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Hail in Chelan County, Washington
22 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.
NCEI records 22 hail events in Chelan County, Washington, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 10 years.
July is the busiest month, with 9 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 6 events against 13 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 5.6% of the 395 hail events recorded in Washington; its 0.8 per 100 square miles compares with 0.6 statewide.
2 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 Washington
| Measure | Chelan County | Washington | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 22 | 395 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 0.8 | 0.6 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 2.8 | 0.5 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 1 | 29 |
| Busiest month | July | July | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
0May
6Jun
5Jul
9Aug
2Sep
0Oct
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 22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 May 2023 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2015 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2015 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2015 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2015 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 2010 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 2006 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | $4.2M | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | $4.2M | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | $4.2M | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | $4.2M | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 2006 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | $4.2M | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 1997 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 1997 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | $500K | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 1995 | Hail | 2.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 1994 | Hail | 0.00 in | — | $50M | — | — | County |
| 6 Aug 1991 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 1975 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 1975 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Aug 1963 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Chelan County had?
22 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 Chelan County?
20 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 Chelan County?
The hail of 16 May 1994, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $0 and crop damage at $50M.
How does Chelan County compare with Washington for hail?
0.8 events per 100 square miles against 0.6 statewide; the county holds 22 of the state's 395 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.