Pennington County, South Dakota: hail history 2014–2026
Pennington County ranks #1 of 56 South Dakota counties for hail: 267.6 reports per 1,000 square miles, 745 reports in all. Of 158 days at 1 inch or more, 83 topped 1.75. Record: 4.5 inches (a softball), August 8, 2020 near Pactola Reservoir.
- 745reports
- 158days, 1 in+
- 83days, 1.75 in+
- 4.5 inlargest stone
Hail since my roof went on: Pennington County
Year by year
| Year | Reports | Days 1 in+ | Days 1.75 in+ | Largest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 41 | 11 | 5 | 3 in |
| 2015 | 61 | 15 | 8 | 3.5 in |
| 2016 | 70 | 18 | 12 | 2.75 in |
| 2017 | 31 | 7 | 2 | 1.75 in |
| 2018 | 74 | 14 | 9 | 2.75 in |
| 2019 | 77 | 13 | 8 | 2.25 in |
| 2020 | 120 | 18 | 10 | 4.5 in |
| 2021 | 41 | 10 | 7 | 4.5 in |
| 2022 | 37 | 13 | 6 | 4.5 in |
| 2023 | 115 | 20 | 8 | 3.25 in |
| 2024 | 47 | 10 | 5 | 2.25 in |
| 2025 | 19 | 7 | 2 | 1.75 in |
| 2026 (Jan–Jun) | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1.75 in |
2020 was the busiest year (120 reports) and 2025 the quietest (19). 59 reports a year in 2014 to 2019 against 63 in 2020 to 2025: close to flat. 2026 stands at 12 through June, against a full-year average of 61. Days with 1-inch stones average 13 per full year. NOAA puts reported hail damage at $2 million over the period.
Pennington County: reports by month
| Jan | 0 |
|---|---|
| Feb | 0 |
| Mar | 0 |
| Apr | 10 |
| May | 73 |
| Jun | 242 |
| Jul | 288 |
| Aug | 107 |
| Sep | 22 |
| Oct | 3 |
| Nov | 0 |
| Dec | 0 |
July dominates the calendar: 288 of 745 reports, 39%. June to August alone bring 86%. 3 of 745 reports fell outside April to September.
Largest stone: 4.5 inches
Reported hail locations, Pennington County
- 01 to 1.74 in
- 1121.75 to 2.74 in, golf ball to tennis ball
- 282.75 in and up, baseball
Largest plotted stone: 4.5 in. Bigger dots are bigger stones.
605 reports of 1 inch or larger have coordinates; the map shows the 140 largest. Each dot is a reported location, not a storm path.
Sources: NOAA, Census county outlinePennington County’s ten biggest hail days
| Date | Size | Reports | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 8, 2020 | 4.5 in, a softball | 9 | Pactola Reservoir |
| August 26, 2021 | 4.5 in, a softball | 7 | Deerfield |
| June 12, 2022 | 4.5 in, a softball | 2 | Creighton |
| July 27, 2015 | 3.5 in, a teacup | 6 | Hill City |
| July 10, 2020 | 3.25 in, a teacup | 22 | Rapid City |
| July 30, 2023 | 3.25 in, a teacup | 12 | Sheridan Lake |
| June 16, 2014 | 3 in, a teacup | 11 | Rockerville · $1 million damage |
| July 6, 2020 | 2.75 in, a baseball | 15 | Johnson Siding |
| June 8, 2018 | 2.75 in, a baseball | 12 | Hisega |
| July 3, 2023 | 2.75 in, a baseball | 12 | Rockerville |
“A long-lived supercell thunderstorm took a similar track to a storm the previous day and caused considerable damage along its track from southern Butte County to southern Meade County, northeastern Pennington County, and Haakon County.”
NWS report, June 12, 2022
“The storm initially produced very large hail over the central Black Hills and then strong wind gusts as it began to weaken over the Rapid City area.”
NWS report, July 27, 2015
Tornadoes and wind in Pennington County
5 tornadoes on record in Pennington County; the strongest listed is EF2, 7.42 miles long, near Hayward. Top gust: 86 mph near Wall.
| Date | Rating | Path length | Width | Near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 13, 2016 | EF2 | 7.42 mi | 200 yd | Hayward |
| May 27, 2014 | EF1 | 2.16 mi | 300 yd | Silver City |
| July 4, 2019 | EF1 | 1.66 mi | 250 yd | Deerfield |
| July 4, 2019 | EF1 | 1.22 mi | 200 yd | Deerfield |
| July 4, 2019 | EF1 | 0.3 mi | 200 yd | Rochford |
| Date | Gust | Near |
|---|---|---|
| June 14, 2014 | 86 mph | Wall |
| August 8, 2016 | 83 mph | (Rap)Rapid City Arpt |
| June 19, 2015 | 82 mph | Wasta |
| August 9, 2016 | 81 mph | Hisega |
| July 6, 2016 | 81 mph | Creighton |
| July 10, 2020 | 81 mph | Farmingdale |
Homes in Pennington County
Median build year in Pennington County: 1982. 71.2% of 50,655 homes predate 2000. Houses permitted since 2014: 4,766, or 94.1 per 1,000 homes. Busiest year: 2021.
| pre-1940 | 6.6% |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 2.9% |
| 1950s | 12.8% |
| 1960s | 7.7% |
| 1970s | 18.2% |
| 1980s | 11.2% |
| 1990s | 11.9% |
| 2000s | 15.7% |
| 2010s | 11.4% |
| 2020+ | 1.7% |
| Year | Houses | All units |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 342 | 464 |
| 2015 | 344 | 554 |
| 2016 | 303 | 718 |
| 2017 | 381 | 560 |
| 2018 | 334 | 622 |
| 2019 | 354 | 605 |
| 2020 | 459 | 1,170 |
| 2021 | 509 | 1,387 |
| 2022 | 442 | 1,453 |
| 2023 | 386 | 1,428 |
| 2024 | 447 | 1,183 |
| 2025 | 465 | 563 |
Quick answers
How many hail reports has Pennington County had?
NOAA logged 745 hail reports in Pennington County, South Dakota, from 2014 to June 2026.
How many days had hail of 1 inch or larger in Pennington County?
158 days, including 83 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 Pennington County?
4.5 inches (a softball), reported on August 8, 2020.
Which month has the most hail in Pennington County?
July has the most reports, 39% of the 745 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 Pennington County
Pennington County cities we cover
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.