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Hail in Avery County, North Carolina
59 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.
Avery County, North Carolina, has 59 hail events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 24 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 18 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 26 events against 29 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.6% of the 9,900 hail events recorded in North Carolina; its 23.9 per 100 square miles compares with 20.4 statewide.
7 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 2.75 inches (baseball size).
Compared with North Carolina
| Measure | Avery County | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 59 | 9,900 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 23.9 | 20.4 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 33.0 | 9.4 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
4Apr
9May
18Jun
12Jul
8Aug
6Sep
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 59 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Aug 2023 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jul 2023 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jul 2023 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2022 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Mar 2021 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2019 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jul 2014 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 2014 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2012 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2012 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2012 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Apr 2012 | Hail | 2.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Apr 2012 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Apr 2012 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jun 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 2011 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Apr 2011 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2009 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2008 | Hail | 2.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2008 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Aug 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Aug 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jun 2007 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 2006 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 2005 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2005 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 May 2004 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 2003 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 2003 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 2003 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jul 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jul 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 2002 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 2002 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Apr 2000 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1998 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1998 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1998 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Mar 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Sep 1997 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 1997 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Mar 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Mar 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1996 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 1989 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 1985 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 1985 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Dec 1977 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 1971 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Avery County had?
59 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 Avery County?
7 Aug 2023 (Hail, 1.00 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Avery County?
NCEI records no damage estimate for events of this type in the county.
How does Avery County compare with North Carolina for hail?
23.9 events per 100 square miles against 20.4 statewide; the county holds 59 of the state's 9,900 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.