Hail in Cotton · Apr 12, 2026
NEXRAD logged 1 hail signature up to 1.75"; the estimated-size surface reached 1" aloft. Open it on the live map to see the swath over the streets.
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Convective day · Apr 12, 2026 · noon–noon UTC
Severity
The 2nd most severe storm Cotton has seen in the last 12 months
Overview's storm severity score weighs hailstone size, homes in the footprint, and ground-truth reports.
- Peak hail signal
- 44 /100
- Homes exposed
- 0 /100
- Ground truth
- 0 /100
Largest radar-indicated size — a signal of damage potential, not confirmation.
How many homes sit inside the storm's footprint.
Independent storm reports filed with the NWS.
Evidence / storm surfaces
How Cotton saw the hail — from two instruments
We map this storm two ways: the NEXRAD radar signatures the storm produced overhead, and the radar-estimated size of the hail in the air. The two surfaces don’t have to match — where they diverge is where estimated size aloft ran ahead of, or behind, what the signatures caught.
Radar signature field NEXRAD radar signatures — the point detections the storm produced overhead. A signature is where the radar saw hail, not a confirmed stone on the ground.
Estimated size field Maximum hail size as estimated from radar aloft. Treat it as the storm's ceiling — the largest supportable stone — rather than a ground measurement.
The storm in context
Where Apr 12, 2026 sits in Cotton's hail record.
This was Cotton's 1st recorded hail day — the first hail day in our records for the city. By severity it ranks 2nd of the 4 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Cotton at 1.75" — the largest NEXRAD radar signature.
The Apr 12, 2026 convective day was bigger than Cotton: the same system put hail over 85 other tracked cities, 14 of them in Minnesota. Nearest: Canyon (12 miles southwest, up to 1.5"); Forbes (21 miles west, up to 1.75"); Meadowlands (21 miles west, up to 1.75").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 4 Cotton storm dates on a live map — both surfaces, the reports, and a replay — and the same map is where you draw the swath. This page rebuilds nightly.
Ground reports
What people on the ground reported
These are storm reports filed with the National Weather Service and released through the NOAA Storm Prediction Center — public-domain observations from spotters, the public, and NWS surveys. We quote each one exactly as filed.
No ground reports were filed with the National Weather Service for this storm over Cotton. That is common: a report depends on someone being there to see it and take the time to call it in. The radar surfaces above are the record here — the storm was detected from above even though no one on the ground logged it.
High damage potential
What 1.75" hail means for Cotton roofs.
Hail around an inch and a half is capable of cracking shingles, stripping granules, and denting gutters, vents, and siding. Risk is usually greatest near the strongest radar signal, but property-level damage still requires an on-site inspection.
Radar reading · not confirmed damage
Cotton hail history
Other storms in Cotton.
Estimated-size surface Aug 3, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Jul 26, 2026
1.5"
Estimated-size surface Jul 3, 2026
0.5"The next storm won’t wait for you.
Set your territory and alerts today. When hail hits, use Overview to choose your streets and get moving.
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For iPhone. Android coming soon.
Web trial: 7 days free. Card required. $150/month after the trial unless cancelled.