Hail in California Apr 16, 2026
The radar-estimated size surface caught this storm, reaching 0.5" aloft. NEXRAD logged no point detections over California this day.
0.5"
≈ pea to penny · radar-estimated size aloft1,130
0
none filedThe 7th most severe storm California has seen in the last 12 months
Overview's storm severity score weighs hailstone size, homes in the footprint, and ground-truth reports.
- Hail size
- 13 /100
- Homes exposed
- 61 /100
- Ground truth
- 0 /100
Largest hailstone — the top predictor of roof damage.
How many homes sit inside the storm's footprint.
Independent storm reports filed with the NWS.
How California 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.
Maximum hail size as estimated from radar aloft. Treat it as the storm's ceiling — the largest supportable stone — rather than a ground measurement.
Only the radar-estimated size surface resolved for Apr 16, 2026 — this storm produced no NEXRAD point detections over California, so there is one map to show, not two.
Where Apr 16, 2026 sits in California's hail record
This was California's 2nd recorded hail day, arriving 16 days after the Mar 31, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 7th of the 9 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over California at 0.5" — radar-estimated size aloft.
The Apr 16, 2026 convective day was bigger than California: the same system put hail over 151 other tracked cities, 67 of them in Missouri. Nearest: Latham (9 miles southwest, up to 0.5"); Centertown (11 miles east, up to 0.5"); Russellville (13 miles southeast, up to 1.5").
These maps are stills from California's Apr 16, 2026 storm. In the Overview app the same surfaces are live — radar updating in real time, radar-estimated hail size as it forms, and NWS spotter reports pinned where they're filed — with a radar replay you can scrub back over any past day.
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 California. 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.
What 0.5" hail means for California roofs
Hail under three-quarters of an inch stays below the National Weather Service severe threshold and rarely breaks shingles outright. But repeated small-hail events accelerate granule loss and shorten roof life — on older roofs, it's still worth a conversation.
$14M
Potential roof exposure — 1,130 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.Track hail over California on the live map
Radar updates in real time, spotter reports appear on the map as they're filed, and the full California storm history — this Apr 16, 2026 storm included — sits underneath. When you're ready, draw this storm's footprint and pull highly accurate homeowner contact information for every address inside it.
Highly accurate contact information starting at $0.23 per address — every contact included. Digital leads cost $15–$40. Start with a 7-day free trial — no credit card required. See pricing
9 recorded storm days in California, MO
Other storms in California
Jul 31, 2026
0.5"
Jul 9, 2026
1.75"
Jul 5, 2026
1"
May 31, 2026
1"
Apr 27, 2026
1.75"
Apr 26, 2026
0.5"
Apr 17, 2026
1"
Mar 31, 2026
0.75"