Hail history for Edmunds County, SD

Edmunds County has 289 recorded hail events in the NOAA Storm Events Database — 185 of them 1″ or larger and 21 at 2″ or larger. The largest on record: 4.5″ (grapefruit) on August 5, 1987.

Records 1950–present Data through April 2026 Peak month August

Core sample · every recorded event, 1955–2026

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.

Recorded events 289 since 1960

1″ or larger 185 NWS severe threshold

2″ or larger 21 hen egg class and up

Largest recorded 4.5″ grapefruit · August 5, 1987

Read the record honestly: Storm Events contains what was reported to the National Weather Service. Sparse or rural counties under-report, and coverage improved sharply after the mid-1990s — a quiet-looking stretch is not proof nothing fell.

When it hails in Edmunds County

Recorded events by month, 1950–present. The amber bar marks Edmunds County's peak: August.

Most recent recorded events

Latest 8 of 289 recorded events · data through April 2026
Date	Size	Comparable to
August 5, 2025	1.75″	Golf ball
August 5, 2025	1.0″	Quarter
August 5, 2025	2.75″	Baseball
August 5, 2025	1.0″	Quarter
July 28, 2025	1.5″	Ping-pong ball
July 28, 2025	1.0″	Quarter
July 21, 2025	1.0″	Quarter
June 19, 2025	1.0″	Quarter

Looking for a specific storm? Use the did-it-hail date lookup for Edmunds County.

From the storm reports

Narratives as filed with the NOAA Storm Events Database (public records; lightly trimmed for length).

July 21, 2022 · 1.0″ (quarter)

Quarter-size hail nearly covered the ground.

August 28, 2021 · 2.5″ (tennis ball)

A hail swath determined by high resolution satellite imagery along with surface reports occurred from Edmunds County east across southern Brown into Day Counties. The largest hail size was baseball size. The scar dimensions covered approximately 70 square miles in Edmunds County.

August 28, 2021 · 2.5″ (tennis ball)

Several house windows were broken by tennis ball size hail.

Events by decade

1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
0	2	5	13	40	106	86	37

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 Edmunds County

Has it ever hailed in Edmunds County?

Yes — 289 hail events have been recorded for Edmunds County, SD in the NOAA Storm Events Database since 1960, including 185 of 1″ (quarter size) or larger.

When did it last hail in Edmunds County?

The most recent recorded hail event for Edmunds County, SD is August 5, 2025, with 1.75″ (golf 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 Edmunds County?

4.5″ (grapefruit), recorded on August 5, 1987. 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

All 66 South Dakota counties, ranked by recorded hail →

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.