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Harding County, SD hail & severe wind history
461 storm reports on file for Harding County between 2010-06-20 and 2026-06-27 — 207 hail and 254 severe thunderstorm wind. That averages 27.1 reports a year, and Jul is the busiest month.
At a glance
- Most recent hail report: Jun 27, 2026 — 2" (hen egg), 9.53 mi SW of Ladner.
- Hail was reported on 85 days since 2010 — about 5.0 hail days a year.
- Largest hail on record: 4.25" (grapefruit) on Jul 22, 2011.
- Harding County has more hail reports than 92% of the 66 South Dakota counties we cover.
Search every Harding 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 Harding County storm reports…
Worst storm days in Harding County
| Date | Reports that day | Largest hail | Peak gust |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-07-22 | 16 | 4.25" (grapefruit) | 70 mph |
| 2026-06-07 | 14 | 3.25" (teacup) | 70 mph |
| 2025-06-20 | 13 | 3.6" (teacup) | 84 mph |
| 2013-05-25 | 12 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 60 mph |
| 2015-06-30 | 10 | 2.5" (tennis ball) | 70 mph |
| 2013-09-07 | 10 | 2.5" (tennis ball) | 81 mph |
| 2016-07-31 | 10 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 70 mph |
| 2012-07-16 | 10 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 70 mph |
| 2023-07-11 | 9 | 1.75" (golf ball) | 71 mph |
| 2024-07-13 | 9 | — | 91 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-27 | 2" hen egg | 9.53 mi SW of Ladner | Measured with a ruler along River Rd. Hail of various sizes fell from about 512 PM to 520 PM. |
| 2026-06-27 | 2" hen egg | 5.84 mi W of (2wx)Buffalo | Falling now along Highway 20. Reported via Spotter Network. |
| 2026-06-27 | 2" hen egg | 0 mi N of Ludlow | Photo received via social media. Roof and garden damage reported from the hail. Time estimated based on radar. |
| 2026-06-07 | 2" hen egg | 1.38 mi S of Redig | Easily 2 inch stones with several that appear to be larger was reported at this location. |
| 2026-06-07 | 3.25" teacup | 4.84 mi N of Redig | Storm chaser measured hail report that was measured after some melting took place. |
| 2026-06-07 | 2.5" tennis ball | 6.39 mi NE of Redig | At least tennis ball size hail reported. |
| 2025-06-20 | 3.25" teacup | 7.69 mi NNW of (2wx)Buffalo | Storm chase submitted report of measured hailstones. |
| 2025-06-20 | 2.5" tennis ball | 6.29 mi N of (2wx)Buffalo | Public submitted visual evidence of large hail. |
When does hail hit Harding County?
Across 17 years of records, July produced the most reports (184), followed by the months either side of it. Monthly totals:
| Month | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 0.0% |
| February | 0 | 0.0% |
| March | 0 | 0.0% |
| April | 0 | 0.0% |
| May | 23 | 5.0% |
| June | 152 | 33.0% |
| July | 184 | 39.9% |
| August | 83 | 18.0% |
| September | 19 | 4.1% |
| October | 0 | 0.0% |
| November | 0 | 0.0% |
| December | 0 | 0.0% |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a border with Harding County (U.S. Census county adjacency), where we have storm records:
| County | Storm reports | Largest hail |
|---|---|---|
| Perkins County, SD | 405 | 3" |
| Butte County, SD | 394 | 6" |
See all 66 South Dakota counties →
Common questions about hail in Harding County
- How often does it hail in Harding County?
- Hail was reported on 85 separate days between 2010 and 2026, about 5.0 days a year, with July the busiest month for storm reports. 189 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 46063). 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.