Hail Reports in Lawrence, Kansas — Last 90 Days

Hail is a recurring, budgetable risk in Lawrence — roughly 8 hail-producing storms in a typical year. The 90-day log below shows where the most recent activity landed relative to town, so you can judge whether your street was in a hail path.

Lawrence's Storm-Climate Context

Lawrence sits in northeast Kansas under a humid continental climate that exposes roofs to punishing extremes. The record high of 114 F was recorded in August; the record low of -25 F hit on February 12, 1899. Average annual snowfall is 10.4 inches, and spring thunderstorm season brings frequent hail that strips granules from asphalt shingles and dents metal panels. The combination of freeze-thaw cycles through winter, hail impact in spring, and summer UV load at high temperatures stresses every roofing material category and shortens service life below manufacturer ratings.

Lawrence's 94,934 residents (2020 Census) are anchored by the University of Kansas, the city's dominant employer at 10,116 workers. The university's large campus and surrounding student housing stock create steady re-roofing volume for institutional and multi-family roofs. Lawrence Memorial Hospital and Hallmark Cards round out the employer base. Located 25 miles east of Topeka and 35 miles west of Kansas City, the city draws roofing contractors from both metro areas, making the local market competitive for homeowners seeking bids.

Hail Events Near Lawrence by Date

September 6, 2026 — 3 reports, hail up to 1.00″ (quarter size)

August 18, 2026 — 5 reports, hail up to 1.75″ (golf-ball size) Largest in 90 days

Preliminary Local Storm Reports from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. Sizes are reported hailstone diameters; times are UTC. Reports can be added or corrected for about a day after each event. A quiet page section ≠ no hail — smaller or unreported events happen. The closest report in this window landed 20.7 miles from Lawrence's center.

Circle positions are the NOAA SPC report coordinates; tap a circle for the date and hail size.

Hail size: < 1″ 1–1.75″ ≥ 2″ not recorded

How Severe Was It? The NWS Yardstick, Applied to Lawrence's Reports

The National Weather Service calls hail severe at 1″ (quarter size) and significant at 2″ (hen-egg size). Scoring the 8 Lawrence-area reports (filed in Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Wyandotte Counties) against that scale: 8 of them met the severe 1″+ criterion — the size at which asphalt shingles start taking granule loss and bruising that shows up as leaks a season later. Damage at these sizes is rarely visible from the ground but is typically covered by homeowners insurance when documented promptly.

What to Do If Your Roof Was in the Hail Path

1. Stay off the roof and read your yard instead. Granule piles at the downspouts, dings in gutters and window screens, shredded leaves — after the September 6, 2026 activity near Lawrence, those ground-level proxies tell you whether the roof took a hit.
2. Build the paper trail before anyone touches anything. Dated photos of the damage, a hailstone next to a coin if one is still around, and this NOAA log tying the loss to a specific Lawrence storm day are what the adjuster will ask for.
3. Expect door-knockers — and slow down. In a hail market like Lawrence, out-of-town crews canvass neighborhoods within days of an event. Do not sign a contract or an Assignment of Benefits on the doorstep; get a written inspection scope from a roofer you chose first.
4. File on your policy's clock, not the salesman's. Sudden storm damage is generally covered for Kansas homeowners, and your filing window comes from the policy itself. File promptly while the dates above are fresh, but on your terms.
5. Have your contractor at the adjuster meeting. A written scope keeps the estimate honest. Step-by-step: the roof insurance claim guide.

Hail History in Lawrence — the 10-Year Picture

The county behind Lawrence has logged 42 hail events over the last decade — a pace of roughly 4 per year — with the most severe stone measured at 2.50″. Against that 10-year baseline, the 2 hail days in this 90-day window run above the long-term average rate. Lawrence averages 8 hail-producing storms per year — check hail risk lookup for your address.

Lawrence's county logged fewer hail events than the Kansas median (78 per county over 10 years), placing it on the lower end of the state's hail exposure spectrum — though individual storm cells can still produce damaging hail regardless of the long-term average.

Lawrence's County, Year by Year (NOAA Archive)

NOAA Storm Events archive, Lawrence's county. Years with no row logged no hail events.

The county's busiest hail year in the archive was 2018 (9 recorded events), while the largest stone on record — 2.50″ — fell in 2017. If your roof predates 2017 and has never had a documented inspection, assume it has taken at least one unexamined hit.

Hail in Lawrence — Questions Homeowners Ask

Check Your Own ZIP in Lawrence

The county-level history above averages over the whole area. For a score tied to your address, run your ZIP through the hail risk lookup — Lawrence ZIP codes include 66044, 66049, 66047, 66045, 66048.

Lawrence Neighborhoods — Hail Exposure Varies by Area

Hail paths track with storm cell movement, not city limits. If you're in Sunflower Lake, Hawthorne Park, Rock Chalk Park, South Lawrence or Eastside, check your specific street against the report locations above — distance from Lawrence's center is listed for each report.

More Resources

Roofing contractors in Lawrence · Storm damage repair in Lawrence · Insurance claim guide · Hail insurance claims in Kansas · Roof replacement costs in Lawrence · Emergency roof repair