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Hail in Tulare County, California
29 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 29 hail events in Tulare County, California, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 15 years.
April is the busiest month, with 9 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 9 events against 19 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 3.1% of the 936 hail events recorded in California; its 0.6 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 1.50 inches (ping-pong ball size).
Compared with California
| Measure | Tulare County | California | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 29 | 936 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 0.6 | 0.6 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 0.6 | 0.2 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 2 | 29 |
| Busiest month | April | March | May |
By year
Seasonality
4Feb
1Mar
7Apr
9May
3Jun
2Jul
1Aug
0Sep
1Oct
0Nov
0Dec
1
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 29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Apr 2024 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Sep 2017 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Apr 2016 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jan 2016 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Apr 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | $5.0M | — | — | County |
| 11 Apr 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | $10M | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2009 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2009 | Hail | 1.50 in | $125K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Feb 2007 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Apr 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Apr 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Mar 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Mar 2006 | Hail | 0.33 in | — | $5K | — | — | County |
| 3 Mar 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 2005 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 2004 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 2004 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Dec 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2002 | Hail | — | — | $1.2M | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | $4.0M | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | $2.0M | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1998 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | $11M | — | — | County |
| 28 Mar 1998 | Hail | — | — | $5.0M | — | — | County |
| 20 Jan 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jan 1997 | Hail | 0.33 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Mar 1996 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Mar 1996 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Mar 1996 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jan 1983 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Tulare County had?
29 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 Tulare County?
5 Apr 2024 (Hail, 0.75 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Tulare County?
The hail of 6 Jun 1998, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $0 and crop damage at $11M.
How does Tulare County compare with California for hail?
0.6 events per 100 square miles against 0.6 statewide; the county holds 29 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.