hayes Center | No narrative filed |
| 2021-05-26 | 2.75" baseball | 0 mi N of Hamlet | No narrative filed |
| 2020-06-02 | 2.75" baseball | .53 mi W of Hamlet | Baseball sized hail reported just west of Hamlet. |
| 2019-08-29 | 2" hen egg | 6.84 mi E of Hamlet | Wind driven hail damaged siding on house. Report relayed via social media, time was estimated from radar. |
| 2013-06-22 | 2.75" baseball | 2.21 mi WSW of Hayes Center | No narrative filed |
| 2011-08-09 | 2.75" baseball | 9.07 mi NNE of Hayes Center | Baseball size hail fell 10 miles north-northeast of Hayes Center, while golf ball size hail fell seven miles north of Hayes Center. Many cornfields were stripped with crop damage varying from minor to total loss. |
| 2011-08-08 | 2.5" tennis ball | 11.39 mi NNW of Hamlet | Extensive crop damage occurred due to the large hail, but acreage and damage values are unknown. |
| 2011-06-19 | 2.5" tennis ball | 2.21 mi ESE of Hayes Center | Public reported hail ranged from quarter to golf ball sized, with some hail as large as tennis balls. Roof damage occurred at residence. |
When does hail hit Hayes County?
Across 16 years of records, June produced the most reports (46), followed by the months either side of it. Monthly totals:
| Month | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 0.0% |
| February | 0 | 0.0% |
| March | 1 | 0.7% |
| April | 2 | 1.4% |
| May | 37 | 26.8% |
| June | 46 | 33.3% |
| July | 20 | 14.5% |
| August | 22 | 15.9% |
| September | 9 | 6.5% |
| October | 1 | 0.7% |
| November | 0 | 0.0% |
| December | 0 | 0.0% |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a border with Hayes County (U.S. Census county adjacency), where we have storm records:
| County | Storm reports | Largest hail |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, NE | 799 | 4.25" |
| Hitchcock County, NE | 279 | 4.25" |
| Chase County, NE | 232 | 3" |
| Dundy County, NE | 231 | 4.25" |
| Perkins County, NE | 202 | 4.25" |
| Frontier County, NE | 174 | 3" |
See all 93 Nebraska counties →
Common questions about hail in Hayes County
- How often does it hail in Hayes County?
- Hail was reported on 51 separate days between 2010 and 2026, about 3.2 days a year, with June the busiest month for storm reports. 90 reports were quarter size (1") or larger.
- Does a report here mean hail hit my street?
- Not necessarily. Each report is one observation tied to a nearby landmark, and a county can be large. Storms also go unreported where few people live. Use the date check above to see what was reported nearby, and treat it as a starting point.
- How big is a 1.75" hailstone?
- Forecasters describe hail by everyday objects: 1" is a quarter, 1.75" a golf ball, 2.75" a baseball. The sizes in these reports are estimates made by the person reporting, not lab measurements.
- Where do I get the official record?
- All reports here come from the NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, which you can search directly. For anything formal, use NOAA’s own records rather than this page.
Look up another place
About these numbers
Every row above is a report filed with the National Weather Service and archived in the NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (FIPS 31085). Reports are eyewitness, trained-spotter and damage-survey observations, so they cluster near roads and towns and miss storms over empty country. Hail sizes are estimates. Damage figures are preliminary as filed and are never revised in this archive. Use this page for background, not for an insurance claim, a legal filing, or a roof assessment — for those, get the official record from NOAA directly.