Ames area, July 20, 2026: spotters filed 6 hail reports, between 00:01 and 22:26 UTC. The largest stone measured 2.75 in. at 1 NE Story City, Story County. Nearest to Ames was a report 11.2 miles out (Luther).
The first Ames report is stamped 00:01 UTC: 1.00-inch hail at Luther (11.2 mi west-southwest). The last is 22:26 UTC: 2.75-inch hail at 1 NE Story City (11.7 mi north).
The farthest report from the center is 1 ENE Ellsworth (19.3 mi north): 2.00-inch hail, 8.1 miles beyond the nearest one.
Sizes on Jul 20 run from 1.00 in. at Luther to 2.75 in. at 1 NE Story City around 22:26 UTC.
The Ames event before this one is Thursday, July 2, 2026, 18 days earlier, with 1 report. Its largest stone measured 1.00 in.; Jul 20 reached 2.75 in.
Where the hail fell
- under 0.75 in
- 0.75 to 0.99
- 1.00 to 1.74
- 1.75 to 2.49
- 2.50 and up
How many reports fell close to the city
| Distance from city center | Reports | Largest hail |
|---|---|---|
| Within 5 miles | 0 | — |
| Within 10 miles | 0 | — |
| Within 25 miles | 6 | 2.75″ |
Reported hail, report by report
| Time (UTC) | Hail size | Location | Distance from city center |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22:26 | 2.75″ | 1 NE Story City, Story County | 11.7 mi |
| 22:19 | 2.50″ | 2 NNE Roland, Story County | 12.9 mi |
| 22:07 | 2.00″ | 1 ENE Ellsworth, Hamilton County | 19.3 mi |
| 22:15 | 1.75″ | 4 N Roland, Hamilton County | 14.2 mi |
| 00:01 | 1.00″ | Luther, Boone County | 11.2 mi |
| 00:33 | 1.00″ | 3 SSE Alleman, Polk County | 17.6 mi |
The rows above come from preliminary Local Storm Reports of the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. Sizes are reported hailstone diameters; times are UTC. Reports can be added or corrected for about a day after the event. Where a report carries no distance, it is measured in a straight line from its coordinates to the city center.
What 2.75 in. hail on July 20, 2026 means for a Ames roof
| Size class | Reports | Share | Largest report in class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00 to 1.74 in | 2 | 33% | Luther, 00:01 UTC |
| 1.75 to 2.49 in | 2 | 33% | 1 ENE Ellsworth, 22:07 UTC |
| 2.50 to 3.99 in | 2 | 33% | 1 NE Story City, 22:26 UTC |
6 of the 6 sized Ames reports reached 1 in. The 2.75 in. stone at 1 NE Story City, Story County falls in the 2.50 to 3.99 in class; on July 20, 2026 that is tennis ball to baseball territory for Ames.
How the storm moved through the area
| Hour (UTC) | Reports | Largest hail |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | 2 | 1.00″ |
| 22:00 | 4 | 2.75″ |
| County | Reports | Largest hail | Closest to city center |
|---|---|---|---|
| Story | 2 | 2.75″ | 11.7 mi |
| Hamilton | 2 | 2.00″ | 14.2 mi |
| Boone | 1 | 1.00″ | 11.2 mi |
| Polk | 1 | 1.00″ | 17.6 mi |
What spotters wrote
2.50″, 2 NNE Roland at 22:19 UTC: Between 2 to 2.5 inch hail. Damage to vehicles.
How this day compares with other hail days
Ames has 3 hail days in our NOAA log; by largest hailstone, July 20, 2026 ranks #1 of them. Logged days closest in time to July 20, 2026:
- September 8: 6 reports, largest 2.25″
- July 2: 1 report, largest 1.00″
The same storm in nearby cities
July 20: 2 cities in 1 state drew SPC hail reports. Cedar Rapids, IA lies closest to Ames, 100 miles east, with 1 report, largest 1.00 in.
| City | Distance | Reports | Largest hail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 100 mi east | 1 | 1.00″ |
1 nearest to Ames, within 220 miles; each link opens that city’s list for July 20, 2026.
