Hail is a recurring, budgetable risk in Salina — 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.
Salina's Storm-Climate Context
Salina sits in central Kansas tornado alley with serious roofing exposure on all fronts. The city recorded a peak of 118 F on August 13, 1936 and a low of -31 F on February 13, 1905, a wide swing that drives relentless freeze-thaw cycling on shingles and flashing. Annual snowfall averages 16.6 inches, adding seasonal snow-load stress. Tornado history is well-documented: an F3 on June 21, 1969 destroyed or damaged over 100 structures and injured 60; another F3 on September 25, 1973 leveled two houses and a trailer park; and an EF3 on June 11, 2008 caused severe building damage on the south side. Each event strips granules, cracks decking, and forces widespread full replacements.
Salina, with 46,889 residents per the 2020 census, anchors central Kansas as a regional employment hub. The top employers include Salina Regional Health Center (1,875 workers), Schwan's Global Supply Chain (1,700), and Great Plains Manufacturing (1,100). This stable blue-collar and healthcare workforce sustains consistent residential roofing demand. Older commercial and industrial stock from the post-WWII Schilling Air Force Base era adds a recurring replacement and maintenance pipeline for local contractors.
Hail Events Near Salina by Date
September 19, 2026 — 2 reports, hail up to 1.50″ (ping-pong-ball size)
| Time (UTC) | Hail size | Location | Distance from Salina |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2146 | 1.50″ | 2 WNW Marquette, McPherson County | 23.3 mi |
| 2148 | 1.00″ | Marquette, McPherson County | 23.2 mi |
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 23.2 miles from Salina's center.
View these 2 reports on a map
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 Salina's Reports
The National Weather Service calls hail severe at 1″ (quarter size) and significant at 2″ (hen-egg size). Scoring the 2 Salina-area reports (filed in McPherson County) against that scale: 2 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
- 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 19, 2026 activity near Salina, those ground-level proxies tell you whether the roof took a hit.
- 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 Salina storm day are what the adjuster will ask for.
- Expect door-knockers — and slow down. In a hail market like Salina, 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.
- 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.
- 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 Salina — the 10-Year Picture
The county behind Salina has logged 79 hail events over the last decade — a pace of roughly 8 per year — with the most severe stone measured at 3.00″. Against that 10-year baseline, the 1 hail day in this 90-day window run below the long-term average rate. Salina averages 8 hail-producing storms per year — check hail risk lookup for your address.
Salina's county sits right at the Kansas median of 78 hail events per county over 10 years — average exposure for the state, meaning the risk is real but not outsized compared with neighboring markets.
Salina's County, Year by Year (NOAA Archive)
| Year | Recorded hail events | Largest stone |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6 | 1.75″ |
| 2023 | 1 | 1.00″ |
| 2022 | 9 | 1.75″ |
| 2021 | 10 | 2.00″ |
| 2020 | 16 | 2.00″ |
| 2019 | 8 | 1.75″ |
| 2018 | 1 | 1.75″ |
| 2017 | 3 | 1.50″ |
| 2016 busiest largest stone | 25 | 3.00″ |
NOAA Storm Events archive, Salina's county. Years with no row logged no hail events.
2016 was the county's standout hail year on both counts: the most recorded events (25) and the largest stone (3.00″). Roofs installed before that season have already survived the local worst case — or absorbed damage that was never inspected.
Hail in Salina — Questions Homeowners Ask
Check Your Own ZIP in Salina
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 — Salina ZIP codes include 67401, 67402, 67403, 67404, 67405.
Salina Neighborhoods — Hail Exposure Varies by Area
Hail paths track with storm cell movement, not city limits. If you're in Downtown Salina, South Heights, College View, University Place or Westview, check your specific street against the report locations above — distance from Salina's center is listed for each report.
More Resources
Roofing contractors in Salina · Storm damage repair in Salina · Insurance claim guide · Hail insurance claims in Kansas · Roof replacement costs in Salina · Emergency roof repair