HailHistory › Hail by county › South Dakota › Day County
South Dakota · county FIPS 46037
Hail history for Day County, SD
Day County has 207 recorded hail events in the NOAA Storm Events Database — 126 of them 1″ or larger and 17 at 2″ or larger. The largest on record: 4.0″ (softball) on July 1, 1969.
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 Day County
Recorded events by month, 1950–present. The amber bar marks Day County's peak: June.
Most recent recorded events
| Date | Size | Comparable to |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5″ | Ping-pong ball | |
| 1.5″ | Ping-pong ball | |
| 0.88″ | Nickel | |
| 1.0″ | Quarter | |
| 1.0″ | Quarter | |
| 1.25″ | Half dollar | |
| 1.0″ | Quarter | |
| 1.0″ | Quarter |
Looking for a specific storm? Use the did-it-hail date lookup for Day County.
From the storm reports
Narratives as filed with the NOAA Storm Events Database (public records; lightly trimmed for length).
· 1.5″ (ping-pong ball)
Hail up to ping pong ball size along with wind caused significant crop damage, stripped leaves from trees, and damaged shingles.
· 2.5″ (tennis ball)
A satellite depicted hail swath from a severe thunderstorm that started in Edmunds County across southern Brown County entered Day County continuing its crop damage. The storm weakened as it moved into Roberts County. The scar dimensions covered approximately 60 square miles in Day County.
· 2.75″ (baseball)
Golfball to baseball size hail broke many windows, damaged siding, roofs, and several vehicles in and near Roslyn.
Events by decade
| 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 40 | 73 | 47 | 28 |
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 Day County
Has it ever hailed in Day County?
Yes — 207 hail events have been recorded for Day County, SD in the NOAA Storm Events Database since 1961, including 126 of 1″ (quarter size) or larger.
When did it last hail in Day County?
The most recent recorded hail event for Day County, SD is August 14, 2025, with 1.5″ (ping-pong ball) 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 Day County?
4.0″ (softball), recorded on July 1, 1969. Hail that size is destructive-class and typically damages roofs, vehicles, and siding. 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 South Dakota hail history
- Pennington County 1,614
- Meade County 871
- Custer County 682
- Lawrence County 533
- Minnehaha County 494
- Brown County 437
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.