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Hail in Powell County, Montana
65 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.
Powell County, Montana, has 65 hail events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 26 different years.
July is the busiest month, with 33 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 28 events against 35 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.8% of the 8,391 hail events recorded in Montana; its 2.8 per 100 square miles compares with 5.8 statewide.
5 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 2.00 inches (hen egg size).
Compared with Montana
| Measure | Powell County | Montana | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 65 | 8,391 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 2.8 | 5.8 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 92.9 | 76.0 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| Busiest month | July | July | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
0May
5Jun
13Jul
33Aug
13Sep
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 65 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 May 2023 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2022 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jul 2022 | Hail | 1.20 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 2022 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jul 2021 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2019 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2019 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jul 2018 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2017 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2017 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2016 | Hail | 1.00 in | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Aug 2014 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2013 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2013 | Hail | 1.25 in | $3K | $50K | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2013 | Hail | 1.50 in | $13K | $50K | — | — | County |
| 12 Jun 2013 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jun 2013 | Hail | 1.50 in | $6K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2010 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2010 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2010 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jun 2010 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Aug 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Aug 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Aug 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 2008 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 2007 | Hail | 1.75 in | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Aug 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Aug 2003 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Aug 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2002 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jul 2002 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 2002 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 2001 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 2001 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jul 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Sep 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Aug 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Aug 1997 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Aug 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 1997 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 1996 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 1995 | Hail | 0.01 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 1995 | Hail | 0.01 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 1995 | Hail | 0.01 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 1995 | Hail | 0.01 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 1995 | Hail | 0.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 1995 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Aug 1994 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1994 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1994 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Aug 1993 | Hail | 1.00 in | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 1991 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 1988 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jun 1982 | Hail | 2.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jun 1982 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Powell County had?
65 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 Powell County?
22 May 2023 (Hail, 1.00 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Powell County?
The hail of 17 Jul 2013, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $13K and crop damage at $50K.
How does Powell County compare with Montana for hail?
2.8 events per 100 square miles against 5.8 statewide; the county holds 65 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.