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Hail in Kings County, California
24 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.
Kings County, California, has 24 hail events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 13 different years.
April is the busiest month, with 8 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 7 events against 13 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 2.6% of the 936 hail events recorded in California; its 1.7 per 100 square miles compares with 0.6 statewide.
2 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 2.50 inches (tennis ball size).
Compared with California
| Measure | Kings County | California | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 24 | 936 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 1.7 | 0.6 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 1.6 | 0.2 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 2 | 29 |
| Busiest month | April | March | May |
By year
Seasonality
1Feb
2Mar
5Apr
8May
1Jun
0Jul
0Aug
0Sep
3Oct
3Nov
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 24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Sep 2017 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Apr 2016 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Apr 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | $150K | — | — | County |
| 29 Oct 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Oct 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Sep 2007 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Feb 2007 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Mar 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Sep 2005 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 2005 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 2005 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 2005 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 2005 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Feb 2005 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 2002 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Oct 2000 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | $500K | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | $3.4M | — | — | County |
| 22 Mar 1997 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | $20K | — | — | County |
| 22 Nov 1996 | Hail | 2.50 in | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Mar 1996 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 1980 | Hail | 2.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Mar 1980 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Mar 1964 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jan 1964 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Kings County had?
24 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 Kings County?
11 Sep 2017 (Hail, 0.88 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Kings County?
The hail of 8 Apr 1999, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $0 and crop damage at $3.4M.
How does Kings County compare with California for hail?
1.7 events per 100 square miles against 0.6 statewide; the county holds 24 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.