States › Montana › Petroleum County › Hail
Hail in Petroleum County, Montana
115 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.
Petroleum County, Montana, has 115 hail events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 29 different years.
July is the busiest month, with 47 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 61 events against 52 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.4% of the 8,391 hail events recorded in Montana; its 6.9 per 100 square miles compares with 5.8 statewide.
23 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 3.50 inches (tea cup size).
Compared with Montana
| Measure | Petroleum County | Montana | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 115 | 8,391 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 6.9 | 5.8 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 2,215.8 | 76.0 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| Busiest month | July | July | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
2May
3Jun
44Jul
47Aug
18Sep
1Oct
0Nov
0Dec
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 115 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jul 2025 | Hail | 2.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2025 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 2025 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 2025 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 2025 | Hail | 3.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 2025 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 2025 | Hail | 2.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 2025 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jul 2023 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2022 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 2022 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Aug 2021 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Aug 2021 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Aug 2021 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jun 2021 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 2020 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2020 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Aug 2019 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Aug 2019 | Hail | 3.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Aug 2019 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 2019 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 2019 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jun 2018 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 2018 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 2018 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2017 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2017 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 2017 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Apr 2017 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2016 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2016 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2016 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jun 2016 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jun 2016 | Hail | 2.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2016 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2016 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2016 | Hail | 2.00 in | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2013 | Hail | 2.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2013 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 2013 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 2013 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jul 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2012 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jul 2011 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jul 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jul 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jun 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 2010 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jul 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2008 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2008 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Sep 2007 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2007 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2007 | Hail | 2.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2007 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 2007 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2005 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jun 2005 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jun 2005 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2005 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 2005 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 2005 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 2004 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Aug 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jul 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 2003 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2003 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jul 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jul 2002 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jul 2002 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 2002 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jun 2001 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2000 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2000 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2000 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2000 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2000 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2000 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2000 | Hail | 3.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jul 2000 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 2000 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 2000 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 2000 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 2000 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2000 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2000 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2000 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2000 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 2000 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 1999 | Hail | 2.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 1999 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 1998 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 1997 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 1995 | Hail | 0.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 1995 | Hail | 0.01 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1994 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | $5K | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1994 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jul 1992 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jul 1992 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 1976 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jun 1963 | Hail | 3.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Petroleum County had?
115 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 Petroleum County?
17 Jul 2025 (Hail, 1.75 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Petroleum County?
The hail of 9 Jun 2016, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $500K.
How does Petroleum County compare with Montana for hail?
6.9 events per 100 square miles against 5.8 statewide; the county holds 115 of the state's 8,391 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.