The Stretch of America Where Hailstorms Are a Way of Life

By Evan Comen  •  June 17, 2026
a group of ice cubes sitting on top of a lush green field
Photo by Champers Fu on Unsplash

Each spring and summer, hailstorms pound large swaths of the United States, causing billions in damage to cars, rooftops, and crops. But not all parts of the country are hit equally. A zone nicknamed “hail alley” stretching from eastern Colorado through western Kansas, Nebraska, and into parts of Texas and Oklahoma experiences more hailstorms than anywhere else in the nation. In some of these areas, hail falls 7 to 9 days a year on average, far above the national norm.

The geography and climate of the Great Plains make the region particularly vulnerable. When warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico clashes with cold, dry air from the Rockies, it creates the ideal conditions for strong updrafts that can support large hailstones. While dozens of counties in the Northwest and Mid-Atlantic have experienced fewer than 10 hailstorms in the last 75 years, several counties in hail alley have experienced more than 1,000 storms. A closer look at historical data reveals the counties where hail falls most often.

To determine the counties where hail is most common, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed data on historical hail storms from the NOAA. Counties were ranked based on the number of recorded hail storms within their borders from 1950 to 2024. The severity of hailstorms are based on the magnitude, or width, in inches, of recorded hail stones.

Aerial view of Tulsa cityscape with prominent ONEOK Building at twilight.
Photo by Matt Reinke on Pexels

10. Tulsa County, OK

  • No. hail events, 1950-2024: 955 storms
  • Worst hail event, 1950-2024: May 10, 1963 storm (4.5-inch stones)
  • Total population: 673,708
  • County seat: Tulsa

9. Yuma County, CO

  • No. hail events, 1950-2024: 1,030 storms
  • Worst hail event, 1950-2024: August 8, 2023 storm (5.3-inch stones)
  • Total population: 9,921
  • County seat: Wray

8. Laramie County, WY

  • No. hail events, 1950-2024: 1,046 storms
  • Worst hail event, 1950-2024: June 8, 1968 storm (5.0-inch stones)
  • Total population: 100,661
  • County seat: Cheyenne

7. Lincoln County, NE

  • No. hail events, 1950-2024: 1,059 storms
  • Worst hail event, 1950-2024: June 13, 1996 storm (4.5-inch stones)
  • Total population: 34,122
  • County seat: North Platte

6. Weld County, CO

  • No. hail events, 1950-2024: 1,080 storms
  • Worst hail event, 1950-2024: June 4, 1983 storm (4.5-inch stones)
  • Total population: 340,711
  • County seat: Greeley

5. Oklahoma County, OK

  • No. hail events, 1950-2024: 1,153 storms
  • Worst hail event, 1950-2024: May 16, 1960 storm (5.0-inch stones)
  • Total population: 800,487
  • County seat: Oklahoma City

4. Tarrant County, TX

  • No. hail events, 1950-2024: 1,234 storms
  • Worst hail event, 1950-2024: June 12, 2023 storm (5.0-inch stones)
  • Total population: 2,135,743
  • County seat: Fort Worth

3. Sedgwick County, KS

  • No. hail events, 1950-2024: 1,303 storms
  • Worst hail event, 1950-2024: September 15, 2010 storm (7.8-inch stones)
  • Total population: 524,810
  • County seat: Wichita

2. Pennington County, SD

  • No. hail events, 1950-2024: 1,559 storms
  • Worst hail event, 1950-2024: August 8, 2020 storm (4.5-inch stones)
  • Total population: 112,081
  • County seat: Rapid City

1. El Paso County, CO

  • No. hail events, 1950-2024: 1,794 storms
  • Worst hail event, 1950-2024: August 9, 2004 storm (4.5-inch stones)
  • Total population: 736,008
  • County seat: Colorado Springs


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