St. Joseph is not hail alley, but it is not exempt either — the area averages about 5 hail-producing storms a year. When a cell does track over the county, the reports below tell you the date, the stone size, and how close it came.
St. Joseph's Storm-Climate Context
St. Joseph, Missouri experiences frequent thunderstorms and occasional hail, which can damage roofs. Snow is rare but heavy rain can cause water damage, especially to older roofing materials.
Insurance companies in St. Joseph require regular roof inspections due to the risk of storm damage, making it essential for homeowners to maintain their roofs. The local market has a variety of contractors who specialize in both new installations and repairs, with some offering specialized services like hail damage repair.
Hail Events Near St. Joseph by Date
September 15, 2026 — 2 reports, hail up to 1.00″ (quarter size)
| Time (UTC) | Hail size | Location | Distance from St. Joseph |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2300 | 1.00″ | 1 NNE Amazonia, Andrew County | 9.3 mi |
| 2300 | 1.00″ | 2 NE Country Club Villa, Andrew County | 6.1 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 6.1 miles from St. Joseph'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 St. Joseph's Reports
The National Weather Service calls hail severe at 1″ (quarter size) and significant at 2″ (hen-egg size). Scoring the 2 St. Joseph-area reports (filed in Andrew 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
- Do a ground-level walk-around. Hail is rare enough around St. Joseph that most homeowners never think to check — look for granules collecting at downspouts, dented gutters or screens, and battered plants after the September 15, 2026 reports above. Stay off the roof itself.
- Photograph anything suspicious with dates. Even minor-looking marks matter later: this NOAA log plus dated photos connect the damage to a covered storm event instead of "gradual wear", which insurers exclude.
- Book a free inspection rather than guessing. Bruised shingles and granule loss are invisible from the ground; a written scope from a local roofer settles whether there is a claim at all.
- Only involve the insurer once you know the scope. If the inspection finds nothing, you have lost nothing; if it finds damage, file within your policy's window while the event date is easy to prove.
- Bring the written scope to the adjuster. Full walkthrough in the roof insurance claim guide.
Hail History in St. Joseph — the 10-Year Picture
The county behind St. Joseph has logged 21 hail events over the last decade — a pace of roughly 2 per year — with the most severe stone measured at 1.75″. Against that 10-year baseline, the 1 hail day in this 90-day window run above the long-term average rate. St. Joseph averages 5 hail-producing storms per year — check hail risk lookup for your address.
St. Joseph's county sits right at the Missouri median of 21 hail events per county over 10 years — average exposure for the state, meaning the risk is real but not outsized compared with neighboring markets.
St. Joseph's County, Year by Year (NOAA Archive)
| Year | Recorded hail events | Largest stone |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 1.50″ |
| 2023 largest stone | 3 | 1.75″ |
| 2022 | 1 | 1.00″ |
| 2019 | 5 | 1.75″ |
| 2018 | 3 | 1.50″ |
| 2016 busiest | 8 | 1.50″ |
NOAA Storm Events archive, St. Joseph's county. Years with no row logged no hail events.
The county's busiest hail year in the archive was 2016 (8 recorded events), while the largest stone on record — 1.75″ — fell in 2023. If your roof predates 2016 and has never had a documented inspection, assume it has taken at least one unexamined hit.
Hail in St. Joseph — Questions Homeowners Ask
Check Your Own ZIP in St. Joseph
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 — St. Joseph ZIP codes include 64502, 64503, 64510, 64507, 64509.
St. Joseph Neighborhoods — Hail Exposure Varies by Area
Hail paths track with storm cell movement, not city limits. If you're in Westside District, Downtown St. Joseph, Northwest Missouri State University Area, St. Joseph Country Club Neighborhood or Southwest District, check your specific street against the report locations above — distance from St. Joseph's center is listed for each report.
More Resources
Roofing contractors in St. Joseph · Storm damage repair in St. Joseph · Insurance claim guide · Hail insurance claims in Missouri · Roof replacement costs in St. Joseph · Emergency roof repair