States › Virginia › Nelson County › Hail
Hail in Nelson County, Virginia
46 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.
Nelson County, Virginia, has 46 hail events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 23 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 13 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 37 events against 6 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.7% of the 6,183 hail events recorded in Virginia; its 9.8 per 100 square miles compares with 15.7 statewide.
9 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 2.50 inches (tennis ball size).
Compared with Virginia
| Measure | Nelson County | Virginia | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 46 | 6,183 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 9.8 | 15.7 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 31.1 | 7.2 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 1 | 29 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
1Apr
3May
13Jun
13Jul
5Aug
5Sep
3Oct
0Nov
1Dec
2
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 46 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Apr 2025 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Dec 2024 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Dec 2024 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2024 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 2023 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 2023 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 2023 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Sep 2019 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2018 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2018 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 2018 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2016 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2016 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2016 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 2015 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 2014 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Aug 2013 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Aug 2013 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 2013 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 2013 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2012 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2012 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2012 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2012 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 2011 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 2011 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Sep 2010 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2010 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2009 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2009 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 2009 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Aug 2007 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Aug 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Sep 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 1995 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Nov 1992 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jul 1982 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 1980 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jul 1968 | Hail | 2.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Nelson County had?
46 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 Nelson County?
14 Apr 2025 (Hail, 1.00 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Nelson County?
The hail of 14 Jul 1999, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $5K.
How does Nelson County compare with Virginia for hail?
9.8 events per 100 square miles against 15.7 statewide; the county holds 46 of the state's 6,183 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.