Where the claim clocks stand for the Ames storm
Ames: that storm was 97 days ago. Rows marked passed are not cut-off dates on their own; the only legal limits are the ones tagged statute. For Ames the photo window, the inspection and the target filing date (Mon, Jul 27) are already behind us.
- The Ames clock starts at your proof of loss, not on Jul 20: 30 days. Statute text
Ames: insurer clocks counted from a claim filed Mon, Jul 27; working-day clocks skip weekends. Claim deadlines for Ames, IA. Hail claim guide for Iowa. Not legal advice; your own reporting deadline comes from your policy.
July 20 against the Story County July record
Ames's July 20 log shows 2.75 in. hail. The record July in Story County since 2014 is 2020, with 14 reports and a largest stone of 2.50 in.
Hail history near Ames: not the first
Ames’s county has logged 126 hail events since 2017; if this one leads to a replacement, ask about Class 4 impact-resistant shingles, which some insurers discount. In the area archive the biggest stone is 2.50″, below the 2.75″ of July 20, 2026. Check your own address on the hail risk lookup.
See all roofing contractors in Ames, IA
What the sizes reported on July 20, 2026 can do to a roof
| Size class in Ames's reports | Looks like | Reports | What that size can do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00 to 1.74 in | quarter to ping-pong ball | 2 | Shingles can bruise and shed granules, often unseen from the ground. |
| 1.75 to 2.49 in | golf ball to hen egg | 2 | Can fracture older shingles and dent vents, flashing and gutters. |
| 2.50 to 3.99 in | tennis ball to baseball | 2 | Can break shingles, crack tile and shatter skylights. |
Size classes follow the SPC report diameters; the damage wording is general, not a finding about any one roof.
This date among 2026's matched hail days
In 2026 the feed holds 3 matched hail days for Ames. Ranked by largest stone, then report count, July 20, 2026 is #1 of them.
Ranked by largest stone, then by report count. Only dates the SPC feed matched to a covered city are counted.
The week after July 20, 2026
The SPC feed matched no hail report to Ames or to the 1 other covered cities within 100 miles on any of the 7 days after Mon, Jul 20, through Mon, Jul 27.
Questions about this storm
Ames, July 20, 2026: how big was the hail?
At 1 NE Story City, Story County, the largest SPC report was 2.75 in.
Ames, July 20, 2026: how close did the hail fall?
The nearest report sat 11.2 miles from the city center and the farthest 19.3 miles. Within 10 miles: 0 of 6 reports.
Ames, July 20, 2026: how long did the hail last?
Reports are stamped from 00:01 to 22:26 UTC, a window of 1345 minutes. Late reports can still be added for about a day.
Ames, July 20, 2026: was this the worst hail day on record?
Ames has 3 logged hail days; July 20, 2026 ranks #1 for Ames, at 2.75 in. The best other day reached 2.25 in.
Ames, July 20, 2026: what dates apply to a Iowa insurer?
A claim filed on Mon, Jul 27 puts Ames's insurer on the clock: acknowledgment by Tue, Aug 11; decision 30 days after proof of loss. That is Iowa law, applied to Ames. Information, not legal advice; Ames homeowners find their own reporting deadline in the policy.
Do I need an inspection if my roof looks fine?
Often, yes. Hail bruises and granule loss are hard to see from the ground. A dated inspection scope is what ties damage to this storm rather than to ordinary wear.
Did the same storm hit towns near Ames on July 20, 2026?
The feed shows hail reports that day in Cedar Rapids, IA (100 miles east, 1 report, up to 1.00 in.).
What did the feed log near Ames in the week after July 20, 2026?
The SPC feed matched no hail report to Ames or to the 1 other covered cities within 100 miles on any of the 7 days after Mon, Jul 20, through Mon, Jul 27.
About these numbers
Every figure on this page comes from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center Local Storm Reports file, matched to reports within 25 miles of the city center. Reports are preliminary: they come from trained spotters, emergency managers, the public and mPING app submissions, and sizes are often estimated against a coin or ball. We do not adjust them. A roofer tagged Verified holds a license or registration we confirmed in a public registry. That tag says nothing about coverage, so ask whoever you pick for a current certificate of insurance before signing.
More Resources
All recent local hail · Roofing contractors · Insurance claim guide · Roof replacement costs here · Emergency roof repair