La Crosse County, Wisconsin: hail history 2014–2026
La Crosse County ranks #4 of 50 Wisconsin counties for hail: 160.4 reports per 1,000 square miles, 77 reports in all. Hail reached 1 inch on 18 days and 1.75 inches on 5. Record: 4 inches (a grapefruit), July 28, 2023 near Neshbonoc Lake.
- 77reports
- 18days, 1 in+
- 5days, 1.75 in+
- 4 inlargest stone
Hail since my roof went on: La Crosse County
Year by year
| Year | Reports | Days 1 in+ | Days 1.75 in+ | Largest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 in |
| 2015 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1.5 in |
| 2017 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1.75 in |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.75 in |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.75 in |
| 2020 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 2.5 in |
| 2021 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 1.5 in |
| 2022 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1.75 in |
| 2023 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 4 in |
| 2024 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 in |
| 2026 (Jan–Jun) | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1.5 in |
2023 was the busiest year (16 reports) and 2016 the quietest (0). La Crosse County averaged 9 reports a year from 2020 to 2025, 179% above the 3 of 2014 to 2019. 2026 stands at 5 through June, against a full-year average of 6. Days with 1-inch stones average 1.3 per full year. NOAA puts reported hail damage at $49 million over the period.
La Crosse County: reports by month
| Jan | 0 |
|---|---|
| Feb | 0 |
| Mar | 3 |
| Apr | 7 |
| May | 12 |
| Jun | 12 |
| Jul | 30 |
| Aug | 9 |
| Sep | 2 |
| Oct | 1 |
| Nov | 0 |
| Dec | 1 |
July dominates the calendar: 30 of 77 reports, 39%. May to July alone bring 70%. 5 of 77 reports fell outside April to September.
Largest stone: 4 inches
Reported hail locations, La Crosse County
- 361 to 1.74 in
- 111.75 to 2.74 in, golf ball to tennis ball
- 52.75 in and up, baseball
Largest plotted stone: 4 in. Bigger dots are bigger stones.
52 reports of 1 inch or larger have coordinates. Each dot is a reported location, not a storm path.
Sources: NOAA, Census county outlineLa Crosse County’s ten biggest hail days
| Date | Size | Reports | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 28, 2023 | 4 in, a grapefruit | 13 | Neshbonoc Lake |
| June 2, 2020 | 2.5 in, a tennis ball | 3 | New Amsterdam · $48 million damage |
| September 21, 2024 | 2 in, a hen egg | 1 | Holmen |
| May 19, 2022 | 1.75 in, a golf ball | 11 | Holmen |
| July 6, 2017 | 1.75 in, a golf ball | 7 | St Joseph |
| July 13, 2015 | 1.5 in, a ping-pong ball | 3 | Burns |
| June 10, 2026 | 1.5 in, a ping-pong ball | 3 | New Amsterdam |
| July 27, 2021 | 1.5 in, a ping-pong ball | 2 | Mindoro |
| August 7, 2021 | 1.25 in, a half dollar | 4 | Holmen |
| August 8, 2020 | 1.25 in, a half dollar | 2 | Stevenstown |
“Golf ball sized hail was reported by an NWS employee west of St.”
NWS report, July 6, 2017
“A trained spotter reported ping pong ball sized hail 1 mile east of New Amsterdam.”
NWS report, June 10, 2026
Tornadoes and wind in La Crosse County
4 tornadoes on record in La Crosse County; the strongest listed is EF1, 5.11 miles long, near Barre Mills. Top gust: 75 mph near West Salem.
| Date | Rating | Path length | Width | Near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 25, 2025 | EF1 | 5.11 mi | 130 yd | Barre Mills |
| March 6, 2017 | EF1 | 2.6 mi | 200 yd | West Salem Arpt |
| July 23, 2022 | EF0 | 2.49 mi | 40 yd | Medary |
| June 25, 2025 | EF0 | 1.07 mi | 60 yd | Barre Mills |
| Date | Gust | Near |
|---|---|---|
| July 28, 2023 | 75 mph | West Salem |
| June 28, 2014 | 72 mph | La Crosse |
| June 28, 2014 | 72 mph | Onalaska |
| June 28, 2014 | 72 mph | La Crosse |
| June 28, 2014 | 71 mph | Midway |
| August 4, 2016 | 71 mph | Midway |
Homes in La Crosse County
Median build year in La Crosse County: 1978. 78.5% of 53,234 homes predate 2000. Houses permitted since 2014: 2,440, or 45.8 per 1,000 homes. Busiest year: 2017.
| pre-1940 | 16.4% |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 4.8% |
| 1950s | 9.3% |
| 1960s | 7.9% |
| 1970s | 15.1% |
| 1980s | 9.9% |
| 1990s | 15.1% |
| 2000s | 11.4% |
| 2010s | 9.4% |
| 2020+ | 0.7% |
| Year | Houses | All units |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 199 | 254 |
| 2015 | 204 | 454 |
| 2016 | 234 | 256 |
| 2017 | 235 | 387 |
| 2018 | 169 | 548 |
| 2019 | 200 | 516 |
| 2020 | 204 | 330 |
| 2021 | 218 | 659 |
| 2022 | 172 | 355 |
| 2023 | 174 | 435 |
| 2024 | 216 | 478 |
| 2025 | 215 | 363 |
Quick answers
How many hail reports has La Crosse County had?
NOAA logged 77 hail reports in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, from 2014 to June 2026.
How many days had hail of 1 inch or larger in La Crosse County?
18 days, including 5 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 La Crosse County?
4 inches (a grapefruit), reported on July 28, 2023.
Which month has the most hail in La Crosse County?
July has the most reports, 39% of the 77 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 La Crosse County
La Crosse County cities we cover
Next to La Crosse County in the Wisconsin ranking
- Rock County (74 reports)
- Outagamie County (68 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.