HailHistory › Hail by county › California › Orange County
California · county FIPS 06059
Hail history for Orange County, CA
Orange County has 13 recorded hail events in the NOAA Storm Events Database — 6 of them 1″ or larger and 1 at 2″ or larger. The largest on record: 2.0″ (hen egg) on January 31, 1979.
Mark size = measured hail diameter; slivers are events with no recorded size. Amber ≥2″, red ≥2.75″ (baseball class). Denser recent decades partly reflect better reporting, not only more storms.
When it hails in Orange County
Recorded events by month, 1950–present. The amber bar marks Orange County's peak: March.
Most recent recorded events
| Date | Size | Comparable to |
|---|---|---|
| 0.7″ | Penny | |
| 0.25″ | Pea | |
| 0.5″ | Mothball | |
| 1.0″ | Quarter | |
| 0.75″ | Penny | |
| 1.0″ | Quarter | |
| 0.75″ | Penny | |
| 1.0″ | Quarter |
Looking for a specific storm? Use the did-it-hail date lookup for Orange County.
From the storm reports
Narratives as filed with the NOAA Storm Events Database (public records; lightly trimmed for length).
· 0.25″ (pea)
CalTrans reported accidents on Highway 241 northbound due to hail on the road.
· 1.0″ (quarter)
Two reports of quarter-sized hail in Dana Point around 0600 PST. Quarter-sized hail was also reported in Costa Mesa and two others of one-inch hail in Anaheim between about 0900 and 0930 PST on the 10th.
· 0.75″ (penny)
A high precipitation supercell moving at approximately 45 mph through northern Orange County dropped 3/4 inch hail in Yorba Linda. The storm left the San Diego CWA and later dropped even larger hail near Pasadena.
Events by decade
| 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
The climb across decades is largely a reporting story: spotter networks, radar, and digital filing pulled far more storms into the record after the 1990s.
Questions about hail in Orange County
Has it ever hailed in Orange County?
Yes — 13 hail events have been recorded for Orange County, CA in the NOAA Storm Events Database since 1979, including 6 of 1″ (quarter size) or larger.
When did it last hail in Orange County?
The most recent recorded hail event for Orange County, CA is March 20, 2019, with 0.7″ (penny) hail. The database is currently updated through April 2026, so a storm from the last few weeks may not appear yet. To check a specific day, use the did-it-hail date lookup.
What is the largest hail ever recorded in Orange County?
2.0″ (hen egg), recorded on January 31, 1979. Hail that size meets or exceeds the National Weather Service severe threshold. See how big that really is on the actual-size hail chart.
Does a recorded hail event mean my roof was damaged?
No. This page reports storm records, not damage. Hail size and damage vary block by block within a county, and only an inspection can establish what happened to a specific roof. If you suspect damage, talk to your insurer or a licensed roofer — they can pull the same NOAA records for your claim.
More California hail history
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, public domain, updated monthly by NCEI — this site's copy runs through April 2026. HailHistory reports records; it does not give insurance advice or assess damage.