Washington County, Arkansas: hail history 2014–2026
Washington County ranks #3 of 33 Arkansas counties for hail: 163.9 reports per 1,000 square miles, 156 reports in all. Hail reached 1 inch on 36 days and 1.75 inches on 10. Record: 5 inches (a softball), May 4, 2020 near Johnson.
- 156reports
- 36days, 1 in+
- 10days, 1.75 in+
- 5 inlargest stone
Hail since my roof went on: Washington County
Year by year
| Year | Reports | Days 1 in+ | Days 1.75 in+ | Largest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1.25 in |
| 2015 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 2.75 in |
| 2016 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1.25 in |
| 2017 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 1.75 in |
| 2018 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2.75 in |
| 2019 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1.75 in |
| 2020 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 5 in |
| 2021 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 in |
| 2022 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 2.5 in |
| 2023 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 2 in |
| 2024 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 1.5 in |
| 2025 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 1.75 in |
| 2026 (Jan–Jun) | 14 | 2 | 1 | 2.75 in |
2015 was the busiest year (22 reports) and 2021 the quietest (4). 11 reports a year in 2014 to 2019 against 12 in 2020 to 2025: close to flat. 2026 stands at 14 through June, already past the full-year average of 12. Days with 1-inch stones average 2.8 per full year. NOAA puts reported hail damage at $2 million over the period.
Washington County: reports by month
| Jan | 2 |
|---|---|
| Feb | 4 |
| Mar | 38 |
| Apr | 35 |
| May | 37 |
| Jun | 13 |
| Jul | 9 |
| Aug | 11 |
| Sep | 4 |
| Oct | 2 |
| Nov | 0 |
| Dec | 1 |
March is the peak at 24% of reports; May follows with 24%. March to May alone bring 71%. 47 of 156 reports fell outside April to September.
Largest stone: 5 inches
Reported hail locations, Washington County
- 781 to 1.74 in
- 181.75 to 2.74 in, golf ball to tennis ball
- 72.75 in and up, baseball
Largest plotted stone: 5 in. Bigger dots are bigger stones.
103 reports of 1 inch or larger have coordinates. Each dot is a reported location, not a storm path.
Sources: NOAA, Census county outlineWashington County’s ten biggest hail days
| Date | Size | Reports | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2020 | 5 in, a softball | 7 | Johnson |
| April 28, 2026 | 2.75 in, a baseball | 11 | Elm Spgs |
| March 25, 2015 | 2.75 in, a baseball | 8 | Elm Spgs |
| July 20, 2018 | 2.75 in, a baseball | 8 | Elkins |
| April 16, 2022 | 2.5 in, a tennis ball | 3 | Springdale |
| June 14, 2023 | 2 in, a hen egg | 6 | Marrow |
| May 18, 2025 | 1.75 in, a golf ball | 10 | Springdale Muni Arpt |
| March 24, 2015 | 1.75 in, a golf ball | 8 | Springdale |
| August 18, 2017 | 1.75 in, a golf ball | 5 | Elkins |
| March 24, 2019 | 1.75 in, a golf ball | 3 | West Fork |
“Several of these storms developed supercell characteristics due to a very unstable air mass that was in place over the region coupled with strong vertical wind shear. These supercells produced a couple tornadoes, hail up to baseball size, and wind gusts to around 85 mph.”
NWS report, March 25, 2015
“These storms moved southeast across northwestern Arkansas through the early morning hours, and produced large hail up to baseball size and damaging wind.”
NWS report, July 20, 2018
Tornadoes and wind in Washington County
22 tornadoes on record in Washington County; the strongest listed is EF3, 5.2 miles long, near Johnson. Top gust: 86 mph near Tontitown.
| Date | Rating | Path length | Width | Near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 30, 2022 | EF3 | 5.2 mi | 350 yd | Johnson · 0 deaths, 7 injured |
| May 19, 2025 | EF2 | 13.6 mi | 1100 yd | (Fyv)Fayetteville Ar |
| March 23, 2016 | EF2 | 5.8 mi | 800 yd | Odell · 0 deaths, 2 injured |
| May 7, 2024 | EF2 | 5.8 mi | 800 yd | Evansville |
| May 19, 2025 | EF1 | 11.6 mi | 900 yd | Lincoln |
| June 7, 2025 | EF1 | 8 mi | 900 yd | Odell |
| May 19, 2025 | EF1 | 7.4 mi | 1000 yd | Summers |
| November 4, 2022 | EF1 | 6.5 mi | 1000 yd | Sunset |
| Date | Gust | Near |
|---|---|---|
| April 19, 2025 | 86 mph | Tontitown |
| October 20, 2019 | 81 mph | Prairie Grove |
| May 5, 2022 | 81 mph | Fayetteville |
| August 5, 2015 | 75 mph | Baldwin |
| July 9, 2015 | 75 mph | Mayfield |
| March 25, 2015 | 75 mph | Fayetteville |
Homes in Washington County
Median build year in Washington County: 1994. 61.2% of 103,174 homes predate 2000. Houses permitted since 2014: 18,189, or 176.3 per 1,000 homes. Busiest year: 2022.
| pre-1940 | 2.8% |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 1.6% |
| 1950s | 3.5% |
| 1960s | 7.5% |
| 1970s | 12.3% |
| 1980s | 13.6% |
| 1990s | 19.9% |
| 2000s | 21.6% |
| 2010s | 15.4% |
| 2020+ | 1.8% |
| Year | Houses | All units |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 1,026 | 1,131 |
| 2015 | 957 | 1,399 |
| 2016 | 1,151 | 1,523 |
| 2017 | 1,297 | 1,387 |
| 2018 | 1,527 | 1,560 |
| 2019 | 1,473 | 3,017 |
| 2020 | 1,456 | 2,011 |
| 2021 | 1,960 | 2,685 |
| 2022 | 2,002 | 2,165 |
| 2023 | 1,804 | 2,176 |
| 2024 | 1,915 | 3,502 |
| 2025 | 1,621 | 2,632 |
Quick answers
How many hail reports has Washington County had?
NOAA logged 156 hail reports in Washington County, Arkansas, from 2014 to June 2026.
How many days had hail of 1 inch or larger in Washington County?
36 days, including 10 days with hail of 1.75 inches or larger. The National Weather Service calls hail of 1 inch or larger severe.
What was the largest hail reported in Washington County?
5 inches (a softball), reported on May 4, 2020.
Which month has the most hail in Washington County?
March has the most reports, 24% of the 156 in the record.
Does a hail day in the record mean my roof was damaged?
A counted day only means a spotter reported hail somewhere in the area. An inspection is the only way to know whether a roof was hit.
Next steps for Washington County
Washington County cities we cover
- Fayetteville roofers
- Fayetteville roof age
- Fayetteville roof cost
- Springdale roofers
- Springdale roof age
- Springdale roof cost
Next to Washington County in the Arkansas ranking
- Pulaski County (114 reports)
- Sebastian County (91 reports)
- Faulkner County (71 reports)
- Craighead County (66 reports)
Cite this page
Data version: NOAA Storm Events hail data, 2014 to June 2026, loaded October 6, 2026. All dataset versions. Download the table as CSV. Free to quote with credit under CC BY 4.0.
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, public domain. Counts and tables on this page are free to reuse with credit to PickARoofer under CC BY 4.0.