McLennan County, Texas: hail history 2014–2026
McLennan County ranks #33 of 174 Texas counties for hail: 129.2 reports per 1,000 square miles, 137 reports in all. Hail reached 1 inch on 38 days and 1.75 inches on 15. Record: 4.5 inches (a softball), April 26, 2023 near Waco.
- 137reports
- 38days, 1 in+
- 15days, 1.75 in+
- 4.5 inlargest stone
Hail since my roof went on: McLennan County
Year by year
| Year | Reports | Days 1 in+ | Days 1.75 in+ | Largest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1.75 in |
| 2015 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 in |
| 2016 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1.75 in |
| 2017 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 2.5 in |
| 2018 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 3 in |
| 2019 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 in |
| 2020 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 1.75 in |
| 2021 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 2 in |
| 2022 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 in |
| 2023 | 23 | 5 | 3 | 4.5 in |
| 2024 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 1.25 in |
| 2025 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 1.75 in |
| 2026 (Jan–Jun) | 12 | 3 | 1 | 3 in |
2023 was the busiest year (23 reports) and 2015 the quietest (2). McLennan County averaged 12 reports a year from 2020 to 2025, 45% above the 8 of 2014 to 2019. 2026 stands at 12 through June, already past the full-year average of 10. Days with 1-inch stones average 2.9 per full year. NOAA puts reported hail damage at $8 million over the period.
McLennan County: reports by month
| Jan | 0 |
|---|---|
| Feb | 0 |
| Mar | 9 |
| Apr | 65 |
| May | 37 |
| Jun | 13 |
| Jul | 0 |
| Aug | 0 |
| Sep | 1 |
| Oct | 5 |
| Nov | 2 |
| Dec | 5 |
April dominates the calendar: 65 of 137 reports, 47%. April to June alone bring 84%. 21 of 137 reports fell outside April to September.
Largest stone: 4.5 inches
Reported hail locations, McLennan County
- 711 to 1.74 in
- 241.75 to 2.74 in, golf ball to tennis ball
- 102.75 in and up, baseball
Largest plotted stone: 4.5 in. Bigger dots are bigger stones.
105 reports of 1 inch or larger have coordinates. Each dot is a reported location, not a storm path.
Sources: NOAA, Census county outlineMcLennan County’s ten biggest hail days
| Date | Size | Reports | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 26, 2023 | 4.5 in, a softball | 10 | Waco · $7 million damage |
| June 16, 2023 | 3.5 in, a teacup | 7 | Lorena |
| April 28, 2026 | 3 in, a teacup | 9 | West |
| April 6, 2018 | 3 in, a teacup | 1 | Mcgregor |
| April 10, 2017 | 2.5 in, a tennis ball | 3 | Mart |
| April 13, 2018 | 2 in, a hen egg | 14 | Waco |
| April 8, 2021 | 2 in, a hen egg | 7 | Mcgregor Afb |
| May 27, 2020 | 1.75 in, a golf ball | 6 | Northcrest |
| October 2, 2014 | 1.75 in, a golf ball | 5 | East Waco |
| March 17, 2018 | 1.75 in, a golf ball | 5 | Spring Vly |
“A storm chaser reported 3 inch hail on Cottonwood near North Czech Hall Road.”
NWS report, April 28, 2026
“A TV meteorologist submitted a photograph of 3 inch hail, which occurred along Highway 317 between the cities of Crawford and McGregor, TX.”
NWS report, April 6, 2018
Tornadoes and wind in McLennan County
10 tornadoes on record in McLennan County; the strongest listed is EF2, 3.68 miles long, near Tours. Top gust: 81 mph near Lorena.
| Date | Rating | Path length | Width | Near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 26, 2024 | EF2 | 3.68 mi | 165 yd | Tours |
| April 26, 2024 | EF1 | 0.88 mi | 100 yd | Erath |
| May 23, 2024 | EF1 | 0.5 mi | 150 yd | Bruceville-Eddy · 0 deaths, 2 injured |
| January 28, 2020 | EF0 | 1.74 mi | 10 yd | Ross |
| April 10, 2017 | EF0 | 0.72 mi | 80 yd | Battle |
| April 26, 2024 | EF0 | 0.18 mi | 15 yd | Tours |
| April 26, 2024 | EF0 | 0.15 mi | 30 yd | Erath |
| June 11, 2025 | EF0 | 0.08 mi | 40 yd | Gholson |
| Date | Gust | Near |
|---|---|---|
| April 8, 2021 | 81 mph | Lorena |
| May 10, 2016 | 75 mph | (Act)Madison-Cooper |
| June 10, 2023 | 75 mph | Bruceville-Eddy |
| June 12, 2016 | 72 mph | Waco Madison Cooper |
| March 4, 2025 | 72 mph | (Act)Madison-Cooper |
| April 12, 2020 | 70 mph | Riesel |
Homes in McLennan County
Median build year in McLennan County: 1982. 73.4% of 107,194 homes predate 2000. Houses permitted since 2014: 9,348, or 87.2 per 1,000 homes. Busiest year: 2021.
| pre-1940 | 4.8% |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 4.1% |
| 1950s | 12.4% |
| 1960s | 11.3% |
| 1970s | 15.2% |
| 1980s | 14.5% |
| 1990s | 11.2% |
| 2000s | 11.7% |
| 2010s | 13.6% |
| 2020+ | 1.3% |
| Year | Houses | All units |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 604 | 1,468 |
| 2015 | 587 | 1,502 |
| 2016 | 637 | 1,762 |
| 2017 | 767 | 1,006 |
| 2018 | 760 | 846 |
| 2019 | 863 | 1,209 |
| 2020 | 958 | 1,201 |
| 2021 | 973 | 1,097 |
| 2022 | 950 | 1,389 |
| 2023 | 735 | 1,750 |
| 2024 | 744 | 1,046 |
| 2025 | 770 | 1,442 |
Quick answers
How many hail reports has McLennan County had?
NOAA logged 137 hail reports in McLennan County, Texas, from 2014 to June 2026.
How many days had hail of 1 inch or larger in McLennan County?
38 days, including 15 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 McLennan County?
4.5 inches (a softball), reported on April 26, 2023.
Which month has the most hail in McLennan County?
April has the most reports, 47% of the 137 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 McLennan County
McLennan County cities we cover
Next to McLennan County in the Texas ranking
- Taylor County (158 reports)
- Bell County (145 reports)
- Smith County (131 reports)
- Lubbock County (124 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.