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Hail in Alameda County, California
20 hail events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Hail.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
NCEI records 20 hail events in Alameda County, California, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 7 years.
March is the busiest month, with 9 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 19 events against 1 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 2.1% of the 936 hail events recorded in California; its 2.7 per 100 square miles compares with 0.6 statewide.
0 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 0.75 inches (penny size).
Compared with California
| Measure | Alameda County | California | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 20 | 936 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 2.7 | 0.6 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.2 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 2 | 29 |
| Busiest month | March | March | May |
By year
Seasonality
5Feb
1Mar
9Apr
4May
0Jun
0Jul
0Aug
0Sep
0Oct
0Nov
1Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
NWS hail-size descriptors
- under 1 in
- pea to quarter
- 1–1.74 in
- quarter to golf ball
- 1.75–2.74 in
- golf ball to baseball
- 2.75–3.99 in
- baseball to softball
- 4 in and larger
- softball and larger
Hail size in inches as recorded by NCEI; events without a size are not binned.
Recorded events
All 20 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Mar 2024 | Hail | 0.25 in | $10 | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Mar 2021 | Hail | 0.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Mar 2020 | Hail | 0.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jan 2020 | Hail | 0.13 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Nov 2019 | Hail | 0.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jan 2019 | Hail | 0.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 2018 | Hail | 0.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 2018 | Hail | 0.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 2018 | Hail | 0.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 2018 | Hail | 0.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Mar 2018 | Hail | 0.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Mar 2018 | Hail | 0.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Mar 2018 | Hail | 0.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Mar 2018 | Hail | 0.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Mar 2018 | Hail | 0.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Mar 2018 | Hail | 0.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jan 2018 | Hail | 0.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jan 2017 | Hail | 0.25 in | $10 | $10 | — | — | County |
| 19 Jan 2017 | Hail | 0.25 in | $5.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Feb 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Alameda County had?
20 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of hail became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded hail event in Alameda County?
30 Mar 2024 (Hail, 0.25 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Alameda County?
The hail of 19 Jan 2017, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $5.0M.
How does Alameda County compare with California for hail?
2.7 events per 100 square miles against 0.6 statewide; the county holds 20 of the state's 936 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Hail hub and the county page.