Hail events in Palo Alto County, Iowa The hail events on record, by date and by year
This page is a county record of past events and claims. It does not show the flood zone or the risk of an address. For the flood map of an address, use FEMA's address search (opens in a new tab).
NCEI has 125 hail events on record for Palo Alto County, Iowa, from 1955 through 30 Jun 2026.
The newest hail event on record is on 28 Apr 2025.
From 2016 through 2025, NCEI has 26 hail events on record for the county.
The NWS collects event reports from a variety of sources, which include (but are not limited to): county, state, and federal emergency management officials, local law enforcement officials, SKYWARN spotters, NWS damage surveys, newspaper clipping services, the insurance industry, and the general public, among others.
The National Weather Service reports property and crop damage estimates using available data at the time of event reporting. These values should therefore be considered broad estimates. Damage amounts are not adjusted for inflation.
The words of the agency. Source: NOAA NCEI, Storm Events Database, page "Frequently Asked Questions", copied on .
Date of the data: NCEI storm events through . Event types on this page: Hail.
Newest hail events on record
Hail0.88 in, nickel size
1 mile E of EMMETSBURG
Hail1.00 in, quarter size
6 miles N of RUTHVEN
Hail1.75 in, golf ball size
1 mile N of MALLARD
Hail0.88 in, nickel size
1 mile W of CURLEW
Hail1.25 in, half dollar size
At MALLARD
Hail1.00 in, quarter size
1 mile N of MALLARD
Hail1.75 in, golf ball size
2 miles ESE of EMMETSBURG
Hail1.00 in, quarter size
1 mile NE of CYLINDER
Hail3.00 in, tea cup size
2 miles NW of CYLINDER
Hail1.75 in, golf ball size
2 miles NE of CYLINDER
Hail2.50 in, tennis ball size
1 mile SE of EMMETSBURG
Hail1.75 in, golf ball size
1 mile SE of EMMETSBURG
Hail1.00 in, quarter size
1 mile SW of WEST BEND
Hail1.00 in, quarter size
2 miles WSW of OSGOOD
Hail1.00 in, quarter size
8 miles NE of FAIRVILLE
Hail2.50 in, tennis ball size
1 mile SE of MALLARD
Hail1.00 in, quarter size
1 mile E of RUTHVEN
Hail1.75 in, golf ball size
3 miles NNE of RUTHVEN
Hail1.00 in, quarter size
2 miles NNE of RUTHVEN
Hail2.75 in, baseball size
1 mile S of WEST BEND. Damage estimate: $50 thousand
Hail3.00 in, tea cup size
2 miles SE of AYRSHIRE. Damage estimate: $50 thousand
Hail1.25 in, half dollar size
3 miles N of RUTHVEN
Hail1.00 in, quarter size
1 mile NE of RUTHVEN
Hail2.50 in, tennis ball size
3 miles NW of CYLINDER. Damage estimate: $2 thousand
Hail0.88 in, nickel size
1 mile SE of EMMETSBURG
A place is the text of the NCEI record: a distance and a direction from a reference place. The site does not show a place text that names a private property or reads as a person. Hail size is in inches, with the object that NCEI names for that size.
Hail events by year
| Decade | Year that ends in 0 | Year that ends in 1 | Year that ends in 2 | Year that ends in 3 | Year that ends in 4 | Year that ends in 5 | Year that ends in 6 | Year that ends in 7 | Year that ends in 8 | Year that ends in 9 | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 1960s | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1980s | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 1990s | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 12 |
| 2000s | 6 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 43 |
| 2010s | 9 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 39 |
| 2020s | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 (part of the year) | 18 |
A darker cell has a larger count. The number is in each cell.
Hail events are on record from 1955. The year 2026 has the events through 30 Jun 2026 only.
By month, all years
- Jan0 events
- Feb0 events
- Mar1 event
- Apr21 events
- May27 events
- Jun25 events
- Jul20 events
- Aug19 events
- Sep7 events
- Oct5 events
- Nov0 events
- Dec0 events
Magnitudes on record
| Hail size | Size in words | Events |
|---|---|---|
| under 1 in | pea to quarter | 38 |
| 1 to 1.74 in | quarter to golf ball | 48 |
| 1.75 to 2.74 in | golf ball to baseball | 32 |
| 2.75 to 3.99 in | baseball to softball | 7 |
| 4 in and larger | softball and larger | 0 |
When listing hail size under Magnitude, e.g., 2.25 in., the hail size is given in inches and hundredths of inches. These values are assigned a size in inches from their appearance.
An event without a size in the record is not in this table.
Beside the other counties
| Measure | Palo Alto | All counties of Iowa | All counties of the United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events, 1955 to 2026 | 125 | 15,913 | 423,723 |
| Events for each 100 square miles | 22.2 | 28.5 | 12.0 |
| Events for each 10,000 residents | 140.4 | 49.8 | 12.8 |
The columns for the state and the United States total the counties. They count the events of each county in the same way as the county column. A forecast zone with another name than a county counts for the state only.
More hail events on record
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Damage estimate | Deaths | Injuries | On record for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 1.00 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $3 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.75 in | $1 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.25 in | $3 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $3 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.25 in | $13 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $3 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $1 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | $20 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $3 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.50 in | $12 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $3 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | $20 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.25 in | $205 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $6 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $6 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $3 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $3 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.25 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | $25 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.25 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $10 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $6 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $3 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $7 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $7 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | $35 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $8 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $2 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | $15 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.75 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | $10 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $8 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.75 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.75 in | $3 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 2.00 in | $15 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $2 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 2.00 in | $10 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | $10 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 2.75 in | $25 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | $20 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.75 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $4.5 million | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $15 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | $35 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $8 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.75 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $15 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $4 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $6 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $4 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $3 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | $30 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $6 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | $20 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | $7 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | $15 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $6 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.75 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.88 in | $30 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.75 in | $10 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.75 in | $30 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 2.75 in | $150 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 0.75 in | $5 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | $55 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 2.75 in | $65 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 2.75 in | $75 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | $35 thousand | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.50 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.75 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 1.00 in | none | 0 | 0 | County | |
| Hail | 2.00 in | none | 0 | 0 | County |
The table has all other events on record. A damage figure is an estimate in the NCEI record.
Official channels
- NCEI Storm Events Database (opens in a new tab)Search the full NCEI record by state, county and date.
- National Weather Service: Des Moines, IA (opens in a new tab)The forecast office that issues the weather warnings for the county.
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center: Search By Address (opens in a new tab)Search an address to see its flood map. This site has no flood-zone data.
These links open the pages of the agencies. The site checked the links on .
Cite this page
County Hazards. "Hail events on record for Palo Alto County, Iowa". https://countyhazards.com/county/ia/palo-alto/hail/. Data: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database through 30 Jun 2026. Page made on .
Questions
- Which month has the most hail events on record for Palo Alto County?
- May has 27 of the 125 hail events on record from 1955 through 30 Jun 2026.
- How many hail events are on record for Iowa?
- NCEI has 15,950 hail events on record for Iowa from 1955 through 30 Jun 2026. That count has every forecast zone of the state.
- How does Palo Alto County compare with the other counties of Iowa?
- The counties of Iowa have 28.5 hail events for each 100 square miles. Palo Alto County has 22.2.
- How large is the hail on record for Palo Alto County?
- 39 hail events have a size of 1.75 inches or more. NCEI names 1.75 inches a golf ball.