How often does hail hit the Piedmont Triad?

Hail in the Triad is concentrated in spring. From 2006 through 2025, 305 of the 413 hail reports in these five counties came in April, May and June. The busiest single day was May 14, 2006, with 21 reports.

The totals

Short answer: NOAA's Storm Events Database has 413 hail reports for Guilford, Forsyth, Alamance, Rockingham and Randolph counties from 2006 through 2025. Of those, 238 were 1 inch (quarter size) or larger, 32 were golf ball size or larger and 6 reached 2 inches.

The same five counties logged 1474 thunderstorm wind reports and 23 tornado records in that period. For many Triad homes, straight-line wind from summer downbursts damages more roofs than hail does.

Reports by county

Report counts reflect where people saw and reported hail as well as where it fell. Guilford has the largest population of the five, and rural areas may be under-reported.

Hail season in the Triad

Short answer: April through June, peaking in May (135 reports from 2006 to 2025). The Triad has had no hail reports in December, January or February in that period, while March hail does happen, as March 16, 2025 showed with 14 reports and 2-inch hail in Guilford County.

0Jan

0Feb

33Mar

69Apr

135May

101Jun

23Jul

29Aug

21Sep

2Oct

0Nov

0Dec

The largest hail on record here

Top ten hail sizes reported in the five counties since 2006:

The biggest hail days

Notable days: May 14, 2006 (21 reports), March 16, 2025 (14 reports, including 2-inch hail at three Guilford County locations) and May 31, 2019 (11 reports).

Year by year

The Triad's count ranged from 81 reports in 2006 to a single report in 2020. A quiet spring is no guarantee for the next one.

Tornadoes and wind

Most Triad tornadoes are brief, but a few have been strong.

EF2 and stronger tornadoes recorded in these counties since 2006:

• May 8, 2008: EF3 in Forsyth County, near Clemmons Station
• May 8, 2008: EF2 in Forsyth County, near Clemmons Station
• May 8, 2008: EF2 in Guilford County, near Deep River
• March 28, 2010: EF3 in Guilford County, near High Point
• April 15, 2018: EF2 in Guilford County, near Greensboro

See tornado damage and ice dams and winter damage.

Storms since 2025

NOAA publishes final Storm Events data months after the fact. For recent storms, the Storm Center lists preliminary Storm Prediction Center reports for the five counties, refreshed every 15 minutes, starting January 2025.

Checking whether hail hit your address

1. Find the date in the Storm Center log or the NOAA Storm Events Database.
2. Look at the soft metal on your house (see how to check a Triad roof for hail).
3. Ask neighbors and look at cars that were parked outside.
4. If you see signs, schedule an inspection with a licensed roofer or the adjuster.

Insurers may check your address against hail-mapping data. If that data disagrees with what you saw, send your dated photos of hailstones and dents.

Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, bulk details files 2006–2025, county-level hail, thunderstorm wind and tornado events for Guilford, Forsyth, Alamance, Rockingham and Randolph counties, downloaded October 29, 2026. Each report is one observation; one storm often produces several, and hail no one reports is not counted.

How to read storm reports

Each NOAA report is a point where someone saw hail or damage, but storms are wider than their reports. A report a few miles away may mean hail hit your street too. Storm Prediction Center reports appear within hours and are preliminary; the NOAA Storm Events Database is finalized months later and is what this page uses for history. Use the Storm Center for recent storms.